The Devil's Elixir

felt a strange irritation, a shooting prickly pain in every vein and fibre, till it seemed as if my frame was split and divided an hundred fold, and every division thence arising

till hundreds of them, whirling rapidly together, formed at last the appearance of a fixed ball of fire, which darted forth

till in the wood, and making a vehement effort to rise up, but I fell back powerless on my couch. Now, for the first time, I was restored to perfect consciousness, and saw, with great surprise, that I

y their rule, obliged to receive the sick. Probably my clothes had been torn, and they had been obliged, for the meanwhile, to supply me with a cowl. However this might be, there was no doubt that I

ay dress, the other wore the habit of the brethren of charity. They came up to me in silence; the man in the lay dress fixed his eyes on me, and seemed much astonished. "I am again come

Italian, "This is indeed very extraordinary. His looks are, since our last visit, completely changed

onk, "I have no doubt tha

ve seen how he may conduct himself for the next few days. Bu

swered in t

pted I. "Tell me, then, I beseech you, wh

ur perfect recovery. Three months ago you were brought hither in a very critical and dangerous situation; but, under our care and attention, you seem to have made great progres

" said I, "in this Capuch

questions, and do not disquiet yourself-everything shall, in due time, be explained

e to drink, and then to tell him what I thought it was. I obeyed, and told him that what I had drunk seemed to me a strong and nourishing mea

d opened the lattice. A delightfully warm and fragrant (but not sultry) air, such as till then I had never breathed, came in at the window. Without, I beheld an extensive garden, wherein all sorts of fruit-trees grew, and flourished in the highest luxuriance. There were also del

e blessed saints granted to a wretch

at my raptures. "You are i

e. He referred me to the physician, who just then entered, and who at last informed me, that a strange man of most eccentric manners had brought me hither about th

he latter, as if in order to obtain information for himself, even requested me to write down many things which he afterwards read over in my presence; but I was puzzl

re led about by the monks. Once, in particular, I was struck by the appearance of a tall haggard man, in a dingy yellow mantle, who was led by two of the brethren, one on each side, and in this ma

y whom I was attended drew me suddenly away. "Come, come, dea

"tell me how is it that yo

"should we not know your name? The man by whom you were brought hither, named you without hesitation, and yo

he hospital, whether he were or were not initiated in the horrible mysteries of my life, he certainly had not cherished any evil inte

rance of the air, which seemed to inspire me with new life and energy in every fibre, when I beheld in the garden

e possessed by the demon of St Vitus. Occasionally he made a full stop, and at one of these intervals, perceiving me at the window, he took off his high-peaked hat, and waved it in the air, then kissed his hand repeatedly, with an emphasis of gesticulation which at once confirmed and cleared up m

his appearance; "how, in the name of

riven and hurled onwards as I was by that malignant and relentless destiny, which never fails to persecute every m

ould'st thou say?" interrupted

wrath, immolated the left whisker of the youngest Commerziensrath in

se absurd and unmeaning jokes, and to tell your story

hat you are restored to health, you would send me from you in disgrace; but, as long as you w

ite confounded; "and how have you got

mile, "if you please, at the right-

idered thereupon; and, on more accurate inspection, I could discover also that this was the identical tun

mph. With his fore-finger on his nose, and lifting himself on tiptoe, he looked sted

was I, the banished, the despised and misunderstood Belcampo, who provided for you this dress, in order to cover your nakedness. Brother Medardus, you were then, indeed, but in a sorry plight, for, instead of great-coat, vest, pantaloons, English frock, &

much incensed; "Sch?nfeld-I insist on your b

een present on every disastrous occasion, to assist your wisdom; and without which, you would have found yourself miserably deficient. It is from Folly alone that you have derived protection. By this alone your boasted reas

ho never troubles himself with what happens beyond his own narrow boundaries, who, from sheer ennui, indeed, makes his soldiers be exercised on the parade-platz, though the said soldiers afterwards, in time of danger, cannot fire a single volley in proper time. But Folly, the true queen of the people, marches in with kettle-drums and trumpets-Huzza! Huzza!-before and behind her, triumph and rejoicing! The lieges straightway emancipate themselves from the c

w you came hither, and what you know regarding the dress which I now wear!" Hereupon I seized him by both arms, and forced hi

me. It was I who enabled you to escape from the town

eaven," said I, "where

if I, weak and diminutive as I seem, had not contrived to bear you on my should

my attendant monk entered the room. "How hast thou come hither? Who gave

etending to burst into tears, "I could no longer resist the vehement impu

brother," said I to the monk, "did

nk hes

in the most frightful of all conditions. You perceive, however, that I am now quite well, and therefore, I may he