ia6 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



birds, which fluttered around him, he exclaimed ; 

 ** Unhappy fongflers ! No longer will you fly to 

 ** meet her, from whom you received your nou- 

 " rifliment.*' Perceiving Fidèle following the 

 fccnt, up and down, and ranging around, he figh- 

 ed, and faid to him : " Alas ! thou wilt never find 

 " her more!" At length, he went, and feated him- 

 felf on the rock where he had fpoken to her the 

 evening before; and at fight of the Sea, where he 

 had perceived the veflel difappear, he wept bitterly. 



We followed him, however, ftep by ftep, fearing 

 left the agitation of his mind fliould take feme fa- 

 tal turn. His mother, and Madame de la Tour, 

 entreated him, by the moft tender appellations, 

 not to aggravate their afflidion, by his defpair. 

 At length, the latter calmed him, in fome degree, 

 by lavilhing upon him the names which were moft 

 calculated to revive his hopes. She called him her 

 fon, her dear fon, her fon- in-law, the only perfon 

 on whom ftie intended to beftow her daughter. 

 She, at length, perfuaded him to return to the 

 houfe, and take fome nouriftiment. He feated 

 bimfelf at table, with us, near the fpot where the 

 companion of his infancy ufed to place herfelf ; 

 and, as if fhe had ftiil occupied it, he addrefled 

 himfelf to her, and tendered that food, which he 

 knew was moft agreeable to her ; but, perceiving 

 his error, he burft into, tears. For fome days fol- 

 lowing. 



