PAUL AND. VIRGINIA. 95 



Tropics, and whofe beauty baffles all defcription. 

 The moon appeared in the middle of the firma- 

 ment, enveloped with a cloudy curtain, which was 

 gradually diffipated by her rays. Her light infen- 

 iibly difFufed itfelf over the mountains of the ifland, 

 and over their peaks, which glittered with a filvery 

 verdure. Not a breath of wind was to be heard. 

 In the woods, at the bottom of the vallies, and at 

 the tops of thefe rocks, the foft warblings, and 

 gentle murmurings of the birds, which were ca- 

 refling each other in their nefts, delighted with the 

 beauty of the night, and the tranquillity of the air, 

 ftole on the ear. All, even to the very infedls, 

 were humming along the grafs; the ftars, twink- 

 ling in the Heavens, refle6led their trembling 

 images on the furface of the Ocean. As Virginia 

 was furveying, with wandering eyes, the vaft and 

 gloomy horizon, diftinguifhable from the (hores of 

 the illand, by the red fires of the filhermen, flie 

 perceived, at the entrance of the port, a light fixed 

 to a large dark body j it was the lanihorn on the 

 veflel in which Ihe was to embark for Europe, and 

 which, ready to fet fail, only lay at anchor till the 

 breeze (hould fpring up. At this fight, fhe was fo 

 deeply affeded, that fhe turned her head afide, left 

 Paul ihould perceive her tears. 



Madame de la Tour^ Margaret ^ and I, were feated 

 a few paces from them, under the Ihade of the ba- 

 nana 



