could be supposed incident to his miserable condition. This new and
additional proof of the strength of this woman's steadfastness, in her
unparalleled fidelity and love, struck me even more forcibly than the
previous indications she had given of this extraordinary feature in her
character. But I was uncertain yet whether to construe her conduct as
salutary or dangerous to her own personal interests--a circumstance
depending on the further development of the sentiments of her husband.
On that same evening the change suspected took place: the delirium
abated, and consciousness, that had been driven forcibly from her
throne, hastened to assume the sceptre of her authority. The crisis was
past, and the patient began to be sensible of those attentions on the
part of his devoted wife, which had not only the merit of being
unremitting, but that of being sweetened by the tears of solicitude and
the blandness of love. I marked attentively the first impressions made
by her devotedness on the returning sense. I saw his look following her
eye, which was continually inflamed and bedewed by the effects of her
grief; and, after he had for a period of time fixed his half-conscious,
half-wondering gaze on her, he turned it suddenly away, but not before
he gave sufficient indications of sympathy and sorrow in a gush of
tears. These manifestations were afterwards often repeated; but I
thought I sometimes could perceive an abruptness in his manner, and a
painful impatience of the minute, refined, and ingenious attentions of a
highly-impassioned affection, which left me in doubt whether, after his
disease was removed, sufficient reliance could be placed on the
stability of his regeneration.

In my subsequent visits I kept up my study of the operations of his mind
as well as the changes of his disease. His wife's attentions seemed
rather to increase with the improvement of his health and her increased
ability to discharge the duties of affection. He had improved so far as
to be in a condition to receive medicines for the recovery of the tone
of his stomach. I seized the opportunity of his wife leaving for a short
time his sick room, and, as I seated myself on her chair by the bedside,
I took from my pocket the powder of iron-filings and triturated glass he
had prepared for the poisoning of her who had latterly been contributing
all the energies of love to the saving of his life.

"A chalybeate mixture," said I, while I fixed my eyes on his