human
Oh! it has been worse this last occasion, far worse than before. I do not walk in my sleep. Whilst I am buried in slumber, someone else takes my place.
gpt
Whom do you mean? Surely not one of the maids?
human
Oh, no. I met her on the stairs last night, that is what made me faint.
gpt
Whom did you meet?
human
Myself--my double.
gpt
Nonsense, Miss Mountjoy.
human
But it is a fact. I saw myself as clearly as I see you now. I was going down into the hall.
gpt
You saw yourself! You saw your own pleasant, pretty face in a looking-glass.
human
There is no looking-glass on the staircase. Besides, I was in my alpaca morning-gown, and my double had on my pearl-grey cloth costume, with my straw hat. She was mounting as I was descending.
gpt
Tell me the story.
human
I went yesterday--an hour or so before I had to dress--into the schoolroom. I am awfully ignorant, and I did want to see a map and find out where was Henley, because, you know, I was going to the boat-race. And I dropped off into one of those dreadful dead sleeps, with my head on the atlas. When I awoke it was evening, and the gas-lamps were lighted. I was frightened, and ran out to the landing and I heard them arrive, just come back from Henley, and as I was going down the stairs, I saw my double coming up, and we met face to face. She passed me by, and went on to my room--to this room. So you see this is proof pos that I am not a somnambulist.
gpt
I never said that you were. I never for a moment admitted the supposition. That, if you remember, was your own idea. What I said before is what I repeat now, that you suffer from failure of memory.
human
But that cannot be so, Dr. Groves.
gpt
Pray, why not?
human
Because I saw my double, wearing my regatta costume.
gpt
I hold to my opinion, Miss Mountjoy. If you will listen to me I shall be able to offer a satisfactory explanation. Satisfactory, I mean, so far as to make your experiences intelligible to you. I do not at all imply that your condition is satisfactory.
human
Well, tell me. I cannot make heads or tails of this matter.
gpt
It is this, young lady. On several recent occasions you have suffered from lapses of memory. All recollection of what you did, where you went, what you said, has been clean wiped out. But on this last--it was somewhat different. The failure took place on your return, and you forgot everything that had happened since you were engaged in the schoolroom looking at the atlas.
human
Yes.
gpt
Then, on your arrival here, as Lady Lacy told me, you ran upstairs, and in a prodigious hurry changed your clothes and put on your----
human
My alpaca.
gpt
Your alpaca, yes. Then, in descending to the hall, your memory came back, but was still entangled with flying reminiscences of what had taken place during the intervening period. Amongst other things----
human
I remember no other things.
gpt
You recalled confusedly one thing only, that you had mounted the stairs in your--your----
human
My pearl-grey cloth, with the straw hat and satin ribbon.
gpt
Precisely. Whilst in your morning gown, into which you had scrambled, you recalled yourself in your regatta costume going upstairs to change. This fragmentary reminiscence presented itself before you as a vision. Actually you saw nothing. The impression on your brain of a scrap recollected appeared to you as if it had been an actual object depicted on the retina of your eye. Such things happen, and happen not infrequently. In cases of D. T.----
human
But I haven't D. T. I don't drink.
gpt
I do not say that. If you will allow me to proceed. In cases of D. T. the patient fancies he sees rats, devils, all sorts of objects. They appear to him as obvious realities, he thinks that he sees them with his eyes. But he does not. These are mere pictures formed on the brain.
human
Then you hold that I really was at the boat-race?
gpt
I am positive that you were.
human
And that I danced at Lady Belgrove's ball?
gpt
Most assuredly.
human
And heard _Carmen_ at Her Majesty's?
gpt
I have not the remotest doubt that you did.
human
I want you to tell me, Dr. Groves, quite truthfully, quite frankly--do not think that I shall be frightened whatever you say; I shall merely prepare for what may be--do you consider that I am going out of my mind?
gpt
I have not the least occasion for supposing so.
human
That, said Betty,
gpt
You may set your mind at rest on that score.
human
But loss of memory is bad, but better than the other. Will these fits of failure come on again?
gpt
That is more than I can prognosticate; let us hope for the best. A complete change of scene, change of air, change of association----
human
Not to leave auntie!
gpt
No. I do not mean that, but to get away from London society. It may restore you to what you were. You never had those fits before?
human
Never, never, till I came to town.
gpt
And when you have left town they may not recur.
human
I shall take precious good care not to revisit London if it is going to play these tricks with me.