hard cash-第125章

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ousand　pounds；　and　a　good　slice　of　his　bereaved　enemy's　and　father's　income。　But　this　doubled　his　father's　bitternessthat　he；　the　unloved　one；　should　be　enriched　by　the　death　of　the　adored　one！and　also　tempted　his　cupidity：　and　unfortunately　shallow　legislation　conspired　with　that　temptation。　For　when　an　Englishman；　sane　or　insane；　is　once　pushed　behind　his　back　into　a　madhouse；　those　relatives　who　have　hidden　him　from　the　public　eye；　_i。e。；_　from　the　eye　of　justice；　can　grab　hold　of　his　money　behind　his　back；　as　they　certified　away　his　wits　behind　his　back；　and　can　administer　it　in　the　dark；　and　embezzle　it；　chanting　〃But　for　us　the　'dear　deranged'　would　waste　it。〃　Nor　do　the　monstrous　enactments　which　confer　this　unconstitutional　power　on　subjects；　and　shield　its　exercise　from　the　light　and　safeguard　of　Publicity；　affix　any　penalty　to　the　abuse　of　that　power；　if　by　one　chance　in　a　thousand　detected。　In　Lunacy　Law　extremes　of　intellect　meet；　the　British　senator　plays　at　Satan；　and　tempts　human　frailty　and　cupidity　beyond　what　they　are　able　to　bear。

So　behold　a　son　at　twenty…one　years　of　age　devoted　by　a　father　to　imprisonment　for　life。　But　stop　a　minute；　the　mad　statutes；　which　by　the　threefold　temptation　of　Facility；　Obscurity；　and　Impurity；　insure　the　occasional　incarceration　and　frequent　detention　of　sane　but　moneyed　men；　do　provide；　though　feebly；　for　their　bare　liberation；　if　perchance　they　should　not　yield　to　the　_genius　loci；_　and　the　natural　effect　of　confinement　plus　anguish；　by　going　mad　or　dying。　The　Commissioners　of　Lunacy　had　power　to　liberate　Alfred　in　spite　of　his　relations。　And　that　power；　you　know；　he　had　soberly　but　earnestly　implored　them　to　exercise。

After　a　delay　that　seemed　as　strange　to　him　as　postponing　a　hand　to　a　drowning　man；　he　received　an　official　letter　from　Whitehall。　With　bounding　heart　he　broke　the　seal；　and　devoured　the　contents。　They　ran　thus


〃Sir；By　order　of　the　Commissioners　of　Lunacy；　I　am　directed　to　inform　you　that　they　are　in　the　receipt　of　your　letter　of　the　29th　ultimo；　which　will　be　laid　before　the　Board　at　their　next　meeting。I　am；　&c。〃


Alfred　was　bitterly　disappointed　at　the　small　advance　he　had　made。　However；　it　was　a　great　point　to　learn　that　his　letters　were　allowed　to　go　to　the　Commissioners　at　all；　and　would　be　attended　to　by　degrees。

He　waited　and　waited；　and　struggled　hard　to　possess　his　soul　in　patience。　At　times　his　brain　throbbed　and　his　blood　boiled；　and　he　longed　to　kill　the　remorseless；　kinless　monsters　who　robbed　him　of　his　liberty；　his　rights　as　a　man；　and　his　Julia。　But　he　knew　this　would　not　do；　that　what　they　wanted　was　to　gnaw　his　reason　away；　and　then　who　could　disprove　that　he　had　always　been　mad？　Now　he　felt　that　brooding　on　his　wrong　would　infuriate　him；　so　he　clenched　his　teeth；　and　vowed　a　solemn　vow　that　nothing　should　drive　him　mad。　By　advice　of　a　patient　he　wrote　again　to　the　Commissioners　begging　for　a　special　Commission　to　inquire　into　his　case；　and；　this　done；　with　rare　stoicism；　self…defence；　and　wisdom　in　one　so　young；　he　actually　sat　down　to　read　hard　for　his　first　class。　Now；　to　do　this；　he　wanted　the　Ethics；　Politics；　and　Rhetoric　of　Aristotle；　certain　dialogues　of　Plato；　the　Comedies　of　Aristophanes；　the　first…class　Historians；　Demosthenes；　Lucretius；　a　Greek　Testament；　Wheeler's　Analysis；　Prideaux；　Horne；　and　several　books　of　reference　sacred　and　profane。　But　he　could　not　get　these　books　without　Dr。　Wycherley；　and　unfortunately　he　had　cut　that　worthy　dead　in　his　own　asylum。

〃The　Scornful　Dog〃　had　to　eat　wormwood　pudding　and　humble　pie。　He　gulped　these　delicacies　as　he　might；　and　Dr。　Wycherley　showed　excellent　qualities；　he　entered　into　his　maniac's　studies　with　singular　alacrity；　supplied　him　with　several　classics　from　his　own　shelves；　and　borrowed　the　rest　at　the　London　Library。　Nor　did　his　zeal　stop　there；　he　offered　to　read　an　hour　a　day　with　him；　and　owned　it　would　afford　him　the　keenest　gratification　to　turn　out　an　Oxford　first　classman　from　his　asylum。　This　remark　puzzled　Alfred　and　set　him　thinking；　it　bore　a　subtle　family　resemblance　to　the　observations　he　heard　every　day　from　the　patients；　it　was　so　one…eyed。

