A Sentimental Journey | Page 8

felt it.--We remained silent, without any sensation of that foolish pain which takes place, when, in such a circle, you look for ten minutes in one another's faces without saying a word. Whilst this lasted, the monk rubbed his horn box upon the sleeve of his tunic; and as soon as it had acquired a little air of brightness by the friction--he made me a low bow, and said, 'twas too late to say whether it was the weakness or goodness of our tempers which had involved us in this contest--but be it as it would,--he begg'd we might exchange boxes.--In saying this, he presented his to me with one hand, as he took mine from me in the other, and having kissed it,--with a stream of good nature in his eyes, he put it into his bosom,--and took his leave.
I guard this box, as I would the instrumental parts of my religion, to help my mind on to something better: in truth, I seldom go abroad without it; and oft and many a time have I called up by it the courteous spirit of its owner to regulate my own, in the justlings of the world: they had found full employment for his, as I learnt from his story, till about the forty-fifth year of his age, when upon some military services ill requited, and meeting at the same time with a disappointment in the tenderest of passions, he abandoned the sword and the sex together, and took sanctuary not so much in his convent as in himself.
I feel a damp upon my spirits, as I am going to add, that in my last return through Calais, upon enquiring after Father Lorenzo, I heard he had been dead near three months, and was buried, not in his convent, but, according to his desire, in a little cemetery belonging to it, about two leagues off: I had a strong desire to see where they had laid him,--when, upon pulling out his little horn box, as I sat by his grave, and plucking up a nettle or two at the head of it, which had no business to grow there, they all struck together so forcibly upon my affections, that I burst into a flood of tears: --but I am as weak as a woman; and I beg the world not to smile, but to pity me.
THE REMISE DOOR. CALAIS.
I had never quitted the lady's hand all this time, and had held it so long, that it would have been indecent to have let it go, without first pressing it to my lips: the blood and spirits, which had suffered a revulsion from her, crowded back to her as I did it.
Now the two travellers, who had spoke to me in the coach-yard, happening at that crisis to be passing by, and observing our communications, naturally took it into their heads that we must be MAN AND WIFE at least; so, stopping as soon as they came up to the door of the Remise, the one of them who was the Inquisitive Traveller, ask'd us, if we set out for Paris the next morning?--I could only answer for myself, I said; and the lady added, she was for Amiens.--We dined there yesterday, said the Simple Traveller.-- You go directly through the town, added the other, in your road to Paris. I was going to return a thousand thanks for the intelligence, THAT AMIENS WAS IN THE ROAD TO PARIS, but, upon pulling out my poor monk's little horn box to take a pinch of snuff, I made them a quiet bow, and wishing them a good passage to Dover.--They left us alone. -
- Now where would be the harm, said I to myself, if I were to beg of this distressed lady to accept of half of my chaise?--and what mighty mischief could ensue?
Every dirty passion, and bad propensity in my nature took the alarm, as I stated the proposition.--It will oblige you to have a third horse, said Avarice, which will put twenty livres out of your pocket;--You know not what she is, said Caution;--or what scrapes the affair may draw you into, whisper'd Cowardice. -
Depend upon it, Yorick! said Discretion, 'twill be said you went off with a mistress, and came by assignation to Calais for that purpose; -
- You can never after, cried Hypocrisy aloud, show your face in the world;--or rise, quoth Meanness, in the church;--or be any thing in it, said Pride, but a lousy prebendary.
But 'tis a civil thing, said I;--and as I generally act from the first impulse, and therefore seldom listen to these cabals, which serve no purpose, that I know of, but to encompass the heart with adamant--I turned instantly about to the lady. -
- But she had glided off unperceived, as