PAUL AND VIRGINIA. 99 



" affill me in feparating me from myfelf, till Hea- 

 " ven could blefs our union. But now, I remain! 

 "I depart! I live! I die! Do what thou wilt 

 *' with me : Oh, irrefolute girl that I am ! I had 

 " fortitude to repel thy carefles, but thy forrow 

 *' quite overpowers me." 



At thefe words, Paul took her in his arms, and 

 holding her clofely embraced, exclaimed with a 

 terrible voice : " I am refolvedto go with her, nor 

 '^ Ihall any thing (hake my refolution." We im- 

 mediately flew toward him, and Madame de la 

 Tour addreffed him in thefe words : *' My fon, 

 " fhould you go away, what is to become of us ?'* 



He repeated thefe words, fhuddering : My fon I 

 my fon !....*' Doft thou," cried he, " ad the part 

 " of a mother, thou, who feparateft brother and 

 ** fifter ? We both were nouriflied by thy milk; 

 " we both were nurfed upon thy knees; from thee, 

 *^ too, we learnt to love each other ; we have faid 

 ** fo to each other a thoufand times ; yet, now, ^^ou 

 " are going to remove her from me ; you are not 

 " only fending her to Europe, that barbarous 

 ** country which denied thyfelf fhelter, but even to 

 *' thofe cruel relations who abandoned you. You 

 " may fay to me. You have no authority over her, 

 *' fhe is not your fifter. Yes, (he is every thing to me, 

 *' my riches, my family, my birth, my all; 1 know 



H 2 *' no 



