UNCLE IN ENGLAND. 169 



compensate the poor girl for my base injustice, if 

 she could have been found. 



All this took place in the beginning of summer; 

 and in the middle of the hottest part of that 

 season Mr. P. was obliged to go to Spanish 

 Town, which was fifteen miles distant, about 

 business. The day passed heavily, the sultry 

 air oppressed me, there seemed to be an unusual 

 stillness everywhere ; the slaves even appeared 

 to work in sullen silence, and I scarcely heard a 

 sound but the buzz of some insect, or the angry 

 chirp of the humming-birds as they quarrelled 

 about the flowers at my window. My thoughts 

 turned mournfully upon my late conduct, and 

 upon the severe but just expostulations of my 

 husband. They did indeed oppress my heart ; 

 and in some measure to relieve myself, I went in 

 the afternoon to the school, but I found it locked 

 and no creature near it. There was a mountain 

 path near the Pimenta grove, where we used 

 sometimes to walk late in the evening to enjoy 

 the land breeze ; and taking a book which hap- 

 pened to lie on the sofa, I strolled through the 

 grove and ascended slowly from the valley. The 

 hills in that country are covered with woods 

 which never lose their verdure ; and after musing 

 for some time on a magnificent group of the 

 stately cabbage-palm, the tall cedar, and the 

 wide spreading mahogany, I sat down under 

 their shade, At length I opened my book, and 



Q 



