Paul et Virginie. English
Page 24
prompted to advance towards Virginia, far upon the beach,and also the sailor who had endeavoured to save her life. This man,who had escaped from almost certain death, kneeling on the sand,exclaimed,--"Oh, my God! thou hast saved my life, but I would have givenit willingly for that excellent young lady, who had persevered in notundressing herself as I had done." Domingo and I drew the unfortunatePaul to the ashore. He was senseless, and blood was flowing from hismouth and ears. The governor ordered him to be put into the hands of asurgeon, while we, on our part, wandered along the beach, in hopesthat the sea would throw up the corpse of Virginia. But the wind havingsuddenly changed, as it frequently happens during hurricanes, our searchwas in vain; and we had the grief of thinking that we should not be ableto bestow on this sweet and unfortunate girl the last sad duties. Weretired from the spot overwhelmed with dismay, and our minds whollyoccupied by one cruel loss, although numbers had perished in the wreck.Some of the spectators seemed tempted, from the fatal destiny of thisvirtuous girl, to doubt the existence of Providence: for there are inlife such terrible, such unmerited evils, that even the hope of the wiseis sometimes shaken.
In the meantime Paul, who began to recover his senses, was taken to ahouse in the neighbourhood, till he was in a fit state to be removedto his own home. Thither I bent my way with Domingo, to discharge themelancholy duty of preparing Virginia's mother and her friend for thedisastrous event which had happened. When we had reached the entrance ofthe valley of the river of Fan-Palms, some negroes informed us thatthe sea had thrown up many pieces of the wreck in the opposite bay. Wedescended towards it and one of the first objects that struck my sightupon the beach was the corpse of Virginia. The body was half coveredwith sand, and preserved the attitude in which we had seen her perish.Her features were not sensibly changed, her eyes were closed, and hercountenance was still serene; but the pale purple hues of death wereblended on her cheek with the blush of virgin modesty. One of her handswas placed upon her clothes: and the other, which she held on her heart,was fast closed, and so stiffened, that it was with difficulty that Itook from its grasp a small box. How great was my emotion when I sawthat it contained the picture of Paul, which she had promised him neverto part with while she lived! As for Domingo, he beat his breast, andpierced the air with his shrieks. With heavy hearts we then carried thebody of Virginia to a fisherman's hut, and gave it in charge of somepoor Malabar women, who carefully washed away the sand.
While they were employed in this melancholy office, we ascended the hillwith trembling steps to the plantation. We found Madame de la Tour andMargaret at prayer; hourly expecting to have tidings from the ship. Assoon as Madame de la Tour saw me coming, she eagerly cried,--"Whereis my daughter--my dear daughter--my child?" My silence and my tearsapprised her of her misfortune. She was instantly seized with aconvulsive stopping of the breath and agonizing pains, and her voice wasonly heard in sighs and groans. Margaret cried, "Where is my son? I donot see my son!" and fainted. We ran to her assistance. In a short timeshe recovered, and being assured that Paul was safe, and under the careof the governor, she thought of nothing but of succouring her friend,who recovered from one fainting fit only to fall into another. Madame dela Tour passed the whole night in these cruel sufferings, and I becameconvinced that there was no sorrow like that of a mother. When sherecovered her senses, she cast a fixed, unconscious look towards heaven.In vain her friend and myself pressed her hands in ours: in vain wecalled upon her by the most tender names; she appeared wholly insensibleto these testimonials of our affection, and no sound issued from heroppressed bosom, but deep and hollow moans.
During the morning Paul was carried home in a palanquin. He had nowrecovered the use of his reason, but was unable to utter a word. Hisinterview with his mother and Madame de la Tour, which I had dreaded,produced a better effect than all my cares. A ray of consolation gleamedon the countenances of the two unfortunate mothers. They pressed closeto him, clasped him in their arms, and kissed him: their tears, whichexcess of anguish had till now dried up at the source, began to flow.Paul mixed his tears with theirs; and nature having thus found relief,a long stupor succeeded the convulsive pangs they had suffered, andafforded them a lethargic repose, which was in truth, like that ofdeath.
