Wieland's Maddness by Charles Brockden Brown
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. the prospect of_the future excited my loathing .I muttered, in a low voice, " why should I live longer ? why should I drag a miserable being ? all for whom I ought to live have perished .Am I not myself hunted to death ? "

at_that moment my despair suddenly became vigorous . my nerves were no longer unstrung . my powers, that had long been deadened, were revived . my bosom swelled with a sudden energy, and_the conviction darted through my mind, that to end my torments was, at once, practicable and wise .

I_knew how to_find way to_the recesses of life . I_could use a lancet with some skill, and could distinguish between vein and artery . by piercing deep into_the latter, i_should shun the evils which the future had in store for_me, and take refuge from my woes in quiet death .

I started on my feet, for_my feebleness was gone, and hasted to_the closet .a lancet and other small instruments were preserved in a case which I had deposited here . inattentive as i_was to foreign considerations, my ears were still open to any sound of mysterious import that should occur . i_thought I heard a step in_the entry . my purpose was suspended, and I cast an eager glance at my chamber door, which_was open . no one appeared, unless the shadow which I discerned upon_the floor was_the outline of a man . if_it were, i_was authorized to suspect that some one was posted close to_the entrance, who possibly had overheard my exclamations .

my teeth chattered, and a wild confusion took the place of_my momentary calm . thus it_was when a terrific visage had disclosed itself on a former night . thus it_was when_the evil destiny of Wieland assumed the lineaments of something human . what horrid apparition was preparing to blast my sight ?

still I listened and gazed . not long, for_the shadow moved; a foot, unshapely and huge, was thrust forward; a form advanced from its concealment, and stalked into_the room . it_was Carwin !

while I had breath, I shrieked . while I had power over my muscles, I motioned with my hand that he_should vanish . my exertions could_not last long: I sunk into a fit .

Oh that_this grateful oblivion had lasted forever ! too quickly I recovered my senses . the power of distinct vision was no sooner restored to_me, than this hateful form again presented itself, and I once more relapsed .

a second time, untoward nature recalled me from_the sleep of death . I_found myself stretched upon_the bed . when I had power to look up, I remembered only that I had cause to fear . my distempered fancy fashioned to itself no distinguishable image .I threw a languid glance round me: once more my eyes lighted upon Carwin .

he_was seated on_the floor, his back rested against the wall; his knees were drawn up, and_his face was buried in_his hands . that his station was at some distance, that his attitude was not menacing, that his ominous visage was concealed, may account for_my now escaping a shock violent as_those which were past .I withdrew my eyes, but was not again deserted by my senses .

on perceiving that I had recovered my sensibility, he lifted his head . this motion attracted my attention . his countenance was mild, but sorrow and astonishment sat upon his features .I averted my eyes and feebly exclaimed, "Oh, fly ! -- fly far and forever ! -- I_cannot behold you and live ! "

he_did_not rise upon his feet, but clasped his hands, and said, in a tone of deprecation, " i_will fly . I_am become a fiend, the sight of whom destroys . yet tell me my offense ! you_have linked curses with my name; you ascribe to_me a malice monstrous and infernal .I look around: all is loneliness and desert ! this house and your brother's are solitary and dismantled ! you die away at_the sight of me ! my fear whispers that some deed of horror has_been perpetrated; that I_am the undesigning cause ."

what language was_this ? had he not avowed himself a ravisher ? had_not this chamber witnessed his atrocious purposes ? I besought him with new vehemence to_go .

he lifted his eyes:--" great heaven ! what have I done ? i_think I_know the extent of_my offenses . I_have acted, but my actions have possibly effected more than I designed . this fear has brought me back from my retreat .I come to repair the evil of_which my rashness was_the cause, and to_prevent more evil .I come to confess my errors ."

