es, which, when Annette perceived, she would
anxiously wipe them away, and tell her not to grieve, for that Eugene
would soon return; and then she would affect a forced gayety, as in
former times, and sing a lively air; but a sudden recollection would
come over her, and she would burst into tears, hang on the poor
mother's neck, and entreat her not to curse her for having destroyed
her son.

Just at this time, to the astonishment of every one, news was received
of Eugene; who, it appeared, was still living. When almost drowned, he
had fortunately seized upon a spar which had been washed from the
ship's deck. Finding himself nearly exhausted, he had fastened himself
to it, and floated for a day and night, until all sense had left him.
On recovering, he had found himself on board a vessel bound to India,
but so ill as not to move without assistance. His health had continued
precarious throughout the voyage; on arriving in India, he had
experienced many vicissitudes, and had been transferred from ship to
ship, and hospital to hospital. His constitution had enabled him to
struggle through every hardship; and he was now in a distant port,
waiting only for the sailing of a ship to return home.

Great caution was necessary in imparting these tidings to the mother,
and even then she was nearly overcome by the transports of her joy.
But how to impart them to Annette, was a matter of still greater
perplexity. Her state of mind had been so morbid; she had been subject
to such violent changes, and the cause of her derangement had been of
such an inconsolable and hopeless kind, that her friends had always
forborne to tamper with her feelings. They had never even hinted at
the subject of her griefs, nor encouraged the theme when she adverted
to it, but had passed it over in silence, hoping that time would
gradually wear the traces of it from her recollection, or, at least,
would render them less painful. They now felt at a loss how to
undeceive her even in her misery, lest the sudden recurrence of
happiness might confirm the estrangement of her reason, or might
overpower her enfeebled frame. They ventured, however, to probe those
wounds which they formerly did not dare to touch, for they now had the
balm to pour into them. They led the conversation to those topics
which they had hitherto shunned, and endeavoured to ascertain the
current of her thoughts in those varying moods that had formerly
perplexed them. They found, however, th