She had been an ardent, cheerful, and hopeful co-worker with him, so far as she was able to do so; but now, although she was quite as ardent, the cheerfulness had disappeared, and she did not allude to the hopefulness.
But this did not surprise Clewe; he thought it the most natural thing in the world; for that polar expedition was enough to cloud the spirits of any woman who had an active part and share in it, and who was bound to feel that much of the responsibility of it rested upon her.

At times this responsibility rested very heavily upon himself.

But if thoughts of that little submerged party at the desolate end of the world came to him as he sat in his comfortable chair, and a cold dread shot through him, as it was apt to do at such times, he would hurriedly step to his telegraphic instrument, and when he had heard from Sammy Block that all was well with them, his spirits would rise again, and he would go on with his work with a soul cheered and encouraged.
But good news from the North did not appear to cheer and encourage the soul of Mrs.Raleigh.She seemed anxious and troubled even after she had heard it.
"Mr.Clewe," said she, when he had called upon her the next morning after his return, "suppose you were to hear bad news from the Dipsey, or were to hear nothing at all--were to get no answer to your messages--what would you do ?" His face grew troubled.
"That is a terrible question," he said.

"It is one I have often asked myself; but there is no satisfactory answer to it.

Of course, as I have told myself and have told you, there seems no reason to expect a disaster.