Page:Garshin - A Red Flower (1911).djvu/15

Rh the Spanish fly to come off, together with the outer skin, and leaving an ugly looking sore. The pain produced by this operation, not to be endured even by a sane and healthy person, seemed to the madman to be the end of all. He burst forward most ferociously, released the hold of the attendants, and his naked body rolled on the stone floor. He thought that they had chopped off his head. He wished to cry out, but could not. He was carried away on a litter in an insensible condition, which soon passed into a long and sound sleep.

He awoke at night. Everything was still; from the large neighboring room could be heard the breathing of the sleeping inmates. Somewhere from afar sounded a strange, monotonous voice. It was that of a patient conversing with himself in a dark room; and from the top floor—the women's department—a hoarse contralto was singing a wild song. The patient listened to these sounds. He felt a terrible weakness in all his organs; his neck pained him frightfully.

"Where am I? What is the matter with