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d like an Article； a Quarterly one； and so gained two advantages： 1st； he rarely irritated a fellow…creature； for if he began a sentence hot； what with its length； and what with its windiness； he ended it cool： item； stabs by polysyllables are pricks by sponges。 2ndly； this foible earned him the admiration of fools； and that is as invaluable as they are innumerable。
Yet was there in the mother…tongue he despised one gem of a word he vastly admired： like most Quarterly writers。 That charming word； the pet of the polysyllabic； was 〃OF。〃
He opened the matter in a subdued and sympathising tone well calculated to win a loving father； such as Richard Hardiewas not。
〃My good friend here informs me； sir； you are so fortunate as to possess a son of distinguished abilities； and who is at present labouring under some of those precursory indications of incipient disease of the cerebro…psychical organs； of which I have been； I may say； somewhat successful in diagnosing the symptoms。 Unless I have been misinformed； he has； for a considerable time； experienced persistent headache of a kephalalgic or true cerebral type； and has now advanced to the succeeding stage of taciturnity and depression； not* unaccompanied with isolation； and probably constipation： but as yet without hallucination； though possibly； and； as my experience of the great majority of these cases would induce me to say； probably he is not** undisturbed by one or more of those latent； and； at first； trifling aberrations； either of the intelligence or the senses； which in their preliminary stages escape the observation of all but the expert nosologist。〃
*Anglice； 〃accompanied。〃 **Anglice； 〃disturbed。〃
〃There； you see；〃 said Osmond； 〃Dr。 Wycherley agrees with me： yet I assure you I have only detailed the symptoms； and not the conclusion I had formed from them。〃
Jane inquired timidly what that conclusion was。
〃Miss Hardie； we think it one of those obscure tendencies which are very curable if taken in time〃 Dr。 Wycherley ended the sentence： 〃But no longer remediable if the fleeting opportunity is allowed to escape； and diseased action to pass into diseased organisation。〃
Jane looked awestruck at their solemnity； but Mr。 Hardie； who was taking advice against the grain； turned satirical。 〃Gentleman；〃 said he； 〃be pleased to begin by moderating your own obscurity； and then perhaps I shall see better how to cure my son's disorder。 What the deuce are you driving at？〃
The two doctors looked at one another inquiringly； and so settled how to proceed。 Dr。 Wycherley explained to Mr。 Hardie that there was a sort of general unreasonable and superstitious feeling abroad； a kind of terror of the complaint with which his son was threatened； _〃and which；_ instead of the most remediable of disorders； is looked at as the most incurable of maladies：〃 it was on this account he had learned to approach the subject with singular caution； and even with a timidity which was kinder in appearance than in reality； that he must admit。
〃Well； you may speak out； as far as I am concerned；〃 said Mr。 Hardie； with consummate indifference。
〃Oh； yes！〃 said Jane； in a fever of anxiety； 〃pray conceal nothing from us。〃
〃Well； then； sir； I have not as yet had the advantage of examining your son personally； but； from the diagnostics； I have no doubt whatever he is labouring under the first fore…shadowings of cerebro…psychical perturbation。 To speak plainly； the symptoms are characteristic of the initiatory stage of the germination of a morbid state of the phenomena of intelligence。
His unprofessional hearers only stared。
〃In one word； then；〃 said Dr。 Wycherley； waxing impatient at their abominable obtuseness； 〃it is the premonitory stage of the precursory condition of an organic affection of the brain。〃
〃Oh！〃 said Mr。 Hardie； 〃the brain！* I see； the boy is going mad。〃
* What a blessing there are a few English words left in all our dialects。
The doctors stared in their turn at the prodigious coolness of a tender parent。 〃Not exactly；〃 said Dr。 Wycherley； 〃I am habitually averse to exaggeration of symptoms。 Your son's suggest to me 'the Incubation of Insanity；' nothing more。〃
Jane uttered an exclamation of horror； the doctor soothed her with an assurance that there was no cause for alarm。 〃Incipient aberration〃 was of easy cure： the mischief lay in delay。 〃Miss Hardie；〃 said he paternally； 〃during a long and busy professional career； it has been my painful province to witness the deplorable consequences of the non…recognition； by friends and relatives； of the precedent symptoms of those organic affections of the brain； the relief of which was within the reach of well…known therapeutic agents if exhibited seasonably。〃
He went on to deplore the blind prejudice of unprofessional persons； who choose to fancy that other diseases creep； but Insanity pounces； on a man； which he expressed thus neatly： 〃that other deviations from organic conditions of health are the subject of clearly defined though delicate gradations； but that the worst and most climacteric forms of cerebro…psychical disorder are suddenly developed affections presenting no evidence of any antecedent cephalic organic change； and unaccompanied by a premonitory stage； or by incipient symptoms。〃
This chimera he proceeded to confute by experience： he had repeatedly been called in to cases of mania described as sudden； and almost invariably found the patient had been cranky for years； which he condensed thus： 〃His conduct and behaviour for many years previously to any symptom of mental aberration being noticed； had been characterised by actions quite irreconcilable with the supposition of the existence of perfect sanity of intellect。〃
He instanced a parson； whom he had lately attended； and found him as constipated and as convinced he was John the Baptist engaged to the Princess Mary as could be。 〃But；〃 continued the learned doctor； 〃upon investigation of this afflicted ecclesiastic's antecedent history； I discovered that； for years before this； he had exhibited conduct incompatible with the hypothesis of a mind whose equilibrium had been undisturbed。 He had caused a number of valuable trees to be cut down on his estate； without being able to offer a sane justification for such an outrageous proceeding； and had actually disposed of a quantity of his patrimonial acres； _'and which'_ clearly he never would have parted with had he been in anything resembling a condition of sanity。〃
〃Did he sell the land and timber below the market price？〃 inquired Mr。 Hardie； perking up； and exhibiting his first symptoms of interest in the discussion。
〃On that head； sir； my informant； his heir…at…law； gave me no information： nor did I enter into that class of detail。 You naturally look at morbid phenomena in a commercial spirit； but we regard them medicallyand all this time most assiduously visiting the sick of his parish and preaching admirable serious。
The next instance he gave was of a stockbroker suffering under general paralysis and a rooted idea that all the _specie_ in the Bank of England was his； and ministers in league with foreign governments to keep him out of it。 〃Him；〃 said the doctor； 〃I discovered to have be