melodious　smoothness　of　his　voice　made　a　frightful　contrast　to　the
  stony　rigor　of　his　features；　and　the　fiendlike　brilliancy　of　his
  eyes。　　〃Who　are　you；　and　whence　come　you？〃　said　Stanton；　in　a　tone
  that　was　meant　to　be　interrogatory　and　imperative；　but　which；　from
  his　habits　of　squalid　debility；　was　at　once　feeble　and　querulous。
  His　intellect　had　become　affected　by　the　gloom　of　his　miserable
  habitation；　as　the　wretched　inmate　of　a　similar　mansion；　when
  produced　before　a　medical　examiner；　was　reported　to　be　a　complete
  Albino。His　skin　was　bleached；　his　eyes　turned　white；　he　could　not
  bear　the　light；　and；　when　exposed　to　it；　he　turned　away　with　a
  mixture　of　weakness　and　restlessness；　more　like　the　writhings　of　a
  sick　infant　than　the　struggles　of　a　man。
  Such　was　Stanton's　situation。　　He　was　enfeebled　now；　and　the　power
  of　the　enemy　seemed　without　a　possibility　of　opposition　from　either
  his　intellectual　or　corporeal　powers。
  。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。
  Of　all　their　horrible　dialogue；　only　these　words　were　legible　in
  the　manuscript；　〃You　know　me　now。〃〃I　always　knew　you。〃〃That　is
  false；　you　imagined　you　did；　and　that　has　been　the　cause　of　all　the
  wild　　　　　。　　　　　　of　the　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。
  。　　of　your　finally　being　lodged　in　this　mansion　of　misery；　where
  only　I　would　seek；　where　only　I　can　succor　you。〃〃You；　demon！〃
  〃Demon！Harsh　words！Was　it　a　demon　or　a　human　being　placed　you
  here？Listen　to　me；　Stanton；　nay；　wrap　not　yourself　in　that
  miserable　blanket；that　cannot　shut　out　my　words。　　Believe　me；
  were　you　folded　in　thunder　clouds；　you　must　hear　ME！　　Stanton；
  think　of　your　misery。　　These　bare　wallswhat　do　they　present　to
  the　intellect　or　to　the　senses？Whitewash；　diversified　with　the
  scrawls　of　charcoal　or　red　chalk；　that　your　happy　predecessors　have
  left　for　you　to　trace　over。　　You　have　a　taste　for　drawingI　trust
  it　will　improve。　　And　here's　a　grating；　through　which　the　sun
  squints　on　you　like　a　stepdame；　and　the　breeze　blows；　as　if　it
  meant　to　tantalize　you　with　a　sigh　from　that　sweet　mouth；　whose
  kiss　you　must　never　enjoy。　　And　where's　your　library；intellectual
  man；traveled　man？〃　he　repeated　in　a　tone　of　bitter　derision；
  〃where　be　your　companions；　your　peaked　men　of　countries；　as　your
  favorite　Shakespeare　has　it？　　You　must　be　content　with　the　spider
  and　the　rat；　to　crawl　and　scratch　round　your　flock　bed！　　I　have
  known　prisoners　in　the　Bastille　to　feed　them　for　companions；why
  don't　you　begin　your　task？　　I　have　known　a　spider　to　descend　at　the
  tap　of　a　finger；　and　a　rat　to　come　forth　when　the　daily　meal　was
  brought；　to　share　it　with　his　fellow　prisoner！How　delightful　to
  have　vermin　for　your　guests！　　Aye；　and　when　the　feast　fails　them；
  they　make　a　meal　of　their　entertainer！You　shudder。Are　you；
  then；　the　first　prisoner　who　has　been　devoured　alive　by　the　vermin
  that　infested　his　cell？Delightful　banquet；　not　'where　you　eat；
  but　where　you　are　eaten'！　　Your　guests；　however；　will　give　you　one
  token　of　repentance　while　they　feed；　there　will　be　gnashing　of
  teeth；　and　you　shall　hear　it；　and　feel　it　too　perchance！And　then
  for　mealsOh　you　are　daintily　off！The　soup　that　the　cat　has
  lapped；　and　（as　her　progeny　has　probably　contributed　to　the　hell
  broth）　why　not？　　Then　your　hours　of　solitude；　deliciously
  diversified　by　the　yell　of　famine；　the　howl　of　madness；　the　crash
  of　whips；　and　the　broken…hearted　sob　of　those　who；　like　you；　are
  supposed；　or　DRIVEN　mad　by　the　crimes　of　others！Stanton；　do　you
  imagine　your　reason　can　possibly　hold　out　amid　such　scenes？
  Supposing　your　reason　was　unimpaired；　your　health　not　destroyed；
  suppose　all　this；　which　is；　after　all；　more　than　fair　supposition
  can　grant；　guess　the　effect　of　the　continuance　of　these　scenes　on
  your　senses　alone。　　A　time　will　come；　and　soon；　when；　from　mere
  habit；　you　will　echo　the　scream　of　every　delirious　wretch　that
  harbors　near　you；　then　you　will　pause；　clasp　your　hands　on　your
  throbbing　head；　and　listen　with　horrible　anxiety　whether　the　scream
  proceeded　from　YOU　or　THEM。　　The　time　will　come；　when；　from　the
  want　of　occupation；　the　listless　and　horrible　vacancy　of　your
  hours；　you　will　feel　as　anxious　to　hear　those　shrieks；　as　you　were
  at　first　terrified　to　hear　them；when　you　will　watch　for　the
  ravings　of　your　next　neighbor；　as　you　would　for　a　scene　on　the
  stage。　　All　humanity　will　be　extinguished　in　you。　　The　ravings　of
  these　wretches　will　become　at　once　your　sport　and　your　torture。
