THE SNOW-DROP, 15 



of inm~edi.'ile danger ; but the medical men pro- 

 noi'.iiced it indispensable that he should return to 

 Lis iMtive England without delay; and, two years' 

 le.': 'i' v.f ';bsence being granted, they embarked ; 

 her fond bosom cherishing the confident expecta- 

 tion of his pei-fect re-establishment. At the 

 Cape they made a short stay ; and Frederick 

 a})peared so perfectlv convalescent, that he seemed 

 bevond the reach of a relapse. Alas ! on the 

 verv day of their quitting that shore, liis malady 

 returned with such overwhehning violence, that 

 before ihey had made many leagues of tiie .■■■'^ 

 homeward voyage, not a hope remained of his 

 reaching England alive. 



It WHS dreadful to see the effort with which 

 tliat broken-hearted creature nerved herself to tcFi 

 me tiie 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 f^ ' ..^ into ghastly white — 

 all bespoke such mental suffering, that I implored 

 her to spare herself the recital : but in vain. 



Tl 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 



