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siderable wit; he was young, handsome, and well-made, and he resolved to put all in practice in order to gain the widow. But the number of lovers who came every day after her, made him conceive that it would not be by ordinary means that he could hope to triumph-and he hit upon a stratagem which had all the success he could expect. He thought, that if he could have free access to her, without causing the least umbrage, he could ultimately shake that virtue he already distrusted so much.

He found means, by some money, to purchase him a permission to beg throughout Paris, as one deaf and dumb from his birth. Silmander was not known, and his certificate was properly made out and attested. He changed his inn, and went to lodge in one of the most retired suburbs of the city. After this precaution, which appeared necessary to him, he began to put his project in practice, and to place himself in the principal churches, where he might meet Dorothea. In the first instance she payed no attention to this new supplicant; but, in a little time, his decent demeanour caused him to be noticed. She read his pretended certificateappeared touched with his case-and was liberal in her charity. Silmander made her a bow, to thank her, with so good a grace, that Dorothea, turning towards her female attendant, said in a tone sufficiently loud for our deaf man to hear "Great God! what a misfortune it is that this young man labours under such an infirmity." This tender compassion of the widow augured well to Silmander. He redoubled his assiduities, and Dorothea, whom a secret good-will interested for him, daily augmented her alms.~ At last, the thing went so far, that the good widow generally emptied her purse in favour of the pretended dumb. But Silmander, who would not deprive the real poor of her alms, went ordinarily to the door of the church, and distributed a part of what he had received among those who were still more wretched than himself. This proceeding was at length noticed by Virginia, the widow's femme de chambre, who always attended her. She told her mistress, who could not believe so disinterested an action, until convinced of it by her own eyes. Love, which began to make an impression on her, made this generous conduct appear so brilliant in her eyes, that it enabled him to gain absolute possession of her heart. Nevertheless, before she indulged in the kindness she felt towards Silmander, she was pleased to consult her confessor, who was a good monk, with a mind as heavy as his body, for study had never enlightened the former, although good cheer had aggran

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dized the latter. Dorothea had contributed more than any other towards the vast corpulence of this venerable father-therefore, he entered with docility into all the views of the widow, and was charmed with the pious work she proposed to him. He applauded the design she had formed of taking Silmander under her protection, as it would prevent the young man from falling into cious habits--it was to save him from the precipice, to which, sooner or late, the world would seduce his innocence. In fact, it was concluded, on both sides, that the charitable deed should be put in execution that very day. They sent to seek for Silmander, and it was with great pains that they made him understand the happiness which awaited him. At length, having so well played his part to confirm them in the opinion of his deafness, he threw himself at the feet of the good lady, and appeared so transported with his good fortune, that he accomplished the conquest of her heart. Virginia was charged with the care of conducting him to the house of Dorothea, where they gave him a very comfortable apartment.

The tailor had orders to make him two suits of clothes, neat, but genteel, and every other necessary was liberally allotted him, so that at the expiration of a few days, he found himself equipped as he ought to be according to his age, his person, and his education. Dorothea gave him the honourable post of her esquire, and it was to him that she gave her hand in all places where she wished to go. Silmander had no difficulty in perceiving that it was love assigned him this office, since no one but himself could be continually near her: and moreover, she from time to time darted at him the most amourous glances, which he pretended not to understand. He remarked that the good widow frequently feigned to make false steps, to have the pleasure of squeezing his hand, and as he wished to reduce her to the necessity of making all the advances of an amourous person, he appeared very respectful, but very indifferent. This mode of acting rendered Dorothea desperate without the power of complaining. She saw well, that it was but natural that a man she had retrieved from misery, should show the respect he owed her, and moreover, that her outrageous devotion could not leave any hope for love. She would willingly have been less devout, but she had adopted so decided a tone, that it was necessary to sustain it. Silmander, who could read her heart, laughed to himself at these various conflicts. In the meantime, her suitors continued their assiduities; but a

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new motive, of which they were ignorant, caused them to be treated with additional contempt, and the dumb protege, at whom they took no umbrage, became day after day an invincible obstącle to their desires, which were more lucrative than sensual. Among these suitors was one Florimond, who, fatigued more than the rest with so long a resistance, concluded in his own mind, to put the widow in such a situation, that she would not be able to deny favours which he pretended to take from her by violence.

