Margaret's cottage was situated near the centre of the valley, and
just on the boundary of her own plantation. Close to that spot I built
another cottage for the dwelling of Madame de la Tour: and thus the two
friends, while they possessed all the advantages of neighbourhood, lived on
their own property. I myself cut palisades from the mountain, and brought
leaves of Fan-Palms from the seashore, in order to construct those two
cottages, of which you can now discern neither the entrance nor the roof.
Yet, alas! there still remain but too many traces for my remembrance! Time,
which so rapidly destroys the proud monuments of empires, seems in this
desert to spare those of friendship, as if to perpetuate my regrets to the
last hour of my existence.
"Scarcely was her cottage finished, when Madame de la Tour was delivered of
a girl. I had been the godfather of Margaret's child, who was christened by
the name of Paul. Madame de la Tour desired me to perform the same office
for her child also, together with her friend, who gave her the name of
Virginia. 'She will be virtuous,' cried Margaret, 'and she will be happy. I
have only known misfortune by wandering from virtue.'
"At the time Madame de la Tour recovered, those two little territories had
already begun to yield some produce, perhaps in a small degree owing to the
care which I occasionally bestowed on their improvement, but far more to
the indefatigable labours of the two slaves.
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