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year round when he likes to be most certain that he has got that
clasp…knife safe about him。 He does not mind being alone as long
as he is awake； except on the night before his birthday； when he
firmly believes himself to be in peril of his life。 The birthday
has only come round once since he has been here； and then he sat
up along with the night…porter。 'She's looking for me；' is all he
says when anybody speaks to him about the one anxiety of his
life； 'she's looking for me。' He may be right。 She may be looking
for him。 Who can tell？〃
〃Who can tell？〃 said I。
THE FOURTH DAY。
THE sky once more cloudy and threatening。 No news of George。 I
corrected Morgan's second story to…day； numbered it Seven； and
added it to our stock。
Undeterred by the weather； Miss Jessie set off this morning on
the longest ride she had yet undertaken。 She had heardthrough
one of my brother's laborers； I believeof the actual existence；
in this nineteenth century； of no less a personage than a Welsh
Bard； who was to be found at a distant farmhouse far beyond the
limits of Owen's property。 The prospect of discovering this
remarkable relic of past times hurried her off； under the
guidance of her ragged groom； in a high state of excitement； to
see and hear the venerable man。 She was away the whole day； and
for the first time since her visit she kept us waiting more than
half an hour for dinner。 The moment we all sat down to table； she
informed us； to Morgan's great delight； that the bard was a rank
impostor。
〃Why； what did you expect to see？〃 I asked。
〃A Welsh patriarch； to be sure； with a long white beard； flowing
robes； and a harp to match；〃 answered Miss Jessie。
〃And what did you find？〃
〃A highly…respectable middle…aged rustic； a smiling；
smoothly…shaven； obliging man； dressed in a blue swallow…tailed
coat； with brass buttons； and exhibiting his bardic legs in a
pair of extremely stout。 and comfortable corduroy trousers。〃
〃But he sang old Welsh songs； surely？〃
〃Sang！ I'll tell you what he did。 He sat down on a Windsor chair；
without a harp； he put his hands in his pockets； cleared his
throat； looked up at the ceiling； and suddenly burst into a
series of the shrillest falsetto screeches I ever heard in my
life。 My own private opinion is that he was suffering from
hydrophobia。 I have lost all belief； henceforth and forever； in
bardsall belief in everything； in short； except your very
delightful stories and this remarkably good dinner。
Ending with that smart double fire of compliments to her hosts；
the Queen of Hearts honored us all three with a smile of
approval； and transferred her attention to her knife and fork。
The number drawn to…night was One。 On examination of the Purple
Volume； it proved to be my turn to read again。
〃Our story to…night；〃 I said； 〃contains the narrative of a very
remarkable adventure which really befell me when I was a young
man。 At the time of my life when these events happened I was
dabbling in literature when I ought to have been studying law；
and traveling on the Continent when I ought to have been keeping
my terms at Lincoln's Inn。 At the outset of the story； you will
find that I refer to the county in which I lived in my youth； and
to a neighboring family possessing a large estate in it。 That
county is situated in a part of England far away from The Glen
Tower； and that family is therefore not to be associated with any
present or former neighbors of ours in this part of the world。〃
After saying these necessary words of explanation； I opened the
first page； and began the story of my Own Adventure。 I observed
that my audience started a little as I read the title； which I
must add； in my own defense； had been almost forced on my choice
by the peculiar character of the narrative。 It was 〃MAD MONKTON。〃
BROTHER GRIFFITH'S STORY
of
MAD MONKTON
CHAPTER I。
THE Monktons of Wincot Abbey bore a sad character for want of
sociability in our county。 They never went to other people's
houses； and； excepting my father； and a lady and her daughter
living near them； never received anybody under their own roof。
Proud as they all certainly were； it was not pride； but dread；
which kept them thus apart from their neighbors。 The family had
suffered for generations past from the horrible affliction of
hereditary insanity； and the members of it shrank from exposing
their calamity to others； as they must have exposed it if they
had mingled with the busy little world around them。 There is a
frightful story of a crime committed in past times by two of the
Monktons； near relatives； from which the first appearance of the
insanity was always supposed to date； but it is needless for me
to shock any one by repeating it。 It is enough to say that at
intervals almost every form of madness appeared in the family；
monomania being the most frequent manifestation of the affliction
among them。 I have these particulars； and one or two yet to be
related； from my father。
At the period of my youth but three of the Monktons were left at
the AbbeyMr。 and Mrs。 Monkton and their only child Alfred； heir
to the prope rty。 The one other member of this； the elder branch
of the family； who was then alive； was Mr。 Monkton's younger
brother； Stephen。 He was an unmarried man； possessing a fine
estate in Scotland； but he lived almost entirely on the
Continent； and bore the reputation of being a shameless
profligate。 The family at Wincot held almost as little
communication with him as with their neighbors。
I have already mentioned my father； and a lady and her daughter；
as the only privileged people who were admitted into Wincot
Abbey。
My father had been an old school and college friend of Mr。
Monkton； and accident had brought them so much together in later
life that their continued intimacy at Wincot was quite
intelligible。 I am not so well able to account for the friendly
terms on which Mrs。 Elmslie （the lady to whom I have alluded）
lived with the Monktons。 Her late husband had been distantly
related to Mrs。 Monkton； and my father was her daughter's
guardian。 But even these claims to friendship and regard never
seemed to me strong enough to explain the intimacy between Mrs。
Elmslie and the inhabitants of the Abbey。 Intimate； however； they
certainly were； and one result of the constant interchange of
visits between the two families in due time declared itself： Mr。
Monkton's son and Mrs。 Elmslie's daughter became attached to each
other。
I had no opportunities of seeing much of the young lady； I only
remember her at that time as a delicate； gentle； lovable girl；
the very opposite in appearance； and apparently in character
also； to Alfred Monkton。 But perhaps that was one reason why they
fell in love with each other。 The attachment was soon discovered；
and was far from being disapproved by the parents on either side。
In all essential points except that of wealth； the Elmslies were
nearly the equals of the Monktons； and want of money in a bride
was of no consequence to the heir of Wincot。 Alfred； it was well
known； would succeed to thirty thousand a year on his father's
death。
Thus； though the parents on both sides tho