infirmity；　pretended　he　was　himself　very　often　troubled　in　the　same
  way；　and　advised　him　to　read　the　newspapers。　　〃My　good　wife；〃　said
  he；　〃has　brought　me　a　whole　file　of　the　Cape　Gazette。　　I'd　read
  them　if　I　was　you。　　The　deuce　is　in　it；　if　you　don't　rake　up
  something　or　other。〃
  Christopher　thanked　him　warmly　for　this：　he　got　the　papers　to　his
  own　little　room；　and　had　always　one　or　two　in　his　pocket　for
  reading。　　At　first　he　found　a　good　many　hard　words　that　puzzled
  him；　and　he　borrowed　a　pencil　of　Phoebe；　and　noted　them　down。
  Strange　to　say；　the　words　that　puzzled　him　were　always　common
  words；　that　his　unaccountable　memory　had　forgotten：　a　hard　word；　he
  was　sure　to　remember　that。
  One　day　he　had　to　ask　Falcon　the　meaning　of　〃spendthrift。〃　　Falcon
  told　him　briefly。　　He　could　have　illustrated　the　word　by　a　striking
  example；　but　he　did　not。　　He　added；　in　his　polite　way；　〃No　fellow
  can　understand　all　the　words　in　a　newspaper。　　Now；　here's　a　word　in
  mine'Anemometer；'　who　the　deuce　can　understand　such　a　word？〃
  〃Oh；　THAT　is　a　common　word　enough；〃　said　poor　Christopher。　　〃It
  means　a　machine　for　measuring　the　force　of　the　wind。〃
  〃Oh；　indeed；〃　said　Falcon；　but　did　not　believe　a　word　of　it。
  One　sultry　day　Christopher　had　a　violent　headache；　and　complained
  to　Ucatella。　　She　told　Phoebe；　and　they　bound　his　brows　with　a　wet
  handkerchief；　and　advised　him　to　keep　in…doors。　　He　sat　down　in　the
  coolest　part　of　the　house；　and　held　his　head　with　his　hands；　for　it
  seemed　as　if　it　would　explode　into　two　great　fragments。
  All　in　a　moment　the　sky　was　overcast　with　angry　clouds；　whirling
  this　way　and　that。　　Huge　drops　of　hail　pattered　down；　and　the　next
  minute　came　a　tremendous　flash　of　lightning；　accompanied；　rather
  than　followed；　by　a　crash　of　thunder　close　over　their　heads。
  This　was　the　opening。　　Down　came　a　deluge　out　of　clouds　that　looked
  mountains　of　pitch；　and　made　the　day　night　but　for　the　fast　and
  furious　strokes　of　lightning　that　fired　the　air。　　The　scream　of
  wind　and　awful　peals　of　thunder　completed　the　horrors　of　the　scene。
  In　the　midst　of　this；　by　what　agency　I　know　no　more　than　science　or
  a　sheep　does；　something　went　off　inside　Christopher's　head；　like　a
  pistol…shot。　　He　gave　a　sort　of　scream；　and　dashed　out　into　the
  weather。
  Phoebe　heard　his　scream　and　his　flying　footstep；　and　uttered　an
  ejaculation　of　fear。　　The　whole　household　was　alarmed；　and；　under
  other　circumstances；　would　have　followed　him；　but　you　could　not　see
  ten　yards。
  A　chill　sense　of　impending　misfortune　settled　on　the　house。　　Phoebe
  threw　her　apron　over　her　head；　and　rocked　in　her　chair。
  Dick　himself　looked　very　grave。
  Ucatella　would　have　tried　to　follow　him；　but　Dick　forbade　her。
  〃'Tis　no　use；〃　said　he。　　〃When　it　clears；　we　that　be　men　will　go
  for　him。〃
  〃Pray　Heaven　you　may　find　him　alive！〃
  〃I　don't　think　but　what　we　shall。　　There's　nowhere　he　can　fall　down
  to　hurt　himself；　nor　yet　drown　himself；　but　our　dam；　and　he　has　not
  gone　that　way。　　But〃
  〃But　what？〃
  〃If　we　do　find　him；　we　must　take　him　back　to　Cape　Town；　before　he