Soon　Alfred　became　the　doctor's　pet　maniac。　They　were　often　closeted　together　in　high　discourse；　and　indeed　discussed　Psychology；　Metaphysics；　and　Moral　Philosophy　with　indefatigable　zest；　long　after　common　sense　would　have　packed　them　both　off　to　bed；　the　donkeys。　In　fact；　they　got　so　thick　that　Alfred　thought　it　only　fair　to　say　one　day；　〃Mind；　doctor；　all　these　pleasant　fruitful　hours　we　spend　together　so　sweetly　will　not　prevent　my　indicting　you　for　a　conspiracy　as　soon　as　I　get　out：　it　will　rob　the　retribution　of　half　its　relish；　though。〃

〃Ah；　my　dear　young　friend　and　fellow…student；〃　said　the　doctor　blandly；　〃let　us　not　sacrifice　the　delights　of　our　profitable　occupation　of　imbibing　the　sweets　of　intellectual　intercourse　to　vague　speculations　as　to　our　future　destiny。　During　the　course　of　a　long　and　not；　I　trust；　altogether　unprofitable　career；　it　has　not　unfrequently　been　my　lot　to　find　myself　on　the　verge　of　being　indicted；　sued；　assassinated；　hung。　Yet　here　I　sit；　as　yet　unimmolated　on　the　altar　of　phrenetic　vengeance。　This　is　ascribable　to　the　fact　that　my　friends　and　pupils　always　adopt　a　more　favourable　opinion　of　me　long　before　I　part　with　them；　and　ere　many　days　（and　this　I　divine　by　infallible　indicia）；　_your_　cure　will　commence　in　earnest；　and　in　proportion　as　you　progress　to　perfect　restoration　of　the　powers　of　judgment；　you　will　grow　in　suspicion　of　the　fact　of　being　under　a　delusion；　or　rather　I　should　say　a　very　slight　perversion　and　perturbation　of　the　forces　of　your　admirable　intellect；　and　a　proper　subject　for　temporary　seclusion。　Indeed　this　consciousness　of　insanity　is　the　one　diagnostic　of　sanity　that　never　deceives　me　and；　on　the　other　hand；　an　obstinate　persistence　in　the　hypothesis　of　perfect　rationality　demonstrates　the　fact　that　insanity　yet　lingers　in　the　convolutions　and　recesses　of　the　brain；　and　that　it　would　not　be　humane　as　yet　to　cast　the　patient　on　a　world　in　which　he　would　inevitably　be　taken　some　ungenerous　advantage　of。〃

Alfred　ventured　to　inquire　whether　this　was　not　rather　paradoxical。

〃Certainly；〃　said　the　ready　doctor；　〃and　paradoxicality　is　an　indicial　characteristic　of　truth　in　all　matters　beyond　the　comprehension　of　the　vulgar。〃

〃That　_sounds_　rational；〃　said　the　maniac　very　drily。

One　afternoon；　grinding　hard　for　his　degree；　he　was　invited　downstairs　to　see　two　visitors。

At　that　word　he　found　out　how　prison　tries　the　nerves。　He　trembled　with　hope　and　fear。　It　was　but　for　a　moment：　he　bathed　his　face　and　hands　to　compose　himself；　made　his　toilet　carefully；　and　went　into　the　drawing…room；　all　on　his　guard。　There　he　found　Dr。　Wycherley　and　two　gentlemen；　one　was　an　ex…physician；　the　other　an　ex…barrister；　who　had　consented　to　resign　feelessness　and　brieflessness　for　a　snug　L。　1500　a　year　at　Whitehall。　After　a　momentary　greeting　they　continued　the　conversation　with　Dr。　Wycherley；　and　scarcely　noticed　Alfred。　They　were　there　_pro　forma；_　a　plausible　lunatic　had　pestered　the　Board；　and　extorted　a　visit　of　ceremony。　Alfred's　blood　boiled；　but　he　knew　it　must　not　boil　over。　He　contrived　to　throw　a　short；　pertinent　remark　in　every　now　and　then。　This；　being　done　politely；　told；　and　at　last　Dr。　Eskell；　Commissioner　of　Lunacy；　smiled　and　turned　to　him：　〃Allow　me　to　put　a　few　questions　to　you。〃

〃The　more　the　better；　sir；〃　said　Alfred。

Dr。　Eskell　then　asked　him　to　describe　minutely；　and　in　order；　all　he　had　done　since　seven　o'clock　that　day。　And　he　did　it。　Examined　him　in　the　multiplication　table。　And　he　did　it。　And；　while　he　was　applying　these　old…fashioned　tests；　Wycherley's　face　wore　an　expression　of　pity　that　was　truly　comical。　Now　this　Dr。　Eskell　had　an　itch　for　the　classics：　so　he　went　on　to　say；　〃You　have　been　a　scholar；　I　hear。〃

〃I　am　not　old　enough　to　be　a　scholar；　sir；〃　said　Alfred；　〃but　I　am　a　student。〃

〃Well；　well；　now　can　you　tell　me　what　follows　this　line

　　　　　〃Jusque　datum　sceleri　canimus　populuinque　potentem'？〃

〃Why；　not　at　the　moment。〃

〃Oh；　surely　you　can；〃　said　Dr。　Eskell　ironically。　〃It　is　in　a　tolerably　well…known　passag