Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 359: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Ae 2 or & pet SARE ney Sex . means tried to got him really quict. First of all, baeber, we will cool his brain.’ . ““T knew very well what this meant. “en ‘My tongue, which I had contrived to keep still ali this time, would be restrained no longer. — ““T broke out into a furious burst of angry invective—I reviled the doctor and his associates—declared what I would do to them if I only had the opportunity, and repeatedly averred that I was not mad. * All listened with 2 xitying smile, which went far to increase my fury. ; ‘* Héwever, there [ was, more helpless even tran a new- born babe—they could do with my person jusé whatever they thought fit. ‘*Gentlemen,” continued the unfortunate tradesman, ‘you see my head—it was lately covered with hair, cf which my wife was so fond that she would not let mo wear a peruke, according to the fashion of the times. Well, while I sat there in that abominatie chair, one of the keepers, with some huge bright scissors, snipped it off close to my head, and then the barber finished the horrid work with his razor; in less than a moment my head was as smooth as the back of my hand. “T was so grieved over my loss that I positively wept. ‘Here was an accumulation of one misfortune after another. “T began to dread that the upshot of all this would be that I should go mad in reality. “My fury again became ungovernable, for it required a greater amount of self-command than I possessed to think over such wrongs as mine unmoved. _~ *® Ah, well,’ said the doctor, who had been watching me, ‘I see itis a desperate case, and we may as well do all we can for him at once; it will bea saving of time and trouble in the long run.’ *t While he spoke, he took a lancet from his pocket. “‘T looked at the little glittering instrument with the utmost apprehension. ‘My arms were tightly bound down to my sides by means of the strait waistcoat; but I discovered that there was an opening left in this by which my arms could be punctured without being removed from restraint _ “This the doctor at once proceeded to do, The incision was made, and I watched the outpour of the a blood until I grew sick, faint, and giddy. | “*<That willdo,’ I heard the doctor say at last, though his voice seemed to me to sound as though it came from miles and miles off. ‘Release him, and carry kim back to the dark room; you will find him tame when you visit him next time.’ “He was right, for when I aroused myself from the state of dreamy torpor into which the loss of blood had thrown me I was so fearfully weak that I could hardly raise my head from the hard mattress on which I had been thrown. “How long I remained thus I know not, for in that disnial place it was, as I have told you, impossible to keep any note of time—not even the ordinary distinction of night from day could be observed. “At length my tormentors made their ance. _“Qne carried a small basin’ containing some delected nutriment; this was placed to my lips, andI swallowed it half unconsciously. ‘*T quickly experienced the benefit of it. . ‘“‘T was pronounced to be by no means so dangerous 43 Iwas. The fellows declared that the mad light, as they called it, had gone out of my eyes. “Then afterwards the doctor came. ‘t He, too, declared me better, and allowed the stait waistcoat to be removed, and also had me conveyer to another chamber. ‘‘Assoon as I was left alone nere I began to give wy- self up to serious thought. ‘“¢ An end must be put to the present state of tnings some- how—Il felt that keenly; if nct, I shnuld, beyond all doubt, eventually become quite mad. fk se Re ah Cha ‘ eS Pe eae, ovat © - i. ft @ ¥ =, ¥ ; VERY , eG a ¥ appear- would save me. _ “My loss I now began to bear with greater patienssa. able. THE KNIGHT OF THR ROAD. “T began to see that nothing but the greatest hypocric7 “It was severe certainly, but then it was not irretriew- | the ladder. dweit upon the villanous wontan who hed so cruelly duped, robbed, and deceived me. ‘“‘T promised myself that when I recovered my freedom ro effort should be wanting on my part-to bring about ker capture. ‘“‘T fancied, however, that if I humoured the doctor’s notions, and no longer persisted in a denial of what he held to be facts, that I should be set at liberty. ‘* Therefore I resolved to dissemble. “The next time the doctor saw me, I looked at him without any of that fierceness of aspect with which I had hitherto invariably regarded him, -— ‘“‘ Hoe noticed the change at once. “*Ah!’ he said, rubbing his hands briskly, ‘how are Wwe now ?’ ‘+ How am I?’ I said, passing my hand over my fore- head. ‘Has there been anything the matter with me? I have been trying to make out where 1am and how I came dere until my brain is in a whirl.’ ‘*¢¢ Wush—hush !’ said the doctor. ‘Be calm—pray be calm! In good time you will know all. At present you cannot Keep yourself too quiet.’ ‘‘A few more words were.exchanged between us, and then the doctor left, promising to send me a draught that would put me right, and assuring me that after I had partaken of it I should leave for my own home. “6 Yes,’ I said, ‘Bucklersbury, No. 97. Alas! what will not my wife have suffered during my inexplicable absence? That villanous wretch——’ ‘“‘] stopped myself, for I saw the doctor’s eye was upon me. “T had forgotten my caution, and felt ready to bite the end of my tongue off. “‘T could see then that the doctor did not believe in my restoration to sanity—that I was, with the cunning for which lunatics are celebrated, deceiving him by a false calmness in order to regain my liberty. “He did not say a word of all this, but quietly backed out of the room. ‘Ag soon as he was gone, I sprang to my feet, for Lf was no longer under any species of personal restraint, and was considered to beso far better as to have a light and cheerful apartment allotted to me. ‘‘T felt that now or never was the time for me to make my escape ; and if I did not succeed, there was no knowing how long my stay in that place might be protracted. “Tt was already growing dusk, so I considered all things favourable for my design. ‘7 rushed to the window. ‘‘ This was protected by iron bars. “ Anxiety and excitement lent me a strength such as I had never dreamt of possessing. ~~ in a > toe “One bar was partially removed from its place, and L at once set to work to force myself through the narrow opening thus made. “T received many injuries in the attempt, but I perse- vered, for 1 considered this to be my only chance of suc- cess. : “My hands were lacerated, my clothes torn, and my flesh terribly bruised, but, heedless of these minor evils, I persevered with my task. “ At last I got through, and dropped a considerable distance to the ground. “Fortunately, 1 alighted upon some soft mould in a garden. ‘‘T was stunned by the fall, but soon recovered myself, “T found that, beyond a good shaking, I had not sus- tained any injury. “Rushing along, 1 made my way to the boundary wall which I have before mentioned. ‘My heart now sunk within me, for how was I to sur- mount such an obstacle? ‘““My spirits revived again directly afterwards, fur at some little distance I perceived a man standing ona ladder that was leaning against the wall. *‘ T crouched downz to observe his movements. ‘‘T was not tong before I found that he was engaged in studding the top of the wall with numberless pieces of broken glass, doubtless with a view to prevent such an escape as I was now contemplating. “The question now arose of how I was to pass him on I was afraid that I should be hurled to the round—that an alarm would be raised and that I should SaaS Oe ee ; gro “My anger always rose, however, when my thoughts | bs recaptured. 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