He checked himself, and gazed piteously at the man to whom he had come for help. "Be cool, boy. Supposing it is as you say, it is only a trifle, perhaps; but it seems to me that there is a great deal of imagination in it." "Oh no--oh no! I fear I am going, slowly but surely, out of my mind." "Because you forget things after a certain time, eh? Stuff! Don't be foolish. Why, you never used to think that your brain was going wrong when you were a schoolboy, and every word of the lesson that you knew perfectly and said _verbatim_ to a schoolfellow dropped out of your mind." "No." "Of course you did not; and as to going mad, why, my dear boy, have you any idea what a lunatic is?" "I cannot say that I have." "Well, then, you shall have," said the doctor; "and that will do you more good than all my talking. You shall see for yourself what a diseased mind really is, and that will strengthen you mentally, and show you how ill-advised are your fancies." "But, doctor, I should not like to be a witness of the sufferings of others." "Nonsense, my boy. There, pray don't imagine, because I live at Highgate, and am licenced to have so many insane patients under my care, that you are going to see horrible creatures dressed in straw and grovelling in cells. My dear John, I am going to ask you to a mad dinner-party." "A mad dinner-party?" "Well, there, to come and dine with my sister, myself, and our patients. No people hung in chains or straw. Perfectly quiet gentlemen, my dear fellow, but each troubled with a craze. You would not know that they had anything wrong if they did not break out now and then upon the particular subject. Come to-night at seven sharp." The doctor glanced at his watch, rose, and held out his hand; and though John Huish hesitated, the doctor's eyes seemed to force him to say that he would be there, and he began to feel for his purse. "Look here, sir," said the doctor, stopping him: "if you are feeling for fees, don't insult your father's old friend by trying to offer him one. There, till seven--say half-past six--and I'll give you a glass of burgundy, my boy, that shall make you forget all these imaginations." "Thank you, doctor--" "Not another word, sir, but _au revoir_." "_Au revoir_," said Huish; and he was shown out, to go back to his chambers thinking about his ailment--and Gertrude, while the doctor began to muse. "Strange that I should take so much interest in that boy. Heigho! Some years now since I went fly-fishing, and fished his father out of the pit." Volume 1, Chapter VI. AUNT PHILIPPA ON MATRIMONY. "Will you speak, Isabella, or shall I?" "If you please, Philippa, will you?" said her sister with frigid politeness. The Honourable Miss Dymcox motioned to her nieces to seat themselves, and they sat down. Then there was a sharp premonitory "Hem!" and a long pause, during which the thoughts of the young ladies went astray.