h life, cold, slimy, preternatural things of life; that their
eyes after assuming a variety of awful expressions, settled down into
that dull frozen character, and their voices into that low, sepulchral,
indefinable tone, which marked the Mysterious Tailor. This wretch was
the Abaddon of my dreamy Pandaemonium. He was ever before me; he lent an
added splendour to the day, and deepened the midnight gloom. On the
heights of Bologne I saw him; far away over the foaming waters he
floated still and lifeless beside me, his eye never once off my face,
his voice never silent in my ear.

My tale would scarcely have an end, were I to repeat but the one half of
what during two brief days (two centuries in suffering) I experienced
from this derangement of the nervous system. My readers may fancy that I
have exaggerated my state of mind: far from it, I have purposely
softened down the more distressing particulars, apprehensive, if not of
being discredited, at least of incurring ridicule. Towards the close of
the third day my fever began to abate, I became more sobered in my turn
of thought, could contrive to answer questions, and listen with
tolerable composure to my landlord's details of my miraculous
preservation. The storm was slowly rolling off my mind, but the swell
was still left behind it. The fourth day found me so far recovered, that
I was enabled to quit my chamber, sit beside an open window, and derive
amusement from the uncouth appearance of a Dutch crew, whose brig was
lying at anchor in the harbour. From this time forward, every hour
brought fresh accession to my strength, until at the expiration of the
tenth day--so sudden is recovery in cases of violent fever when once the
crisis is passed--I was sufficiently restored to take my place by a
night-coach for London. The first few stages I endured tolerably well,
notwithstanding that I had somewhat rashly ventured upon an outside
place; but as midnight drew on, the wind became so piercingly keen,
accompanied every now and then by a squally shower of sleet, that I was
glad to bargain for an inside berth. By good luck, there was just room
enough left for one, which I instantly appropriated, in spite of sundry
hints _hemmed_ forth by a crusty old gentleman, that the coach was full
already. I took my place in the coach, to the dissatisfaction of those
already seated there. Not a word was spoken for miles: for the
circumstance of its being dark increased the distrust of all, a