They took no heed of time; and could scarce summon sufficient energy to cook their frugal meals.
The spirit to plan, and the energy to act, seemed both to have departed from them at once and for ever.
This state of things could not long continue.

As already said, the soul of man holds within itself a power of resuscitation.

So long as it continues to live, it may hope to recover from the heaviest blow.
Broken hearts are more apparent than real; and even those that are worst shattered have their intervals in which they are restored to a perfect soundness.

The slave in his chains, the prisoner within his dark dungeon, the castaway on his desert isle, all have their hours of joy-- perhaps as vivid and lasting as those of the king upon his throne, or the conqueror in his car of triumph.
On earth there is no happiness unmingled with alloy; and, perhaps, there is no sorrow that may not in time find solace.
On the second clay succeeding their last great disappointment, the spirits of all three began to revive; and those natural wants--which, whether we will or not, force themselves upon our attention--commenced to claim their consideration.
Karl was the first to recognise these necessities.

If they were to live there for life, he reasoned,--and this seemed no longer a doubtful supposition,--it would be of no use, giving way to despondency--moping out their days like mutes at a funeral.