rs to my sister and to O'Brien, during the first
two or three months, and requested the keeper to put them in the post.
This he promised to do, never refusing to take the letters; but, as I
afterwards found out, they were invariably destroyed. Yet I still bore
up with the hopes of release for some time; but the anxiety relative to
my sister, when I thought of her situation, my thoughts of Celeste and
of O'Brien, sometimes quite overcame me; then, indeed, I would almost
become frantic, and the keeper would report that I had had a paroxysm.
After six months I became melancholy, and I wasted away. I no longer
attempted to amuse myself, but sat all day with my eyes fixed upon
vacancy. I no longer attended to my person; I allowed my beard to grow--
my face was never washed, unless mechanically, when ordered by the
keeper; and if I was not mad, there was every prospect of my soon
becoming so. Life passed away as a blank--I had become indifferent to
everything--I noted time no more--the change of seasons was unperceived
--even the day and the night followed without my regarding them.

I was in this unfortunate situation, when one day the door was opened,
and, as had been often the custom during my imprisonment, visitors were
going round the establishment, to indulge their curiosity, in witnessing
the degradation of their fellow-creatures, or to offer their
commiseration. I paid no heed to them, not even casting up my eyes.
"This young man," said the medical gentleman who accompanied the party,
"has entertained the strange idea that his name is Simple, and that he
is the rightful heir to the title and property of Lord Privilege."

One of the visitors came up to me, and looked me in the face. "And so he
is," cried he to the doctor, who looked with astonishment. "Peter, don't
you know me?" I started up. It was General O'Brien. I flew into his
arms, and burst into tears.

"Sir," said General O'Brien, leading me to the chair, and seating me
upon it, "I tell you that _is_ Mr Simple, the nephew of Lord Privilege;
and I believe, the heir to the title. If, therefore, his assertion of
such being the case is the only proof of his insanity, he is illegally
confined. I am here, a foreigner, and a prisoner on parole; but I am not
without friends. My Lord Belmore," said he, turning to another of the
visitors who had accompanied him, "I pledge you my honour that what I
state is true; and I request that you will immediately demand the
releas