After prolonging his visit by every conceivable excuse in his power,
he summoned courage, and offered her his hand and his heart. Being
in no way disinclined to him, though not so fervid as he, and her
uncle making no objection to the match, she consented to share his
fate, for better or otherwise, in the distant colony where, as he
assured her, his rice, and coffee, and maize, and timber, produced
him ample means--a statement which was borne out by his friend, her
uncle's neighbour. In short, a day for their marriage was fixed,
earlier in the engagement than is usual or desirable between
comparative strangers, by reason of the necessity he was under of
returning to look after his properties.
The wedding took place, and Maria left her uncle's mansion with her
husband, going in the first place to London, and about a fortnight
after sailing with him across the great ocean for their distant
home--which, however, he assured her, should not be her home for
long, it being his intention to dispose of his interests in this
part of the world as soon as the war was over, and he could do so
advantageously; when they could come to Europe, and reside in some
favourite capital.
As they advanced on the voyage she observed that he grew more and
more constrained; and, by the time they had crossed the Line, he was
quite depressed, just as he had been before proposing to her. A day
or two before landing at Paramaribo, he embraced her in a very
tearful and passionate manner, and said he wished to make a
confession.
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