When she laughed, they improved her; but when she was serious, they made her look old.

Nothing seemed to suit her any longer, not even mourning, in which she had always looked her best.

Fanny, in fact, suffered as much as she was capable of suffering, and one day she received a note from him, in which he said adieu.
"I start to-night, and say farewell thus to spare us both a painful parting.

Farewell!" This was all the note contained.
Her lovely complexion turned almost to an ashen grey, but only for a moment.

The whole night she lay awake, listening to her husband, who lay breathing heavily by her side; but the next morning found her sitting by her window, as calm and bright as ever.