Seite:Marsh Hallig 1856.djvu/138

138THE HALLIG.

which the emotions that disturbed his breast mani-
fested themselves strongly and incoherently — at last
fell asleep. Godber's youthful vigor seemed deter-
mined to overcome the disease by a long slumber.
When he awoke, the chill that precedes fever was al-
ready past ; his pulse was growing quicker, bringing
back the former delirium. Idalia sat again by his bed-
side. He stared wildly at her, without making any
answer to her inquiries. It se'emed as if he was trying
to collect his thoughts, and as if the young person sit-
ting before him, was totally unknown to him, and that
he could not bring her form within the sphere of his
recollection. Suddenly he shuddered convulsively, his
features contracted as if some strange peril of death
had presented itself, and with the exclamation, "thrice
forsworn !" he concealed his face among the pillows,
uttering a deep groan.
  Idalia could but partially divine what had so much
agitated the young man, and she was sometimes half
inclined to regard the whole merely as the illusion of
fever, having no foundation in his actual feelings ; but
she was heartily rejoiced when, on the following days,
these fancies ceased to return with the access of fever,
and Godber's tenderness for her manifested itself in the
most unequivocal manner, more gentle, more submissive
than ever. His physical weakness softened the conflict
within. Idalia's faithful care had touched him more
deeply, harmonizing, as it did, with his own character,
than all the former proofs of her affection, although
these had excited a more passionate rapture. He re-
signed himself at once to his destiny, without strug-
gling longer against it by recalling the memory of the