PAUL AND VIRGINIA. ip 



Madame de la Tour returned to the plantation, 

 her heart opprefled with grief, and full of bitter- 

 nefs ; on her arrival fhe fat down, threw her aunt's 

 letter on the table, and faid to her friend, " Be- 

 " hold the fruits of eleven years patience." But 

 as no one of the fociety knew how to read, except 

 Madame de la Tonr^ (he took up the letter again, 

 and read it to all the family. Scarcely had fhe 

 concluded, than Margaret faid to her with viva 

 city, " What need have we of thy relations ? Has 

 *' God forfaken us ? He only is our father; have 

 *' we not lived.happily until this day ? Why, then, 

 ** fhould you affli6t yourfelf ? You have no forti- 

 ** tude." Perceiving that Madame de la Tour was 

 much afTeded, flie threw herfelf on her bofom, 

 folded her in her arms, and exclaimed, " My dear 

 *' friend, my dear friend 1" Her own fobs quite, 

 choked her voice. At this fight, FzV^/«i(2, melting into 

 tears, alternately prelTed the hands of her mother, 

 and of Margaret, to her lips, and to her heart j whilft 

 Paul, his eyes inflamed with rage, exclaimed aloud, 

 clenched his fifts, ftamped with his feet, not know- 

 ing how to vent his rage. At the noife which he 

 made, Domingo and Mary ran in, and nothing but 

 exclamations of diftrefs were heard in the cottage : 



" Ah, Madam!" '' My good miftrefs !" 



** My dear mother !"....*' Do not diftrefs your- 

 *' felf.'* Such tender marks of affeclion, foon dif- 



fipated 



