situatedbetween the tropics, now began to spread its ravages over this island.It was near the end of December, when the sun, in Capricorn, darts overthe Mauritius, during the space of three weeks, its vertical fires.The southeast wind, which prevails throughout almost the whole year,no longer blew. Vast columns of dust arose from the highways, and hungsuspended in the air; the ground was every where broken into clefts;the grass was burnt up; hot exhalations issued from the sides ofthe mountains, and their rivulets, for the most part, became dry. Norefreshing cloud ever arose from the sea: fiery vapours, only, duringthe day, ascended from the plains, and appeared, at sunset, like thereflection of a vast conflagration. Night brought no coolness tothe heated atmosphere; and the red moon rising in the misty horizon,appeared of supernatural magnitude. The drooping cattle, on the sidesof the hills, stretching out their necks towards heaven, and panting forbreath, made the valleys re-echo with their melancholy lowings: even theCaffre by whom they were led threw himself upon the earth, in search ofsome cooling moisture: but his hopes were vain; the scorching sunhad penetrated the whole soil, and the stifling atmosphere everywhereresounded with the buzzing noise of insects, seeking to allay theirthirst with the blood of men and of animals.
During this sultry season, Virginia's restlessness and disquietude weremuch increased. One night, in particular, being unable to sleep, shearose from her bed, sat down, and returned to rest again; but could findin no attitude either slumber or repose. At length she bent her way, bythe light of the moon, towards her fountain, and gazed at its spring,which, notwithstanding the drought, still trickled, in silver threadsdown the brown sides of the rock. She flung herself into the basin: itscoolness reanimated her spirits, and a thousand soothing remembrancescame to her mind. She recollected that in her infancy her mother andMargaret had amused themselves by bathing her with Paul in this veryspot; that he afterwards, reserving this bath for her sole use, hadhollowed out its bed, covered the bottom with sand, and sown aromaticherbs around its borders. She saw in the water, upon her naked arms andbosom, the reflection of the two cocoa trees which were planted at herown and her brother's birth, and which interwove above her head theirgreen branches and young fruit. She thought of Paul's friendship,sweeter than the odour of the blossoms, purer than the waters of thefountain, stronger than the intertwining palm-tree, and she sighed.Reflecting on the hour of the night, and the profound solitude, herimagination became disturbed. Suddenly she flew, affrighted, from thosedangerous shades, and those waters which seemed to her hotter than thetropical sunbeam, and ran to her mother for refuge. More than once,wishing to reveal her sufferings, she pressed her mother's hand withinher own; more than once she was ready to pronounce the name of Paul: buther oppressed heart left her lips no power of utterance, and, leaningher head on her mother's bosom, she bathed it with her tears.
Madame de la Tour, though she easily discerned the source of herdaughter's uneasiness, did not think proper to speak to her on thesubject. "My dear child," said she, "offer up your supplications to God,who disposes at his will of health and of life. He subjects you to trialnow, in order to recompense you hereafter. Remember that we are onlyplaced upon earth for the exercise of virtue."
The excessive heat in the meantime raised vast masses of vapour from theocean, which hung over the island like an immense parasol, and gatheredround the summits of the mountains. Long flakes of fire issued from timeto time from these mist-embosomed peaks. The most awful thunder soonafter re-echoed through the woods, the plains, and the valleys: therains fell from the skies in cataracts; foaming torrents rushed down thesides of this mountain; the bottom of the valley became a sea, and theelevated platform on which the cottages were built, a little island. Theaccumulated waters, having no other outlet, rushed with violence throughthe narrow gorge which leads into the valley, tossing and roaring, andbearing along with them a mingled wreck of soil, trees, and rocks.
The trembling families meantime addressed their prayers to God alltogether in the cottage of Madame de la Tour, the roof of which crackedfearfully from the force of the winds. So incessant and vivid were thelightnings, that although the doors and window-shutters were securelyfastened, every object without could be distinctly seen throughthe joints in the wood-work! Paul, followed by Domingo, went withintrepidity from one cottage to another, notwithstanding the fury of thetempest; here supporting a partition with a buttress, there driving ina stake; and only returning to the family to calm their fears, by theexpression of a hope that the storm was passing away. Accordingly, inthe evening the rains ceased, the trade-winds of the southeast pursuedtheir ordinary course, the tempestuous clouds were driven away to thenorthward, and the setting sun appeared in the horizon.
