Part 73 (2/2)

”When I was last in this room I was in company with a very strange personage.”

”Male or female?” inquired I.

”Female,” replied Colonel G----. ”Altogether it's a story worth telling, and as it will pa.s.s away the time, I will relate it you--unless you wish to retire.”

As I satisfied him that I was not anxious to go to bed, and very anxious to hear his story, he narrated it as near as I can recollect in the following words:--

”I had taken my place in the diligence from Paris, and when I arrived at _Notre Dame des Victoires_ it was all ready for a start; the luggage, piled up as high as an English haystack, had been covered over and buckled down, and the _conducteur_ was calling out for the pa.s.sengers. I took my last hasty whiff of my cigar, and unwillingly threw away more than half of a really good Havannah; for I perceived that in the _interieur_, for which I had booked myself, there was one female already seated: and women and cigars are such great luxuries in their respective ways, that they are not to be indulged in at one and the same time--the world would be too happy, and happiness, we are told, is not for us here below. Not that I agree with that moral, although it comes from very high authority;--there is a great deal of happiness in this world, if you knew how to extract it; or rather, I should say, of pleasure: there is a pleasure in doing good; there is a pleasure, unfortunately, in doing wrong; there is a pleasure in looking forward, ay, and in looking backward also; there is pleasure in loving and being loved, in eating, in drinking, and though last, not least, in smoking. I do not mean to say that there are not the drawbacks of pain, regret, and even remorse; but there is a sort of pleasure even in them: it is pleasant to repent, because you know that you are doing your duty; and if there is no great pleasure in pain, it precedes an excess when it has left you. I say again, that, if you know how to extract it, there is a great deal of pleasure and of happiness in this world, especially if you have, as I have, a very bad memory.

”'_Allons, Messieurs!_' said the _conducteur_; and when I got in I found myself the sixth person, and opposite to the lady; for all the other pa.s.sengers were of my own s.e.x. Having fixed our hats up to the roof, wriggled and twisted a little so as to get rid of coat-tails, etc., all of which was effected previous to our having cleared _Rue Notre Dame des Victoires_, we began to scrutinise each other. Our female companion's veil was down and doubled, so that I could not well make her out; my other four companions were young men, all Frenchmen, apparently good-tempered, and inclined to be agreeable. A few seconds were sufficient for my reconnoitre of the gentlemen, and then my eyes were naturally turned towards the lady. She was m.u.f.fled up in a winter cloak, so that her figure was not to be made out; and the veil still fell down before her face, so that only one cheek and a portion of her chin could be deciphered:--that fragment of her physiognomy was very pretty, and I watched in silence for the removal of the veil.

”I have omitted to state that, before I got into the diligence, I saw her take a very tender adieu of a very handsome woman; but as her back was turned to me at the time, I did not see her face. She had now fallen back in her seat, and seemed disposed to commune with her own thoughts: that did not suit my views, which were to have a view of her face. Real politeness would have induced me to have left her to herself, but pretended politeness was resorted to that I might gratify my curiosity; so I inquired if she wished the window up. The answer was in the negative, and in a very sweet voice; and then there was a pause, of course--so I tried again.

”'You are melancholy at parting with your handsome sister,' observed I, leaning forward with as much appearance of interest as I could put into my beautiful phiz.

”'How could you have presumed that she was my sister?' replied she.

”'From the _strong family_ likeness,' rejoined I, 'I felt certain of it.'

”'But she is only my sister-in-law, sir--my brother's wife.'

”'Then, I presume, he chose a wife as like his sister as he could find: nothing more natural--I should have done the same.'

”'Sir you are very polite,' replied the lady, who lowered down the window, adding, 'I like fresh air.'

”'Perhaps you will find yourself less incommoded if you take off your veil?'

”'I will not ascribe that proposition to curiosity on your part, sir,'

replied the lady, 'as you have already seen my face.'

”'You cannot, then, be surprised at my wis.h.i.+ng to see it once more.'

”'You are very polite, sir.'

”Although her voice was soft, there was a certain quickness and decision in her manner and language which were very remarkable. The other pa.s.sengers now addressed her, and the conversation became general. The veiled lady took her share in it, and showed a great deal of smartness and repartee. In an hour more we were all very intimate. As we changed horses, I took down my hat to put into it my cigar-case, which I had left in my pocket, upon which the lady observed, 'You smoke, I perceive; and so, I dare say, do all the rest of the gentlemen.--Now, do not mind me; I am fond of the smell of tobacco--I am used to it.'

”We hesitated.

”'Nay, more, I smoke myself, and will take a cigar with you.'

”This was decisive. I offered my cigar-case--another gentleman struck a light. Lifting up her veil so as to show a very pretty mouth, with teeth as white as snow, she put the cigar in her mouth, and set us the example. In a minute both windows were down, and every one had a cigar in his mouth.

”'Where did you learn to smoke, madam?' was a question put to the _incognita_ by the pa.s.senger who sat next to her.

”'Where?--In the camp--Africa--everywhere. I did belong to the army--that is, my husband was one of the captains of the 47th. He was killed, poor man! in the last successful expedition to Constantine:--_c'etait un brave homme_.'

<script>