unmanned me. The eyes which looked into mine
were so scared with terror, the lips--if I may say so--looked so
speechless. The wretched man gazed long into my face, and then, still
holding me by the arm, slowly, very slowly, turned his head. I had
gently tried to move him away from the looking-glass, but he would not
stir, and now he was looking into it as fixedly as ever. I could bear
this no longer, and, using such force as was necessary, I drew him
gradually away, and got him to one of the chairs at the foot of the bed.
'Come!' I said--after the long silence my voice, even to myself, sounded
strange and hollow--'come! You are over-tired, and you feel the weather.
Don't you think you ought to be in bed? Suppose you lie down. Let me
try my medical skill in mixing you a composing draught.'

"He held my hand, and looked eagerly into my eyes. 'I am better now,' he
said, speaking at last very faintly. Still he looked at me in that
wistful way. It seemed as if there were something that he wanted to do
or say, but had not sufficient resolution. At length he got up from the
chair to which I had led him, and beckoning me to follow him, went across
the room to the dressing-table, and stood again before the glass. A
violent shudder passed through his frame as he looked into it; but
apparently forcing himself to go through with what he had now begun, he
remained where he was, and, without looking away, moved to me with his
hand to come and stand beside him. I complied.

"'Look in there!' he said, in an almost inaudible tone. He was
supported, as before, by his hands resting on the table, and could only
bow with his head towards the glass to intimate what he meant. 'Look in
there!' he repeated.

"I did as he asked me.

"'What do you see?' he asked next.

"'See?' I repeated, trying to speak as cheerfully as I could, and
describing the reflexion of his own face as nearly as I could. 'I see a
very, very pale face with sunken cheeks--'

"'What?' he cried, with an alarm in his voice which I could not
understand.

"'With sunken cheeks,' I went on, 'and two hollow eyes with large
pupils.'

"I saw the reflexion of my friend's face change, and felt his hand clutch
my arm even more tightly than he had done before. I stopped abruptly and
looked round at him. He did not turn his head towards me, but, gazing
still into the looking-glass, seemed to labour for utterance.

"'What,' he stammered at last. 'Do you--see