The observant physician could, after this paroxysm,
remark that his patient's mind was chiefly
occupied in computing the passage of the time, and
anticipating the period when the return of her husband---
if husband he was---might be expected. She
consulted almanacks, enquired concerning distances,
though so cautiously as to make it evident she desired
to give no indication of the direction of her
companion's journey, and repeatedly compared her
watch with those of others; exercising, it was evident,
all that delusive species of mental arithmetic
by which mortals attempt to accelerate the passage
of Time while they calculate his progress. At
other times she wept anew over her child, which was
by all judges pronounced as goodly an infant as
needed to be seen; and Gray sometimes observed
that she murmured sentences to the unconscious
infant, not only the words, but the very sound and
accents of which were strange to him, and which,
in particular, he knew not to be Portuguese.
Mr Goodriche, the Catholic priest, demanded
access to her upon one occasion. She at first declined
his visit, but afterwards received it, under
the idea, perhaps, that he might have news from
Mr Middlemas, as he called himself.
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