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the　maniacs　only　one　held　out；　and　said　contemptuously　he　couldn't　see　it。

〃Well；〃　said　Alfred；　〃lay　a　finger　on　him　after　this；　and　I'll　lay　a　hand　on　you；　and　aid　your　intellectual　vision。〃

Rooke　and　Hayes　treated　remonstrance　with　open　and　galling　contempt。　Yet　the　tide　of　opinion　changed　so；　they　did　not　care　to　defy　it　openly：　but　they　bullied　poor　Beverley　now　and　then　on　the　sly；　and　he　never　told。　He　was　too　inoffensive　for　this　world。　But　one　day；　as　Alfred　was　sitting　with　his　door　ajar；　writing　a　letter　of　earnest　expostulation　to　the　Commissioners；　who　had　left　his　first　unanswered；　he　heard　Hayes　at　the　head　of　the　stairs　call　roughly；　〃Frank！　Frank！〃

〃Sir；〃　replied　the　soft　little　voice　of　young　Beverley。

〃Come；　be　quick；　young　shaver。〃

〃I'm　coming；　sir；〃　and　up　ran　Beverley。

〃Here；　take　this　tray　downstairs。〃

〃Yes；　sir。〃

〃Stop；　there's　a　bit　of　bread　for　you。〃　And　Hayes　chucked　him　a　crust；　as　one　throws　it　to　another　man's　dog。

〃Thank　you；　sir；〃　said　Mr。　Beverley；　stooping　down　for　it；　and　being　habitually　as　hungry　as　a　ratcatcher's　tyke；　took　an　eager　bite　in　that　position。

〃How　dare　you　eat　it　there；〃　said　Hayes　brutally：　〃take　it　to　your　own　crib：　come；　mizzle。〃　And　with　that　lent　him　a　contemptuous　kick　behind；　which　owing　to　his　position　sent　him　off　his　balance　flat　on　the　tray；　a　glass　broke　under　him。　Poor　young　Mr。　Beverley　uttered　a　cry　of　dismay；　for　he　knew　Hayes　would　not　own　himself　the　cause。　Hayes　cursed　him　for　an　awkward　idiot；　and　the　oath　went　off　into　a　howl；　for　Alfred　ran　out　at　him　brimful　of　Moses；　and　with　a　savage　kick　in　the　back　and　blow　on　the　neck；　administered　simultaneously；　hurled　him　head　foremost　down　the　stairs。　Alighting　on　the　seventh　step；　he　turned　a　somersault；　and　bounded　like　a　ball　on　to　the　landing　below；　and　there　lay　stupefied。　He　picked　himself　up　by　slow　degrees；　and　glared　round　with　speechless　awe　and　amazement　up　at　the　human　thunderbolt　that　had　shot　out　on　him　and　sent　him　flying　like　a　feather。　He　shook　his　fist；　and　limped　silently　away　all　bruises　and　curses；　to　tell　Rooke　and　concert　vengeance。　Alfred；　trembling　still　with　ire；　took　Beverley　to　his　room　（the　boy　was　as　white　as　a　sheet）；　and　encouraged　him；　and　made　him　wash　properly；　brushed　his　hair；　dressed　him　in　a　decent　tweed　suit　he　had　outgrown；　and　taking　him　under　his　arm；　and　walking　with　his　own　nose　haughtily　in　the　air；　paraded　him　up　and　down　the　asylum；　to　show　them　all　the　best　man　in　the　house　respected　the　poor　soft　gentleman。　Ah；　what　a　grand　thing　it　is　to　be　young！　Beverley　clung　to　his　protector　too　much　like　a　girl；　but　walked　gracefully　and　kept　step；　and　every　now　and　then　looked　up　at　Alfred　with　a　loving　adoration；　that　was　sweet；　yet　sad　to　see。　Alfred　marched　him　to　Mrs。　Archbold；　and　told　his　tale；　for　he　knew　Hayes　would　misrepresent　it；　and　get　him　into　trouble。　She　smiled　on　the　pair；　gently　deplored　her　favourite's　impetuosity；　entreated　him　not　to　go　fighting　with　that　great　monster　Rooke；　and　charmed　him　by　saying；　〃Well；　and　Frank　_is_　a　gentleman；　when　he　is　dressed　like　one。〃

〃Isn't　he？〃　said　Alfred　eagerly。　〃And　whose　fault　is　it　he　is　not　always　dressed　like　one？　Whose　fault　that　here's　an　earl's　nephew；　'Boots　in　Hell'？〃

