the black robe-第43节

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Mr。　Winterfield's　past　life？〃







This　timefeeling　myself；　in　all　probability；　on　the　brink　of



discoveryI　was　careful　to　preserve　my　composure。　I　said；



quietly：　〃Some　such　incident　as　you　describe　has　occurred　in　Mr。



Winterfield's　past　life。〃　There　I　stopped　discreetly；　and　looked



as　if　I　knew　all　about　it。







The　doctor　showed　no　curiosity　to　hear　more。　〃My　object；〃　he　went



on；　〃was　merely　to　be　reasonably　sure　that　I　was　speaking　to　the



right　person；　in　speaking　to　you。　I　may　now　tell　you　that　I　have



no　personal　interest　in　trying　to　discover　Mr。　Winterfield；　I



only　act　as　the　representative　of　an　old　friend　of　mine。　He　is



the　proprietor　of　a　private　asylum　at　Sandswortha　man　whose



integrity　is　beyond　dispute；　or　he　would　not　be　my　friend。　You



understand　my　motive　in　saying　this？〃







Proprietors　of　private　asylums　are；　in　these　days；　the　objects　of



very　general　distrust　in　England。　I　understood　the　doctor's



motive　perfectly。







He　proceeded。　〃Yesterday　evening；　my　friend　called　upon　me；　and



said　that　he　had　a　remarkable　case　in　his　house；　which　he



believed　would　interest　me。　The　person　to　whom　he　alluded　was　a



French　boy；　whose　mental　powers　had　been　imperfectly　developed



from　his　childhood。　The　mischief　had　been　aggravated；　when　he　was



about　thirteen　years　old；　by　a　serious　fright。　When　he　was　placed



in　my　asylum；　he　was　not　idiotic；　and　not　dangerously　madit　was



a　case　（not　to　use　technical　language）　of　deficient　intelligence；



tending　sometimes　toward　acts　of　unreasoning　mischief　and　petty



theft；　but　never　approaching　to　acts　of　downright　violence。　My



friend　was　especially　interested　in　the　ladwon　his　confidence



and　affection　by　acts　of　kindnessand　so　improved　his　bodily



health　as　to　justify　some　hope　of　also　improving　the　state　of　his



mind；　when　a　misfortune　occurred　which　has　altered　the　whole



prospect。　The　poor　creature　has　fallen　ill　of　a　fever；　and　the



fever　has　developed　to　typhus。　So　far；　there　has　been　little　to



interest　youI　am　coming　to　a　remarkable　event　at　last。　At　the



stage　of　the　fever　when　delirium　usually　occurs　in　patients　of



sound　mind；　this　crazy　French　boy　has　become　perfectly　sane　and



reasonable！〃







I　looked　at　him；　when　he　made　this　amazing　assertion；　with　a



momentary　doubt　of　his　being　in　earnest。　Doctor　Wybrow　understood



me。







〃Just　what　I　thought；　too；　when　I　first　heard　it！〃　he　said。　〃My



friend　was　neither　offended　nor　surprised。　After　inviting　me　to



go　to　his　house；　and　judge　for　myself；　he　referred　me　to　a



similar　case；　publicly　cited　in　the　'Cornhill　Magazine；'　for　the



month　of　April；　1879；　in　an　article　entitled　'Bodily　Illness　as　a



Mental　Stimulant。'　The　article　is　published　anonymously；　but　the



character　of　the　periodical　in　which　it　appears　is　a　sufficient



guarantee　of　the　trustworthiness　of　the　statement。　I　was　so　far



influenced　by　the　testimony　thus　cited；　that　I　drove　to



Sandsworth　and　examined　the　case　myself。〃







〃Did　the　examination　satisfy　you？〃







〃Thoroughly。　When　I　saw　him　last　night；　the　poor　boy　was　as　sane



as　I　am。　There　is；　however；　a　complication　in　this　instance；



which　is　not　mentioned　in　the　case　related　in　print。　The　boy



appears　to　have　entirely　forgotten　every　event　in　his　past　life；



reckoning　from　the　time　when　the　bodily　illness　brought　with　it



the　strange　mental　recovery　which　I　have　mentioned　to　you。〃







This　was　a　disappointment。　I　had　begun　to　hope　for　some　coming



result；　obtained　by　the　lad's　confession。







〃Is　it　quite　correct　to　call　him　sane；　when　his　memory　is　gone？〃



I　ventured　to　ask。







〃In　this　case　there　is　no　necessity　to　enter　into　the　question；〃



the　doctor　answered。　〃The　boy's　lapse　of　memory　refers；　as　I　told



you；　to　his　past　lifethat　is　to　say；　his　life　when　his



intellect　was　deranged。　During　the　extraordinary　interval　of



sanity　that　has　now　declared　itself；　he　is　putting　his　mental



powers　to　their　first　free　use；　and　none　of　them　fail　him；　so　far



as　I　can　see。　His　new　memory　（if　I　may　call　it　so）　preserves　the



knowledge　of　what　has　happened　since　his　illness。　You　may　imagine



how　this　problem　in　brain　disease　interests　me；　and　you　will　not



