THE SNOW-DROP. 15 



of immediate danger ; but the medical men pro- 

 nounced it indispensable that he should return to 

 his native England without delay ; and, two years' 

 leave of absence being granted, they embarked ; 

 her fond bosom cherishing the confident expecta- 

 tion of his perfect re-establishment. At the 

 Cape they made a short stay ; and Frederick 

 appeared so perfectly convalescent, that he seemed 

 beyond the reach of a relapse. Alas ! on the 

 very day of their quitting that shore, his malady 

 returned with such overwhelming violence, that 

 before they had made many leagues of the long 

 homeward voyage, not a hope remained of his 

 reaching England alive. 



It was dreadful to see the effort with which 

 that broken-hearted creature nerved herself to tell 

 me the sequel. Her feet placed on the fender for 

 support, knees crushed together, lips strongly 

 compressed, brows — such beautiful brows ! — bent 

 into an expression of sternness, and even the 

 hectic of her cheeks fading into ghastly white — 

 all bespoke such mental suffering, that I implored 

 her to spare herself the recital : but in vain. 



It appeared that, while Frederick, full of joy, 

 lay dying in his cabin, the fiery darts of Satan 

 were almost all shot into the'soul of his distracted 

 wife. She told me that she never suffered him 

 to suspect it — that she wore an aspect of even 

 cheerful resignation — and by so doing, increased 



