pathology of lying-第21节

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amily；　used　to　make　signals　to　her　and　leave　notes　under　the　table　cover；　asking　for　funds　with　which　to　help　him　out。　　This　was　a　great　strain　upon　Janet　and　even　more　so　was　his　death。　　She　could　stand　it　no　longer　and　fled　the　city。　　Her　lover's　stealing　was　a　secret　which　she　had　kept　from　her　own　family。

Before　we　had　become　acquainted　with　the　true　facts　about　the　family　this　girl　gave　us　most　extensive　accounts　of　various　phases　of　her　home　life　which　included　the　most　unlikely　and　contradictory　details。　　For　instance；　they　had　a　large　house　with　beautiful　grounds；　yet　before　she　left　home　she　bought　a　sewing　machine　for　her　mother；　which　she　is　paying　for　on　weekly　installments。　　Her　8　a　week　is　very　little　for　her　to　live　on　because　she　is　paying　this　indebtedness。　　Janet　wishes　now　to　take　out　a　twenty　year　endowment　policy　in　favor　of　her　mother。　　Her　brothers　and　sister　are　all　very　bright；　she　tells　us；　but　she　has　never　been　particularly　close　to　any　member　of　her　family　except　her　mother。　　The　others　always　remind　her　that　they　are　better　educated　than　she　is。　　She　expects　to　take　up　French　and　Spanish　in　the　evenings　because　they　would　be　very　helpful　to　her　commercially。　　She　does　not　care　to　grow　up；　prefers　simple　enjoyments；　and　has　no　desire　for　social　affairs。　　She　is　only　desirous　of　improving　her　education。　　She　relates　her　success　as　a　Sunday　School　teacher。　　She　thinks　at　times　she　is　very　nervous；　and　especially　when　she　was　in　the　high　school　she　showed　signs　of　it。　　Then　she　used　to　stutter　much；　but　of　late　she　has　been　able　to　control　this。

At　another　time；　very　glibly　and　without　the　slightest　show　of　emotion；　she　continues　with　her　story。　　Tells　of　frequent　fainting　spells　when　she　goes　from　one　attack　into　another。　　She　has　not　had　them　just　recently；　but　she　used　to　have　them　at　home。　　Tells　us　now　that　her　mother　has　been　very　sick　and　she　has　been　worrying　much　about　her。　　She　wanted　to　send　money　to　her　and　help　support　her。　　‘It's　awfully　hard　on　one　to　know　your　mother　is　terribly　sick　and　to　think　you　can't　reach　her　if　anything　should　happen。''　　（It　is　to　be　remembered　that　all　this　was　told　when　the　girl　must　have　known；　if　she　had　thought　at　all；　that　we　would　certainly　get　the　full　facts　in　a　day　or　so。）

On　the　physical　side　we　found　a　very　well　developed　and　well　nourished　young　woman。　　Weight　148　lbs。　　No　sensory　defect　noted。　　Moderately　coarse　features；　broad　deep　chest；　quiet　and　strong　attitude。　　No　signs　whatever　of　nervousness。　　Her　only　complaint　at　present　is　of　headaches　and　‘‘quivering''　attacks。　　（We　could　get　no　corroboration　at　all　of　either　of　these　from　any　one　else。）　　She　frequently　spoke　of　herself　as　entirely　healthy　except　for　these　slight　ailments。　　Some　months　later；　vide　infra；　it　was　discovered　that　Janet　had　a　chronic　pelvic　trouble。　　The　most　notable　finding　was　Janet's　facial　expression　when　confronted　by　some　of　her　incongruities　of　behavior。　　Then　she　assumed　a　most　peculiar；　open…eyed；　wondering；　dumb　expression。　　When　flatly　told　a　certain　part　of　her　story　was　falsehood；　she　looked　one　straight　in　the　eyes　and　said　in　a　wonderfully　demure　and　semi…sorrowful　manner；　‘‘I　am　sorry　you　think　so。''　　Her　expression　was　sincere　enough　to　make　even　experienced　observers　half　think　they　must　themselves　be　wrong。

On　the　mental　side　she　demonstrated　good　ability　in　many　ways。　　She　had　been　through　two　years　of　high　school　and　showed　evidences　of　her　training。　　We　tested　her　for　a　number　of　different　capacities　and；　with　one　exception；　we　found　all　through　that　she　did　fairly　satisfactory　work；　showing　herself　to　have　normal　mental　capabilities　and　control。

This　exception　was　in　the　‘‘Aussage''　or　testimony　test。　　Here　in　reporting　on　our　standard　picture　she　gave　in　free　recital　17　items；　which　is　a　fair　result；　but　she　added　several　incorrect　details。　　On　questioning　she　gave　12　more　items；　but　invented　still　more　details。　　Of　the　seven　standard　suggestions　offered　she　very　curiously　accepted　only　one；　and　that　not　important。　　As　an　example　of　how　she　would　supply　details　from　her　fancy　is　the　following：　　The　picture　represents　a　little　girl　standing　by　the　side　of　an　older　person。　　Janet　said　it　was　a　little　boy；　that　he　had　his　hands　in　his　pockets；　a　muffler　on　his　neck；　a　stocking　cap　on　his　head；　and　black　shoes　and　stockings。　　All　of　these　were　voluntarily　offered　and　all　were　incorrect。

Beyond　this　curious　performance；　and　her　peculiar　lack　of　foresight　and　shrewdness；　or　whatever　it　is　that　causes　her　so　readily　to　falsify　and　fabricate；　we　found　not　the　slightest　evidence　of　aberration。　　Her　conversation　was　coherent　and　to　the　point。

