All the hours of the day passed; and all the hours of evening, and of
night; and then the hours of the morning. When she reckoned the time
he ought to have been back, she was seized with a still greater terror;
she wished to forget all dates and the very names of the days.
Generally, there is some information concerning the wrecks off Iceland;
those who return have seen the tragedy from afar, or else have found
some wreckage or bodies, or have an indication to guess the rest. But
of the _Leopoldine_ nothing had been seen, and nothing was known. The
_Marie-Jeanne_ men--the last to have seen it on the 2d of August--said
that she was to have gone on fishing farther towards the north; and
beyond that the secret was unfathomable.
Waiting, always waiting, and knowing nothing! When would the time come
when she need wait no longer? She did not even know that; and now she
almost wished that it might be soon. Oh! if he were dead, let them at
least have pity enough to tell her so!
Oh to see her darling, as he was at this very moment,--that is, what
was left of him! If only the much-implored Virgin, or some other
power, would do her the blessing to show her by second-sight her
beloved! either living and working hard to return a rich man, or else
as a corpse surrendered by the sea, so that she might at least know a
certainty.
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