Monsieur de la Bourdonnais sent to apprise me secretly that the corpseof Virginia had been borne to the town by his order, from whence it wasto be transferred to the church of the Shaddock Grove. I immediatelywent down to Port Louis, where I found a multitude assembled from allparts of the island, in order to be present at the funeral solemnity,as if the isle had lost that which was nearest and dearest to it. Thevessels in the harbour had their yards crossed, their flags half-mast,and fired guns at long intervals. A body of grenadiers led the funeralprocession, with their muskets reversed, their muffled drums sendingforth slow and dismal sounds. Dejection was depicted in the countenanceof these warriors, who had so often braved death in battle withoutchanging colour. Eight young ladies of considerable families of theisland, dressed in white, and bearing palm-branches in their hands,carried the corpse of their amiable companion, which was covered withflowers. They were followed by a chorus of children, chanting hymns, andby the governor, his field officers, all the principal inhabitants ofthe island, and an immense crowd of people.
This imposing funeral solemnity had been ordered by the administrationof the country, which was desirous of doing honour to the virtues ofVirginia. But when the mournful procession arrived at the foot of thismountain, within sight of those cottages of which she had been so longan inmate and an ornament, diffusing happiness all around them, andwhich her loss had now filled with despair, the funeral pomp wasinterrupted, the hymns and anthems ceased, and the whole plain resoundedwith sighs and lamentations. Numbers of young girls ran from theneighbouring plantations, to touch the coffin of Virginia with theirhandkerchiefs, and with chaplets and crowns of flowers, invoking her asa saint. Mothers asked of heaven a child like Virginia; lovers, a heartas faithful; the poor, as tender a friend; and the slaves as kind amistress.
When the procession had reached the place of interment, some negressesof Madagascar and Caffres of Mozambique placed a number of baskets offruit around the corpse, and hung pieces of stuff upon the adjoiningtrees, according to the custom of their several countries. Some Indianwomen from Bengal also, and from the coast of Malabar, brought cagesfull of small birds, which they set at liberty upon her coffin.Thus deeply did the loss of this amiable being affect the nativesof different countries, and thus was the ritual of various religionsperformed over the tomb of unfortunate virtue.
It became necessary to place guards round her grave, and to employgentle force in removing some of the daughters of the neighbouringvillagers, who endeavoured to throw themselves into it, saying thatthey had no longer any consolation to hope for in this world, and thatnothing remained for them but to die with their benefactress.
On the western side of the church of the Shaddock Grove is a small copseof bamboos, where, in returning from mass with her mother and Margaret,Virginia loved to rest herself, seated by the side of him whom she thencalled her brother. This was the spot selected for her interment.
At his return from the funeral solemnity, Monsieur de la Bourdonnaiscame up here, followed by part of his numerous retinue. He offeredMadame de la Tour and her friend all the assistance it was in his powerto bestow. After briefly expressing his indignation at the conduct ofher unnatural aunt, he advanced to Paul, and said every thing which hethought most likely to soothe and console him. "Heaven is my witness,"said he, "that I wished to insure your happiness, and that of yourfamily. My dear friend, you must go to France; I will obtain acommission for you, and during your absence I will take the same careof your mother as if she were my own." He then offered him his hand; butPaul drew away and turned his head aside, unable to bear his sight.
I remained for some time at the plantation of my unfortunate friends,that I might render to them and Paul those offices of friendship thatwere in my power, and which might alleviate, though the
y could not healthe wounds of calamity. At the end of three weeks Paul was able towalk; but his mind seemed to droop in proportion as his body gatheredstrength. He was insensible to every thing; his look was vacant; andwhen asked a question, he made no reply. Madame de la Tour, who wasdying said to him often,--"My son, while I look at you, I think I see mydear Virginia." At the name of Virginia he shuddered, and hastened awayfrom her, notwithstanding the entreaties of his mother, who begged himto come back to her friend. He used to go alone into the garden, andseat himself at the foot of Virginia's cocoa-tree, with his eyes fixedupon the fountain. The governor's surgeon, who had shown the most humaneattention to Paul and the whole family, told us that in order to curethe deep melancholy which had taken possession of his mind, we mustallow him to do whatever he pleased, without contradiction: this, hesaid, afforded the only chance of overcoming the silence in which