The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 272: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE STEAM PACKET, 207 had been passed in privation and misery, mental and bodily; the vigour of Albert’s mind was destroyed—the strength of his constitu- tion undermined—and the generosity of his disposition perverted. His cheek wore the mark of disease—and his brows lowered with hatred upon mankind. To his family, it was true, he was affectionate and tender; but when he spoke of the world, his lp compressed, his hand was clenched, and his forehead darkened. His heart was, however, the same towards one being—unchanged in its love for her—unaltered in respect to that maddening passion which had devoured him in secret, and preyed upon his vitals! He breathed not a word relative to the existence of that undying flame: it was his secret—he conceived that he had suffered on account of it—and again he determined to recom- mence his search after the object of hislove. He determined to throw himslf at her feet and implore her hand, if she were still unwedded; or to seek an explanation of the past, and then take leave of her for ever, if her heart were no longer at her own disposal. The old man had suffered much less by his long incarceration than even his son. ‘The feelings of old men are not so acute, nor so violent as those of the young, and produce less effect upon the physical con- stitution. He was now verging onwards towards four-score years; but he was still haleand hearty ; and restoration to his family speedily wiped away from his mind the most poignant impressions created by his painful captivity. All were unanimously of opinion that the late misfor- tunes had arisen from some secret cause connected with those whom Albert rescued from the waves, at the risk of his life, and who had re- ceived the hospitality of the cottage in the Basse-Ville; and all—save Albert—expressed their conviction that the wisest and most prudent course was to return to that tranquil home—afar from a metropolis which teemed with so many perils. Albert declared his intention of remaining in Paris to take part in the great struggle which he saw ap- proaching: in vain did his father command, Henri remonstrate, and Pauline implore,—the young man was unmoved, and pertinaciously refused to sacrifice his own wishes to the will of his friends. It was therefore determined that the entire family should prolong its sojourn in Paris, and a convenient house was taken in the neighbourhood of the Temple. Although many incidents be crowded into this narrative, it is neces- sarily hurried and condensed; and with the rapidity of the changes of the magic lantern, or the shifting of the scenes on the stage, do we skip from scene to scene, and date to date. We must now again solicit our readers to suppose a short interval of four years passed away; and in that time the contemplated changes have been all Gomicbooks (E(0)