Hari, he began to drink again, and went on drinking until he
fell to the ground, overcome by intoxication. And there he remained lying
on his face, dead drunk, his limbs benumbed, and snoring loudly. But
scarcely had he digested the maddening and burning liquor than the same
cry, "Ulrich!" woke him like a bullet piercing his brain, and he got up,
still staggering, stretching out his hands to save himself from falling,
and calling to Sam to help him. And the dog, who appeared to be going mad
like his master, rushed to the door, scratched it with his claws and
gnawed it with his long white teeth, while the young man, with his head
thrown back drank the brandy in draughts, as if it had been cold water,
so that it might by and by send his thoughts, his frantic terror, and his
memory to sleep again.

In three weeks he had consumed all his stock of ardent spirits. But his
continual drunkenness only lulled his terror, which awoke more furiously
than ever as soon as it was impossible for him to calm it. His fixed idea
then, which had been intensified by a month of drunkenness, and which was
continually increasing in his absolute solitude, penetrated him like a
gimlet. He now walked about the house like a wild beast in its cage,
putting his ear to the door to listen if the other were there and defying
him through the wall. Then, as soon as he dozed, overcome by fatigue, he
heard the voice which made him leap to his feet.

At last one night, as cowards do when driven to extremities, he sprang to
the door and opened it, to see who was calling him and to force him to
keep quiet, but such a gust of cold wind blew into his face that it
chilled him to the bone, and he closed and bolted the door again
immediately, without noticing that Sam had rushed out. Then, as he was
shivering with cold, he threw some wood on the fire and sat down in front
of it to warm himself, but suddenly he started, for somebody was
scratching at the wall and crying. In desperation he called out: "Go
away!" but was answered by another long, sorrowful wail.

Then all his remaining senses forsook him from sheer fright. He repeated:
"Go away!" and turned round to try to find some corner in which to hide,
while the other person went round the house still crying and rubbing
against the wall. Ulrich went to the oak sideboard, which was full of
plates and dishes and of provisions, and lifting it up with superhuman
strength, he dragged it to the door, so as to form a