Page:Garshin - A Red Flower (1911).djvu/33

Rh not struggle; fortunately at this moment his insane thoughts seemed agreeable to the operation. He soon fell asleep. His frenzied motion ceased, and there was relief from the noise made by his impetuous footsteps. He slumbered and ceased to think of everything, even of the second flower, which it was necessary to sever from its stem.

However, he detached the flower three days later, before the eyes of the old watchman, who was not sufficiently quick to prevent it. The old man ran after him. With a loud and joyful cry the patient ran into the hospital, and, casting himself into his room, hid the flower in his bosom.

"Why do you break off flowers?" asked the watchman, entering the room. The sick man, however, lying in his bed in his usual position with crossed arms, began to talk such nonsense that the watchman, cap in hand, silently made his exit. The visionary, fantastic struggle began anew. The patient felt the long, snake-like, creeping leaves of the flower—coils of evil they were—enwrap him, strangle him; he felt them impregnating all his body with their terrible contents. He wept, and prayed to God, and cursed his enemy. The madman crushed the