had nearly ensued, ere an explanation had taken place. The dead bodies were depofited in the mother earth, according to the directions of the police. Piermont and his retinue, &c. purfued their journey, with out any other adventure worthy rel. ing.

After the Piermonts had a little recovered their shock, occafioned by the late events, they examined the remainder of what the favage barbarians had left, having fled with out all their booty. The infant was elegantly dreffed (as were its parents); it had a coral of gold, curiously and richly adorned with diamonds. The lasly had bracelets on her arm, and a locket round her neck, which could not be opened. She appeared to have had rings on three of her fingers, as they were cut off, one of which was found in her lap, with balf the ring forced into the flesh; fome trifling letters and papers were found, figned J. J. but nothing material enough to elucidate the wished-for discovery; the tragic myftery could not be revealed.

Madame Piermont was an English woman, her husband a Frenchman. They brought up the child as their own; fhe was called Nannette, after Madame Piermont, who loved her equally as much as if he had been her real parent. She had Nannette educated at home, herself teaching her French and English; for dancing, drawing, mufic, &c. fhe was provided with proper mafters. Thus agreeably paffed on the life of the beautiful Nouriffon, till fhe was near fifteen, when the experienced the most poignant lofs. Ma dame Piermont and her husband had purpofed taking a trip to England the enfu ing fpring, intending to leave Nannette at a distinguished female feminary of learning, to put the finishing zeft to her education. But oh! how tranfient are our joys! how way ward are the fickle fmiles of fortune!

A few weeks ere the promised excurfion to the white cliffs of Albion, Mrs. Piermont was taken ill; a fever followed, and in ten days the expired, univerfaily regretted.

Nanette, the young, moit fincerely regret ted her lofs; her heart was the feat of gratitude; the unbounded affection of Madame Piermont the eftimated at its juft value. Nannette had always fuppofed the Piermonts to be her real parents; as fuch fhe obeyed them with the most dutiful reverence. When Madame Piermont found her diffolution vifibly approaching, fhe told Nanette fhe had fome particulars to inform her of, which nearly concerned her and the hoped to be able to fulfil the mournful task, ere he refigned her exiftence into the hands of him who gave her being. All the attendants withdrew-"My dear Nannette, (cries Madaine Piermont, in a feeble tone) you always have paid the strictest adherence to my

:

commands, I flatter myself you will pay the fame refpect to my laft. Oh! Nannette, I love you with unabating affection. I flattered myself I fhould have lived to fee you happily married, and agreeably fettled, but fate has ordained it otherwife ; God's will be done; far be it from me to repine, or presume to arraign the decrees of Providence. I feel my time fhort: in the middle drawer of the Indian cabinet you will find a packet sealed; it is for you, but do not attempt opening it, till after my funeral is over. In those papers you will find particulars to you unknown; the reason of your not being acquainted fooner, was in confideration of your tender age. Sorry I am it is not in my power to leave you in a ftate of independency; our circumftances of late have undergone a revolution greatly for the worst. When I gave my hand to Mr. Piermont, he refided in London. He was an opulent trader. Our affairs flourifhed for fome time after our union; at length the unhappy troubles breaking out in America, our houfe received a confiderable crush. As one misfortune too frequently is the prelude to another, fo it happened to be our cafe: two fhips from the East Indies, of confiderable value, were dafhed in pieces against the rocks, and their intire cargoes loft; an event which fealed our ruin. Pier mont was declared a bankrupt; our effects were fold by auction. The only refource we had left was my jointure, on which we retired to France, where we have refided ever fince. I applied to Sir James Cleveland my father, for a little pecuniary affiftance, but he and all the reft of my relations proved deaf to my intreating folicitations. Their fa mily being noble and ancient, they thought I had stained their dignity, by bestowing my hand on a merchant, whom my father ufed to flyle, a dirty, pitiful trader." Madame Piermont found herself fo weak as to be unable to proceed for fome time; when the found herself a little recovered, she took Nannette by the hand-"My dear girl, by economy I have been able to fave three hundred pounds, which I leave to you; how happy fhould I have found myself had it been thousands! Behave to Piermont as you have always done to me; he will be a father to you when I am gone." Madame Piermont fix ing her eyes tenderly on Nannette, funk breathlefs into her arms. Nannette, who had been for fome time loft in forrow, gave a loud fhrick, and fell into a fwoon. Piermont, who was in the next room, hearing the noife, flew into his wife's apartment, where he beheld Nannette funk motionless on the bed, her arms entwined round the breathless body of his wife. Affiftance was called in, and with much difficulty the fair Nannette was reftored to life. Reason fled her for two dava; on the third ! gan to grow calm,

