208 THE MONOMANIAC. 



together with his re-introduction into society, appeared to have effected 

 a perfect cure. I shook my head, but not wishing to damp the rising 

 hope, merely remarked, as I resumed my seat, that judgment on the 

 case ought for a short time to be suspended; promising, however, to 

 be guided by circumstances. 



Scarcely had I spoken, when Hill abruptly said, <( I say, when is 

 this play you were talking about, to begin ? I am very anxious about 

 myself, yonder, and shall be in a fever till it is over. Ha ! ha ! how 

 aptly shall I symbolize the passage of life and death this evening ; 

 a walk from the theatre to a mad-house ! a draught of honey, with 

 gall at the bottom ! but I won't dash my spirits by thinking of it. 

 Let us enjoy the present hour as it flies, and cast all thoughts of 

 the future aside. By-the-by, I can scarcely preserve a proper con- 

 nexion between my sentences, through being so accustomed lately to 

 the disjointed language which I use n'importe ; no one here will mind 

 it." These and similar incoherencies caused an interchange of 

 glances too easily understood, and the party delayed not another mo- 

 ment in preparing for the entertainment. " I hope it is not King 

 Lear," said Hill, as he took his hat from the servant. 



There are times when passing events assume a paramount interest 

 over the incidents of other periods, whatever their magnitude; there 

 are moments when all the aims of life give way to one object; there 

 are stakes which occupy the mind more than the struggle for a king- 

 dom. Such was the present hour and venture, and I am certain that 

 no one interested in the affair, would have paused to contemplate or 

 wonder at an earthquake : so entirely was every feeling absorbed by 

 the die about to be cast. For myself, I confidently aver that no cir- 

 cumstance of my life, no personal consideration, ever impressed me 

 more deeply than the momentous experiment in which accident had 

 engaged me. I had visited theatres with the grave, the fair, and the 

 gay ; to dispel ennui, gratify curiosity, and idle away an hour nay, 

 for instruction ; but never before in the society of a lunatic, or to 

 seek for lost sanity ! I looked forward with avidity to the result. 



As the theatre was small, we placed Hill in the centre front box, 

 so that nothing should escape his observation, whilst the short dis- 

 tance from the stage would enable him to see every turn of counte- 

 nance in the actor ; and combined advantage not to be met with in a 

 larger place of amusement. Curiosity (for the circumstances were 

 pretty generally known) drew a full attendance, and its unconscious 

 object attracted general notice. At length the entertainment com- 

 menced, and a hush pervaded the audience more resembling the 

 silence of a court of justice than aught else. The actors proceeded 

 with much spirit ; and the amateurs acquitted themselves admirably, 

 particularly our representative of Leon, the maniac ; inasmuch that 

 when he feigned to lose his senses, Hill turned to me and said, " That 

 is very natural ; the author understands the sympathetic weaknesses 

 of humanity well, and the actor knows how to depict them with 

 fidelity ; just so did I lose my senses, and just so did I look and speak 

 at the time. Heigho !" 



During these few words, the actors suspended operations until 

 Hill's attention became again fixed, simply filling up the space by an 