wonder　that　I　am　going　back　to　Sandsworth　tomorrow　afternoon；



when　I　have　done　with　my　professional　visits。　But　you　may　be



reasonably　surprised　at　my　troubling　_you_　with　details　which　are



mainly　interesting　to　a　medical　man。〃







Was　he　about　to　ask　me　to　go　with　him　to　the　asylum？　I　replied



very　briefly；　merely　saying　that　the　details　were　interesting　to



every　student　of　human　nature。　If　he　could　have　felt　my　pulse　at



that　moment；　I　am　afraid　he　might　have　thought　I　was　in　a　fair



way　of　catching　the　fever　too。







〃Prepare　yourself；〃　he　resumed；　〃for　another　surprising



circumstance。　Mr。　Winterfield　is；　by　some　incomprehensible



accident；　associated　with　one　of　the　mischievous　tricks　played　by



the　French　boy；　before　he　was　placed　under　my　friend's　care。



There；　at　any　rate；　is　the　only　explanation　by　which　we　can



account　for　the　discovery　of　an　envelope　（with　inclosures）　found



sewn　up　in　the　lining　of　the　lad's　waistcoat；　and　directed　to　Mr。



Winterfieldwithout　any　place　of　address。〃







I　leave　you　to　imagine　the　effect　which　those　words　produced　on



me。







〃Now；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃you　will　understand　why　I　put　such



strange　questions　to　you。　My　friend　and　I　are　both　hard…working



men。　We　go　very　little　into　society；　as　the　phrase　is；　and



neither　he　nor　I　had　ever　heard　the　name　of　Winterfield。　As　a



certain　proportion　of　my　patients　happen　to　be　people　with　a



large　experience　of　society；　I　undertook　to　make　inquiries；　so



that　the　packet　might　be　delivered；　if　possible；　to　the　right



person。　You　heard　how　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　（surely　a　likely　lady　to



assist　me？）　received　my　unlucky　reference　to　the　madhouse；　and



you　saw　how　I　puzzled　Sir　John。　I　consider　myself　most　fortunate；



Father　Benwell；　in　having　had　the　honor　of　meeting　you？　Will　you



accompany　me　to　the　asylum　to…morrow？　And　can　you　add　to　the



favor　by　bringing　Mr。　Winterfield　with　you？〃







This　last　request　it　was　out　of　my　powerreally　out　of　my



powerto　grant。　Winterfield　had　left　London　that　morning　on　his



visit　to　Paris。　His　address　there　was；　thus　far；　not　known　to　me。







〃Well；　you　must　represent　your　friend；〃　the　doctor　said。　〃Time　is



every　way　of　importance　in　this　case。　Will　you　kindly　call　here



at　five　to…morrow　afternoon？〃







I　was　punctual　to　my　appointment。　We　drove　together　to　the



asylum。







There　is　no　need　for　me　to　trouble　you　with　a　narrative　of　what　I



sawfavored　by　Doctor　Wybrow's　introductionat　the　French　boy's



bedside。　It　was　simply　a　repetition　of　what　I　had　already　heard。



There　he　lay；　at　the　height　of　the　fever；　asking；　in　the



intervals　of　relief；　intelligent　questions　relating　to　the



medicines　administered　to　him；　and　perfectly　understanding　the



answers。　He　was　only　irritable　when　we　asked　him　to　take　his



memory　back　to　the　time　before　his　illness；　and　then　he　answered



in　French；　〃I　haven't　got　a　memory。〃







But　I　have　something　else　to　tell　you；　which　is　deserving　of　your



best　attention。　The　envelope　and　its　inclosures　（addressed　to



〃Bernard　Winterfield；　Esqre。〃）　are　in　my　possession。　The



Christian　name　sufficiently　identifies　the　inscription　with　the



Winterfield　whom　I　know。







The　circumstances　under　which　the　discovery　was　made　were　related



to　me　by　the　proprietor　of　the　asylum。







When　the　boy　was　brought　to　the　house；　two　French　ladies　（his



mother　and　sister）　accompanied　him。　and　mentioned　what　had　been



their　own　domestic　experience　of　the　case。　They　described　the



wandering　propensities　which　took　the　lad　away　from　home；　and　the



odd　concealment　of　his　waistcoat；　on　the　last　occasion　when　he



had　returned　from　one　of　his　vagrant　outbreaks。







On　his　first　night　at　the　asylum；　he　became　excited　by　finding



himself　in　a　strange　place。　It　was　necessary　to　give　　him　a



composing　draught。　On　goin　g　to　bed；　he　was　purposely　not



prevented　from　hiding　his　waistcoat　under　the　pillow；　as　usual。







When　the　sedative　had　produced　its　effect；　the　attendant　easily



possessed　himself　of　the　hidden　garment。　It　was　the　plain　duty　of



the　master　of　the　house　to　make　sure　that　nothing　likely　to　be



turned　to　evil　uses　was　concealed　by　a　patient。　The　seal　which



had　secured　the　envelope　was　found；　o