Virginia's first wish was to visit the spot called her Resting-place.Paul approached her with a timid air, and offered her the assistanceof his arm; she accepted it with a smile, and they left the cottagetogether. The air was clear and fresh: white vapours arose from theridges of the mountain, which was furrowed here and there by the coursesof torrents, marked in foam, and now beginning to dry up on allsides. As for the garden, it was completely torn to pieces by deepwater-courses, the roots of most of the fruit trees were laid bare, andvast heaps of sand covered the borders of the meadows, and had chokedup Virginia's bath. The two cocoa trees, however, were still erect, andstill retained their freshness; but they were no longer surrounded byturf, or arbours, or birds, except a few amadavid birds, which, upon thepoints of the neighbouring rocks, were lamenting, in plaintive notes,the loss of their young.
At the sight of this general desolation, Virginia exclaimed toPaul,--"You brought birds hither, and the hurricane has killed them.You planted this garden, and it is now destroyed. Every thing thenupon earth perishes, and it is only Heaven that is not subject tochange."--"Why," answered Paul, "cannot I give you something thatbelongs to Heaven? but I have nothing of my own even upon the earth."Virginia with a blush replied, "You have the picture of Saint Paul."As soon as she had uttered the words, he flew in quest of it to hismother's cottage. This picture was a miniature of Paul the Hermit, whichMargaret, who viewed it with feelings of great devotion, had worn at herneck while a girl, and which, after she became a mother, she had placedround her child's. It had even happened, that being, while pregnant,abandoned by all the world, and constantly occupied in contemplatingthe image of this benevolent recluse, her offspring had contracted someresemblance to this revered object. She therefore bestowed upon him thename of Paul, giving him for his patron a saint who had passed his lifefar from mankind by whom he had been first deceived and then forsaken.Virginia, on receiving this little present from the hands of Paul, saidto him, with emotion, "My dear brother, I will never part with thiswhile I live; nor will I ever forget that you have given me the onlything you have in the world." At this tone of friendship,--this unhopedfor return of familiarity and tenderness, Paul attempted to embraceher; but, light as a bird, she escaped him, and fled away, leaving himastonished, and unable to account for conduct so extraordinary.
Meanwhile Margaret said to Madame de la Tour, "Why do we not unite ourchildren by marriage? They have a strong attachment for each other, andthough my son hardly understands the real nature of his feelings, yetgreat care and watchfulness will be necessary. Under such circumstances,it will be as well not to leave them too much together." Madame de laTour replied, "They are too young and too poor. What grief would itoccasion us to see Virginia bring into the world unfortunate children,whom she would not perhaps have sufficient strength to rear! Your negro,Domingo, is almost too old to labor; Mary is infirm. As for myself, mydear friend, at the end of fifteen years, I find my strength greatlydecreased; the feebleness of age advances rapidly in hot climates, and,above all, under the pressure of misfortune. Paul is our only hope: letus wait till he comes to maturity, and his increased strength enableshim to support us by his labour: at present you well know that we haveonly sufficient to supply the wants of the day: but were we to send Paulfor a short time to the Indies, he might acquire, by commerce, themeans
of purchasing some slaves; and at his return we could unite him toVirginia; for I am persuaded no one on earth would render her so happyas your son. We will consult our neighbour on this subject."
They accordingly asked my advice, which was in accordance with Madamede la Tour's opinion. "The Indian seas," I observed to them, "are calm,and, in choosing a favourable time of the year, the voyage out is seldomlonger than six weeks; and the same time may be allowed for the returnhome. We will furnish Paul with a little venture from my neighbourhood,where he is much beloved. If we were only to supply him with some rawcotton, of which we make no use for want of mills to work it, someebony, which is here so common that it serves us for firing, and somerosin, which is found in our woods, he would be able to sell thosearticles, though useless here, to good advantage
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