Maria, or The Wrongs of Woman | ||
CONCLUSION BY THE EDITOR
VERY FEW hints exist respecting the plan of the remainder of the work. I find only two detached sentences, and some scattered heads for the continuation of the story. I transcribe the whole.
I.
"Darnford's letters were affectionate; but circumstances occasioned delays,
II.
"As Darnford had informed her that his business was settled, his delaying to return seemed extraordinary; but love to excess, excludes fear or suspicion."
The scattered heads for the continuation of the story, are as follow.*
I.
"Trial for adultery — Maria defends herself — A separation from bed and
II.
"A prosecution for adultery commenced — Trial — Darnford sets out for France — Letters — Once more pregnant — He returns — Mysterious behaviour — Visit — Expectation — Discovery — Interview — Consequence.
III.
"Sued by her husband — Damages awarded to him — Separation from bed and board — Darnford goes abroad — Maria into the country — Provides for her father — Is shunned — Returns to London — Expects to see her lover —
IV.
"Divorced by her husband — Her lover unfaithful — Pregnancy — Miscarriage — Suicide."
[The following passage appears in some respects to deviate from the preceding hints. It is superscribed]
"THE END.
"She swallowed the laudanum; her soul was calm — the tempest had subsided —
"Still her eyes closed not — one remembrance with frightful velocity followed another — All the incidents of her life were in arms, embodied to assail her, and prevent her sinking into the sleep of death. — Her murdered child again appeared to her, mourning for the babe of which she was the tomb. — 'And could it have a nobler? — Surely it is better to die with me, than to enter on life without a mother's care! — I cannot live! — but could I have deserted my child the moment it was born? — thrown it on the troubled wave of life, without a hand to support it?' — She looked
"A new vision swam before her. Jemima seemed to enter — leading a little creature, that, with tottering footsteps, approached the bed. The voice of Jemima sounding as at a distance, called her — she tried to listen, to speak, to look!
"'Behold your child!' exclaimed Jemima. Maria started off the bed, and fainted. — Violent vomiting followed.
"When she was restored to life, Jemima
"Maria gazed wildly at her, her whole frame was convulsed with emotion; when the child, whom Jemima had been tutoring all the journey, uttered the word 'Mamma!' She caught her to her bosom, and burst into a passion of tears — then, resting the child gently on the bed, as if afraid of killing it, — she put her hand to her eyes, to conceal as it were the
A few readers perhaps, in looking over these hints, will wonder how it could have been practicable, without tediousness, or remitting in any degree the interest of the story, to have filled, from these slight sketches, a number of pages, more considerable than those which have been already presented. But, in reality, these hints, simple as they are, are pregnant with passion and distress. It is the refuge of barren authors
Maria, or The Wrongs of Woman | ||