hopes of future happiness expressed by Alley added to his concern, and
increased his tenderness towards her, especially when he contrasted his
own physical sensations with the unsuspicious character of her opinion
concerning his illness and the cause that produced it. 'Tis true he
disguised all this as long as he could; but at length, notwithstanding
his firmness, he was forced to acknowledge that pain overcame him. With
the burning chill of fever bubbling through his blood--shivering yet
scorching--he complained of the shooting pain in his head, and a strange
confusion of mind, which the poor girl, from some of his incoherent
expressions, had attributed to his excess of affection. With words
of comfort she soothed him; her arm now returned the support she had
received from his; she led him home, languid and half-delirious, whilst
she herself felt stunned as well by the violence as by the unaccountable
nature of his illness. On reaching home they found that the noise of
social enjoyment had risen to the outrage of convivial extravagance; but
the moment he staggered in, supported only by the faithful arm of
his wife, a solemn and apprehensive spirit suddenly hushed their
intemperance, and awed them into a conviction that such an illness upon
the marriage day must be as serious as it was uncommon. Felix was put to
bed in pain and danger; but Alley smoothed his pillow, bound his head,
and sat patient, and devoted, and wife-like, by his side. During all
that woeful night of sorrow she watched the feverish start, the wild
glare of the half-opened eye, the momentary conscious glance, and the
miserable gathering together of the convulsed limbs, hoping that each
pang would diminish in agony and that the morning might bring ease and
comfort.

"Poor girl, put on thy stifling widow's weeds,
And 'scape at once from Hope's accursed bands!"