time passed. every hour seemed to poor jack to contain at least double the number of minutes. moreover, he was getting hungry.
a horrible suspicion flashed across his mind.
"the wretches can't mean to starve me, can they?" he asked himself. despite his constitutional courage he could not help shuddering at the idea.
he was unexpectedly answered by the opening of the door, and the appearance of the old man.
"are you getting hungry, my dear sir?" he inquired, with a disagreeable smile upon his features.
"why am i confined here?" demanded jack, angrily.
"why are you confined? really, one would think you didn't find your quarters comfortable."
"i am so far from finding them agreeable, that i insist upon leaving them immediately," returned jack.
"then all you have got to do is to walk through that door."
"you have locked it."
"why, so i have," said the old man, with a leer.
"i insist upon your opening it."
"i shall do so when i get ready to go out, myself."
"i shall go with you."
"i think not."
"who's to prevent me?" said jack, defiantly.
"who's to prevent you?"
"yes; you'd better not attempt it. i should be sorry to hurt you, but i mean to go out. if you attempt to stop me, you must take the consequences."
"i am afraid you are a violent young man. but i've got a man who is a match for two like you."
the old man opened the door.
"samuel, show yourself," he said.
a brawny negro, six feet in height, and evidently very powerful, came to the entrance.
"if this young man attempts to escape, samuel, what will you do?"
"tie him hand and foot," answered the negro.
"that'll do, samuel. stay where you are."
he closed the door and looked triumphantly at our hero.
jack threw himself sullenly into a chair.
"where is the woman that brought me here?" he asked.
"peg? oh, she couldn't stay. she had important business to transact, my young friend, and so she has gone. she commended you to our particular attention, and you will be just as well treated as if she were here."
this assurance was not calculated to comfort jack.
"how long are you going to keep me cooped up here?" he asked, desperately, wishing to learn the worst at once.
"really, my young friend, i couldn't say. i don't know how long it will be before you are cured."
"cured?" repeated jack, puzzled.
the old man tapped his forehead.
"you're a little affected here, you know, but under my treatment i hope soon to restore you to your friends."
"what!" ejaculated our hero, terror-stricken, "you don't mean to say you think i'm crazy?"
"to be sure you are," said the old man, "but--"
"but i tell you it's a lie," exclaimed jack, energetically. "who told you so?"
"your aunt."
"my aunt?"
"yes, mrs. hardwick. she brought you here to be treated for insanity."
"it's a base lie," said jack, hotly. "that woman is no more my aunt than you are. she's an impostor. she carried off my sister ida, and this is only a plot to get rid of me. she told me she was going to take me to see ida."
the old man shrugged his shoulders.
"my young friend," he said, "she told me all about it--that you had a delusion about some supposed sister, whom you accused her of carrying off."
"this is outrageous," said jack, hotly.
"that's what all my patients say."
"and you are a mad-doctor?"
"yes."
"then you know by my looks that i am not crazy."
"pardon me, my young friend; that doesn't follow. there is a peculiar appearance about your eyes which i cannot mistake. there's no mistake about it, my good sir. your mind has gone astray, but if you'll be quiet, and won't excite yourself, you'll soon be well."
"how soon?"
"well, two or three months."
"two or three months! you don't mean to say you want to confine me here two or three months?"
"i hope i can release you sooner."
"you can't understand your business very well, or you would see at once that i am not insane."
"that's what all my patients say. they won't any of them own that their minds are affected."
"will you supply me with some writing materials?"
"yes; samuel shall bring them here."
"i suppose you will excuse my suggesting also that it is dinner time?"
"he shall bring you some dinner at the same time."
the old man retired, but in fifteen minutes a plate of meat and vegetables was brought to the room.
"i'll bring the pen and ink afterward," said the negro.
in spite of his extraordinary situation and uncertain prospects, jack ate with his usual appetite.
then he penned a letter to his uncle, briefly detailing the circumstances of his present situation.
"i am afraid," the letter concluded, "that while i am shut up here, mrs. hardwick will carry ida out of the city, where it will be more difficult for us to get on her track. she is evidently a dangerous woman."
two days passed and no notice was taken of the letter.
