only took her hand when he went, and looked on her expressively; she

answered by a look of intelligence and assent.

Poor girl! what she then suffered! I could never entirely forgive Raymond

for the trials he imposed on her, occasioned as they were by a selfish

feeling on his part. He had schemed, if he failed in his present attempt,

without taking leave of any of us, to embark for Greece, and never again to

revisit England. Perdita acceded to his wishes; for his contentment was the

chief object of her life, the crown of her enjoyment; but to leave us all,

her companions, the beloved partners of her happiest years, and in the

interim to conceal this frightful determination, was a task that almost

conquered her strength of mind. She had been employed in arranging for

their departure; she had promised Raymond during this decisive evening, to

take advantage of our absence, to go one stage of the journey, and he,

after his defeat was ascertained, would slip away from us, and join her.

Although, when I was informed of this scheme, I was bitterly offended by

the small attention which Raymond paid to my sister's feelings, I was led

by reflection to consider, that he acted under the force of such strong

excitement, as to take from him the consciousness, and, consequently, the

guilt of a fault. If he had permitted us to witness his agitation, he would

have been more under the guidance of reason; but his struggles for the shew

of composure, acted with such violence on his nerves, as to destroy his

power of self-command. I am convinced that, at the worst, he would have

returned from the seashore to take leave of us, and to make us the partners

of his council. But the task imposed on Perdita was not the less painful.

131

The Last Man