〃Not　yours；　Alfred；　nor　mine；〃　was　the　honeyed　reply。

In　vain　did　Mr。　Hayes　prefer　his　complaint　to　Dr。　Wolf。　The　Archbold　had　been　before　him；　and　the　answer　was；　〃Served　you　right。〃

These　and　many　other　good　deeds　did　Alfred　Hardie　in　Drayton　House。　But；　as　the　days　rolled　on；　and　no　answer　came　from　the　Commissioners；　his　own　anxiety；　grief；　and　dismay　left　him　less　and　less　able　to　sympathise　with　the　material　but　smaller　wrongs　around　him。　He　became　silent；　dejected。

At　last　he　came　to　Mrs。　Archbold；　and　said　sternly　his　letters　to　the　Commissioners　were　intercepted。

〃I　can't　believe　that；〃　said　she。　〃It　is　against　the　law。〃

So　it　was：　but　law　and　custom　are　two。

〃I　am　sure　of　it；〃　said　he；　〃and　may　the　eternal　curse　of　Heaven　light　on　the　cowardly　traitor　and　miscreant　who　has　done　it。〃　And　he　stalked　gloomily　away。

When　he　left　her；　she　sighed　at　this　imprecation　from　his　lips；　but　did　not　repent。　〃I　_can't_　part　with　him；〃　she　said　despairingly；　〃and　if　I　did　not　stop　his　poor　dear　letters；　Wolf　would：〃　and　the　amorous　crocodile　shed　a　tear；　and　persisted　in　her　double…faced　course。

By…and…by；　when　she　saw　him　getting　thinner　and　paler；　and　his　bright　face　downcast　and　inexpressibly　sad；　she　shared　his　misery：　ay；　shed　scalding　tears　for　him：　yet　could　not　give　him　up；　for　her　will　was　as　strong　as　the　rest　of　her　was　supple；　and　hers　was　hot　love；　but　not　true　love　like　Julia's。

Perhaps　a　very　subtle　observer；　seeing　this　man　and　woman　wax　pale　and　spiritless　together　in　one　house；　might　have　divined　her　secret。　Dr。　Wolf；　then；　was　no　such　observer；　for　she　made　him　believe　she　had　a　rising　_penchant_　for　him。　He　really　had　a　strong　one　for　her。

While　Alfred's　visible　misery　pulled　at　her　heart…strings；　and　sometimes　irritated；　sometimes　melted　her；　came　curious　complications；　one　of　which　requires　preface。

Mrs。　Dodd　then　was　not　the　wife　to　trust　blindly　where　her　poor　husband　was　concerned。　She　bribed　so　well　that　a　keeperess　in　David's　first　asylum　told　her　David　had　been　harshly　used　by　an　attendant。　She　instantly　got　Eve　Dodd　to　take　him　away：　and　transfer　him　to　a　small　asylum　nearer　London；　and　kept　by　a　Mrs。　Ellis。　〃Women　are　not　cruel　to　men；〃　said　the　sagacious　Lucy　Dodd。

But；　alas！　if　women　are　not　cruel　where　sex　comes　in　and　mimics　that　wider　sentiment；　Humanity；　women　are　deadly　economical。　Largely　gifted　with　that　household　virtue；　Mrs。　Ellis　kept　too　few　servants；　and；　sure　consequence　in　a　madhouse；　too　many　straitjackets；　hobbles；　muffs；　leg…locks；　bodybelts；　&c。　&c。　Hence　half　her　patients　were　frequently　kept　out　of　harm's　way　by　cruel　restraints　administered；　not　out　of　hearty　cruelty；　but　female　parsimony。　Mrs。　and　Miss　Dodd　invaded　the　house　one　day　when　the　fair　economist　was　out；　and　found　seven　patients　out　of　the　twelve　kept　out　of　mischief　thus：　one　in　a　restraint　chair；　two　hobbled　like　asses；　two　chained　like　dogs；　and　two　in　straight…waistcoats；　and　fastened　to　beds　by　webbing　and　straps；　amongst　the　latter；　David；　though　quiet　as　a　lamb。

Mrs。　Dodd　cried　over　him　as　if　her　heart　would　break；　and　made　Miss　Dodd　shift　him　to　a　large　asylum；　where　I　believe　he　was　very　well　used。　But　here　those　dreadful　newspapers　interfered；　a　prying　into　sweet　secluded　spots。　They　diversified　Mrs。　Dodd's　breakfast　by　informing　her　that　the　doctor　of　this　asylum　had　just　killed　a　patient；　the　mode　of　execution　bloodless　and　sure；　as　became　fair　science。　It　was　a　man　between　sixty　and　seventy；　an　age　at　which　the　heart　can　seldom　stand　very　much　shocking；　or　lowering；　especially　where　the　brain　is　diseased。　So　they　placed　him　in　a　shower…bath；　narrow　enough　to　impede　respiration；　without　the　falling　water；　which　of　necessity　drives　out　air。　In　short　a　vertical　box　with　holes　all　round　the　top。

