I was only
twenty-three years of age, and might hope, by God's mercy, to be spared
to them some time, and in the course of years who knew what might
happen? Besides we were not so far from the sea but that I might visit
it sometimes, if it were only to seek for turtles' eggs. I remained then
under our fig-tree at night, and by day on the borders of the stream."
"It was under a fig-tree, also," said my wife, "that I have spent four
happy years of my life. Unknown to each other, our fate has been
similar; but henceforward I hope we shall not be separated."
Madame Hirtel embraced her kind friend, and observing that the evening
was advanced, and that my wife, after such agitation, needed repose, we
agreed to defer till next day the conclusion of the interesting
narrative. My elder sons and myself followed the missionary to his hut,
which resembled the king's _palace_, though it was smaller; it was
constructed of bamboos, bound together, and the intervals filled with
moss and clay; it was covered in the same way, and was tolerably solid.
A mat in one corner, without any covering, formed his bed; but he
brought out a bear's skin, which he used in winter, and which he now
spread on the ground for us. I had observed a similar one in the grotto,
and he told us we should hear the history of these skins next day, in
the continuation of the story of Emily, or _Mimi_, as she was
affectionately called by all.
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