Narrative and Miscellaneous PapersDe Quincey, Thomas
General
Narrative and Miscellaneous Papers
De Quincey, Thomas
English essays; English fiction
to what I said very attentively, and calmly expressed his conviction
that I was perfectly in the wrong; but for the present he submitted.
However, some days after, I found that he had offered a florin for a
little bread and cheese, and then a dollar, and even more. Being again
refused, he complained heavily; but gradually he weaned himself from
asking for it, though at times he betrayed involuntarily how much he
desired it.
On the 13th of October, his usual dinner parties were resumed, and he
was considered convalescent; but it was seldom indeed that he recovered
the tone of tranquil spirits which he had preserved until his late
attack. Hitherto he had always loved to prolong this meal, the only one
he took--or, as he expressed it in classical phrase, 'coenam _ducere_;'
but now it was difficult to hurry it over fast enough for his wishes.
From dinner, which terminated about two o'clock, he went straight to
bed, and at intervals fell into slumbers; from which, however, he was
regularly awoke by phantasmata or terrific dreams. At seven in the
evening came on duly a period of great agitation, which lasted till five
or six in the morning--sometimes later; and he continued through the
night alternately to walk about and lie down, occasionally tranquil,
but more often in great distress. It now became necessary that somebody
should sit up with him, his man-servant being wearied out with the toils
of the day. No person seemed to be so proper for this office as his
sister, both as having long received a very liberal pension from him,
and also as his nearest relative, who would be the best witness to the
fact that her illustrious brother had wanted no comforts or attention
in his last hours, which his situation admitted of. Accordingly she was
applied to, and undertook to watch him alternately with his footman--a
separate table being kept for her, and a very handsome addition made
to her allowance. She turned out to be a quiet gentle-minded woman, who
raised no disturbances amongst the servants, and soon won her brother's
regard by the modest and retiring style of her manners; I may add, also,
by the truly sisterly affection which she displayed towards him to the
last.
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