Page:Sylvester Sound the Somnambulist (1844).djvu/403

the tibe beidg. You shall be safe. You shall sleep with be. I'll fix you. You shall dot, however, kdow exactly how."

"I had better be chained to the bed every night."

"I'll get a pair of haddcuffs id the bordidg, add while you are here, put wud od your wrist add the other od by owd. I'll dot allow you to go prowlidg about at dight id this stupid state of bide. But we'll say doe bore about it dow. Let's go to bed. You lie od that side, add I'll lie od this. If you get away frob be, let be kdow, add I'll believe it."

They then went to bed: and when Tom was quite sure that Sylvester was asleep, he tied the tails of their shirts together, and quietly went to sleep himself.

There are men whom nothing can apparently astonish—who take everything so coolly—hear everything so calmly—see everything wonderful with such seeming apathy—that the most perfect insensibility appears to form one of their chief characteristics. On the heads of these men no phrenologist can find either the organ of marvellousness or that of veneration—activity being essential to the development of both. Nothing appears to be new to them; nothing seems to strike them as being extraordinary; nothing on earth can induce them to manifest wonder. It is true that this stoicism may be very admirable—doubtless, were it not merely apparent it would be an invaluable blessing!—but the question is, do not these "stoics" feel and reflect more deeply than those men whose feelings and thoughts are on the surface ready for immediate expression?

This, however, is a question which need not be learnedly answered here. We can get on with this history very well without it. The object is simply to show that Mr. Wilks—Sylvester's solicitor—was one of these men, and that when Tom—who kept his appointment punctually at ten—had explained to him the substance of all that had occurred, he didn't appear to be in the slightest degree astonished. He viewed it all as a matter of business. He thought it would strengthen the defence. The perilous position, the miraculous escape, and the feelings of horror which Tom had inspired were all set aside. He wanted Tom's evidence: that was the point. He looked at the facts: they were the things. And would Tom swear to them?—that was the question.

"Of course," said he, "you have no objection to appear as a witness?"

"Dode whatever," replied Tom. "I cad have doe objectiod."

"Well, then, we'll take the facts down."