Ellen remained very ill for some days, and then gradually recovered.
Ernest hardly left her till she was out of danger. When she had
recovered he got the doctor to tell her that if she had such another
attack she would certainly die; this so frightened her that she took
the pledge.
Then he became more hopeful again. When she was sober she was just
what she was during the first days of her married life, and so quick
was he to forget pain, that after a few days he was as fond of her
as ever. But Ellen could not forgive him for knowing what he did.
She knew that he was on the watch to shield her from temptation, and
though he did his best to make her think that he had no further
uneasiness about her, she found the burden of her union with
respectability grow more and more heavy upon her, and looked back more
and more longingly upon the lawless freedom of the life she had led
before she met her husband.
I will dwell no longer on this part of my story. During the spring
months of 1861 she kept straight- she had had her fling of
dissipation, and this, together with the impression made upon her by
her having taken the pledge, tamed her for a while.
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