Pickle attended him to his chamber, and, locking him up, put the
key in his own pocket, that he might not have it in his power to
interrupt him again; but in his return he was met by Mr. Jolter
and the doctor, who had been a second time alarmed by the painter's
cries, and came to inquire about this new adventure. Half-frantic
with such a series of disappointments, he cursed them in his heart
for their unseasonable appearance. When they questioned him about
Pallet, he told them he had found him stark staring mad, howling
in a corner, and wet to the skin, and conducted him to his room,
where he was now abed. The physician, hearing this circumstance,
made a merit of his vanity; and, under pretence of concern for the
patient's welfare, desired he might have an opportunity of examining
the symptoms of his disorder, without loss of time; alleging that
many diseases might have been stifled in the birth, which afterwards
baffled all the endeavours of the medical art. The young gentleman
accordingly delivered the key, and once more withdrew into his
own chamber, with a view of seizing the first occasion that should
present itself of renewing his application to his Amanda's door;
while the doctor, in his way to Pellet's apartment, hinted to the
governor his suspicion that the patient laboured under that dreadful
symptom called the hydrophobia, which he observed had sometimes
appeared in persons who were not previously bit by a mad dog.
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