"Paul Clifford", Chapter 23, by Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Viola. And dost thou love me?

Lysander.... Love thee, Viola? Do I not fly thee when my being drinks Light from thine eyes?-that flight is all my answer!

The Bride, Act ii. sc. 1.

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I know that letter, for I have written it. Of course not in the same particulars, but in the same spirit. *sigh* We also see something in a similar vein in Babylon 5, when Vir joins the Rangers in hopes of proving himself worthy to Delenn. I bet it's a fairly common trope.

blue devils: low spirits

The picture used is a drawing by Sir Edwin Landseer of a woman reading a letter, ca.1830-1840. Presented through Art Fund by Professor Luke Herrmann (from the Bruce Ingram Collection)

So this drawing was done about the same time as this story was written, which means the dress fashion may be a little off, but oh well.

To follow along: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/7735/7735-h/7735-h.htm#link2HCH0023