elf
will not be sorry at the alteration. Indeed the whole wedding has been
brought about all on the sudden, and has taken everybody by surprise."

"His whole history," resumed Anderson, "is just as extraordinary as
his character. You must all remember how, being on his travels last
autumn, he arrived in our city, and spent the winter there, living
like a melancholy man almost entirely in his own room, and never
visiting our theatre or taking part in any other amusement. He all but
quarrelled with Roderick, his most intimate friend, for trying to
divert him, and refusing to pamper all his moping fantasies. In fact
this overstrained irritability and moroseness must have been a disease
that was gathering in his body: for you know he was attackt four
months ago by such a violent nervous fever, that his life was for a
long time despaired of. After his frenzy had raved itself out, and he
returned to his senses, he had almost entirely lost his memory:
nothing but his childhood and early youth kept its hold on his mind;
and he was totally unable to recollect anything that had happened
during his journey, or immediately before his illness. He had to begin
his acquaintance afresh with all his friends, even with Roderick; and
it is only by little and little that his thoughts have grown lighter,
and that the past with all that had befallen him has come back, though
still in dim colours, into his memory. He had been removed into his
uncle's house, that better care might be taken of him; and he was just
like a child, letting them do whatever they chose with him. The first
time he went out to enjoy the warmth of the spring in the park, he saw
a girl sitting pensively by the roadside. She lookt up; her eye met
his; and seized with an inexplicable yearning he stopt the carriage,
got out, sat down by her, took hold of her hands, and burst into a
flood of tears. His friends were again alarmed for his intellects: but
he grew calm, cheerful, and conversable, got introduced to the girl's
parents, and at his very first visit askt for her hand, which, with
her parents consent, she granted him. Since that time he has been
happy, and a new life has sprung up within him: day after day he has
become healthier and more contented. A week ago he paid me a visit at
this country house, and was above measure delighted with it; indeed so
much so that he would not rest till he had made me sell it to him. I
might easily have turned his passionate desire to