zeal, and it grieves me very seriously I must own, that it should end with shame.

It was Sir John who gave me the belle histoire of last post, to which I added not, as to the matter, an iota, whether the manner was precisely the same I will not take upon me to say. But it was he who gave me the idea of the improper house, and he enjoyed the thing infinitely; and I wish he had given it you in his own manner, which was still higher than mine; and he gave it me but on the morning of the day I wrote. It was impossible that I could see her ladyship before Friday, when I was engaged to dine with her, and then audivi alteram partem, which they say one should never do, as it spoils the first. Sir John had charged me not to quote him, and, in consequence, you saw that I made no mention of my author, nor, had his intelligence been true, should I have ever mentioned him. But I must now give him up. I must vindicate myself.

On Friday, then, I went to dine with her ladyship, and was received and treated throughout the visit with all the politeness and seeming cordiality which I was prepared to expect by this flattering note of the Baron, which I had received whilst I was dressing. I was frightened, knowing that great people are more than ordinarily gracious to those whom they mean to destroy, and could not conceive what was to be done to me. But I soon found that the cause, or rather causes (for they are two), of

their cajolerie were of harmless purport. They wanted to give me their story, for they think I can be of use to them in England. You shall hear. The time before dinner was all taken up in examining the map, which gave infinite satisfaction, &c., and in talking of Byron and D'Estaing. At dinner there were servants, but immediately after dinner her ladyship began with asking me if I had heard of the extraordinary behaviour of S—. Yes, I had heard something which shocked me very much which her ladyship kindly supposed to proceed from my indignation at the treatment she had received, and then very roundly gave me the story as I have represented it supposing no frame in the case, viz: that S intruded upon her when she was alone, and had ordered herself to be denied; that she had been very brusque with him, and he insolent in return. She acknowledged the whole of the fit, and the drops, and the convulsions, in which she believed that she was miraculously supported, as she never shed a tear, though they stood in her eyes at the relation, and in short represented what they call in comedy, a situation, of the very choicest and richest kind, and at which it was with the greatest difficulty I was able to keep my countenance. For I hope, sir, you do not think I am such a ninny as to believe there was anything really serious in the fit. No! But this is snow-white innocence, in comparison of the having laid a frame for it, of which I must and

do acquit her, and am very sorry and much ashamed to have charged her with it. The Baron was really out at a ball.

How my belle histoire is reduced to nothing! And it is yet to be reduced, for there is no two years in the case; it is but two months. The thing had been before the Commissaire. They told me that S had been very vehement in his defence, and had a lenity shown him he did not deserve, for missus abiit. The Commissaire heard his story and sent him about his business; therefore there is no reason to suppose him in the plot, as Sir John supposed. Yesterday I went to Sir John and acquainted him with my fears that I had sent a false information, insisting upon the circumstance of two years, instead of two months. Sir John was almost angry, and said there was such a d-d deal of lying everywhere (in which, indeed, he was right enough), that there was no knowing what to believe, and that I must tell you so. Of everything

else he was sure.

I then went to S, who gave me his story, which tallied with her ladyship's as to facts, but differed in intention, and which was still more ridiculous, from his awkward distress at the fit, as he did not know what in the world to do, though he did not believe it real, yet, as a gallant man to be the cause of but an apparent fit in a lady distressed him, and he thought he ought to endeavour to remove it, and followed her, she having

withdrawn into the bed-room, and took hold of her arm, which made her scream ten times more. "Twas the touch of the accursed thing. So far from meaning to insult her, he went, he said, with all the innocence in the world; that he believed she had ordered herself to be denied, and that the servants had neglected her orders; that she brusqued him exceedingly, which he could not help resenting, and repeated almost the words I told you, and which Sir John seems to have related faithfully enough, only, instead of "If you were a still greater lady," he said, "Si vous étiez le Roy et si je pouvois m'approcher de vous, je croirois avoir droit," &c.

He said that the Baron had deposed to his innocence before the Commissaire, that the lady had given orders to be denied, and was subject to be emportée, &c. If so, what a pretty rascal must the Baron be to sit and assent to her ladyship's assertions of the malice prepense with which he came to insult her! But it is all of a piece, such a cursed tripotage! With what joy do I behold the end of it! As the Baron talked of my calling earlier, I went this morning before ten o'clock. They were at breakfast. Very gracious. No talk of affairs, but of the news of the day, which is, that Necker is going out, and that two men-of-war, a sixty and an eighty-gun, have been burnt at Brest. That Necker is going out was thought very pleasing, and to be good news for

England, as he was an able Minister; but I could see another reason why it was pleasing, which you will not be at a loss to guess. After breakfast her ladyship retired, and I went with the Baron into his room, where there was a man waiting for him, who has a house to let at Chaillot, for which the Baron is bargaining for Mrs. St. Leger. While we were here her ladyship sent to me to desire I would come to dinner, as she had roast beef. See, sir, how gracious we are again. Soon after, the Baron proposed my walking with him and this man to Chaillot, to look at the house, to which I assented, in hopes I might be able to get him to myself some part of the morning, but which I could not do but for a few minutes.

So, sir, there is an end of my affair and my spyship, for I do not think I can have anything else to say to you about it; and if there has been anything disagreeable in it, it is forgotten and lost in the joy I feel at the very happy state of my affairs at Milan, for I take such an interest in them, that I am sure I may very fairly call them mine as well as yours.

Extract of a letter from Minifie, dated February the 26th, and received to-day: "The Fagniani family talk daily and loudly of Mr. Selwyn's goodness to Mie Mie, and of the father's conducting her to Paris. Everything is fixed upon;