36 A CHARMING SAVAGE. 



delight her. I then took a red handkerchief from 

 my neck, with which she bound her head ; in this 

 dress she was charming ! I took pleasure in deco- 

 rating her ; which finished, she asked me for orna- 

 ments for her sister, who had remained at home. 

 Nothing could equal the pleasure I took in seeing 

 her, except it was in hearing her speak ; for I was so 

 charmed with her answers, that I fatigued her with 

 interrogations. She was fully employed with her 

 new decorations, examining her arms, feet, necklace, 

 and girdle, twenty times feeling her head, and ad- 

 justing her handkerchief, with which she appeared 

 much pleased. I set my glass before her ; she 

 viewed herself very attentively, and even with 

 complacency, showing by her gestures how much 

 she was satisfied, not particularly with her person, 

 but her ornaments. 



" My charming savage desired me to give her 

 my looking-glass. I consented. She made good 

 use of the empire her gentleness had acquired, to 

 ask for all that gave her pleasure, notwithstanding 

 I was obliged to deny her several things that were 

 particularly useful to me, and might have been 

 dangerous to her. My knee-buckles had tempted 

 her ; the most sparkling gems were not so brilliant 

 as her expressive eyes. I should have been de- 

 lighted to have given them. How much did I 

 wish at that moment for the most miserable 



