It looked as if some terrible suspicion were suddenly confirmed.
"You see what my mother is after!" said John. "You have now to believe
_her_, that I am subject to fits of insanity, or to believe _me_, that
there is nothing she will not do to get her way."
"Her object is clear," I replied. "But if she thinks to fool my uncle,
she will find herself mistaken!"
"She hopes to fool both you and your uncle," he rejoined. "The only wise
thing I could do, she will handle so as to convince any expert of my
madness--I mean, my coming to you! My reasons will go for nothing--less
than no-thing--with any one she chooses to bewitch. She will look at me
with an anxious love no doctor could doubt. No one can know _you_ do not
know that I am not mad--or at least subject to attacks of madness!"
"Oh, John, don't frighten me!" I cried.
"There! you are not sure about it!"
It seemed cruel of him to tease me so; but I saw presently why he did it:
he thought his mother's letter had waked a doubt in my uncle; and he
wanted me not to be vexed with my uncle, even if he deserted him and went
over to his mother's side.
"I love your uncle," he said. "I know he is a true man! I _will_ not be
angry with him if my mother do mislead him. The time will come when he
will know the truth. It must appear at last! I shall have to fight her
alone, that's all! The worst is, if he thinks with my mother I shall have
to go at once!--If only somebody would sell my horse for me!"
I guessed that his mother kept him short of money, and remembered with
gladness that I was not quite penniless at the moment.
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