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462 The Royal AMERICAN MAGAZINE, 

and inspired them with hopes and spirits. While he was surrounded with tears of gratitude, the rest of the company spread themselves over the village, entered the cottages distributed presents to them, and tasted the sensible and uncommon pleasure of being adored by those they had saved from ruin.  In the mean time, Luzy ran about like one distracted to find the dwelling of Lauretta.  He found it at last, and saw an old peasant sitting at the door with his head bent between his knees, and his face covered with both his hands, as if he was afraid to see the light again.  It was the father of Lauretta.  "Friend," says the count to him, "I see you are in the utmost consternation; but do not despair:  Heaven is just, and there are compassionate hearts amongst mankind."  "Alas! sir," answered the old man, "is it fit that a man who has served his country twenty years, who retired from the service covered with wounds, and who has never ceased working hard ever since, should beg? Ought not the earth, which has been bathed with my sweat, to afford me a subsistence?  Must I end my days by begging my bread?" So noble soul, in a man of his obscure station, surprised the count.  "You have served then," says he, "I suppose," " Yes sir I bare arms under Berwick: my father, before a most unfortunate law suit deprived him of his estate, had sufficient to maintain me in the rank I had obtained; but when I was reduced, he was ruined. We came here to conceal ourselves, and, with the wrecks of our fortune, purchased a small piece of ground, which I farmed myself. Our first condition was unknown, and I was not ashamed of this, to which I seemed born: I maintained and comforted my father: I married, to my misfortune: it is at present I find it so."  "Is your father dead?"  "Yes."  "Your wife?"  "She too is happy not to see this dreadful day." " Have you any family?"  "I have only one daughter. Poor girl! Do not yon hear her sighs? She hides herself from me, that she may not add to my grief." Luzy would have hurried into the chamber where Lauretta was weeping had it not been for fear of discovering his design. 

"Take this," says he to the father, offering him his purse: "this assistance is but trifling; but when you have occasion, remember the count of Luzy ; I live at Paris." Having said this, he left him immediately, without giving him time to return him thanks.

The old man was greatly surprised at finding fifty guineas in the purse, more than three times the rent of his vineyard. "Come here, child," says he, "look at that person who is gone along; he is certainly an angel: but what do I fancy; run, Lauretta, and let him know he has made a mistake." Lauretta overtakes him and says, "Sir, my father cannot think you intended to make him so considerable a present and has sent me to return it you."  "Ah, Lauretta, is not all I am worth yours and your father's? Can I pay him too much 

For DECEMBER, 1774  463

"much for being the occasion of your birth? Carry him back this trifle; it is only an earmest [[?]] of my good will; but do not let him know my motive. Tell him only, that I think myself happy in obliging an honest man."  Lauretta would have thanked him.  "To morrow," says he, "at day break passing by the end of your village, I will receive your thanks with your farewell."  "what Sir, do you go away to morrow?"  "Yes, I shall depart the most amorous and unfortunate of mankind.  "At break of day?"  "Yes, about that hour. my father and I shall set out to work together. No, he sets out first, I stay to take care of the family, which will stop me a little."  "And do you go my road?"  "No, I go above the village; but to go a little out of my way, is the least I can do for so many marks of your friendship."  "Adieu then, Lauretta, till tomorrow to see you, though it be but for a moment, will be the last pleasure of my life."  

Basil, at the return of Lauretta, at the return of Lauretta, had no doubt of the good intentions of Luzy. He exclaimed every moment, "what a good yeung man! What an excellent heart! Nevertheless, daughter, do not let us neglect what the hail has left. The less there is, the better we ought to manage it." 

Lauretta was so touched with the goodness of the count, and so afflicted to have caused his unhappiness, that she wept the whole night.  "Alas!" says she, "had it not been for my father how happy should I have been to have gone after him!" The next morning she did not put on her holiday cloaths; but did not, nevertheless, fail to mix a little coquetry, natural to her age, in the simplicity of her dress. " I shall never see him more! What does it then signify whether I am more or less handsome in his eyes?" 

Saying these words she adjusted herself intending to carry him some fruit for his breakfast. "He will not dispise them, surely," says she, "when I tell him I gathered them myself;" and, placing the fruit on a bed of vine leaves, she bathed them with her tears. Her father was already gone to work, and the dawn of day began to peep, when she, poor girl, with her heart fall, arrived alone at the extremity of her village. In a moment after the post chaise of Luzy appeared; he perceived her at a distance, and, throwing himself out of his carriage, with a mournful air, said, " I am sensible, Lauretta, of the favour you grant me: I have, at least, the consolation of seeing you sensible of my pain; and, I believe, you are sorry that you have made me miserable." "I am sorry, indeed; and, I would return all the kindness you have done me and my family, never to have seen you." "And I, Lauretta, would give all I possess, never, during life, to quit you."  "Alas, this seems, to me, to depend on yourself; my father can refuse you nothing; he loves and reveres you." "Fathers are cruel; they would have one marry, and I cannot marry you; let us think no more of it;  let us think no more of it; let us quit each other, take an eternal adieu; 

"we 

Transcription Notes:
Please note the different letterforms of f and s in this typeface. The f looks like the long 's', but it lacks the crossbar. ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-12 09:43:19