  does　himself；　or　some　one；　a　mischief。　　Why；　Phoebe；　don't　you　see
  the　man　has　gone　raving　mad？〃
  CHAPTER　XIX。
  The　electrified　man　rushed　out　into　the　storm；　but　he　scarcely　felt
  it　in　his　body；　the　effect　on　his　mind　overpowered　hail…stones。
  The　lightning　seemed　to　light　up　the　past；　the　mighty　explosions　of
  thunder　seemed　cannon　strokes　knocking　down　a　wall；　and　letting　in
  his　whole　life。
  Six　hours　the　storm　raged；　and；　before　it　ended；　he　had　recovered
  nearly　his　whole　past；　except　his　voyage　with　Captain　Doddthat；
  indeed；　he　never　recoveredand　the　things　that　happened　to　him　in
  the　hospital　before　he　met　Phoebe　Falcon　and　her　brother：　and　as
  soon　as　he　had　recovered　his　lost　memory；　his　body　began　to　shiver
  at　the　hail　and　rain。　　He　tried　to　find　his　way　home；　but　missed
  it；　not　so　much；　however；　but　that　he　recovered　it　as　soon　as　it
  began　to　clear；　and　just　as　they　were　coming　out　to　look　for　him；
  he　appeared　before　them；　dripping；　shivering；　very　pale　and　worn；
  with　the　handkerchief　still　about　his　head。
  At　sight　of　him；　Dick　slipped　back　to　his　sister；　and　said；　rather
  roughly；　〃There　now；　you　may　leave　off　crying：　he　is　come　home；　and
  to…morrow　I　take　him　to　Cape　Town。〃
  Christopher　crept　in；　a　dismal；　sinister　figure。
  〃Oh；　sir；〃　said　Phoebe；　〃was　this　a　day　for　a　Christian　to　be　out
  in？　　How　could　you　go　and　frighten　us　so？〃
  〃Forgive　me；　madam；〃　said　Christopher　humbly；　〃I　was　not　myself。〃
  〃The　best　thing　you　can　do　now　is　to　go　to　bed；　and　let　us　send　you
  up　something　warm。〃
  〃You　are　very　good；〃　said　Christopher；　and　retired　with　the　air　of
  one　too　full　of　great　amazing　thoughts　to　gossip。
  He　slept　thirty　hours　at　a　stretch；　and　then；　awaking　in　the　dead
  of　night；　he　saw　the　past　even　more　clear　and　vivid；　he　lighted　his
  candle　and　began　to　grope　in　the　Cape　Gazette。　　As　to　dates；　he　now
  remembered　when　he　had　sailed　from　England；　and　also　from　Madeira。
  Following　up　this　clew；　he　found　in　the　Gazette　a　notice　that　H。　M。
  ship　Amphitrite　had　been　spoken　off　the　Cape；　and　had　reported　the
  melancholy　loss　of　a　promising　physician　and　man　of　science；　Dr。
  Staines。
  The　account　said　every　exertion　had　been　made　to　save　him；　but　in
  vain。
  Staines　ground　his　teeth　with　rage　at　this。　　〃Every　exertion！　the
  false…hearted　curs。　　They　left　me　to　drown；　without　one　manly
  effort　to　save　me。　　Curse　them；　and　curse　all　the　world。〃
  Pursuing　his　researches　rapidly；　he　found　a　much　longer　account　of
  a　raft　picked　up　by　Captain　Dodd；　with　a　white　man　on　it　and　a　dead
  body；　the　white　man　having　on　him　a　considerable　sum　in　money　and
  jewels。
  Then　a　new　anxiety　chilled　him。　　There　was　not　a　word　to　identify
  him　with　Dr。　Staines。　　The　idea　had　never　occurred　to　the　editor　of
  the　Cape　Gazette。　　Still　less　would　it　occur　to　any　one　in　England。
  At　this　moment　his　wife　must　be　mourning　for　him。　　〃Poorpoor
  Rosa！〃
  But　perhaps　the　fatal　news　might　not　have　reached　her。
  That　hope　was　dashed　away　as　soon　as　found。　　Why；　these　were　all
  OLD　NEWSPAPERS。　　That　gentlemanly　man　who　had　lent　them　to　him　had
