The Argosy — page 281: what you’re looking at

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

250 Mrs. Raven’s Temptation. domicile ; which, despite its old tragedy and its living skeleton, seemed to him the brightest home in the world. But what had not entered into Frank’s mind to conceive, was the length of time for which he would be left to indulge in all these speculations, without coming any nearer to their settlement. Leonard’s partial recovery was of the very slowest. Consciousness came back after some days: he slept, took nourishment, spoke a few words, making clear that he knew where he was and by whom surrounded, and then he relapsed into slumber. There seemed no doubt that the brain had somewhat given way. Very gently, but very persistently, did the medical men warn mother and brother not to build hopes that the head of the family would ever be restored to them in any complete and joyful sense. “The mystery of that last hour is so dreadful,” said Mrs Raven, one day, sitting before the doctor with clasped hands. “You must not think of it in that light,” answered Dr. Wragge, kindly. “I do not believe there was any horror at all, except your son’s own fit ; and, remember, if the very slight excitement he had under- gone sufficed to bring it on, then something else would surely have done so on some other and speedy occasion.” ‘Do you think that a tendency to delusions runs in families P” she asked, with strange abruptness. The doctor stole a side-long glance at Frank, as he answered : ‘There is always that probability. But there areso many elements at work in all these cases, that it is impossible to foresee their particular issue. Nobody in the world can be more unlike than some members of the same families. ‘That 1s because they chance to derive their constitution and temperament—their very nature, as it were, from different sides of the house. or instance, madam, your own two sons are singularly unlike.” Frank’s heart gave a great thump. MHe looked at his mother. ‘Frank 1s not much like me, indeed,” she said. ‘‘ And Leonard is my very image. Then, Doctor Wragge,” she added, “‘ you infer that Leonard must have derived his infliction from me ? ” “A delicate constitution manifests itself in divers ways in in- dividuals,” answered the doctor, diplomatically. ‘‘ Have you ever heard of any distant relative who was afflicted in this manner?” “No,” she said, with a slight hesitancy. ‘‘ Would it be possible to be subject to a visual delusion without knowing it P—to see some- thing again and again, and go on believing it to be a reality?” “In that case, you see, one would get disabused by the conduct of other people,” answered the doctor. At that moment the nurse came in, and summoned Frank away by a message from the sick-room. ‘‘ T saw something three times,” said the lady, speaking to the doctor slowly, as if weighing the significance of every word she uttered. “I saw something three times, which I believed each time to be real. I EOLMICLOOLKS, (eC)