the　wall；　and　the　next　moment；　stooping　down；　I　would　place　the
  point　of　my　finger　upon　the　floor：　　and　so　I　continued　to　do　day
  after　day；　frequently　I　would　struggle　to　resist　the　impulse；　but
  invariably　in　vain。　　I　have　even　rushed　away　from　the　object；　but　I
  was　sure　to　return；　the　impulse　was　too　strong　to　be　resisted：　　I
  quickly　hurried　back；　compelled　by　the　feeling　within　me　to　touch
  the　object。　　Now　I　need　not　tell　you　that　what　impelled　me　to　these
  actions　was　the　desire　to　prevent　my　mother's　death；　whenever　I
  touched　any　particular　object；　it　was　with　the　view　of　baffling　the
  evil　chance；　as　you　would　call　it　…　in　this　instance　my　mother's
  death。
  'A　favourable　crisis　occurred　in　my　mother's　complaint；　and　she
  recovered；　this　crisis　took　place　about　six　o'clock　in　the　morning；
  almost　simultaneously　with　it　there　happened　to　myself　a　rather
  remarkable　circumstance　connected　with　the　nervous　feeling　which
  was　rioting　in　my　system。　　I　was　lying　in　bed　in　a　kind　of　uneasy
  doze；　the　only　kind　of　rest　which　my　anxiety　on　account　of　my
  mother　permitted　me　at　this　time　to　take；　when　all　at　once　I　sprang
  up　as　if　electrified；　the　mysterious　impulse　was　upon　me；　and　it
  urged　me　to　go　without　delay；　and　climb　a　stately　elm　behind　the
  house；　and　touch　the　topmost　branch；　otherwise　…　you　know　the　rest
  …　the　evil　chance　would　prevail。　　Accustomed　for　some　time　as　I　had
  been；　under　this　impulse；　to　perform　extravagant　actions；　I　confess
  to　you　that　the　difficulty　and　peril　of　such　a　feat　startled　me；　I
  reasoned　against　the　feeling；　and　strove　more　strenuously　than　I
  had　ever　done　before；　I　even　made　a　solemn　vow　not　to　give　way　to
  the　temptation；　but　I　believe　nothing　less　than　chains；　and　those
  strong　ones；　could　have　restrained　me。　　The　demoniac　influence；　for
  I　can　call　it　nothing　else；　at　length　prevailed；　it　compelled　me　to
  rise；　to　dress　myself；　to　descend　the　stairs；　to　unbolt　the　door；
  and　to　go　forth；　it　drove　me　to　the　foot　of　the　tree；　and　it
  compelled　me　to　climb　the　trunk；　this　was　a　tremendous　task；　and　I
  only　accomplished　it　after　repeated　falls　and　trials。　　When　I　had
  got　amongst　the　branches；　I　rested　for　a　time；　and　then　set　about
  accomplishing　the　remainder　of　the　ascent；　this　for　some　time　was
  not　so　difficult；　for　I　was　now　amongst　the　branches；　as　I
  approached　the　top；　however；　the　difficulty　became　greater；　and
  likewise　the　danger；　but　I　was　a　light　boy；　and　almost　as　nimble　as
  a　squirrel；　and；　moreover；　the　nervous　feeling　was　within　me；
  impelling　me　upward。　　It　was　only　by　means　of　a　spring；　however；
  that　I　was　enabled　to　touch　the　top　of　the　tree；　I　sprang；　touched
  the　top　of　the　tree；　and　fell　a　distance　of　at　least　twenty　feet；
  amongst　the　branches；　had　I　fallen　to　the　bottom　I　must　have　been
  killed；　but　I　fell　into　the　middle　of　the　tree；　and　presently　found
  myself　astride　upon　one　of　the　boughs；　scratched　and　bruised　all
  over；　I　reached　the　ground；　and　regained　my　chamber　unobserved；　I
  flung　myself　on　my　bed　quite　exhausted；　presently　they　came　to　tell
  me　that　my　mother　was　better　…　they　found　me　in　the　state　which　I
  have　described；　and　in　a　fever　besides。　　The　favourable　crisis　must
  have　occurred　just　about　the　time　that　I　performed　the　magic　touch；
  it　certainly　was　a　curious　coincidence；　yet　I　was　not　weak　enough；
  even　though　a　child；　to　suppose　that　I　had　baffled　the　evil　chance
  by　my　daring　feat。
  'Indeed；　all　the　time　that　I　was　performing　these　strange　feats；　I
  knew　them　to　be　highly　absurd；　yet　the　impulse　to　perform　them　was
  irresistible　…　a　mysterious　dread　hanging　over　me　till　I　had　given
  way　to　it；　even　at　that　early　period　I　frequently　used　to　reason
  within　myself　as　to　what　could　be　the　cause　of　my　propensity　to
  touch；　but　of　course　I　could　come　to　no　satisfactory　conclusion
  respecting　it；　being　heartily　ashamed　of　the　practice；　I　never
  spoke　of　it　to　any　one；　and　was　at　all　times　highly　solicitous　that
  no　one　should　observe　my　weakness。'
  CHAPTER　LXV
  Maternal　anxiety　…　The　baronet　…　Little　zest　…　Country　life　…　Mr。
  Speaker！　…　The　craving　…　Spirited　address　…　An　author。
  AFTER　a　short　pause　my　host　resumed　his　narration。　　'Though　I　was
  never　sent　to　school；　my　education　was　not　neglected　on　that
  account；　I　had　tutors　in　various　branches　of　knowledge；　under　whom
  I　made　a　tolerable　progress；　by　the　time　I　was　eighteen　I　was　able
