PAUL AND VIRGINIA. Jg 



Man, who had firfl abufed, and then deferted 

 him. Virginia, on receiving this fmall portrait 

 from the hands of Paid, faid, with much emotion : 

 ** My brother, while I live, this fhall never be 

 ** taken from me, and I fhall always remember, 

 ** that you gave me the only poffeffion you had 

 " in the World." On hearing thofe tones of cor- 

 diality, on this uncxpedcd return of familiarity 

 and tendernefs, Paul was going to clafp her in hij 

 arms ; but, as nimbly as a bird, fhe fprung away, 

 leaving him quite confounded, and totally unable 

 to account for a condu<5t fo extraordinary. 



Meanwhile, Margaret faid to Madame de la 

 Tour : " Why ihould we not marry our children ? 

 ** their paffion for each other is extreme; my fon, 

 ** indeed, is not yet fenfible of it ; but, when Na- 

 " ture fhall have begun to fpeak to him, to no 

 ** purpofe will we emplpy all our vigilance over 

 " them ; every thing is to be feared." Madame 

 de la l'ouï returned ; " They are too young, and 

 " too poor ; what anxiety would it coft us, Ihould 

 ** Virginia bring into the World unhappy chil- 

 ** dren, whom, perhaps, flie would not have 

 " ftrength to rear. Domingo is very much broken ; 

 " Mary is infirm ; I myfelf, my dear friend, for 

 *' thefe lafl fourteen years, feel my health very much 

 *' impaired. A perfon foon grows old in thefe 

 *' hot countries, efpecially when that period is Co 



<c greatly 



