Page:Narrative of a captivity and adventures in France and Flanders between the years 1803 and 1809.djvu/209

 remotely bearing upon the purport of my visit; when, finding she entertained no suspicion of who I was, I ventured to congratulate her upon the success her husband had met with respecting Mansell; "Manselle," she emphatically exclaimed, starting with surprise, and fixing her large black eyes upon me. On my bowing most respectfully, and repeating—"Oui Manselle, Madame, I learn that by your husband's kindness, he is restored to the bosom of his family;" she, evidently much agitated, asked if my name was "Boiçe;" on my replying, "Yes, Madame, I am that unfortunate wanderer," she seized me by the hand, and immediately conducted me to the attics. I happily succeeded in interesting her in my behalf, by so detailing my sufferings and disappointments, that she remained for some time immersed in tears, every now and then exclaiming, with genuine sensibility, "Pauvre enfant; pauvre malheureux." Finding now, that I had gained another friend, whose influence with her husband was of some importance, I endeavoured to confirm