292

DEA1 II S DOINGS.

fested no signs of impatience, but even joined inthe pleasantry, and wondered at her own delusion.

Alas! this was not of long duration. A relapsecame on; and one morning at breakfast, after along silence, she suddenly burst out as follows:

" O ! my husband, I have had a ghastly dream,which weighs upon me like- the announcement offate, and will not be shaken off. That fearfulride ! The memory of it has haunted me all night.Some of its terrors, indeed, were diminished ; butthen, others more fatal, more tremendous, moremaddening, were substituted. Mcthought wewere, as then, in that open carriage—it was broadday, clear, cloudless, and with a deep blue sky.Every thing seemed happy, and you and I en-joyed to the full the blessed tranquillity. As Ilooked about me, however, I became graduallyaware of a minute stain in the lower atmosphere,like a blot, which moved near and around us, nowhere, now there, in a strange manner. I endea-voured once or twice to push it aside; but at this,it only seemed to hang closer to my eyes. I was