Here　the　doctor　ordered　him　a　cold　shower…bath　of　unparalleled　duration：　half　an　hour。　To　be　followed　by　an　unprecedented　dose　of　tartar　emetic。　This　double…barrelled　order　given；　the　doctor　went　away。　（Formula。）

The　water　was　down　to　forty…five　degrees　Fahrenheit。　Half　an　hour's　shower…bath　at　that　temperature　in　a　roomy　bath　would　kill　the　youngest　and　strongest　man　in　her　Majesty's　dominions。

For　eight…and…twenty　mortal　minutes　the　poor　old　man　stood　in　this　vertical　coffin　under　this　cold　cascade。　Six　hundred　gallons　of　icy　water　were　in　that　his　last　hour；　his　last　half…hour；　discharged　upon　his　devoted　head　and　doomed　body。

He　had　to　be　helped　away　from　this　death…torrent　he　had　walked　into　in　high　spirits；　poor　soul。

Even　this　change　awakened　no　misgivings；　no　remorse；　though　you　or　I；　or　any　man　or　woman　picked　at　hazard　out　of　the　streets；　would　at　once　have　seen　that　he　was　dying；　he　was　duly　dozed　by　the　fire　with　four　spoonfuls　of　antimonial　tincture_to　mak'　sicker。_　But　even　the　〃Destructive　Art　of　Healing〃　cannot　slay　the　slain。　The　old　man　cheated　the　emetic；　for；　before　it　could　hurt　him；　he　died　of　the　bath；　And　his　body　told　its　own　sad　tale；　to　use　the　words　of　a　medical　eye…witness；　it　was　〃A　PIECE　OF　ALABASTER。〃　The　death…torrent　had　driven　the　whole　circulation　from　the　surface。*

*　This　mode　of　execution　is　well　known　in　the　United　States。　They　settle　refractory　prisoners　with　it　periodically。　But　half　an　hour　is　not　needed；　twenty　minutes　will　do　the　trick。　_〃Harper's　Weekly；_〃　a　year　or　two　ago；　contained　an　admirable　woodcut　of　a　negro's　execution　by　water。　In　this　remarkable　picture　you　see　the　poor　darkie　seated　powerless；　howling　and　panting　his　life　away　under　the　deadly　cascade；　and　there　stands　the　stolid　turnkey；　erect；　formal；　stiff　as　a　ramrod；　pulling　the　deadly　string　with　a　sort　of　drill　exercise　air；　and　no　more　compunction　nor　reflection　than　if　he　himself　was　a　machine　constructed　to　pull　strings　or　triggers　on　his　own　string　being　pulled　by　butcher　or　fool。　A　picture　well　studied；　and　so　worth　study。

Mrs。　Dodd　was　terrified；　and　in　spite　of　Sampson's　assurance　that　this　was　the　asylum　of　all　others　they　would　not　settle　another　patient　in　until　the　matter　should　have　blown　over；　got　Eve　Dodd　to　write　to　Dr。　Wolf；　and　offer　L。　300　a　year　if　he　would　take　David　at　once；　and　treat　him　with　especial　consideration。

He　showed　this　letter　triumphantly　to　Mrs。　Archbold；　and　she；　blinded　for　a　moment　by　feeling；　dissuaded　him　from　receiving　Captain　Dodd。　He　stared　at　her。　〃What；　turn　away　a　couple　of　thousand　pounds？〃

〃But　they　will　come　to　visit　him；　and　perhaps　see　him。〃

〃Oh；　that　can　be　managed。　You　must　be　on　your　guard：　and　I'll　warn　Rooke。　I　can't　turn　away　money　on　a　chance。〃

One　day　Alfred　found　himself　locked　into　his　room。　This　was　unusual：　for；　though　they　called　him　a　lunatic　in　words；　they　called　him　sane　by　all　their　acts。　He　half　suspected　that　the　Commissioners　were　in　the　house。

Had　he　known　who　really　was　in　the　house；　he　would　have　beaten　himself　to　pieces　against　the　door。

At　dinner　there　was　a　new　patient；　very　mild　and　silent；　with　a　beautiful　large　brown　eye；　like　some　gentle　animal's