as I pleased--"_Quand vous voudrez, Monsieur_," said she. We accordingly
took possession of the finest apartments, and the best beds I ever lay
on. The next day, I saw a genteel stripling about the house, in a white
suit of cloaths, dressed _en militaire_, and began to suspect the virtue
of my fair hostess, not perceiving for some hours that it was my hostess
herself; in the afternoon she made us a visit in this horrid
dress,--(for horrid she appeared in my eyes)--her cloaths were white,
with red cuffs and scarlet _lappels_; and she held in her straddling lap
a large black muff, as big as a porridge-pot. By this visit she lost all
that respect her superlative beauty had so justly entitled her to, and I
determined she should visit me no more in man's apparel. When I went
into the town I mentioned this circumstance, and there I learnt, that
the real wife of _Mons. Saigny_ had parted from him, and that the lady,
my hostess, was his mistress. The next day, however, the master arrived;
and after being full and finely dressed, he made me a visit, and
proffers of every attention in his power: he told me he had injured his
fortune, and that he was not rich; but that he had served in the army,
and was a gentleman: he had been bred a protestant, but had just
embraced the true faith, in order to qualify himself for an employment
about the court of the Pope's _Legate_ at _Avignon_. After many
expressions of regard, he asked me to dine with him the next day; but I
observed that as he was not rich, and as I paid but a small rent in
proportion to his noble apartments, I begged to be excused; but he
pressed it so much, that I was obliged to give him some _other reasons_,
which did not prove very pleasing ones, to the lady below. This fine
lady, however, continued to sell us wood, wine, vinegar, sallad, milk,
and, in short, every thing we wanted, at a very unreasonable price. At
length, my servant, who by agreement made my soup in their kitchen, said
something rude to my landlord, who complained to me, and seemed
satisfied with the reprimand I had given the man; but upon a repetition