name of the gentleman whom he had the honour of addressing.

"It is of little moment," replied his extraordinary visitor: "you are in difficulties, and it is in my power to assist you;" and so saying, he began, in due form, to untie, and "sort out" his papers upon the table. Poor Louis looked on in silence, and sighing, bethought himself that if he had been as constant in his attendance at lectures, and in the courts, as at the billiard-tables and gaming houses of the Palais Royal, he might have picked up law enough to have enabled him to involve a case, in which so many documents were necessary, in a yet deeper state of mystification. "As it is," thought he, "the man will soon discover my ignorance-so, as I have not yet practised, I'll be honest, and tell him the truth at once."

"You need not trouble yourself to do that, Sir," said the stranger.

"To do what, Sir ?" interrogated Louis, "I did

not say anything."

"I know that, my dear Sir," observed the gentleman in the cloak, still busying himself with his papers, "but it is just the same thing."

"What is just the same thing? I don't at all comprehend you !" exclaimed the youth.

"Precisely so,” continued the stranger, “there, they are all correct, I believe-so, my dear Sir, as you were saying

"Excuse me, Sir," said Louis, "I was not saying anything."

"Pardon me, my dear young friend," quoth the gentleman with the black-edged papers," you talked of telling me the truth at once."

"Not I, Sir, I only thought of doing so."

"Oh! that's all the same with us."

"Then you're no lawyer, I'm sure," replied the youth.

"Not I, my friend, but, really-I should be sorry to appear unpolite to a gentleman of your birth and talents; the fact, however, is, that my engagements are, just now, exceedingly numerous and pressing; therefore, allow me, just to explain. This paper"

"Confound this head-ache," thought poor Louis to himself, "If I had gone to bed last night, instead of watching over the rouge et noir table, and losing my

"Pshaw! pshaw ! smell this bottle," said the stranger, politely handing a small exquisitely cut black glass bottle, which he took out of a black ebony case.

The young gentleman did so, and felt, "powerfully refreshed;" his head instantly appeared clearer, and his whole frame exhilarated.

"Mon Dieu !" he exclaimed, "Monsieur, where did you buy that wonderful specific ?" "Hist!" ejaculated the stranger, "Don't

swear, I entreat you. It is extremely disagree

able to me."

"Well, then, I will not," said Louis; "but -pray inform me! Poor little Louise! and Adele! and the Comtesse! They'd adore me, if I could but procure for them such a specific. Pray, Monsieur, I conjure you, in the name of".

Stop!" cried the other, starting from his chair, "not a word more! There, there, I make you a present of the bottle, case and all. I manufactured it myself for the use of particular friends only."

"I'll give you a thousand francs for the recipe," exclaimed Louis.

"Where will you find the money?" asked the stranger, coolly settling himself back in his chair, like a man who has found his 'vantage ground.

"Where, indeed!" groaned poor Louis. Then, having rested his head awhile upon his empty

palm, he bethought him that something might be made of the stranger's papers, and, therefore, addressed himself to business.

"I should ask your pardon, Sir," said he, " for talking of perfumes; I accept this bottle as a token of amity between us, and now if you

please"

"Good!" observed the gentleman in black, "that is what I wish. I am a plain man"-(somewhat plain, I must confess, thought Louis)— "well-that's nothing. I wish to act handsomely by you; I have taken a great fancy to you, and you are over head-and-ears in debt-have a hopeless love affair-have neglected your studiesoffended your uncle-shatetred your constitution"

"Mon Dieu !" exclaimed the youth.

"If you say that again, Sir," said the gentleman in black, "I shall take my departure. I told you before that I objected to swearing'