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〃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 been for years guilty of conduct entirely incompatible with the hypothesis of undisordered mental functions。 He had accused his domestics of peculation； and had initiated legal proceedings with a view of prosecuting in a court of law one of his oldest friends。〃
〃Whence you infer that； if my son has not for years been doing cranky acts； he is not likely to be deranged at present。〃
This adroit twist of the argument rather surprised Dr。 Wycherley。 However； he was at no loss for a reply。 〃it is not Insanity； but the Incubation of Insanity； which is suspected in your intelligent son's case： and the best course will be for me to enumerate in general terms the several symptoms of 'the Incubation of Insanity：'〃 he concluded with some severity。 〃After that； sir； I shall cease to intrude what I fear is an unwelcome conviction。〃
The parent； whose levity and cold reception of good tidings he had thus mildly； yet with due dignity； rebuked； was a man of the world； and liked to make friends； not enemies： so he took the hint； and made a very civil speech； assuring Dr。 Wycherley that； if he ventured to differ from him； he was none the less obliged by the kind interest he took in a comparative stranger： and would be very glad to hear all about the 〃Incubation of Insanity。〃
Dr。 Wycherley bowed slightly and complied：
〃One diagnostic preliminary sign of abnormal cerebral action is Kephalalgia； or true cerebral headache； I mean persistent headache not accompanied by a furred tongue； or other indicia significant of abdominal or renal disorder as its origin。〃
Jane sighed。 〃He has sad headaches。〃
〃The succeeding symptom is a morbid affection of sleep。 Either the patient suffers from Insomnia； or else from Hypersomnia； which we subdivide into sopor； carus； and lethargus； or thirdly from Kakosomnia； or a propensity to mere dozing； and to all the morbid phenomena of dreams。〃
〃Papa；〃 said Jane； 〃poor Alfred sleeps very badly： I hear him walking at all hours of the night。〃
〃I thought as much；〃 said Dr。 Wycherley； 〃Insomnia is the commonest feature。 To resume； the insidious advance of morbid thought is next marked by high spirits； or else by low spirits； generally the latter。 The patient begins by moping； then shows great lassitude and ennui； then becomes abstracted； moody； and occupied with a solitary idea。〃
Jane clasped her hands and the tears stood in her eyes； so well did this description tally with poor Alfred's case。
〃And at this period；〃 continued Dr。 Wycherley； 〃my experience leads me to believe that some latent delusion is generally germinating in the mind； though often concealed with consummate craft by the patient： the open development of this delusion is the next stage； and； with this last morbid phenomenon； Incubation ceases and Insanity begins。 Sometimes； however； the illusion is physical rather than psychical； of the sense rather than of the intelligence。 It commences at night： the incubator begins by seeing nocturnal visions； often of a photopsic* character； or hearing nocturnal sounds； neither of which have any material existence； being conveyed to his optic or auricular nerves not from without； but from within； by the agency of a disordered brain。 These the reason； hitherto unimpaired； combats at first； especially when they are nocturnal only； but being reproduced； and becoming diurnal； the judgment succumbs under the morbid impression produced so repeatedly。 These are the ordinary antecedent symptoms characteristic of the incubation of insanity； to which are frequently added somatic exaltation； or； in popular language； physical excitabilitya disposition to knit the browsgreat activity of the mental facultiesor else a well…marked decline of the powers of the understandingan exaggeration of the normal conditions of thoughtor a reversal of the mental habits and sentiments； such as a sudden aversion to some person hitherto beloved； or some study long relished and pursued。〃
* Luminous。
Jane asked leave to note these all down in her note…book。
Mr。 Hardie assented adroitly； for he was thinking whether he could not sift some grain out of all this chaff。 Should Alfred blab his suspicions； here were two gentlemen who would at all events help him to throw ridicule on them。
Dr。 Wycherley having politely aided Jane Hardie to note down the 〃preliminary process of the Incubation of disorders of the Intellect；〃 resumed： 〃Now； sir； your son appears to be in a very inchoate stage of the malady： he has cerebral Kephalalgia and Insomnia〃
〃And； oh； doctor；〃 said Jane； 〃he knits his brows often and has given up his studies； won't go back to Oxford this term。〃
〃Exactly； and seeks isolation； and is a prey to morbid distraction and reverie： but has no palpable illusions； has he？〃
〃Not that I know of；〃 said Mr。 Hardie。
〃Well； but；〃 objected Jane； 〃did not he say something to you very curious the other night about Captain Dodd and fourteen thousand pounds？〃
Mr。 Hardie's blood ran cold。 〃No；〃 he stammered； 〃not that I remember。〃
〃Oh； yes； he did； papa： you have forgott