ay, like one oppressed by fatigue or weak
from illness.

"Dreadful, dreadful!" he ejaculated. "I never dreamed of anything like
this. Poor Carlton!"

"You see," remarked Mr. Elliott, "how easily a thing like this may
happen. A man cannot go to one of these evening entertainments and
indulge with anything like the freedom to which he is invited and be in
a condition to do his best work on the day following. Some of your
iron-nerved men may claim an exemption here, but we know that all
over-stimulation must leave the body in some degree unstrung when the
excitement dies out, and they suffer loss with the rest--a loss the
aggregate of which makes itself felt in the end. We have to think for a
moment only to satisfy ourselves that the wine-and brandy-drinking into
which men and women are enticed at dinner-parties and fashionable
entertainments is a fruitful source of evil. The effect upon body and
mind after the indulgence is over is seen in headaches, clouded brain,
nervous irritation, lassitude, inability to think, and sometimes in a
general demoralization of both the physical and mental economy. Where
there is any chronic or organic ailment the morbid condition is
increased and sometimes severe attacks of illness follow.

"Are our merchants, bankers, lawyers, doctors and men holding
responsible trusts as fit for duty after a social debauch--is the word
too strong?--as before? If we reflect for a moment--you see, Mr.
Birtwell, in what current my thoughts have been running--it must be
clear to us that after every great entertainment such as you and other
good citizens are in the habit of giving many business and professional
mistakes must follow, some of them of a serious character. All this
crowds upon and oppresses me, and my wonder is that it did not long ago
so crowd upon and oppress me. It seems as though scales had dropped
suddenly from my eyes and things I had never seen before stood out in
clearest vision."

CHAPTER XXVII.

THEY were still in conversation when Mrs. Birtwell returned. Her eyes
were wet and her face pale and sorrowful. She sat down beside her
husband, and without speaking laid her head against him and sobbed
violently. Mr. Birtwell feared to ask the question whose answer he
guessed too well.

"How is it with our friend?" Mr. Elliott inquired as Mrs. Birtwell grew
calmer. She looked up, answering sorrowfully:

"It is all over," then hid her face again, borne down by excessive
emotion