I have sent my treasures into a distant
country, and upon the first alarm am prepared to follow them. Then
will my enemies riot in my mansion, and enjoy the gardens which I
have planted."
They all joined in lamenting his danger and deprecating his exile;
and the Princess was so much disturbed with the tumult of grief and
indignation that she retired to her apartment. They continued with
their kind inviter a few days longer, and then went to find the
hermit.
CHAPTER XXI--THE HAPPINESS OF SOLITUDE--THE HERMIT'S HISTORY.
They came on the third day, by the direction of the peasants, to
the hermit's cell. It was a cavern in the side of a mountain,
overshadowed with palm trees, at such a distance from the cataract
that nothing more was heard than a gentle uniform murmur, such as
composes the mind to pensive meditation, especially when it was
assisted by the wind whistling among the branches. The first rude
essay of Nature had been so much improved by human labour that the
cave contained several apartments appropriated to different uses,
and often afforded lodging to travellers whom darkness or tempests
happened to overtake.
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