Magdalene Hall and William De Lancey had a fast tracked romance and remained married for three months prior to the devastating battle of Waterloo.

The marriage was mutually beneficial, both socially & financially, for both sides; as was common in marriages of its time. The existence of true love is present throughout the narrative. The prevalence of true love was not a common aspect in 19th century marriages when at times marriage was a mere necessity. The couples honeymoon was cut short by international events and the Colonel’s newest assignment.Magdalene proved to be a strong & brave woman by following her husband on his campaign against Napoleon in the Austrian Netherlands.

It was not unheard of for women to follow their husbands and lovers to, and beyond death. Colonel William was critically wounded when he was struck with a ricocheting cannon ball in the back. Magdalene proved not to be a burden, but a god sent when she refused to leave her husband’s side, nursing him, after she found him mortally wounded on the near the battlefield during Waterloo.It was during this time, of tending to her husband, that she wrote a journal that later became the narrative; “A Week at Waterloo. Her experience, full of honesty & attractive details, during this week of turmoil comes across clearly throughout her narrative. During the three weeks between their arrival in Brussels and the French Army advancing on Brussels, the newlyweds were able to find time for one another, go for walks in the park and to enjoy being in love.

They spent their time together not visiting or going to balls as they did not know how long they had before they would be separated. She describes her feelings in the following passage; “Fortunately my husband had scarcely any business to do, and he only went to the office for about an hour every day.I then used to sit and think with astonishment of my being transported into such a scene of happiness, so perfect, so unalloyed! feeling that I was entirely enjoying life not a moment wasted. ” (n. d.

2) The way she describes her happiness is very endearing. It is obvious she is in love. His love for her is clear as well and put above his duties. Before he left for his position as Chief of Staff to Duke of Wellington he first went to reassure his bride and arrange for her to be sent to safety in Antwerp.

While in Antwerp Magdalene kept to herself & kept her promise to Sir William not to believe any reports as well as not to move without his order on any account. William assigned a Captain Mitchell to keep charge of her. She may have been scared, but she did not show it to anyone and remained where she was waiting for word from her husband. Magdalene never lost faith even though at times it was very difficult and the time away. When she heard of the last effort of the battle she became restless & anxious to hear of her loved one’s well being.After the Colonel was hurt he asked for Magdalene to be informed in a kind manner as gently as possible sparing her from further despair.

She was so relieved when she saw that William’s name was not on the list of killed & wounded. In fact his name was deliberately left off to spare Magdalene, but she was not; “Some kindly thought this might benefit me; but I was not so fortunate. Sad scenes were passing at Antwerp in the meantime. ” (n. d. 12) This sets the scene for the roller coaster of emotion she is about to embark upon when her hope is replaced by despair.

Magdalene’s anguish was about to begin when she was informed by Lady Hamilton that Sir William was indeed alive yet desperately wounded. Magdalene had a hard time believing this as true. When she came to accept his fate she immediately asked for assistance to go to him. Magdalene was deeply distraught; “No power can describe my sufferings for two hours before I could set out. ” (n.

d. 16) She was deeply upset that she had lost any of the time she may have left with her loved one. Magdalene traveled half way to Waterloo to get a status update on Sir William, where she was met with tragic news of Sir William's death.She was deeply agitated and distraught.

“I repeated over and over that if I had seen him alive for five minutes, I would not repine. ” (n. d. 18) Stricken with despair again she would not rest until she got confirmation of Sir Williams’s death from someone who was near him when he was wounded.

Once she gets further confirmation of where he is she is forewarned about going to him and submitting herself to the aftermath of the battle. She is also confronted with the fact that it will take all her courage to she has to commit herself to him.After hearing all of these stories, rumors and partially confirmed details she travels 3 and half hours to be with him. When she arrived she found him alive yet gravely injured. She brushes off all of her grievances and goes to his side to aid in his care.

Magdalene spent six days by his side. She was so busy caring for him that she did not think about what the future held. She only cared that they were together again. She felt that she had been prepared for whatever fate deemed after being told of his death than finding out it wasn’t true.

I was so grateful for seeing him once more, that I valued each hour as it passed, and as I had too much reason to fear that I should very soon have nothing left of happiness but what my reflections would afford me, I endeavored, by suppressing feelings that would have made him miserable, and myself unfit to serve him, to lay up no store of regret. ” (n. d. 24-25) She became his nurse and refused to leave his side as he may need her at anytime.

Her love for him and his for her was ever more present during this time they shared. As William grew sicker over time Magdalene forced herself to accept that their time together was drawing to the end.As sick as he was he was always concerned with her well being and repeatedly told her he did not know what he would have done without her. During their final twelve hours together they discussed his fate, how he was at peace with the world and how he had no regrets except leaving his wife.

Despite all efforts by his wife to nurse him back to health, Sir William De Lancey died on the sixth day. The Narrative ends with comments from Magdalene on the burial of Sir William. It is her final sentence that makes the romantics reaches for a tissue.“General Dundas kindly executed all my orders with respect to the funeral, etc. which took place on Wednesday the 28th, in the cemetery of the Reformed Church. It is about a mile from Brussels, on the road to Louvain.

I had a stone placed, with simply his name and the circumstances of his death. I visited his grave on Tuesday, the 4th of July. The burying-ground is in a sweet, quiet, retired spot. A narrow path leads to it from the road. It is quite out of sight among the fields, and no house but the grave-digger’s cottage is near. Seeing my interest in that grave, he begged me to let him plant roses round it, and promised I should see it nicely kept when I returned.

I am pleased that I saw the grave and the stone; for there were nearly forty other new graves, and not another stone. At eleven o’clock that same day, I set out for England. That day, three months before, I was married. ” (n.

d. 50) It is evident, as the Narrative portrays from its start, that Sir William De Lancey ; his wife Magdalene were the essence of true love. Love prevailed over his duties, over the typical marriage of their time and even over his death. “A Week at Waterloo” depicts a romantic tragedy of a wife’s despair, replaced with hope and again replaced with despair.