  You　will　watch　for　the　sounds；　to　mock　them　with　the　grimaces　and
  bellowings　of　a　fiend。　　The　mind　has　a　power　of　accommodating
  itself　to　its　situation；　that　you　will　experience　in　its　most
  frightful　and　deplorable　efficacy。　　Then　comes　the　dreadful　doubt
  of　one's　own　sanity；　the　terrible　announcer　that　THAT　doubt　will
  soon　become　fear；　and　THAT　fear　certainty。　　Perhaps　（still　more
  dreadful）　the　FEAR　will　at　last　become　a　HOPE；shut　out　from
  society；　watched　by　a　brutal　keeper；　writhing　with　all　the　impotent
  agony　of　an　incarcerated　mind；　without　communication　and　without
  sympathy；　unable　to　exchange　ideas　but　with　those　whose　ideas　are
  only　the　hideous　specters　of　departed　intellect；　or　even　to　hear
  the　welcome　sound　of　the　human　voice；　except　to　mistake　it　for　the
  howl　of　a　fiend；　and　stop　the　ear　desecrated　by　its　intrusion；
  then　at　last　your　fear　will　become　a　more　fearful　hope；　you　will
  wish　to　become　one　of　them；　to　escape　the　agony　of　consciousness。
  As　those　who　have　long　leaned　over　a　precipice；　have　at　last　felt　a
  desire　to　plunge　below；　to　relieve　the　intolerable　temptation　of
  their　giddiness；*　you　will　hear　them　laugh　amid　their　wildest
  paroxysms；　you　will　say；　'Doubtless　those　wretches　have　some
  consolation；　but　I　have　none；　my　sanity　is　my　greatest　curse　in
  this　abode　of　horrors。　　They　greedily　devour　their　miserable　meals；
  while　I　loathe　mine。　　They　sleep　sometimes　soundly；　while　my　sleep
  isworse　than　their　waking。　　They　are　revived　every　morning　by
  some　delicious　illusion　of　cunning　madness；　soothing　them　with　the
  hope　of　escaping；　baffling　or　tormenting　their　keeper；　my　sanity
  precludes　all　such　hope。　　I　KNOW　I　NEVER　CAN　ESCAPE；　and　the
  preservation　of　my　faculties　is　only　an　aggravation　of　my
  sufferings。　　I　have　all　their　miseries；I　have　none　of　their
  consolations。　　They　laugh；I　hear　them；　would　I　could　laugh　like
  them。'　　You　will　try；　and　the　very　effort　will　be　an　invocation　to
  the　demon　of　insanity　to　come　and　take　full　possession　of　you　from
  that　moment　forever。〃
  *　A　fact；　related　to　me　by　a　person　who　was　near　committing　suicide
  in　a　similar　situation；　to　escape　what　he　called　〃the　excruciating
  torture　of　giddiness。〃
  （There　were　other　details；　both　of　the　menaces　and　temptations
  employed　by　Melmoth；　which　are　too　horrible　for　insertion。　　One　of
  them　may　serve　for　an　instance。）
  〃You　think　that　the　intellectual　power　is　something　distinct　from
  the　vitality　of　the　soul；　or；　in　other　words；　that　if　even　your
  reason　should　be　destroyed　（which　it　nearly　is）；　your　soul　might
  yet　enjoy　beatitude　in　the　full　exercise　of　its　enlarged　and
  exalted　faculties；　and　all　the　clouds　which　obscured　them　be
  dispelled　by　the　Sun　of　Righteousness；　in　whose　beams　you　hope　to
  bask　forever　and　ever。　　Now；　without　going　into　any　metaphysical
  subtleties　about　the　distinction　between　mind　and　soul；　experience
  must　teach　you；　that　there　can　be　no　crime　into　which　madmen　would
  not；　and　do　not；　precipitate　themselves；　mischief　is　their
  occupation；　malice　their　habit；　murder　their　sport；　and　blasphemy
  their　delight。　　Whether　a　soul　in　this　state　can　be　in　a　hopeful
  one；　it　is　for　you　to　judge；　but　it　seems　to　me；　that　with　the　loss
  of　reason　（and　reason　cannot　long　be　retained　in　this　place）　you
  lose　also　the　hope　of　immortality。Listen；〃　said　the　tempter；
  pausing；　〃listen　to　the　wretch　who　is　raving　near　you；　and　whose
  blasphemies　might　make　a　demon　start。He　was　once　an　eminent
  puritanical　preacher。　　Half　the　day　he　imagines　himself　in　a
  pulpit；　denouncing　damnation　against　Papists；　Arminians；　and　even
  Sublapsarians　（he　being　a　Supra…lapsarian　himself）。　　He　foams；　he
  writhes；　he　gnashes　his　teeth；　you　would　imagine　him　in　the　hell　he
  was　painting；　and　that　the　fire　and　brimstone　he　is　so　lavish　of
  were　actually　exhaling　from　his　jaws。　　At　night　his　creed
  retaliates　on　him；　he　believes　himself　one　of　the　reprobates　he　has
  been　all　day　denouncing；　and　curses　God　for　the　very　decree　he　has
  all　day　been　glorifying　Him　for。
  〃He；　whom　he　has　for　twelve　hours　been　vociferating　'is　the
  loveliest　among　ten　thousand；'　becomes　the　object　of　demoniac
  hostility　and　execration。　　He　grapples　with　the　iron　posts　of　his
  bed；　and　says　he　is　rooting　out　the　cross　from　the　very　foundations
  of　Calvary；　and　it　is　remarkable；　that　in　proportion　as　his　morning
  exercises　are　intense；　vivid；　and　eloquent；　his　nightly　blasphemies
  are　outrageous　and　horrible。Hark！　　Now　he　believes