  said　so。
  Old！　yet　they　completed　the　year　1867。
  He　now　tore　through　them　for　the　dates　alone；　and　soon　found　they
  went　to　1868。　　Yet　they　were　old　papers。　　He　had　sailed　in　May；
  1867。
  〃My　God！〃　he　cried；　in　agony；　〃I　HAVE　LOST　A　YEAR。〃
  This　thought　crushed　him。　　By　and　by　he　began　to　carry　this　awful
  idea　into　details。　　〃My　Rosa　has　worn　mourning　for　me；　and　put　it
  off　again。　　I　am　dead　to　her；　and　to　all　the　world。〃
  He　wept　long　and　bitterly。
  Those　tears　cleared　his　brain　still　more。　　For　all　that；　he　was　not
  yet　himself；　at　least；　I　doubt　it；　his　insanity；　driven　from　the
  intellect；　fastened　one　lingering　claw　into　his　moral　nature；　and
  hung　on　by　it。　　His　soul　filled　with　bitterness　and　a　desire　to　be
  revenged　on　mankind　for　their　injustice；　and　this　thought　possessed
  him　more　than　reason。
  He　joined　the　family　at　breakfast；　and　never　a　word　all　the　time。
  But　when　he　got　up　to　go；　he　said；　in　a　strange；　dogged　way；　as　if
  it　went　against　the　grain；　〃God　bless　the　house　that　succors　the
  afflicted。〃　　Then　he　went　out　to　brood　alone。
  〃Dick；〃　said　Phoebe；　〃there's　a　change。　　I'll　never　part　with　him：
  and　look；　there's　Collie　following　him；　that　never　could　abide
  him。〃
  〃Part　with　him？〃　said　Reginald。　　〃Of　course　not。　　He　is　a
  gentleman；　and　they　are　not　so　common　in　Africa。〃
  Dick；　who　hated　Falcon；　ignored　this　speech　entirely；　and　said；
  〃Well；　Pheeb；　you　and　Collie　are　wiser　than　I　am。　　Take　your　own
  way；　and　don't　blame　me　if　anything　happens。〃
  Soon　Christopher　paid　the　penalty　of　returning　reason。　　He　suffered
  all　the　poignant　agony　a　great　heart　can　endure。
  So　this　was　his　reward　for　his　great　act　of　self…denial　in　leaving
  his　beloved　wife。　　He　had　lost　his　patient；　he　had　lost　the　income
  from　that　patient；　his　wife　was　worse　off　than　before；　and　had
  doubtless　suffered　the　anguish　of　a　loving　heart　bereaved。　　His
  mind；　which　now　seemed　more　vigorous　than　ever；　after　its　long
  rest；　placed　her　before　his　very　eyes；　pale；　and　worn　with　grief；
  in　her　widow's　cap。
  At　the　picture；　he　cried　like　the　rain。　　He　could　give　her　joy；　by
  writing；　but　he　could　not　prevent　her　from　suffering　a　whole　year
  of　misery。
  Turning　this　over　in　connection　with　their　poverty；　his　evil　genius
  whispered；　〃By　this　time　she　has　received　the　six　thousand　pounds
  for　your　death。　　SHE　would　never　think　of　that；　but　her　father　has：
  and　there　is　her　comfort　assured；　in　spite　of　the　caitiffs　who　left
  her　husband　to　drown　like　a　dog。
  〃I　know　my　Rosa；〃　he　thought。　　〃She　has　swoonedah；　my　poor
  darlingshe　has　ravedshe　has　wept；〃　he　wept　himself　at　the
  thought〃she　has　mourned　every　indiscreet　act；　as　if　it　was　a
  crime。　　But　she　HAS　done　all　this。　　Her　good　and　loving　but　shallow
  nature　is　now　at　rest　from　the　agonies　of　bereavement；　and　nought
  remains　but　sad　and　tender　regrets。　　She　can　better　endure　that
  than　poverty：　cursed　poverty；　which　has　brought　her　and　me　to　this；
  and　is　the　only　real　evil　in　the　world；　but　bodily　pain。〃
  Then　came　a　struggle；　that　lasted　a　whole　week；　and　kn