PAUL AND VIRGINIA. 93 



If Firginia had appeared beautiful to me, in her 

 drefs of blue Bengal cloth, with a red handkerchief 

 tied round her head, how was (he improved when 

 I faw her habited like the ladies of this country ! 

 She was drefled in white mullin, lined with rofe- 

 coloured taffeta : her flays difplayed to great advan- 

 tage, her elegant and majcflic (hape ; and her beau* 

 tiful flaxen hair, in long double trefl^es, adorned 

 her virgin head : her fine blue eyes had aflumed a 

 caft of melancholy, and the agitation which her 

 heart endured, by ftruggling with a fmothered 

 pafTion, gave a glowing tint to her complexion, 

 and tones, full of emotion, to her voice. The very 

 contraft of her elegant drefs, which Ihe feemed to 

 wear againft her will, rendered her languor flill 

 more afFeding. No one could fee or hear her, 

 without being moved. PauVs fadnefs was increafed 

 by it. Margaret y afflifted at her fon's fituation, 

 took him apart, and thus addrclTed him : " Why, 

 ** my fon, do you feed yourfelf with falfe hopes, 

 *' which only ferves to render the difappointment 

 " of them more bitter ? It is now time to difclofe 

 " to you the fecret of your life, and of my own. 

 ** Mademoifelle de la Tour is related, by her mo- 

 ** therms iide, to a perfon of immenfe wealth, and 

 ** of high rank. As to yourfelf, you are only the 

 ** fon of a poor low-born woman ; and, what is 

 ** flill worfe, you are a baflard." 



The 



