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I hardly feel its presence at all except on rare occasions。
Besides； I have here in this little packet of letters the
medicine for every m alady of the sick heart。 They are Ada's
letters； I read them to calm me whenever my misfortune seems to
get the better of my endurance。 I wanted that half hour to read
them in to…night before you came； to make myself fit to see you；
and I shall go through them again after you are gone； so； once
more； don't be afraid about me。 I know I shall succeed with your
help； and Ada shall thank you as you deserve to be thanked when
we get back to England。 If you hear the fools at Naples talk
about my being mad； don't trouble yourself to contradict them；
the scandal is so contemptible that it must end by contradicting
itself。〃
I left him； promising to return early the next day。
When I got back to my hotel； I felt that any idea of sleeping
after all that I had seen and heard was out of the question； so I
lit my pipe； and； sitting by the windowhow it refreshed my mind
just then to look at the calm moonlight！tried to think what it
would be best to do。 In the first place； any appeal to doctors or
to Alfred's friends in England was out of the question。 I could
not persuade myself that his intellect was sufficiently
disordered to justify me； under existing circumstances； in
disclosing the secret which he had intrusted to my keeping。 In
the second place； all attempts on my part to induce him to
abandon the idea of searching out his uncle's remains would be
utterly useless after what I had incautiously said to him。 Having
settled these two conclusions； the only really great difficulty
which remained to perplex me was whether I was justified in
aiding him to execute his extraordinary purpose。
Supposing that； with my help； he found Mr。 Monkton's body； and
took it back with him to England； was it right in me thus to lend
myself to promoting the marriage which would most likely follow
these eventsa marriage which it might be the duty of every one
to prevent at all hazards？ This set me thinking about the extent
of his madness； or to speak more mildly and more correctly； of
his delusion。 Sane he certainly was on all ordinary subjects；
nay； in all the narrative parts of what he had said to me on this
very evening he had spoken clearly and connectedly。 As for the
story of the apparition； other men； with intellects as clear as
the intellects of their neighbors had fancied themselves pursued
by a phantom； and had even written about it in a high strain of
philosophical speculation。 It was plain that the real
hallucination in the case now before me lay in Monkton's
conviction of the truth of the old prophecy； and in his idea that
the fancied apparition was a supernatural warning to him to evade
its denunciations； and it was equally clear that both delusions
had been produced； in the first instance； by the lonely life he
had led acting on a naturally excitable temperament； which was
rendered further liable to moral disease by an hereditary taint
of insanity。
Was this curable？ Miss Elmslie； who knew him far better than I
did； seemed by her conduct to think so。 Had I any reason or right
to determine offhand that she was mistaken？ Supposing I refused
to go to the frontier with him； he would then most certainly
depart by himself； to commit all sorts of errors； and perhaps to
meet with all sorts of accidents； while I； an idle man； with my
time entirely at my own disposal； was stopping at Naples； and
leaving him to his fate after I had suggested the plan of his
expedition； and had encouraged him to confide in me。 In this way
I kept turning the subject over and over again in my mind； being
quite free； let me add； from looking at it in any other than a
practical point of view。 I firmly believed； as a derider of all
ghost stories； that Alfred was deceiving himself in fancying that
he had seen the apparition of his uncle before the news of Mr。
Monkton's death reached England； and I was on this account；
therefore； uninfluenced by the slightest infection of my unhappy
friend's delusions when I at last fairly decided to accompany him
in his extraordinary search。 Possibly my harum…scarum fondness
for excitement at that time biased me a little in forming my
resolution； but I must add； in common justice to myself； that I
also acted from motives of real sympathy for Monkton； and from a
sincere wish to allay； if I could； the anxiety of the poor girl
who was still so faithfully waiting and hoping for him far away
in England。
Certain arrangements preliminary to our departure； which I found
myself obliged to make after a second interview with Alfred；
betrayed the object of our journey to most of our Neapolitan
friends。 The astonishment of everybody was of course unbounded；
and the nearly universal suspicion that I must be as mad in my
way as Monkton himself showed itself pretty plainly in my
presence。 Some people actually tried to combat my resolution by
telling me what a shameless profligate Stephen Monkton had
beenas if I had a strong personal interest in hunting out his
remains！ Ridicule moved me as little as any arguments of this
sort； my mind was made up； and I was as obstinate then as I am
now。
In two days' time I had got everything ready； and had ordered the
traveling carriage to the door some hours earlier than we had
originally settled。 We were jovially threatened with 〃a parting
cheer〃 by all our English acquaintances； and I thought it
desirable to avoid this on my friend's account； for he had been
more excited； as it was； by the preparations for the journey than
I at all liked。 Accordingly； soon after sunrise； without a soul
in the street to stare at us； we privately left Naples。
Nobody will wonder； I think； that I experienced some difficulty
in realizing my own position； and shrank instinctively from
looking forward a single day into the future； when I now found
myself starting； in company with 〃Mad Monkton；〃 to hunt for the
body of a dead duelist all along the frontier line of the Roman
States！
CHAPTER V。
I HAD settled it in my own mind that we had better make the town
of Fondi； close on the frontier； our headquarters； to begin with；
and I had arranged； with the assistance of the embassy； that the
leaden coffin should follow us so far； securely nailed up in its
packing…case。 Besides our passports； we were well furnished with
letters of introduction to the local authorities at most of the
important frontier towns； and； to crown all； we had money enough
at our command （thanks to Monkton's vast fortune） to make sure of
the services of any one whom we wanted to assist us all along our
line of search。 These various resources insured us every facility
for action； provided always that we succeeded in discovering the
body of the dead duelist。 But； in the very probable event of our
failing to do this； our future prospectsmore especially after
the responsibility I had undertakenwere of anything but an
agreeable nature to contemplate。 I confess I felt uneasy； almost
hopeless； as we posted； in the dazzling Italian sunshine； along
the road to Fondi。
We made an easy two days' journey of it； for I had insist