CONCLUSION. 
395 
so much of the appearance of unmeaning indiffe¬ 
rence, or ordinary cheerfulness, that no indication 
of concealment could he traced or suspected. 
At length, while pacing the deck with an in¬ 
tensity of anxiety, the bare remembrance of which, 
at the present moment, throws my whole frame 
into a tremor, I perceived a boat with passengers 
approaching. As it rapidly advanced before wind 
and tide, I took the glass, and descried the face 
of a friend. The first emotion in my mind, at 
this recognition, was that of hope.—“ He is a 
good man, and cometh with good tidings!” But 
on a second inspection of the boat, some peculia¬ 
rities in the conduct of the passengers checked 
the transitory joy which this frail hope had crea¬ 
ted. The sail was taken down, and the men lay 
upon their oars, while the boat approached only un¬ 
der the influence of the tide. The kind considera¬ 
tion of my friends, had, on former occasions, w r hen 
they came to welcome my arrival, always relieved 
my suspence, while yet at a distance, by some 
token of good news. Now, however, panting with 
agitation, I watched in vain for some encouraging 
action or word. I supposed they bad not seen 
me. I showed myself at the gangway, but their 
averted faces, and downcast looks, too strongly in¬ 
dicated that they were the harbingers of sorrow. 
I could no longer sustain an agony of feeling, 
