Year: 1879

CHAPTER XII.


And years had past, and thus they met again.


BYRON.


The ice being broken, in regard to the SUBJ
ject upon which until now DR.. Snow had
judged it prudent, on account OF Kachers
weak state, to remain silent, he spoke to her
afterwards frequently of the condition Of his
patients, the various singular and interesting
phases of the disease under which they labor
ed and the diversity of treatment they re.
quired. He told her many anecdotes Of them
which quite awakened her interest and SYM
pathy, though she still shrank from his sug-
gestion that when she was strong enough she
might crafty her curiosity, if she chose, by
going among them with him, and witnessing
for herself the peculiarities of which she had
been told. She preferred looking at them
from distance, and learning to- know them,
as she soon did, from the doctors description
There was large handsome blonde who I'M
agined herself Marie Antoinette. The gar
den she called lie petit 7rsanon," and here
she would endeavor to gather her court
about her and engage them in rural sports
and occupations, following the example of
the ill-fated Queen in that favorite retreat
Then there was Napoleon Bonaparte, blus-
tering authoritative parsonage, of very pas
sionate temper, who was continually getting
into difficulties with the others. The doctor
ranked him among the troublesome ones,
though he was generally amenable to persua-
sion. One queer.looking man fancied him
self dromedary, and would walk about ex-
claiming, "Jump on, ladies and gentlemen,
my two humps will accommodate you all !;
you will find it very trying to cross the desert
on foot" A most interesting patient was
young girl of great beauty, who appeared i'm.
pressed with a profound melancholy. She
would sit apart, and remain silent for hours
with her large blue eyes fixed upon the
ground, and letter clasped to her breast.


"That," said DR.. Snow, "is hopeless case
She believes that her lover, a young gentle
man to whom she was tenderly attached, and
who died suddenly on the eve of the day ap
pointed for their wedding, is being detained
from her by force, and that he has written
letter to her, stating the circumstances of his
detention, and entreating her to intercede
with the Governor to procure his release from
the custody of his prosecutors. This fancied
letter she never suffers out of her grasp, but
is continually waiting for the arrival of the
said Governor, to whom she wishes to present
it; and her melancholy increases as time goes
on, and still he does not come"


"Could not you get some one to personate
the Governor, and let her carry out her
plan?" asked Rachel.


81 have tried the experiment several times,
but without success. She has evidently fig
ured to herself some one whom she knows or
remembers, as this Governor, and no one else
will satisfy her. regretted last time having
carried this plan into execution. Her dlsap'
pointment and distress, when she found that
the pretended Governor was not the person she
expected, were so overwhelming, that re-
proacfed myself for the deception"


'Poor thing" said Rachel, with sigh.
"It seems that one can be as unhappy with
out reason as with it."


"Every bit" said the doctor. "But some
of these people, on the other hand, are as
happy as larks. Do you see that little fellow
in the brown coat hoeing yonder bed? He is
persuaded that he has come into an immense
inheritance, and spends his time in building
the most brilliant castles in the air in regard
to his future. In the meanwhile he is per.
fectly contented here, and feels no anxiety to
leave He was brought to me because he
was under the delusion that his brother, with
whom he lived, had committed crime, for
which he was authorized to kill him, and ne
did, more than once, nearly succeed in taking
his life Since he has been under my charge
he has been perfectly tractable but when his
brother once came to see him, he few into
the most ungovernable fury you can imagine,
and was ready to tear him to pieces. With
the exception of this mania, there is nothing
dangerous about him. He is devoted to
flowers, and works continually in the garden,
as you may perceive; and as he is really
very intelligent, he can converse as agreeably
as any one know"


'sDo you allow all of your patients to 60
at large?" asked Rachel.


"With one or two exceptions. l have one
very interesting patient who will never leave
his room unless I compel him to do so, and
then he will only consent to walk for few
minutes in the little strip of ground at the
north of the house, where he is secluded from
the observation of the rest. He is deeply mel
ancholy, and shuns all society. He has been
with me only few weeks, and have not yet
thoroughly mastered his case, or satisfied my
self as to the best mode of treating him. His
name is Vivian, and he is evidently polished
and refined. gentleman. l have no knowledge
of his family"


"What name did you say?' asked Rachel,
turning ashy pale.


"Vivian-M. Vivian is marked on his
clothing, and such was the name he gave at
the hotel, where he was staying when his case
was made known to me. He is, apparently,
quite alone here, and -"


Here the doctor stopped, in CONSERVATION,
for his listener, overcome by the terror and
agitation caused by his announcement, which,
in her still weak state, she was not able to
bear, suddenly, and without warning, tainted
away.


"God bless my soul," calculated DR.. Snow,
as he laid her on sofa, and hastily rang the