Imust absolutely, Madame, ask you the reason of Madame d' Ostalis's conduct and behaviour. I can no longer bear it; she is become quite unsociable. I allow she has still many good qualities: she has sense and sweetness; she speaks ill of nobody; she seems to blame nothing she sees; but there is vast hypocrisy hidden under that apparent mildness, or, to speak more properly, she has a manner of criticising still more severe than detraction; for she censures not by her words, but by her actions. I am going to relate a few anecdotes, that will convince you to what a height she carries her dissimulation and malice. It is about three weeks ago, since I took a little trip into the country to visit Madame de R—, where I found a good deal of company, and Madame d' Ostalis: She behaved pretty well for the first twenty-four hours. After dinner the men went to billiards, and the ladies retired, and shut themselves up in a little closet, to untwist gold at their ease. Madame d' Ostalis's complaisance made her quit her embroidery to read aloud foolish novels, which must have tired her, and which none of the rest attended to. One day, that we were all assembled in the hall before the hour of walking, Madame de R— suddenly observed, that the fringe on my dress would be excellent for untwisting; at that instant her sprightliness induced her to cut off one of my tassels. I was directly surrounded by ten women, who with an enchanting grace and vivacity, stripped me, ran away with my dress, and put all the fringes and gold bindings into their work-bags. Madame d' Ostalis alone did not condescend to take the least bit, alledging, that she did not understand untwisting; but she laughed heartily, and seemed to think it a very good joke.