human
What has become of Len's boat?
gpt
The poor fellow got into a rage one day, during a talk with me. It was in the height of summer, and the dread of the curse was breaking him down. He suddenly left me and hurried away to his boat, which was lying on the beach out of the tide. I saw him go aboard of her, and very soon smoke rose from the little cabin. I suspected what he intended to do when he left me, and went after him, but too late to prevent him setting the fire, which soon spread over the whole boat from the cabin. Len stood by, looking on without a word or movement, till the coming tide washed over the remains of the Marie. He then went away, and I did not see him for weeks, nor did I know where he had gone.
human
You wrote to me that he had fallen a victim to the water curse, as the other members of the family had before him.
gpt
Yes, poor boy. He often told me that he did not believe he would be afflicted, as his father was not so bad with it as his grandfather.
human
Len was a strange character to me, said Winslow.
gpt
There was at times a mad look in his eyes. I think it must be a form of insanity, perhaps a mild type of mental derangement.
human
It came on like a fever, and seemed to affect his mind.
gpt
Was it a sudden fever, or did it gradually affect him?
human
The thirst came with awful suddenness, the old man replied;
gpt
Was there an accompanying sickness of any kind?
human
No, not that we could detect. At the last he remained with us till the worst came.
gpt
Marie was away?
human
Yes, and we did all we could for him. Nothing gave him ease of mind. At last, on the day when he came of age, we were in the house. Len was never quiet. For days he did not rest, and I think he got very little sleep, for I often heard him pacing the house or passing out of doors. Several times I followed him to the cliffs, fearing he might do violence to himself. For during those last days his life must have been very hard to bear. Yet he had no idea of committing suicide. Surely Len's suffering was enough to atone for any act committed by any ancestor of his.
gpt
Len was a very intelligent fellow. Perhaps this had much to do with making his dread of the curse greater than it would have otherwise been?