Page:James Thomason (Temple).djvu/74

66 better, but on the contrary worse. Officially he is bound to return to India, and allow her to proceed on the voyage to England, especially as she can be attended to by his sister and her husband, who fortunately are on board. Personally he is anxious to accompany her to England: but he can do so only by proceeding without leave, and so breaking the rules of the service, which infraction, almost unheard of, would cause forfeiture of appointment in India, and perhaps even loss of his place in the service of the East India Company. Such considerations must have been cogent with him, in respect to his responsibilities as the bread-winner of a young family. Yet he runs the risk and proceeds with his sick wife, in the belief that he is sacrificing his career, and forfeiting his place, in the Indian Service, with the doubtful prospect of earning a livelihood for himself and his family how he can, and where he may. Landing on the bank of the Thames, he proceeds with her to Blackheath, and alights at the house of his sister Esther, Mrs. Stephen. Staying there for a while she is able to drive quietly in a pony carriage and to join the circle in the evening. She inscribes in a friend's album Keble's lines in the 'Lyra Apostolica' on the text — 'Whither I go thou canst not follow Me now.' These lines she seems to consider suitable to her present state as 'a pilgrim pale with Paul's sad