PAUL AND VIRGINIA. 165 



happy girl, I wept bitterly. As for Domingo , 

 beating his breaft, he pierced the air with his 

 mournful cries. We, then, carried the body to a 

 fifherman's hut, where we gave it in charge to fome 

 poor Malabar women, who walhed it carefully. 



Whilft they were performing this fad office, we 

 afcended, trembling, toward the plantation. We 

 there found Madame de la Tour and Margaret at 

 prayer, in expeftation of news concerning the vef- 

 fel. As foon as the former perceived me, (he ex- 

 claimed : " Where is my daughter ? my beloved 

 " Firginia ? my child ?" As my filence, and my 

 tears, but too well informed her of the calamity 

 which had happened, (he wasfuddenly feized with 

 a fuflfocation, and agonizing fpafms ; her voice 

 could be diftinguifhed only in fighs and fobbing. 

 Margaret exclaimed : " Where is my fon ? I do 

 " not fee my fon i" and fainted away. We haf- 

 tened to her, and having brought her to herfelf, I 

 alTured her that Paul was alive, and that the Go- 

 vernor had taken proper care of him. She reco- 

 vered the ufe of her fenfes, oply to d.evpte her at- 

 tention to the affiflance of her friend» who, from 

 time to time, fell into long fainting firs. Madame 

 de la Tour pafTed the night in thefe cruel paroxyfms, 

 and, by the length of their duration, I have judged 

 that nothing equals the forrow of a mother. When 

 flie recovered her re^fon, (he fixed her mournful 



M 3 eyes 



