island-edge

Updated: June 1, 2025

At last, half-crazy at the vacant days of misery which went by and by, and she did not come, I set out upon a wild-goose quest, of her of all the hopeless things the most hopeless, for the world is great and I sought and did not find her; and after three days I turned back, recognising that I was mad to search the infinite, and coming near the Château, I saw her wave her handkerchief from the island-edge, for she divined that I had gone to seek her, and she was watching for me: and when I took her hand, what did she say to me, the Biblical simpleton?

M. P. (Matthew Phipps) Shiel - The Purple Cloud