said he, my dear Sir, I have no money;--an evil I did not chuse to
redress; and, after several unsuccessful attempts at my purse, and some
at my person,--he whispered me that even six livres would be acceptable;
but I held out, and got off, by proposing that the Baroness should write
a letter to the Prince her father, to whom I had the honour to be known,
and that I would carry him the letter, and enforce their prayer, by
making it my own. This measure she instantly complied with, and
addressed her father _adorable Prince_; but concluded it with a name
which could not belong to her either as maid, wife, or widow. I remarked
this to the _Baron_, who acknowledged at once _the mistake_, said she
had signed a false name, and she should write it over again; but when I
observed to him that, as the Prince knew the handwriting of his _own_
dear child, and as the name of women is _often varying by marriage_, or
_miscarriage_, it was all one: to this he agreed; and I brought off the
letter, and my purse too, for forty _sols_; yet there was so much
falshood, folly, and simplicity in this _simple pair of adventurers_,
that I sorely repented I did not give them their passage in the _coche
d'eau_ to _Lyons_; for he could not speak a word of French, nor _Madame
la Baroness_ a word of English; and the only _insignia_ of distinction
between them, was, a vast clumsy brass-hilted sword which the Baron,
instead of wearing at his side, held up at his nose, like a Physician's
gold-headed cane.--When I took my leave of this _Sir James Shortall_,
(for he owned _at last_ he was _only a Baronet_) he promised to meet me
_next time_ dressed in his blue and silver.

I verily believe my Irish _adventurer_ at _Perpignan_, is a gentleman,
and therefore I relieved him; I am thoroughly persuaded my _Challons_
adventurer is not, yet perhaps he was a real object of charity, and his
true tale would have produced him better success than his _borrowed
story_. _Sir James_ was about sixty, _Lady Shortall_ about fifty.--_Sir