made another prophetic discovery in ROBINSON
CRUSOE. Have you humoured his favourite delusion? No? You have let him
see that you don't believe in ROBINSON CRUSOE? Mr. Jennings! you have
fallen to the lowest possible place in Betteredge's estimation. Say what
you like, and do what you like, for the future. You will find that he
won't waste another word on you now."

June 21st.--A short entry must suffice in my journal to-day.

Mr. Blake has had the worst night that he has passed yet. I have been
obliged, greatly against my will, to prescribe for him. Men of his
sensitive organisation are fortunately quick in feeling the effect of
remedial measures. Otherwise, I should be inclined to fear that he will
be totally unfit for the experiment when the time comes to try it.

As for myself, after some little remission of my pains for the last two
days I had an attack this morning, of which I shall say nothing but that
it has decided me to return to the opium. I shall close this book, and
take my full dose--five hundred drops.

June 22nd.--Our prospects look better to-day. Mr. Blake's nervous
suffering is greatly allayed. He slept a little last night. MY night,
thanks to the opium, was the night of a man who is stunned. I can't
say that I woke this morning; the fitter expression would be, that I
recovered my senses.

We drove to the house to see if the refurnishing was done. It will be
completed to-morrow--Saturday. As Mr. Blake foretold, Betteredge raised
no further obstacles. From first to last, he was ominously polite, and
ominously silent.

My medical enterprise (as Betteredge calls it) must now, inevitably, be
delayed until Monday next. Tomorrow evening the workmen will be late in
the house. On the next day, the established Sunday tyranny which is one
of the institutions of this free country, so times the trains as to make
it impossible to ask anybody to travel to us from London. Until Monday
comes, there is nothing to be done but to watch Mr. Blake carefully, and
to keep him, if possible, in the same state in which I find him to-day.

In the meanwhile, I have prevailed on him to write to Mr. Bruff, making
a point of it that he shall be present as one of the witnesses. I
especially choose the lawyer, because he is strongly prejudiced against
us. If we convince HIM, we place our victory beyond the possibility of
dispute.

Mr. Blake has also written to Sergeant Cuff; and I have sent a line
to Miss Verinder. With th