propitious　moment　when　the　fee　is　ready；　and　consists　in　a
  general　recommendation　to　you　to　keep　your　mind　easy。　That
  excellent　advice　given；　your　doctor　leaves　you　to　spare　yourself
  all　earthly　annoyances　by　your　own　unaided　efforts；　until　he
  calls　again。　Here　my　System　steps　in　and　helps　you！　When　_I_　see
  the　necessity　of　keeping　your　mind　easy；　I　take　the　bull　by　the
  horns　and　do　it　for　you。　I　place　you　in　a　sphere　of　action　in
  which　the　ten　thousand　trifles　which　must；　and　do；　irritate
  nervous　people　at　home　are　expressly　considered　and　provided
  against。　I　throw　up　impregnable　moral　intrenchments　between　Worry
  and　You。　Find　a　door　banging　in　_this_　house；　if　you　can！　Catch　a
  servant　in　_this_　house　rattling　the　tea…things　when　he　takes
  away　the　tray！　Discover　barking　dogs；　crowing　cocks；　hammering
  workmen；　screeching　children　_here_and　I　engage　to　close　My
  Sanitarium　to…morrow！　Are　these　nuisances　laughing　matters　to
  nervous　people？　Ask　them！　Can　they　escape　these　nuisances　at
  home？　Ask　them！　Will　ten　minutes'　irritation　from　a　barking　dog
  or　a　screeching　child　undo　every　atom　of　good　done　to　a　nervous
  sufferer　by　a　month's　medical　treatment？　There　isn't　a　competent
  doctor　in　England　who　will　venture　to　deny　it！　On　those　plain
  grounds　my　System　is　based。　I　assert　the　medical　treatment　of
  nervous　suffering　to　be　entirely　subsidiary　to　the　moral
  treatment　of　it。　That　moral　treatment　of　it　you　find　here。　That
  moral　treatment；　sedulously　pursued　throughout　the　day；　follows
  the　sufferer　into　his　room　at　night；　and　soothes；　helps　and　cures
  him；　without　his　own　knowledgeyou　shall　see　how。〃
  The　doctor　paused　to　take　breath　and　looked；　for　the　first　time
  since　the　visitors　had　entered　the　house；　at　Miss　Gwilt。　For　the
  first　time；　on　her　side；　she　stepped　forward　among　the　audience；
  and　looked　at　him　in　return。　After　a　momentary　obstruction　in　the
  shape　of　a　cough；　the　doctor　went　on。
  〃Say；　ladies　and　gentlemen；〃　he　proceeded；　〃that　my　patient　has
  just　come　in。　His　mind　is　one　mass　of　nervous　fancies　and
  caprices；　which　his　friends　（with　the　best　possible　intentions）
  have　been　ignorantly　irritating　at　home。　They　have　been　afraid　of
  him；　for　instance；　at　night。　They　have　forced　him　to　have
  somebody　to　sleep　in　the　room　with　him；　or　they　have　forbidden
  him；　in　case　of　accidents；　to　lock　his　door。　He　comes　to　me　the
  first　night；　and　says：　'Mind；　I　won't　have　anybody　in　my
  room！''Certainly　not！''I　insist　on　locking　my　door。''By　all
  means！'　In　he　goes；　and　locks　his　door；　and　there　he　is；　soothed
  and　quieted；　predisposed　to　confidence；　predisposed　to　sleep；　by
  having　his　own　way。　'This　is　all　very　well；'　you　may　say；　'but
  suppose　something　happens；　suppose　he　has　a　fit　in　the　night；
  what　then？'　You　shall　see！　Hallo；　my　young　friend！〃　cried　the
  doctor；　suddenly　addressing　the　sleepy　little　boy。　〃Let's　have　a
  game。　You　shall　be　the　poor　sick　man；　and　I'll　be　the　good
  doctor。　Go　into　that　room　and　lock　the　door。　There's　a　brave　boy！
  Have　you　locked　it？　Very　good！　Do　you　think　I　can't　get　at　you　if
