thenheblanchedwithahorrifiedsenseofwhatshehaddone，andathisownrelationtothedeed。Hefeltlikeanawakenedsomnambulistwhoshouldfindthathehadbeenaccessorytoatragedyduringhisunconsciousness。Shehadloosenedtheknotofherdifficultiesbycuttingitunscrupulouslythroughandthrough。
Thebigtidingsratherdazedthancrushedhim，hispredominantfeelingbeingsoonagainoneofkeenestsorrowandsympathy。Yetonethingwasobvious;hecoulddonothing——absolutelynothing。Theeventwhichhenowheardofforthefirsttimehadtakenplacefivelongmonthsago。Hereflected，andregretted——andmechanicallywentonwithhispreparationsforsettlingdowntoworkundertheshadowofTableMountain。Hewasasonewhosuddenlyfindstheworldastrangerplacethanhethought;butisexcludedbyage，temperament，andsituationfrombeingmuchmorethananastonishedspectatorofitsstrangeness。
TheRoyalObservatorywasaboutamileoutofthetown，andhitherherepairedassoonashehadestablishedhimselfinlodgings。Hehaddecided，onhisfirstvisittotheCape，thatitwouldbehighlyadvantageoustohimifhecouldsupplementtheoccasionaluseofthelargeinstrumentsherebytheuseathisownhouseofhisownequatorial，andhadaccordinglygivendirectionsthatitmightbesentoverfromEngland。Thepreciouspossessionnowarrived;andalthoughthesightofit——ofthebrassesonwhichherhandhadoftenrested，oftheeyepiecethroughwhichherdarkeyeshadbeamed——
engenderedsomedecidedlybitterregretsinhimforatime，hecouldnotlongaffordtogivetothepastthedaysthatweremeantforthefuture。
Unabletogetaroomconvenientforaprivateobservatoryheresolvedatlasttofixtheinstrumentonasolidpillarinthegarden;andseveraldayswerespentinaccommodatingittoitsnewposition。InthislatitudetherewasnonecessityforeconomizingclearnightsashehadbeenobligedtodoontheoldtoweratWelland。Thereithadhappenedmorethanonce，thatafterwaitingidlethroughdaysandnightsofcloudyweather，Viviettewouldfixhertimeformeetinghimatanhourwhenatlasthehadanopportunityofseeingthesky;sothatingivingtoherthegoldenmomentsofcloudlessnesshewaslosinghischancewiththeorbsabove。