صفحة 203 من 483

"I spent the winter in this manner. The gentle manners and beauty

of the cottagers greatly endeared them to me; when they were

unhappy, I felt depressed; when they rejoiced, I sympathised in

their joys. I saw few human beings besides them, and if any other

happened to enter the cottage, their harsh manners and rude gait

only enhanced to me the superior accomplishments of my friends.

The old man, I could perceive, often endeavoured to encourage his

children, as sometimes I found that he called them, to cast off

their melancholy. He would talk in a cheerful accent, with an

expression of goodness that bestowed pleasure even upon me.

Agatha listened with respect, her eyes sometimes filled with

tears, which she endeavoured to wipe away unperceived; but I

generally found that her countenance and tone were more cheerful

after having listened to the exhortations of her father. It was

not thus with Felix.