inquiring

inquiring after her father. Qn Piermont's entering her chamber, the firft thing the inquired after, was to know when her mother was to be buried. She was informed that evening. Nannette infifted on going to the funeral. Piermont endeavoured to diffuade her from the attempt, but all to no purpofe; fhe declared nothing fhould prevent her from accomplishing her defign. After the funeral obfequies was over, Nannette fell into a violent melancholy for feveral days; her tears perpetually flowing, fhe refufed all kinds of nourishment. Piermont was greatly alarmed for her fafety, and fent for the moft fkilful phyficians Paris could boaft of. They all were unanimoufly of the opinion, if the was not removed fome diftance from the fpot, the would never recover; they recommended the fouth of France.

By the fudden deceafe of Madame Piermont, her husband's affairs were greatly embarraffed. The Piermonts had been annually fupplied with a certain ftipend from England. Though it was conveyed with the greateft fecrecy imaginable, it remained not a doubt of its being privately fent by Madame Piermont's brother; for through her death Monfieur Piermont found himself bereft of the fupply. Affairs in England claimed his prefence, fo inftead of accompanying Nannette to the fouth of France, he determined to take her to England, Piermont difpofed of his equipage, furniture, &c. and made preparations for a fpeedy departure. As Nannette was bufy in collecting her things together, he went to the cabinet; fhe met with the packet, which had intirely weaned her memory, being abforbed in forrow, at the time Madame Piermont mentioned the mournful theme. "Curiofity," fays a French author," is hereditarily implanted in the female breaft." Nannette was an exception to the rule; he felt not the finalleit impatience to develope the contents, not even a defire to break the feal, till the had arrived fafe in Britain's grand metropolis. M. Piermont and the fair Nourillon landed fafe at Dover, after a pallage of a few hours. They tarried at Margate and Ramfgate feveral days, it being the height of the feafon. Piermont, ever ready to prove his unlimited affections, tock Nannette to fee every thing worthy of obfervation in his road to Lon

don.

endeavouring to learn who fhe was. The beauty of her face attracted the eyes of the men, whilft the elegance of her deportment, and the delicacy of her behaviour, gained her the efteem of every female, fave those who were envious of fuch fuperior perfectrons.

Diverfion being for a time fufpended, Piermont bound himself over to bufinefs. His affairs were far more intricate than he entertained any idea of; they were in fuch a ftate, that he feared ever fettling them fo as to be of any advantage to his fcattered fortune. Nannette finding much time, which hung fomewhat heavy on her hands, took from her trunk Madame Pier mont's mournful narrative, hoping to find fomething to difpel the languor of her depreffed fpirits. She had not perused many lines ere fhe came to the account of the mournful catastrophe of her unfortunate parents. Surprize, grief, and horror, overcame her; fhe funk lifeless on the floor. The noife of her falling alarmed Piermont and his coufin, who were fitting underneath, they haftened to the apartment of Nannet; te; the door was bolted within-fide. They called: no answer was returned. Piermont burst open the door, who raved like a madman, for he imagined Nannette to have breathed her laft. "Oh, Sir! (cries Nannette, as he was recovering) how truly kind and indulgent are you to a wretched and friendly orphan! You are too good; it is but now I have found out the particulars of my unhappy ftory, likewise the miserable end of my deceased parents; your generofity to me is unbounded, your liberality is unequalled. Oh, my dear and ever honoured friend, father!-may I be allowed to retain in me that pleafing epithet? - Oh !"

-And again the relapfed into a fwoon. Thus the continued fainting, out of one fit into another, for two hours fucceffively, without intermiffion. At length Nannette was happily recovered-Piermont caught her in his arms, and affured her of his affection being ever undiminished. Nannette returned him her grateful thanks in the most engaging manner.

But he was again doomed to be the fport of fortune. The embarraffed ftate of Piermont's affairs preyed fo much upon his mind, his fpirit became funk, and his health daily impaired; he was taken violently ill when after languishing a few days, he died. Nannette fat up with him day and night, adminifering to him all his medicines and cordials.

