n choosing a favourable time of the year, the voyage out is seldom
longer than six weeks; and the same time may be allowed for the return
home. 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 raw
cotton, of which we make no use for want of mills to work it, some
ebony, which is here so common that it serves us for firing, and some
rosin, which is found in our woods, he would be able to sell those
articles, though useless here, to good advantage in the Indies."

I took upon myself to obtain permission from Monsieur de la Bourdonnais
to undertake this voyage; and I determined previously to mention the
affair to Paul. But what was my surprise, when this young man said to
me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me
to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune? Is there any
commerce in the world more advantageous than the culture of the ground,
which yields sometimes fifty or a hundred-fold? If we wish to engage
in commerce, can we not do so by carrying our superfluities to the town
without my wandering to the Indies? Our mothers tell me, that Domingo
is old and feeble; but I am young, and gather strength every day. If
any accident should happen during my absence, above all to Virginia, who
already suffers--Oh, no, no!--I cannot resolve to leave them."

So decided an answer threw me into great perplexity, for Madame de la
Tour had not concealed from me the cause of Virginia's illness and want
of spirits, and her desire of separating these young people till they
were a few years older. I took care, however, not to drop any thing
which could lead Paul to suspect the existence of these motives.

About this period a ship from France brought Madame de la Tour a letter
from her aunt. The fear of death, without which hearts as insensible as
hers would never feel, had alarmed her into compassion. When she wrote
she was recovering from a dangerous illness, which had, however, left
her incurably languid and weak. She desired her niece to return to
France: or, if her health forbade her to undertake so long a voyage,
she begged her to send Virginia, on whom she promised to bestow a good
education, to procure for her a splendid marriage, and to leave
her heiress of her whole fortune. She concluded by enjoining strict
obedience to her will, in gratitude, she said, for her great kindness.

At the perusal of this let