  to　read　most　of　the　Greek　and　Latin　authors　with　facility；　I　was
  likewise；　to　a　certain　degree；　a　mathematician。　　I　cannot　say　that
  I　took　much　pleasure　in　my　studies；　my　chief　aim　in　endeavouring　to
  accomplish　my　tasks　was　to　give　pleasure　to　my　beloved　parent；　who
  watched　my　progress　with　anxiety　truly　maternal。　　My　life　at　this
  period　may　be　summed　up　in　a　few　words：　　I　pursued　my　studies；
  roamed　about　the　woods；　walked　the　green　lanes　occasionally；　cast
  my　fly　in　a　trout　stream；　and　sometimes；　but　not　often；　rode　a…
  hunting　with　my　uncle。　　A　considerable　part　of　my　time　was　devoted
  to　my　mother；　conversing　with　her　and　reading　to　her；　youthful
  companions　I　had　none；　and　as　to　my　mother；　she　lived　in　the
  greatest　retirement；　devoting　herself　to　the　superintendence　of　my
  education；　and　the　practice　of　acts　of　charity；　nothing　could　be
  more　innocent　than　this　mode　of　life；　and　some　people　say　that　in
  innocence　there　is　happiness；　yet　I　can't　say　that　I　was　happy。　　A
  continual　dread　overshadowed　my　mind；　it　was　the　dread　of　my
  mother's　death。　　Her　constitution　had　never　been　strong；　and　it　had
  been　considerably　shaken　by　her　last　illness；　this　I　knew；　and　this
  I　saw　…　for　the　eyes　of　fear　are　marvellously　keen。　　Well；　things
  went　on　in　this　way　till　I　had　come　of　age；　my　tutors　were　then
  dismissed；　and　my　uncle　the　baronet　took　me　in　hand；　telling　my
  mother　that　it　was　high　time　for　him　to　exert　his　authority；　that　I
  must　see　something　of　the　world；　for　that；　if　I　remained　much
  longer　with　her；　I　should　be　ruined。　　〃You　must　consign　him　to　me；〃
  said　he；　〃and　I　will　introduce　him　to　the　world。〃　　My　mother　sighed
  and　consented；　so　my　uncle　the　baronet　introduced　me　to　the　world；
  took　me　to　horse…races　and　to　London；　and　endeavoured　to　make　a　man
  of　me　according　to　his　idea　of　the　term；　and　in　part　succeeded。　　I
  became　moderately　dissipated　…　I　say　moderately；　for　dissipation
  had　but　little　zest　for　me。
  'In　this　manner　four　years　passed　over。　　It　happened　that　I　was　in
  London　in　the　height　of　the　season　with　my　uncle；　at　his　house；　one
  morning　he　summoned　me　into　the　parlour；　he　was　standing　before　the
  fire；　and　looked　very　serious。　　〃I　have　had　a　letter；〃　said　he；
  〃your　mother　is　very　ill。〃　　I　staggered；　and　touched　the　nearest
  object　to　me；　nothing　was　said　for　two　or　three　minutes；　and　then
  my　uncle　put　his　lips　to　my　ear　and　whispered　something。　　I　fell
  down　senseless。　　My　mother　was　。　。　。　I　remember　nothing　for　a　long
  time　…　for　two　years　I　was　out　of　my　mind；　at　the　end　of　this　time
  I　recovered；　or　partly　so。　　My　uncle　the　baronet　was　very　kind　to
  me；　he　advised　me　to　travel；　he　offered　to　go　with　me。　　I　told　him
  he　was　very　kind；　but　I　would　rather　go　by　myself。　　So　I　went
  abroad；　and　saw；　amongst　other　things；　Rome　and　the　Pyramids。　　By
  frequent　change　of　scene　my　mind　became　not　happy；　but　tolerably
  tranquil。　　I　continued　abroad　some　years；　when；　becoming　tired　of
  travelling；　I　came　home；　found　my　uncle　the　baronet　alive；　hearty；
  and　unmarried；　as　he　still　is。　　He　received　me　very　kindly；　took　me
  to　Newmarket；　and　said　that　he　hoped　by　this　time　I　was　become
  quite　a　man　of　the　world；　by　his　advice　I　took　a　house　in　town；　in
  which　I　lived　during　the　season。　　In　summer　I　strolled　from　one
  watering…place　to　another；　and；　in　order　to　pass　the　time；　I　became
  very　dissipated。
  'At　last　I　became　as　tired　of　dissipation　as　I　had　previously　been
  of　travelling；　and　I　determined　to　retire　to　the　country；　and　live
  on　my　paternal　estate；　this　resolution　I　was　not　slow　in　putting
  into　effect；　I　sold　my　house　in　town；　repaired　and　refurnished　my
  country　house；　and；　for　at　least　ten　years；　lived　a　regular　country
  life；　I　gave　dinner　parties；　prosecuted　poachers；　was　charitable　to
  the　poor；　and　now　and　then　went　into　my　library；　during　this　time　I
  was　seldom　or　never　visited　by　the　magic　impulse；　the　reason　being
  that　there　was　nothing　in　the　wide　world　for　which　I　cared
  sufficiently　to　move　a　finger　to　preserve　it。　　When　the　ten　years；
  however；　were　nearly　ended；　I　started　out　of　bed　one　morning　in　a
  fit　of　horror；　exclaiming；　〃Mercy；　mercy！　what　will　become　of　me？
  I　am　afraid　I　shall　go　mad。　　I　have　lived　thirty…five　years　and
  upwards　without　doing　anything；　shall　I　pass　through　life　in　this
  manner？　　Horror！'　　And　then　in　rapid　succession　I　touched　three
  different　objects。
  'I　dressed　myself　and　went　down；　determ