Nannette now found herself at large, without a friend, relative, or guide. Three hundred pounds was a trifling fum; fhe was young, beautiful, friendlefs, and unexpe

rienced;

men.

rienced; a dangerous fituation for a female of fifteen. Piermont's coufin was a woman the could on no account think of refiding with; he was middle-aged, had fome charms, and was making a bold ftroke for a hufband. She looked upon poor Nannette with envious eyes, wifely judging, whilft fhe was under her roof, her own mar ket would be spoilt. Artlefs as Nannette was the could perceive it, and was determined to depart as foon as convenient to herself. In the neighbourhood was a Madame de Thue, a milliner, from Paris, of fome note; to her Nannette applied. Madame de Thue had feveral apprentices, befides journey-wo. Nannette articled herself as 'prentice for twelve months. - Nannette was rather too fanguine in her expectations concerning her new condition; however if not fo agree able, as the hoped to find it, the contented herfelf with knowing the time would foon glide away; befides it was fo much for her own intereft. Madame de Thue behaved extremely polite to her new. apprentice: it availed nothing, there was a fomething in her manner which by no means agreed with the implicity of Nannette; the one was referved, the other gay in the extreme. Madame de Thue's young pupils feemed to have adopted her tafte, and it must be allowed they were no dull copyifts. Nannette was difgufted with their converfation; the studiously avoided their society, scarcely ever affociating with the rest of the company. Nannette treated them with fuch contempt as offended them highly; the tongue of envy and flander were bufy in propagating falfehoods. Circumftances like rules admit of an exception; this happened to be literally the cafe at the milliner's. There was a young woman who worked by the day, called Eliza Sedley, who from the first was prepoffeffed in Nannette's favour; but from the distance of her behaviour, who forbore making free, deeming Nannette to be both proud and haughty a very erroneous idea fhe entertained of our heroine, though it was an error of judgment, and the certainly gave a ftable foundation for the opinion. An accident difcovered Eliza's mistake, and the fallacy of her opinion All of them made a party to go to the play, except Eliza, whom they would not deign to afk to accompany them, her drefs not being fo good as their's; the accordingly was left behind, Nannette always fat in her own chamber, but on particular occafions. When the maid brought her up her tea, the enquired if the ladies were gone. "Yes," replied Molly; all but the girl who works here on days; fhe is in the kitchen, and very poor, fo I am going to give her a dish of tea out of mere charity; our young ladies have left her none out, and I verily believe the child has been crying at the thoughts of it." The fervan

began loudly to exclaim against the unfortunate journeywoman, but Nannette inftantaneously rebuked her. "I know nothing of the youngperfon or her ftory," cries Nannette; "if unfortunate the claims our attention; if guilty the affords us room to pity. I will not hear an abfent perfon abused, when it is out of my power to judge how far they may be found deferving of illiberal cenfure, or ignorant flander." So faying, fhe left the servant petrified with astonishment, whilft fhe went down to invite the workwoman to favour her with her company at tea, either in her chamber or below ftairs. Eliza Sedley heard the whole discourse, being in an adjoining room. When Nannette returned, after a fruitless fearch, Eliza met her on the ftairs; the invitation was given in the politeft manner, and chearfully accepted of. A new fcene now prefented itself: Nannette difcovered what the much wished for; fhe defpaired in finding in her present abode an eligible female companion. During tea, they each recounted their feveral ftories; though Nannette's was highly tragic, Eliza's was truly pathetic, being fentimentally tender.

(To be continued.) Explanation of the Eleventh Plate of Trifiram Shandy.

I

N love!-faid the corporal-your honour was very well the day before yesterday, when I was telling your honour the ftory of the king of Bohemia— Bohemia! faid my uncle Toby- -mufing a long time

What became of that ftory, Trim?

-We loft it, an' please your honour, fomehow betwixt us- -but your honour was as free from love then, as I am'twas, juft whilft thou went'ft off with the wheel-barrow-with Mrs. Wadman, quoth my uncle Toby-She has left a ball here added my uncle Toby-pointing to

his breaft

-She can no more, an' please your honour, fland a fiege, than the can fly-cried the corporal·

But as we are neighbours, Trim, the best way I think is to let her know it civilly firft-quoth my uncle Toby.

Now if I might prefume, faid the corporal, to differ from your honour.

-Why elie do I talk to thee, Trim? faid my uncle Toby, mildly

Then I would begin, an' please your honour, with making a good thundering attack upon her, in return -and telling her, civilly afterwards -for if the knows any thing of your honour's bee ing in love, beforehand. -Lord help her!he knows no more at present of it, Trim, faid my uncle Taby-than the child unborn.

Precious foul!