  I　like？　I　wait　till　you're　asleepI　press　this　little　white
  button；　hidden　here　in　the　stencilled　pattern　of　the　outer
  wallthe　mortise　of　the　lock　inside　falls　back　silently　against
  the　door…postand　I　walk　into　the　room　whenever　I　like。　The　same
  plan　is　pursued　with　the　window。　My　capricious　patient　won't　open
  it　at　night；　when　he　ought。　I　humor　him　again。　'Shut　it；　dear
  sir；　by　all　means！'　As　soon　as　he　is　asleep；　I　pull　the　black
  handle　hidden　here；　in　the　corner　of　the　wall。　The　window　of　the
  room　inside　noiselessly　opens；　as　you　see。　Say　the　patient's
  caprice　is　the　other　wayhe　persists　in　opening　the　window　when
  he　ought　to　shut　it。　Let　him！　by　all　means；　let　him！　I　pull　a
  second　handle　when　he　is　snug　in　his　bed；　and　the　window
  noiselessly　closes　in　a　moment。　Nothing　to　irritate　him；　ladies
  and　gentlemenabsolutely　nothing　to　irritate　him！　But　I　haven't
  done　with　him　yet。　Epidemic　disease；　in　spite　of　all　my
  precautions；　may　enter　this　Sanitarium；　and　may　render　the
  purifying　of　the　sick…room　necessary。　Or　the　patient's　case　may
  be　complicated　by　other　than　nervous　maladysay；　for　instance；
  asthmatic　difficulty　of　breathing。　In　the　one　case；　fumigation　is
  necessary；　in　the　other；　additional　oxygen　in　the　air　will　give
  relief。　The　epidemic　nervous　patient　says；　'I　won't　be　smoked
  under　my　own　nose！'　The　asthmatic　nervous　patient　gasps　with
  terror　at　the　idea　of　a　chemical　explosion　in　his　room。　I
  noiselessly　fumigate　one　of　them；　I　noiselessly　oxygenize　the
  other；　by　means　of　a　simple　Apparatus　fixed　outside　in　the　corner
  here。　It　is　protected　by　this　wooden　casing；　it　is　locked　with　my
  own　key；　and　it　communicates　by　means　of　a　tube　with　the　interior
  of　the　room。　Look　at　it！〃
  With　a　preliminary　glance　at　Miss　Gwilt；　the　doctor　unlocked　the
  lid　of　the　wooden　casing；　and　disclosed　inside　nothing　more
  remarkable　than　a　large　stone　jar；　having　a　glass　funnel；　and　a
  pipe　communicating　with　the　wall；　inserted　in　the　cork　which
  closed　the　mouth　of　it。　With　another　look　at　Miss　Gwilt；　the
  doctor　locked　the　lid　again；　and　asked；　in　the　blandest　manner；
  whether　his　System　was　intelligible　now？
  〃I　might　introduce　you　to　all　sorts　of　other　contrivances　of　the
  same　kind；〃　he　resumed；　leading　the　way　downstairs；　〃but　it　would
  be　only　the　same　thing　over　and　over　again。　A　nervous　patient　who
  always　has　his　own　way　is　a　nervous　patient　who　is　never　worried；
  and　a　nervous　patient　who　is　never　worried　is　a　nervous　patient
  cured。　There　it　is　in　a　nutshell！　Come　and　see　the　Dispensary；
  ladies；　the　Dispensary　and　the　kitchen　next！〃
  Once　more；　Miss　Gwilt　dropped　behind　the　visitors；　and　waited
  alonelooking　steadfastly　at　the　Room　which　the　doctor　had
  opened；　and　at　the　apparatus　which　the　doctor　had　unlocked。
  Again；　without　a　word　passing　between　them；　she　had　understood
  him。　She　knew；　as　well　as　if　he　had　confessed　it；　that　he　was
  craftily　putting　the　necessary　temptation　in　her　way；　before
  witnesses　who　could　speak　to　the　superficially　innocent　acts
  which　they　had　seen；　if　anything　serious　happened。　The　apparatus；
