But she still repeated the same words

　　As if she were a part of the refuse it had cast out, and left to corruption  and decay, the girl we had followed strayed down to the river's brink, and stood  in the midst of this night-picture, lonely and still, looking at the water.

　　There were some  boats and barges  astrand in the  mud, and these  enabled us to come within a few yards of her without being seen. I then signed to Mr. Peggotty to remain where he was, and emerged from their shade to speak to her.  I did not approach  her solitary  figure without  trembling; for  this gloomy  end to  her determined walk, and  the way in  which she stood,  almost within the  cavernous shadow of  the iron  bridge, looking  at the  lights crookedly  reflected in the strong tide, inspired a dread within me.

　　I think she was talking to herself.   I am sure, although absorbed in gazing  at the water, that her shawl was off  her shoulders, and that she was muffling  her hands in  it, in  an unsettled  and bewildered  way, more  like the  action of a sleep-walker than a waking person.  I know, and never can forget, that there was that in  her wild  manner which  gave me  no assurance  but that  she would sink before my eyes, until I had her arm within my grasp.

　　At the same moment I said 'Martha!'

　　She uttered a terrified scream, and struggled with me with such strength that  I doubt if I could have  held her alone.  But a  stronger hand than mine was  laid upon her; and when she raised her frightened eyes and saw whose it was, she made but one more effort and dropped down  between us.  We carried her away from  the water to where there were some dry  stones, and there laid her down, crying  and moaning.  In a little while she sat among the stones, holding her wretched  head with both her hands.

　　'Oh, the river!' she cried passionately.  'Oh, the river!'

　　'Hush, hush!' said I.  'Calm yourself.'

　　But she still repeated the same words, continually exclaiming, 'Oh, the  river!' over and over again.

　　'I know it's like me!' she exclaimed.  'I know that I belong to it. I know  that it's the natural company  of such as I  am! It comes from  country places, where there was once no harm in it - and it creeps through the dismal streets, defiled and miserable - and it goes away, like  my life, to a great sea, that is  always troubled - and I feel that I must  go with it!' I have never known what  despair was, except in the tone of those words.