36 A CHARMING SAVAGE.

delight her. I then took a red handkerchief from
my neck, with which she bound her head ; in this
dress she was charming! I took pleasure in deco-
rating her ; which finished, she asked me for orna-
ments for her sister, who had remained at home.
Nothing could equal the pleasure I took in seeing
her, except it was in hearing her speak ; for I was so
charmed with her answers, that I fatigued her with
interrogations. She was fully employed with her
new decorations, examining her arms, feet, necklace,
and girdle, twenty times feeling her head, and ad-
justing her handkerchief, with which she appeared
much pleased. I set my glass before her; she
viewed herself very attentively, and even with
complacency, showing by her gestures how much
she was satisfied, not particularly with her person,
but her ornaments.

“My charming savage desired me to give her
my looking-glass. I consented. She made good
use of the empire her gentleness had acquired, to
ask for all that gave her pleasure, notwithstanding
I was obliged to deny her several things that were
particularly useful to me, and might have been
dangerous to her. My knee-buckles had tempted
her; the most sparkling gems were not so brilliant
as her expressive eyes. I should have been de-
lighted to have given them. How much did I
wish at that moment for the most miserable —