demeanor that he was English, they gave him a ticket for the
furthest station on the way thither that the train reached.
"Be assured that he is well cared for. He has won all hearts by
his sweetness and gentleness. He is truly getting on well, and I
have no doubt will in a few weeks be all himself. But be careful of
him for safety's sake. There are, I pray God and St. Joseph and
Ste.Mary, many, many, happy years for you both."
DR. SEWARD'S DIARY
19 Agust.—Strange and sudden change in Renfield last night.
About eight o'clock he began to get excited and sniff about as a
dog does when setting. The attendant was struck by his manner, and
knowing my interest in him, encouraged him to talk. He is usually
respectful to the attendant and at times servile, but tonight, the
man tells me, he was quite haughty. Would not condescend to talk
with him at all.
All he would say was, "I don't want to talk to you. You don't
count now. The master is at hand."
The attendant thinks it is some sudden form of religious mania
which has seized him. If so, we must look out for squalls, for a
strong man with homicidal and religious mania at once might be
dangerous. The combination is a dreadful one.
At Nine o'clock I visited him myself. His attitude to me was the
same as that to the attendant. In his sublime selffeeling the
difference between myself and the attendant seemed to him as
nothing. It looks like religious mania, and he will soon think that
he himself is God.
These infinitesimal distinctions between man and man are too
paltry for an Omnipotent Being. How these madmen give themselves
away! The real God taketh heed lest a sparrow fall. But the God
created from human vanity sees no difference between an eagle and a
sparrow. Oh, if men only knew!
For half an hour or more Renfield kept getting excited in
greater and greater degree. I did not pretend to be watching him,
but I kept strict observation all the same. All at once that shifty
look came into his eyes which we always see when a madman haslook came into his eyes which we always see when a madman has
seized an idea, and with it the shifty movement of the head and
back which asylum attendants come to know so well. He became quite
quiet, and went and sat on the edge of his bed resignedly, and
looked into space with lack-luster eyes.
I thought I would find out if his apathy were real or only
assumed, and tried to lead him to talk of his pets, a theme which
had never failed to excite his attention.
At first he made no reply, but at length said testily, "Bother
them all! I don't care a pin about them."
"What" I said. "You don't mean to tell me you don't care about
spiders?" (Spiders at present are his hobby and the notebook is
filling up with columns of small figures.)
To this he answered enigmatically, "The Bride maidens rejoice
the eyes that wait the coming of the bride. But when the bride
draweth nigh, then the maidens shine not to the eyes that are
filled."
He would not explain himself, but remained obstinately seated on
his bed all the time I remained with him.
I am weary tonight and low in spirits. I cannot but think of
Lucy, and how different things might have been. If I don't sleep at
once, chloral, the modern Morpheus! I must be careful not to let it
grow into a habit. No, I shall take none tonight! I have thought of
Lucy, and I shall not dishonour her by mixing the two. If need by,
tonight shall be sleepless.
Later.—Glad I made the resolution, gladder that I kept to it. I
had lain tossing about, and had heard the clock strike only twice,
when the night watchman came to me, sent up from the ward, to say
that Renfield had escaped. I threw on my clothes and ran down at
once. My patient is too dangerous a person to be roaming about.
Those ideas of his might work out dangerously with strangers.
The attendant was waiting for me. He said he had seen him not
ten minutes before, seemingly asleep in his bed, when he had looked
through the observation trap in the door. His attention was calledthrough the observation trap in the door. His attention was called
by the sound of the window being wrenched out. He ran back and saw
his feet disappear through the window, and had at once sent up for
me. He was only in his night gear, and cannot be far off.
The attendant thought it would be more useful to watch where he
should go than to follow him, as he might lose sight of him whilst
getting out of the building by the door. He is a bulky man, and
couldn't get through the window.
I am thin, so, with his aid, I got out, but feet foremost, and
as we were only a few feet above ground landed unhurt.
The attendant told me the patient had gone to the left, and had
taken a straight line, so I ran as quickly as I could. As I got
through the belt of trees I saw a white figure scale the high wall
which separates our grounds from those of the deserted house.
I ran back at once, told the watchman to get three or four men
immediately and follow me into the grounds of Carfax, in case our
friend might be dangerous. I got a ladder myself, and crossing the
wall, dropped down on the other side. I could see Renfield's figure
just disappearing behind the angle of the house, so I ran after
him. On the far side of the house I found him pressed close against
the old ironbound oak door of the chapel.
He was talking, apparently to some one, but I was afraid to go
near enough to hear what he was saying, les t I might frighten him,
and he should run off.
Chasing an errant swarm of bees is nothing to following a naked
lunatic, when the fit of escaping is upon him! After a few minutes,
however, I could see that he did not take note of anything around
him, and so ventured to draw nearer to him, the more so as my men
had now crossed the wall and were closing him in. I heard him
say …
"I am here to do your bidding, Master. I am your slave, and you
will reward me, for I shall be faithful. I have worshipped you long
and afar off. Now that you are near, I await your commands, and youand afar off. Now that you are near, I await your commands, and you
will not pass me by, will you, dear Master, in your distribution of
good things?"
He is a selfish old beggar anyhow. He thinks of the loaves and
fishes even when he believes his is in a real Presence. His manias
make a startling combination. When we closed in on him he fought
like a tiger. He is immensely strong, for he was more like a wild
beast than a man.
I never saw a lunatic in such a paroxysm of rage before, and I
hope I shall not again. It is a mercy that we have found out his
strength and his danger in good time. With strength and
determination like his, he might have done wild work before he was
caged.
He is safe now, at any rate. Jack Sheppard himself couldn't get
free from the strait waistcoat that keeps him restrained, and he's
chained to the wall in the padded room.
His cries are at times awful, but the silences that follow are
more deadly still, for he means murder in every turn and
movement.
Just now he spoke coherent words for the first time. "I shall be
patient, Master. It is coming, coming, coming!"
So I took the hint, and came too. I was too excited to sleep,
but this diary has quieted me, and I feel I shall get some sleep
tonight.