When she undertook to ferret out anything, she bent her whole energies to it.

As Michael Angelo, who subjected all things to his pursuit and the idea he had formed of it, painted the crucifixion by the side of a writhing slave and would have broken up the true cross for pencils, so Mrs.Miller would have entered the sepulchre, if she could have done it, in search of an object she wished to find.
The full moon had risen, and was pouring its beams upon surrounding objects as Henry stepped from Isabella's door, and looking at his watch, said,-- "I must go, dear; it is now half-past ten." Had little Clotelle been awake, she too would have been at the door.

As Henry walked to the gate, Isabella followed with her left hand locked in his.

Again he looked at his watch, and said,-- "I must go." "It is more than a year since you staid all night," murmured Isabella, as he folded her convulsively in his arms, and pressed upon her beautiful lips a parting kiss.
He was nearly out of sight when, with bitter sobs, the quadroon retraced her steps to the door of the cottage.

Clotelle had in the mean time awoke, and now inquired of her mother how long her father had been gone.
At that instant, a knock was heard at the door, and supposing that it was Henry returning for something he had forgotten, as he frequently did, Isabella flew to let him in.