from those terrible old Scalds who seem to have
existed for the express purpose of addling the
brains of mankind when they begin to investigate
languages—made a standing pretence
which greatly assisted in forcing me back to a
number of hideous places that I would by all
means have avoided. This pretence was, that
all her ghost stories had occurred to her own
relations. Politeness towards a meritorious family,
therefore forbade my doubting them, and they
acquired an air of authentication that impaired
my digestive powers for life. There was a
narrative concerning an unearthly animal foreboding
death, which appeared in the open street to a
parlour-maid who "went to fetch the beer" for
supper: first (as I now recal it) assuming the
likeness of a black dog, and gradually rising on
its hind-legs and swelling into the semblance of
some quadruped greatly surpassing a
hippopotamus: which apparition—not because I
deemed it in the least improbable, but because
I felt it to be really too large to bear—I feebly
endeavoured to explain away. But on Mercy's
retorting with wounded dignity that the parlour-
maid was her own sister-in-law, I perceived there
was no hope, and resigned myself to this zoological
phenomenon as one of my many pursuers.
There was another narrative describing the
apparition of a young woman who came out of
a glass-case and haunted another young woman
until the other young woman questioned it and
elicited that its bones (Lord! To think of its
being so particular about its bones!) were buried
under the glass-case, whereas she required them
to be interred, with every Undertaking solemnity
up to twenty-four pound ten, in another particular
place. This narrative I considered I had a
personal interest in disproving, because we had
glass-cases at home, and how, otherwise, was I
to be guaranteed from the intrusion of young
women requiring me to bury them up to twenty-
four pound ten, when I had only twopence a
week? But my remorseless nurse cut the
ground from under my tender feet, by informing
me that She was the other young woman; and I
couldn't say "I don't believe you;" it was not
possible.

Such are a few of the uncommercial journeys
that I was forced to make, against my will, when
I was very young and unreasoning. And really,
as to the latter part of them, it is not so very
long ago—now I come to think of it—that I
was asked to undertake them once again, with a
steady countenance.

VIDOCQ'S WORKS.

A CORRESPONDENT calls our attention to the
opening sentence of our sketch of Vidocq,* in
which it is stated that Vidocq "was no writer,
and never knew the most elementary rules of
grammar and orthography," and suggests that
there must be error somewhere, in consequence
of a particular circumstance which came to our
correspondent's knowledge.

* See All the Year Round, No. 64, page 331.

In the year 1837, a French manufacturer of
hand-made lace—a lady—was swindled, by one
Courtial, of goods to the amount of some eight
hundred pounds. It occurred at Paris, and
Courtial escaped to England. The lady
consulted her friends, and got plenty of advice.
Some told her to put herself in the hands of
Vidocq; others gave her letters of introduction
to England. She went to Vidocq, had an interview
with him, told him her story, paid him his
fee, and was much compassionated by him; he
knew perfectly how to gain the sympathy of
female hearts. He sat down before her, and
under her own eyes wrote a letter, now in our
correspondent's possession, of which we give
the French original with a translation. All this
she herself told our correspondent, when she
came to London, the week afterwards, to use
her letters of introduction. The one addressed
to him happened to look the most promising;
and, as it turned out, was fortunate for her. On
trade inquiry, it was found that the swindler
was offering the goods for sale; his residence
was traced, himself arrested, and the whole of
the property recovered for the owner.

Vidocq's letter, addressed to some obscure
man of law near the Strand, was not presented,
though the book alluded to was duly sent.

Monsieur,—J'ai l'honneur de vous prier d'avoir la
bonté d'être utile et de rendre service à la dame que
je charge de vous remettre cette lettre, qui vient
d'avoir le malheur d'être volée et trompée par un
fripon qui est à Londres en ce moment. Cet individu,
à Paris, est sous le coup d'un mandat d'amener,
qu'il n'a évité que par la fuite; aussi bien que
Lafond-Arnaux, son complice. Ces deux fripons ont
agi, à l'égard de cette dame, d'une manière bien
infâme.

Je profite de cette occasion pour vous addresser
un exemplaire d'un ouvrage que je viens de publier,
et qui est bien recherché tant à Paris qu'au dehors.
Je m'estimerai heureux et satisfait si vous daignez
l'agréer et le communiquer à vos amis. Cet ouvrage
peut n'avoir pas le même mérite pour l'Angleterre
que pour la france,* mais il vous mettra à même,
ainsi que les philantropes* et lecteurs éclairés de
votre pays de connaître le langage habituel de nos
voleurs, aussi bien que leurs manières de travailler.

Je regrette bien sincèrement, Monsieur, d'être
obligé de vous importuner si souvent, et de ne
pouvoir vous payer de réciprocité. Si je peux vous
être de quelque utilité à Paris, soit pour vous, soit
pour vos connaissances, je vous en prie, disposez de
moi; vous me rendrez service.

J'ai l'honneur d'être avec une parfaite consideration,
Monsieur,
Votre très humble et
Très obeissant serviteur,
VIDOCQ.

Paris, le 21 Avril, 1837.

* Errors in orthography.

Sir,—I have the honour to beg you to have the
goodness to be useful and to render service to the
lady whom I commission to deliver you thie letter,
who has just had the misfortune to be robbed and
deceived by a rogue who at this moment is in London.
This individual is liable, at Paris, to the
consequences of a mandate to be brought up for
examination, which he has only escaped by taking to
flight; as well as Lafond-Arnaux his accomplice.