The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 62: what you’re looking at

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

' HE FREEMASON’S DAUGHTER. 53 madhouse spoke, at any other time would have excited the old clerk to a fearful state of passion; in the pre- sent instance it produced the contrary effect : it calmed him; for he learned that, instead of three months, as the maniac, who imagined himself to be the Arch- angel Gabriel informed him, he had only been three days an inmate of the Asylum. “* At least,” he submissively replied, “I am sane now!”’ ‘* That the doctors will decide.” ** When can I see them ?”’ ‘* In a day or too.” ‘“No,” said the old man, “ to-day—to-day! If you have any humanity in your nature. I cannot—will not remain here !” *‘ Won’t you, indeed ?” sarcastically demanded Mr. Crab. “‘T dare not!’ added the clerk; “ if you keep me here another day, I shall indeed go mad. The sight of these pale, wretched beings—their idiot laughter, which sounds like mirth issuing from a tomb—the shrieks which pierce my brain, and render night so terrible! I recollect them all—all now !” ‘He knows when the fit is coming on,” observed the director to a young keeper, who, not having been sufficient time in his service perfectly to understand his system, he deemed it advisable to mystify. ‘‘ Poor fellow! in an hour or two, at most, he will be raving mad. He must be removed,” he added, “ to his cell; nothing like solitude in a case like his.” COniiclooecl SS (SO