"Alas! dear Mr Leonard," said the Doctor, "one is indeed subject to strange attacks and varieties of mind, which we might yet easily resist, if we were but pure in heart, and quiet in conscience." "Who is there," said I vehemently, "on this earthly sphere, that may boast of being so?"--The physician suddenly changed his looks and tone. Mildly and seriously he said--"Mr Leonard, you appear to me to be really and truly sick: your looks are pale and disordered--your eyes are sunk, and gleam with a strange kind of fire--your pulse, too, is feverish, and your voice sounds strangely.--Shall I prescribe something for you?" "Poison!" answered I, in a kind of hollow whisper.--"Ho, ho," said the physician, "does it stand thus with you?--Nay, nay, instead of poison, rather the tranquillizing and sedative remedy of pleasant society, and moderate dissipation. It may, however, be, that"--(hesitating)--"It is wonderful indeed, but----" "I must beg of you, sir," said I, now quite angry, "not to torment me in that manner by your broken hints, but at once to speak out." "Hold!" answered the Doctor. "Not so fast, Mr Leonard--yonder comes the Princess--there are in this world the strangest delusions, and for my part, I feel almost a conviction that people have here built up an hypothesis which a few minutes' explanation will dissolve into nothing. Yonder, as I said, comes the Princess with Aurelia.--Do you make use of this accidental rencontre. Offer your own excuses for your behaviour. Properly, indeed, your only crime is, that you have laughed--in an extraordinary tone it is true, and rather inopportunely. But who can help it, if people with weak nerves have on that occasion chosen to be so absurdly terrified?--Adieu!" The physician started away with that vivacity which to him was peculiar.--The Princess and Aurelia were coming down the walk to meet me. I trembled; but with my whole strength laboured to regain composure, for after the mysterious discourse of the physician, I felt that it was my duty on the instant to defend my character. Resolutely, therefore, I went forward to meet them; but no sooner had Aurelia fixed her eyes upon me than she became deadly pale, and to my utter astonishment, with a suppressed scream, she fell down in a fainting fit, to the ground. I wished to assist her, but with looks of aversion and horror, the Princess then motioned me away, at the same time calling loudly for help! CHAPTER II.