Why, even our Chairman . . . I must
tell you about our Chairman. . . . He's old, and you may put it down
to senile decay. Before we discharge a patient, or let him out as
harmless, it's our custom to have him up before the Committee with a
relative who undertakes to be answerable for him. Well, our
Chairman, of late, can't be trusted to tell t'other from which: and
it's pretty painful when he starts on the vacant-looking patient and
says, pointing a finger at the astonished relative, 'You see,
Mr. So-and-so, the apparent condition of this poor creature.
It is with some hesitation that we have given this case the benefit
of the doubt; and we cannot hand him over unless satisfied that you
feel your responsibility to be a grave one.'"
Foe got up, smiling dourly, knocked out his pipe, and chose a fresh
one from the mantelpiece. "You'll make quite a good story of that,
Roddy," he said, "with a little practice. But, as I don't work among
lunatics, what's the bearing of it?"
"You're working," said I, "--for years now you've been working and
overworking--on these wretched animals, and neglecting the society of
your fellow-men.
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