HE CONSULTS DR BALFOUR. 469 



prostrating stroke, and that there were sensations in his 

 brain which gave him the idea that it might be near. 

 He was certainly haunted by some great terror; but 

 it was not the fear of apoplexy, it was the fear of an 

 overmastering paroxysm of insanity. He spent the 

 evening quietly, reading a little book on a religious 

 subject, and writing a brief notice of it for the paper. 



On Monday morning Mrs Miller made her way up- 

 stairs before breakfast, and met him on the top of the 

 stairs. He said that he had passed a bad, restless 

 night. At breakfast, which only Mrs Miller and his 

 eldest daughter partook with him, his conversation was 

 animated and copious. He ate nothing, however, merely 

 swallowing a cup of tea, and his mind was evidently 

 occupied with his sensations in the night. He spoke of 

 sleep-walking, and told an anecdote of a student who 

 had left his room, clambered on the roof, entered an 

 adjoining house, divested himself, night after night, of 

 his shirt, and hidden the garments, to the number of 

 half-a-dozen, in a cask of feathers. Breakfast over, 

 he recurred to the subject which had never been 

 from his thoughts. ' It was a strange night/ he said ; 

 ' there was something I didn't like. I shall just throw 

 on my plaid, and step out to see Dr Balfour/ Dr Bal- 

 four lived in Portobello, and was in customary attend- 

 ance upon Mr Miller and his family. The proposal of 

 her husband astonished Mrs Miller. During his whole 

 life he had shown the utmost reluctance to take medical 

 advice, and this was the first time she had ever known 

 him speak of going voluntarily in quest of a doctor. 

 She cordially approved of his determination, and, at 

 about ten o'clock, he presented himself to Dr Balfour. 



Of the consultation which followed Dr Balfour has 

 given a full report. ' On my asking/ says the Doctor, 



