punishment is greater than I can bear. I must leave him,--I
must fly,--I must hide myself for ever... I am mad. Don't you
see I am mad, Henry? Don't try to stop me. She must know
it--he must know it--all the world must know it now. Let me
go, let me go!"

I sunk back into the carriage; and the last thing I heard,
before I fainted, was Henry saying to his wife, "The
excitement has been too much for her. I fear the brain fever
will return."

CHAPTER XX.

"For now I stand as one upon a rock,
Environed with a wilderness of sea,
Who marks the waxing tide grow wave by wave,
Expecting ever, when some curious surge
Will, in his brinish bowels, swallow him."

SHAKESPEARE.

When I opened my eyes again, my head was leaning on Alice's
shoulder, and Henry was springling water on my face. We were
just arriving at the inn; and, half supported, half carried by
Henry and Mr. Middleton, who met us at the door, I reached my
own room.

At first I had no distinct recollection of what had occurred,
but gradually the whole of it came back to my mind. Dreadful
is that return of memory, after nature has for a while
suspended the consciousness of pain. I turned with a feeling
that was almost like aversion from my aunt and from Alice, who
were bathing my head and hands with eau de Cologne, and
offering me sal volatile and water to drink. There seemed a
want of sympathy in their very kindness. I almost felt to
dislike them for their ignorance of what I was enduring, and
for talking of past fatigue and present rest, while I was
suffering so acutely.

"I should like to be alone, and to try and sleep."

"Should you, my love? Then we will go, and leave your maid in
the next room, in case you should want anything."

For a few minutes I lay in silence, feeling cold and wretched,
the throbbing in my head and the ticking of the clock in the
passage seeming to keep time. The faint echo of some distant
cries reached my ears, and I could distinguish the words of
"Middleton for ever!" I trembled and hid my face in my pillow.
What would they cry out next? They shouted louder still; and
my maid came in on tiptoe, and when I turned round and looked
at her, she said, "I thought they would have woke you, Ma'am.
They are hallooing so, because Mr. Middleton is coming home;
and they are cheering him all the way."

Coming home! He, Edward! To me! The husband of _her_ who...
Oh, had he heard those words? had he noticed them? W