PAUL AND VIRGINIA. Ill 



*^^ profited very little by the leffons of thofe gentle- 

 " men. 1 feel that I am a poor creature, and of 

 *' little fpirit, as they interpret the word here. My 

 " aunt's kindnefs, however, does not diminifh ; 

 *' file is continually giving me new drefles, ac- 

 *' cording to the feafon : 1 have two women to 

 " attend me, who are habited as elegantly as ladies 

 " of quality. She has, likewife, made me affume 

 *' the title of Countefs, but has obliged me to relin- 

 *' quilh the name of La Tour, which was as dear 

 " to me as to yourfelf, from the troubles which, 

 " you have told me, my poor father underwent, 

 ** to obtain you in marriage. She has fubftituted 

 *' your family name in it's place, which I likewife 

 " efteem, becaufe it was your's, when a girl. As 

 " fhe has raifed me to a fituation fo exalted, I en- 

 *' treated her to fend you fome fupply : How can 

 ** I repeat her anfwer ? You, however, have al- 

 " ways commanded me to fpeak the truth ; this, 

 *' then, was her reply, that a fmall matter would 

 " be of no ufe to you ; and, that, in the fimple 

 ** ftyle of life which you lead, a great deal would 

 *' only embarrafs you. 



** At firft, I attempted to communicate to you 

 *' tidings of my fituation, by the hand of another, as 

 1' 1 was incapable of writing myfelf ; but, not being 

 " able to find, fince my arrival here, a fingle per- 

 " fon, on whofe fidelity I could rely, I applied my- 



*' felf 



