It may be said that the man who had gone through this, and could describe it, would find it easy enough to depict other sufferings of the same kind, though in later or less violent stages. It is certain, however, that for such a one to acquire the habit of touching was easy. He says himself, that after the night with the author who had this habit and who feared ideas more than thunder and lightning, he himself touched things and wondered if "the long-forgotten influence" had returned. Mr. Walling says that "he has been informed" that Borrow "suffered in his youth from the touching mania," and like many other readers probably, I had concluded the same. But Mr. Watts-Dunton had already told us that "in walking through Richmond Park," when an old man, Borrow "would step out of his way constantly to touch a tree and was offended if observed." The old man diverting himself with Chinese inscriptions on teapots would be an easy invention for Borrow; he may not have done this very thing, but he had done similar things. Here again, Mr. Walling says that "he has been told" the incident was drawn from Borrow's own experience. As to Peter Williams and the sin against the Holy Ghost, Borrow hinted to him that his case was not exceptional: "'Dost thou then imagine,' said Peter, 'the sin against the Holy Ghost to be so common an occurrence?' "'As you have described it,' said I, 'of very common occurrence, especially amongst children, who are, indeed, the only beings likely to commit it.' "'Truly,' said Winifred, 'the young man talks wisely.' "Peter was silent for some moments, and appeared to be reflecting; at last, suddenly raising his head, he looked me full in the face, and, grasping my hand with vehemence, he said, 'Tell me, young man, only one thing, hast thou, too, committed the sin against the Holy Ghost?' "'I am neither Papist nor Methodist,' said I, 'but of the Church, and, being so, confess myself to no one, but keep my own counsel; I will tell thee, however, had I committed at the same age, twenty such sins as that which you committed, I should feel no uneasiness at these years--but I am sleepy, and must go to rest.'" This is due to probably something more than a desire to make himself and his past impressive. The man's story in several places reminds me of Borrow, where, for instance, after he has realised his unpardonable sin, he runs wild through Wales, "climbing mountains and wading streams, burnt by the sun, drenched by the rain," so that for three years he hardly knew what befel him, living with robbers and Gypsies, and once about to fling himself into the sea from a lofty rock.