In　the　information　obtained　from　the　intelligent　parents　the　following　points　stand　out　clearly。　　The　heredity　is　of　interest。　　There　has　been　no　known　case　of　feeblemindedness；　insanity；　or　epilepsy　on　either　side；　but　there　is　a　great　admixture　of　very　good　with　quite　unstable　qualities。　　This　is　true　of　both　sides。　　Some　members　of　the　family　have　taken　high　positions　in　the　community；　and　been　exceptionally　endowed　mentally。　　Others　have　been　notoriously　lacking　in　stability。　　We　are　informed　that　on　one　side　some　have　shown　a　marked　inclination　for　tampering　with　the　truth；　and　it　is　suggested　that　Janet's　tendency　is　the　result　of　early　influence。　　The　care　of　an　incompetent　grandmother；　whose　word　was　notoriously　untrustworthy；　devolved　upon　the　family　and　it　was　impossible　to　prevent　Janet　from　being　much　with　her。　　All　of　the　children　were　aware　of　the　old　lady's　untruthfulness。　　One　of　Janet's　parents　had　been　addicted　to　narcotics；　but　had　managed　to　shake　off　the　habit。　　The　other　parent　has　had　a　severe　attack　of　‘‘nervous　prostration；''　largely　induced；　it　is　maintained；　by　worry　over　family　affairs。　　It　is　most　interesting　to　note　that　the　other　children；　two　boys　and　one　girl；　have　turned　out　remarkably　well；　two　being　university　graduates；　and　all　being　very　stable　in　character。　　Both　parents　are　people　of　good　moral　ideals；　and　in　spite　of　their　own　nervous　defects　have　given　their　children　very　good　care。

The　pregnancy　with　Janet　was　not　entirely　healthy；　but　no　worse　than　with　the　other　children。　　Her　birth　and　infancy　were　normal。　　Walked　and　talked　early。　　Started　to　school　at　6。　　Menstruated　first　at　13；　not　irregular。　　She　never　had　any　severe　illnesses　of　any　kind。　　As　a　child　she　once　fell　down　some　steps　and　was　unconscious　for　a　few　minutes；　but　the　accident　was　not　known　to　have　left　any　bad　effects。　　Janet's　own　stories　of　fainting　are　much　exaggerated。　　In　fact；　the　mother　has　never　really　seen　her　faint；　nor　is　there　any　evidence　of　any　minor　lapses　of　consciousness。　　At　times　the　girl　would　feel　faint　and　ask　that　water　be　poured　on　her　foreheadthat　was　all　there　was　to　it。　　She　was　removed　in　the　middle　of　her　high　school　course　on　account　of　general　nervousness。　　The　doctor　felt　she　was　working　too　hard。　　Her　parents　are　sure　she　was　never　a　great　sufferer　from　headaches。　　Nothing　else　of　importance　could　be　found　in　her　physical　history。　

The　story　of　this　girl's　falsifications　and　fabrications　as　obtained　from　her　people　is　exceedingly　long。　　As　a　young　child　she　was　not　over…indulged　in　fairy　stories；　and　the　parents　noticed　nothing　peculiar　about　her　then。　　She　was　not　regarded　as　a　child　who　had　any　unusual　powers　of　imagination。　　Somewhere　about　12　years　of　age；　her　parents　cannot　be　certain　just　when；　they　noticed　she　began　the　exaggeration　and　lying　which　has　continued　more　or　less　ever　since。　　In　the　past　two　or　three　years　this　has　grown　upon　her　and　she　has　been　making　not　only　untrue　statements；　but　has　been　concocting　peculiarly　long　and　intricate　fabrications。　　The　curious　thing　to　the　family　is　that　Janet　seems　to　have　little　shrewdness　in　lying；　of　normal　ability　in　other　things；　she　seems　to　have　the　mind　of　a　child　in　this。　　Very　many　deceptions　are　discovered　in　short　order；　but　even　then　the　girl　will　sometimes　argue　at　length　that　what　she　has　said　was　really　the　truth。　　The　parents　insist　she　must　know　that　she　is　lying；　but　her　anomalous　behavior　has　been　so　excessive　that　they　have　long　felt　she　should　be　studied　by　a　psychiatrist。　　Her　mother　asserts　there　is　some　periodicity　in　Janet's　tendencies。　　She　maintains　she　has　noticed　that　most　of　her　lies　are　told　in　the　two　or　three　days　preceding　menstruation。　　（This　was　certainly　not　true　during　the　period　we　observed　the　girl。）　　The　parents　are　sure　there　has　never　been　any　particular　mental　shock；　and　the　mother　has　always　felt　that　Janet　was　particularly　free　from　contamination　by　bad　children。　　At　times　she　seems　to　realize　her　own　bad　behavior；　and　not　long　ago　said　she　would　become　a　nun；　for　in　the　tranquil　life　of　the　convent　her　tendency　to　lying　would　not　be　stimulated。

Further　inquiry　brought　out　the　fact　that　it　was　true；　as　Janet　stated；　that　in　her　high　school　course　she　became　nervous　to　the　extent　of　jerking　and　twitching；　and　that　also　for　a　time　she　stuttered。　　Their　physician　said；　however；　that　there　was　no　definite　nervous　disease。

As　a　young　child　the　parents　never　thought　this　girl　in　any　way　different　from　the　rest　of　the　family。　　As　she　grew　older　she　has　been　regarde