ing influence had
obtained possession of him, of which he could understand no more than
that it appeared to have some connection with Cornelia. It interfered,
at unexpected moments, with his processes of thought; it distracted his
schemes of argument; it wrote itself unintelligibly upon the page he was
reading. It even followed him in his rough tramps up the hills and
through the woods, and sometimes shook the hand which held the pen
during his compositions.

Bressant knew not how best to combat his novel difficulty. Although
called into existence by an extraneous circumstance, it seemed to have
struck root in every faculty of his mind, and, what was more, into the
inmost core of every faculty. He was possessed, not by seven devils, but
by one devil in seven different forms. He felt that the only thing to be
done, if he did not intend to make an entire surrender of himself, was
to take stern and rigorous measures for deliverance. The best course
that suggested itself was to study his sevenfold devil down; taking
every precaution, of course, to keep out of the way of all additional
contamination; and this course he adopted, and had conscientiously
adhered to. It was with very pardonable satisfaction that he felt his
malady gradually and surely give way before his unsparing regimen, until
by the first of July he considered himself entirely whole and in working
order, and beyond danger of relapse.

He sometimes wondered why the professor persisted in inviting him to
take dinner, or stay to tea, or sit on the balcony in the evening, or go
on a picnic into the woods. Why couldn't the old gentleman divine the
cause of his invariable and unhesitating refusals? Leaving other
considerations out of the question, would such things be likely to
increase his knowledge of theology, or further the lofty schemes of his
ambition? He would be glad when that daughter left the house! What was
it about her that had so disturbed and beclouded the heretofore
untroubled stream? Were other women like her, or was she alone in her
dangerous capacity? If the first, with what assurance could he look
forward to the intellectual mastery of the world! If the last, what a
refinement of misfortune to have been so thrown with her! What if he
should give up Professor Valeyon altogether? No, no! if he could not
conquer his destiny here, he could not be sure of doing it anywhere. Let
him only be self-controlled and prudent--keep carefully and
systematical