The hard trials to my courage, endurance, and physical strength, through which I had passed within the last twelve hours, had completely exhausted all my powers of resistance.

I went away speechless to my own room; and when I found myself alone there, burst out crying.
Childish, was it not?
When I had been rested and strengthened by a few hours' sleep, I found myself able to confront the future with tolerable calmness.
What would it be best for me to do?
Ought I to attempt to make my escape?
I did not despair of succeeding; but when I began to think of the consequences of success, I hesitated.

My chief object now was, not so much to secure my own freedom, as to find my way to Alicia.

I had never been so deeply and desperately in love with her as I was now, when I knew she was separated from me.

Suppose I succeeded in escaping from the clutches of Doctor Dulcifer--might I not be casting myself uselessly on the world, without a chance of finding a single clew to trace her by?
Suppose, on the other hand, that I remained for the present in the red-brick house--should I not by that course of conduct be putting myself in the best position for making discoveries?
In the first place, there was the chance that Alicia might find some secret means of communicating with me if I remained where I was.