Poor little Gretchen!' Then, after a moment he added, but there _is_ a Gretchen, and I wrote to her to join me in Liverpool, and I thought she did and was with me on the ship and in the train, but sometimes, when my head is so hot, I get things mixed, and am not sure but--' and he looked wistfully in his companion's face, while his voice trembled a little.
'Don't let them shut me up; I have a suspicion that they will try it, but it will do no good.

I was in an asylum nearly three years near Vienna; went of my own accord, because of that heat in my head.' 'Been in an asylum ?' Mr.St.Claire said, wonderingly.
'Yes,' Arthur continued, 'I was only out three months ago.

I wrote occasionally to Frank and Gretchen, but did not tell them where I was.
They called it a _maison de sante_, and treated me well because I paid well, but the sight of so many crazy people made me worse, and if I had staid I should have been mad as the maddest of them.

As it was, I forgot almost everything that ever happened, and fancied I was an Austrian.

As soon as I came out I was better, though I was not quite myself till I got to Liverpool.