PAUL AND VIRGINIA. 39 



heard, but the braying of the deer, which came to 

 feek a place of repofe, for the night, in thefe wild 

 retreats. Paid, in the hope that fome huntfman 

 might hear his voice, then called out with all his 

 might ; " Come^ come to the relief of Virginia :'* 

 but the only anfwer he received was from the foli- 

 tary echoes of the forcft., which repeated, at inter- 

 vals, ^^ Firginia ! Virginia P'' 



Paul, at length, defcended from the tree, op- 

 prefled with fatigue and vexation ; he medicated 

 on the means of paffing the night in this place; 

 but there was neither fountain, nor palm-tree, to 

 be found in it ; nor even fo much as branches of 

 dry wood, proper to kindle a fire. He then felt, 

 from experience, theinefficacy of his refources, and 

 began to weep. Virginia faid to him, " Do not 

 ** diftrefs yourfelf, my friend, if you would not 

 " wifli to fee me overwhelmed with grief. It is I 

 *' who am the caufe of all your fufferings, and of 

 ** thofe which our mothers now endure. We 

 '* fhould do nothing without confulting our pa- 

 *' rents, not even what is right. Oh ! I have been 

 " very imprudent !" Upon faying which, (he 

 burft into tears. In the mean time, flie faid to 

 Paul, " Let us pray to God, my brother, and he 

 ** will take compaffion on us." Scarcely had they 

 finiflied their prayer, than they heard a dog bark. 

 ^' It is," faid Paul, " the dog of fome huntfman, 



D 4. *' who 



