And something did seem to be getting into, or waking up in, him.

The man had never before in the least submitted; but now it looked as if the watching spirit of life were feeling through the dust-heap of his evil judgments, low thoughts, and bad life, to find the thing that spirit had made, lying buried somewhere in the frightful tumulus: when the two met and joined, then would the man be saved; God and he would be together.

Sometimes he would utter the strangest things--such as if all the old evil modes of thinking and feeling were in full operation again; and sometimes for days Mary would not have an idea what was going on in him.

When suffering, he would occasionally break into fierce and evil language, then be suddenly silent.

God and Satan were striving for the man, and victory would be with him with whom the man should side.
For some time it remained doubtful whether this attack was not, after all, going to be the last: the doctor himself was doubtful, and, having no reason to think his death would be a great grief in the house, did not hesitate much to express his doubt.