202 THE MONOMANIAC. 



save on the one point relating to his madness. As this conviction 

 impressed itself on my mind, I conceived the idea of recurring sud- 

 denly to his condition, and by confronting him, as it were, with his 

 own intelligence, startle the morbid thoughts which had posses- 

 sion of him, and convince him, if possible, that his disease was ima- 

 ginary. In pursuance of this, I said, " And so you are unquestion- 

 ably mad ?" 



He sighed, and said, " Unequivocally ! As mad, sir, as was Nat 

 Lee, when he desired Jupiter to snuff the moon." 



" And you are never reasonable for an instant ? 



(f Which do you mean : me, or myself?" inquired Hill. 



I was fairly foiled, but replied, " whichever of you is most sensi- 

 ble." 



" Ah, that's me," returned Hill ; " but I wish you would be more 

 consistent in conversation : you first question my mad self, and then, 

 all in apparent continuation, interrogate my sane self. Now that 

 would fidget my wits to death at another time ; nevertheless, feeling 

 clear-headed at present, I'll reply to both. Touching the former query, 

 I repeat, that not one spark of Heaven's mysterious gift to man remains ; 

 on the other hand, and regarding your latter interrogatory, ' I am 

 not mad, most noble Festus ;' nor never (as you seem to suspect) 

 lapse into madness. Mercy knows that I should be sadly off, indeed, 

 were that ever the case, for we should fall a quarrelling, and, in all 

 probability, either roe kill I, or I kill me." 



" Are you, then, so dangerous ?" I asked. 



" Dangerous ! I tried to kill my keeper the other day, but fortu- 

 nately I was present, and prevented myself. Sad thing ! no one can 

 manage me but I. Four white walls and a straw bed ! Horrible ! 

 Doomed to this, whilst in full enjoyment of all my intellects, because 

 I am raving mad, and will suffer none to approach, unless I am by. 

 I might just as well be deranged myself; for you see my imprison- 

 ment is all the same. Oh ! none but those accustomed to such scenes 

 can conceive what it is to watch the appalling writhings of a 

 maniac, and be condemned to listen to no sound but his meaningless 

 words, or his idiot laughter. The grave itself is a more cheerful 

 refuge. I am ill, I am weary, I am worn down with gloom ; still I 

 cannot desert myself / will not" 



The broken-hearted tone in which all this was uttered, pierced my 

 very soul ; and when I pressed his hand, from an impulse of feeling, 

 I could not restrain the tear which fell upon it. He looked up with 

 a glow of affection on his face, and, wringing my hand in return, 

 said, "you pity me; I see you do strange thing that pity should 

 enter here ! But depart ; this bright drop from your eye has pur- 

 chased my love, and I would not that you should incur the risk of 

 meeting my fate, by longer stay with a lunatic. Go : you'll lose 

 your senses if you remain with me." 



Not wishing yet to leave him, I said, " You forget that your in- 

 sanity still sleeps ; I am, therefore, in no immediate danger." 



" True," said Hill, " I had indeed' forgotten it speak low there, 

 and I shall feel favoured by further conversation. What promoted 

 your visit to this den of wretchedness ?" 



