The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 282: what you’re looking at

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

THE VISITOR 265 No doubt this was the explanation of Mrs. Leyden’s feelings, and in such a morbid mood it was also natura! that she should entertain misgivings in respect to her daughter’s sudden and impulsive revisit to the opera. Dire misiortune had so warped the poor woman’s feelings as to render her somewhat suspicious of every circumstance that might occur, and made her invest the commonest incidents with an air of ominous importance. She accordingly began to fear that Henrietta, having no sooner regained the possession of good clothing, was anxious to display her change of circumstances to her acquaintances at the opera. ‘The reader will no doubt consider it wrong of Mrs. Leyden to judge her daughter thus, wrong to form such an opinion of the young girl whose self-denial had been exhibited in so -many various ways during their period of poverty, especially on that: very morning, when she had purchased comforts for her brother and her mother, but not even necessaries for herself. Mrs. Leyden felt, too, that she was wrong to give way to these fears and suspicions, but she could not help it, she was not mistress of her thoughts, and they gained upon her. She was naturally a good woman, but the best natures are liable to feelings and weaknesses of this kind, especially when the physical energies have been impaired by sickness, suffering, and calamity. An hour passed, and Mrs. Leyden said to _ herself, “ Henrietta ought to return now.’ Half an hour more elapsed, and still she did not come back. Then Mrs. Leyden kept looking at the watch which had that day been restored to her, and this very watch, though affording a proof of returning prosperity, became in another sense a source of pain and anxiety, as it indicated the lapse of time during which Henrietta returned not. The incident of the watch affords an illustration of all the circumstances of this world, none of whose pleasures are without pain and none of whose roses are without thorns. Half-past five o’clock! Henrietta had been absent two hours, and Mrs. Leyden’s excitement grew intolerable. She felt very ill again, yet was too nervous to lie down. Little Charley, too young to perceive that his mother was suffering, and too innocent to understand how she could suffer now that she had good clothes and plenty of food again, and was going away to a nicer place, as he had been assured, was (C(O) GomiilGodooks