maternal anxiety increase with her tenderness. She often said to me, 'If I
should die, what will become of Virginia without fortune?'

"Madame de la Tour had an aunt in France, who was a woman of quality, rich,
old and a great bigot. She had behaved towards her niece with so much
cruelty upon her marriage that Madame de la Tour had determined that no
distress or misfortune should ever compel her to have recourse to her
hard-hearted relation. But when she became a mother, the pride of
resentment was stilled in the stronger feelings of maternal tenderness. She
wrote to her aunt, informing her of the sudden death of her husband, the
birth of her daughter, and the difficulties in which she was involved at a
distance from her own country, without support, and burthened with a child.
She received no answer; but, notwithstanding that high spirit which was
natural to her character, she no longer feared exposing herself to
mortification and reproach; and, although she knew her relation would never
pardon her for having married a man of merit, but not of noble birth, she
continued to write to her by every opportunity, in the hope of awakening
her compassion for Virginia. Many years, however, passed, during which she
received not the smallest testimony of her remembrance.

"At length, in 1738, three years after the arrival of Monsieur de la
Bourdonnais in this island, Madame de la Tour was informed that the
governor had a letter to give her from her aunt. She flew to Port Louis,
careless on this occasion of appearing in her homely garment. Maternal hope
and joy subdued all those little considerations, which are lost when the
mind is absorbed by any powerful sentiment. Monsieur de la Bourdonnais
delivered to her a letter from her aunt, who informed her, that she
deserved her fate for having married an adventurer and a libertine; that
misplaced passions brought along with them their own punishment, and that
the sudden death of her husband must be considered as a visitation from