  originally　constructed　to　serve　the　purpose　of　the　doctor's
  medical　crotchets；　was　evidently　to　be　put　to　some　other　use；　of
  which　the　doctor　himself　had　probably　never　dreamed　till　now。　And
  the　chances　were　that；　before　the　day　was　over；　that　other　use
  would　be　privately　revealed　to　her　at　the　right　moment；　in　the
  presence　of　the　right　witness。　〃Armadale　will　die　this　time；〃　she
  said　to　herself；　as　she　went　slowly　down　the　stairs。　〃The　doctor
  will　kill　him；　by　my　hands。〃
  The　visitors　were　in　the　Dispensary　when　she　joined　them。　All　the
  ladies　were　admiring　the　beauty　of　the　antique　cabinet；　and；　as　a
  necessary　consequence；　all　the　ladies　were　desirous　of　seeing
  what　was　inside。　The　doctorafter　a　preliminary　look　at　Miss
  Gwiltgood…humoredly　shook　his　head。　〃There　is　nothing　to
  interest　you　inside；〃　he　said。　〃Nothing　but　rows　of　little　shabby
  bottles　containing　the　poisons　used　in　medicine　which　I　keep
  under　lock　and　key。　Come　to　the　kitchen；　ladies；　and　honor　me
  with　your　advice　on　domestic　matters　below　stairs。〃　He　glanced
  again　at　Miss　Gwilt　as　the　company　crossed　the　hall；　with　a　look
  which　said　plainly；　〃Wait　here。〃
  In　another　quarter　of　an　hour　the　doctor　had　expounded　his　views
  on　cookery　and　diet；　and　the　visitors　（duly　furnished　with
  prospectuses）　were　taking　leave　of　him　at　the　door。　〃Quite　an
  intellectual　treat！〃　they　said　to　each　other；　as　they　streamed
  out　again　in　neatly　dressed　procession　through　the　iron　gates。
  〃And　what　a　very　superior　man！〃
  The　doctor　turned　back　to　the　Dispensary；　humming　absently　　to
  himself；　and　failing　entirely　to　observe　the　corner　of　the　hall
  in　which　Miss　Gwilt　stood　retired。　After　an　instant's　hesitation；
  she　followed　him。　The　as　sistant　was　in　the　room　when　she　entered
  itsummoned　by　his　employer　the　moment　before。
  〃Doctor；〃　she　said；　coldly　and　mechanically；　as　if　she　was
  repeating　a　lesson；　〃I　am　as　curious　as　the　other　ladies　about
  that　pretty　cabinet　of　yours。　Now　they　are　all　gone；　won't　you
  show　the　inside　of　it　to　_me？_〃
  The　doctor　laughed　in　his　pleasantest　manner。
  〃The　old　story；〃　he　said。　〃Blue…Beard's　locked　chamber；　and
  female　curiosity！　（Don't　go；　Benjamin；　don't　go。）　My　dear　lady；
  what　interest　can　you　possibly　have　in　looking　at　a　medical
  bottle；　simply　because　it　happens　to　be　a　bottle　of　poison？〃
  She　repeated　her　lesson　for　the　second　time。
  〃I　have　the　interest　of　looking　at　it；〃　she　said；　〃and　of
  thinking；　if　it　got　into　some　people's　hands；　of　the　terrible
  things　it　might　do。〃
  The　doctor　glanced　at　his　assistant　with　a　compassionate　smile。
  〃Curious；　Benjamin；〃　he　said；　〃the　romantic　view　taken　of　these
  drugs　of　ours　by　the　unscientific　mind！　My　dear　lady；〃　he　added；
  turning　to　Miss　Gwilt；　〃if　_that_　is　the　interest　you　attach　to
  looking　at　poisons；　you　needn't　ask　me　to　unlock　my　cabinetyou
  need　only　look　about　you　round　the　shelves　of　this　room。　There
  are　all　sorts　of　medical　liquids　and　substances　in　those
  bottlesmost　innocent；　most　useful　in　themselveswhich；　in
  combination　with　other　substances　and　other　liquids；　become
  poiso