“'The gentleman who was fortunate enough to render you some trivial service at the Milford station two days ago, having accidentally learned that you are here and unprovided with a protector, in all humility offers himself to afford you every aid and counsel in his power. No stranger to the touching interest of your life, deeply sensible of the delicacy that should surround your steps, if you deign to accept his devoted services, he will endeavor to prove himself, by every sentiment of respect, your most faithful, most humble, and most grateful servant “'P. S. His name is Potts.' “Yes, all will do but the confounded postscript. What a terrible bathos,--'His name is Potts'! What if I say, 'One word of reply is requested, addressed to Algernon Sydney Pottinger, at this hotel'?” I made a great many copies of this document, always changing something as I went. I felt the importance of every word, and fastidiously pondered over each expression I employed. The bright sun of morning broke in at last upon my labors and found me still at my desk, still composing. All done, I lay down and slept soundly. “Is she gone, waiter?” said I, as he entered my room with hot water. “Is she gone?” “Who, sir?” asked he, in some astonishment. “The lady in black, who came over in the last mail-packet from Dover; the young lady in deep mourning, who arrived all alone.” “No, sir. She has sent all round the hotels this morning to inquire after some one who was to have met her here, but, apparently, without success.” “Give her this; place it in her own hand, and, as you are leaving the room, say, in a gentle voice: 'Is there an answer, mademoiselle?' You understand?” “Well, I believe I do,” said he, significantly, as he slyly pocketed the half-Napoleon fee I had tendered for his acceptance. Now the fellow had thrown into his countenance--a painfully astute and cunning face it was--one of those expressive looks which actually made me shudder. It seemed to say, “This is a conspiracy, and we are both in it.” “You are not for a moment to suppose,” said I, hurriedly, “that there is one syllable in that letter which could compromise me, or wound the delicacy of the most susceptible.” “I am convinced that monsieur has written it with most consummate skill,” said he, with a supercilious grin, and left the room. How I detest the familiarity of a foreign waiter! The fellows cannot respond to the most ordinary question without an affectation of showing off their immense acuteness and knowledge of life. It is their eternal boast how they read people, and with what an instinctive subtlety they can decipher all the various characters that pass before them. Now this impertinent lackey, who is to say what has he not imputed to me? Utterly incapable as such a creature must necessarily be of the higher and nobler motives that sway men of my order, he will doubtless have ascribed to me the most base and degenerate motives.