"We selected (he states) by lot an hour (eleven A.M.) at which
M. Gibert should will, from his dispensary (which is close to
his house), that Madame B. should go to sleep in the Pavilion.
It was agreed that a rather longer time should be allowed for
the process to take effect, as it had been observed that she
sometimes struggled against the influence and averted the
effect for a time by putting her hands in cold water, etc. At
11.25 we entered the Pavilion quietly, and almost at once she
descended from her room to the _salon_, profoundly asleep. We
did not, of course, mention M. Gibert's attempt of the previous
night. But she told us in her sleep that she had been very ill
in the night, and repeatedly exclaimed: 'Pourquoi M. Gibert
m'a-t-il fait souffrir? Mais j'ai lavé les mains
continuellement.' This is what she does when she wishes to
avoid being influenced.
"In the evening (22nd) we all dined at M. Gibert's, and in the
evening M. Gibert made another attempt to put her to sleep at
a distance from his house in the Rue Sery--she being at the
Pavilion, Rue de la Ferme--and to bring her to his house by an
effort of will. At 8.55 he retired to his study; and MM.
Ochorowicz, Marillier, Janet, and A. T. Myers went to the
Pavilion, and waited outside in the street, out of sight of the
house. At 9.22 Dr Myers observed Madame B. coming half way out
of the garden gate, and again retreating. Those who saw her
more closely observed that she was plainly in the
somnambulistic state and was wandering about and muttering. At
9.25 she came out with eyes persistently closed, so far as
could be seen, walked quickly past MM. Janet and Marillier
without noticing them, and made for M. Gibert's house, though
not by the usual or shortest route. (It appeared afterwards
that the bonne had seen her go into the _salon_ at 8.45 and
issue thence asleep at 9.15; had not looked in between those
times.) She avoided lamp-posts, vehicles, etc., but crossed and
recrossed the street repeatedly. No one went in front of her or
spoke to her. After eight or ten minutes she grew more
uncertain in gait, and paused as though she would fall. Dr
Myers noted the moment in the Rue Faure; it was 9.35. At about
9.40 she grew bolder, and at 9.45 reached the street in front
of M. Gibert's house. There she met him, but did not notice
him, and walked into his house, where she rushed hurriedly from
room to room on the ground floor. M. Gibert had to take her
hand before she recognised him. She then grew calm.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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