He watched with great care one day, when all the domestics were gone out for different purposes, and entered the apart ment of Dorothea. He found her alone, as he had calculated, for Silmander had gone out for a short time. After a very short conversation, Florimond, willing to make the best use of his time, proceeded immediately to take such liberties as are seldom permitted in the first instance. The widow uttered dreadful screams, but they were useless, and finding herself much fatigued, would probably have yielded, if the dumb Silmander had not entered her apartment. The moment he perceived the violence of Florimond, he drew his sword, and advanced fiercely towards him. This pas sionate lover, who only expected a few scratches from the widow, was extremely surprised to find a combat more serious upon his hands. Nevertheless, as he was as bold a man, as he was a brutal ravisher, he put himself presently in an attitude to punish the indiscretion of Silmander, but he was no more successful against him, than he was in ravishing the holy widow, and quickly receiyed two good thrusts with the sword, that laid him at the feet of Dorothea. This adventure made a great deal of noise; Florimond was on the eve of death without being pitied by any one, and every one congratulated Dorothea on her having escaped violation by this presumptuous lover, who was for ever banished

her house.

The fidelity of the dumb man was universally applauded-they praised his valour, and the fame of this action being spread throughout the city, all the world were anxious to come and see the gallant Silmander, who conducted himself with admirable presence of mind, and while they loaded him with praise, he appeared occupied with other matters, and affected to be ignorant of what they said to his advantage. In the meantime, gratitude had entirely determined the love of Dorothea, and it was but a slight regard to decorum that still combatted against him. It appeared

extremely hard to the tender widow to make the first advances, but she must nevertheless submit. Silmander read with pleasure in her eyes, her love, and her perplexity. Indeed, notwithstanding the modesty she still retained in spite of herself, she could not help feeling flattered but that Silmander was sensible of her kind

ness.

One day when he was in her apartment, she went to a table, and drew quickly on a paper, a lady, who presented a heart to a gentleman, who refused it. Under the first figure she wrote the name of Dorothea; and under the second, that of Silmander. This declaration was very significant, and Silmander immediately effaced the figure, and drew the representation of a man upon his knees before a lady, with their names written under the two figures. This reply was gallant enough, but it did not satisfy the widow, as the man might be upon his knees as well through respect as through love. This idea appeared to her very natural, and it made her hold her head down with shame and mortification, of which, Silmander quickly divined the cause, and derived secret pleasure from it, as he wished to provoke her to make the most extreme advances. Virginia, who entered at this moment, could not help enquiring the cause of the embarrassment which she perceived in her countenance. Dorothea, who had an entire confidence in this girl, and had avowed to her the secret passion she had for Silmander, told her every thing which had passed, and the interpretation she put upon the answer of the esquire. Virginia pretended to enter into the fears of her mistress, as she had secret reasons for dissuading the widow from her love; and the handsome person of the dumb man having equally touched her heart, she would willingly rid herself of so formidable a rival as Dorothea. Madam," said Virginia, " you flatter yourself in vain, `to think that Silmander could reply to your tenderness. How could a man, whom you have taken from the most degraded condition, imagine himself happy enough to gain your affections. If he could listen and reply, your discourse might persuade him, but as he is not in a situation to benefit by those means, he could only be made sensible of your attachment, by those gross kind of favours, which your modesty and sanctity renders you utterly incapable of bestowing." "Ah, my Virginia !" exclaimed the widow, "to what does not love expose one? I love with violence-the object of my love would surely return it but alas! he is insensible as to what I want, and what he might have. I am distracted, and

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can no longer brook the almighty power of love. If Silmander will not play the part of a man in making the first advances, and being impudent with me, I must be under the necessity of taking him by storm-I must throw myself languishingly on his bosom, and thus tempt him to rifle all my charms!" What, Madam,” said Virginia," could you resolve upon advances of this nature? No, no! it shall never be said that you abandoned yourself to a design which must in a little time be discovered; I have conceived a plan, whereby your love can be satisfied, without the consequences being known to the public. I will consent (to shew my zeal for your service) to marry Silmander, and then, without his knowing his happiness, your own may be accomplished, by your occasionally slipping into my bed, and receiving the embraces intended for me." This proposition charmed Dorothea, as her love was more sensual than delicate, and she promised Virginia to exert all her authority to bring about an affair so gratifying to her passions. This conversation, which passed before Silmander, pleased him very much, and in spite of his desire to laugh, he contrived to keep his ordinary demeanour. He had already perceived the amourous feelings of Virginia towards himself, but the expedient she resorted to, in order to make her mistress enter into her interests, seemed original and comic.

(To be concluded in the next Number.)

Literature.

Tales of Ton; containing fashionable characters, a Novel, in four volumes, by Miss M'Leod. London, 12mo. 1821.

These tales are written in an easy, pleasant style, and professedly pourtray living characters in high life, An interesting story combines the detached incidents, and introduces the different personages in those situations which have eventually unmasked their real characters, and renders the work highly interesting. We are happy to see the follies and vices of the age so completely exposed; here, the mirror is held up to Nature, and those who discover it in their own deformities will vainly endeavour, to shrink from the gaze of the world, or palliate those actions which have justly incurred its censure. Should the noted offenders be too old

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