" wretch ! " I cried, when my suffocating emotions would permit me to_speak, " the ghosts of_my sister and her children,-- do they not rise to accuse thee ? who was_it that blasted the intellect of Wieland ? who was_it that urged him to fury and guided him to murder ? who, but thou and_the devil, with_whom thou art confederated ? "

at_these words a new spirit pervaded his countenance . his eyes once more appealed to heaven ." if I_have memory-- if I_have being-- I_am innocent .I intended no ill; but my folly, indirectly and remotely, may_have caused it . but what words are these ? your brother lunatic ! his children dead ! "

what should I infer from_this deportment ? was_the ignorance which these words implied real or pretended ? yet how could I imagine amere human agency in_these events ? but, if_the influence was preternatural or maniacal in my brother's case, they_must_be equally so in my own . then I remembered that_the voice exerted was to save me from Carwin's attempts . these ideas tended to abate my abhorrence of_this man, and to detect the absurdity of_my accusations .

" alas ! " said I, " I_have no one to accuse . leave me to my fate . fly from ascene stained with cruelty, devoted to despair ."

Carwin stood for a time musing and mournful . at_length he_said, " what has happened ? I_came to expiate my crimes: let me know them in their full extent . I_have horrible forebodings ! what has happened ? "

i_was silent; but, recollecting the intimation given by_this man when he_was detected in my closet, which implied some knowledge of_that power which interfered in my favor, I eagerly inquired, " what_was that voice which called upon me to hold when I attempted to open the closet ? what face was_that which I_saw at_the bottom of_the stairs ? answer me truly ."

" I_came to confess the truth . your allusions are horrible and strange . perhaps I_have but faint conceptions of_the evils which my infatuation has produced; but what remains i_will perform . it_was my voice that you heard ! it_was my face that you saw ! "

for a moment I doubted whether my remembrance of events were_not confused . how could he be at once stationed at my shoulder and shut up in my closet ? how could he stand near me and yet be invisible ? but if Carwin's were the thrilling voice and_the fiery image which I had heard and seen, then was he the prompter of_my brother, and_the author of_these dismal outrages .

once more I averted my eyes and struggled for speech:--" begone ! thou man of mischief ! remorseless and implacable miscreant, begone ! "

" i_will obey," said he, in a disconsolate voice; " yet, wretch as I_am, am I unworthy to repair the evils that I_have committed ? I_came as arepentant criminal . it_is you whom I_have injured, and at your bar am I willing to appear and confess and expiate my crimes . I_have deceived you; I_have sported with your terrors; I_have plotted to destroy your reputation .I come now to remove your terrors; to set you beyond the reach of similar fears; to rebuild your fame as far as I_am able .

" this_is_the amount of_my guilt, and this the fruit of_my remorse . will_you not hear me ? listen to my confession, and then denounce punishment . all I ask is a patient audience ."

" what ! " I replied; " was not thine the voice that commanded my brother to imbrue his hands in_the blood of_his children ? -- to strangle that angel of sweetness, his wife ? has he not vowed my death, and_the death of Pleyel, at thy bidding ? Hast thou not made him the butcher of_his family ? -- changed him who was_the glory of_his species into worse than brute ? -- robbed him of reason and consigned the rest of_his days to fetters and stripes ? "

Carwin's eyes glared and_his limbs were petrified at_this intelligence . no words were requisite to_prove him guiltless of_these enormities: at_the_time, however, i_was nearly insensible to_these exculpatory tokens . he walked to_the farther end of_the room, and, having recovered some degree of composure, he spoke:--

" I_am not this villain . I_have slain no one; I_have prompted none to slay; I_have handled a tool of wonderful efficacy without malignant intentions, but without caution . ample will_be the punishment of_my temerity, if_my conduct has contributed to_this evil ." he paused .

I likewise was silent .I struggled to command myself so_far as_to listen to_the tale which he_should tell .Observing this, he continued:--

" you_are_not apprised of_the existence of a power which I possess . I_know not by what name to_call it .[1] it enables me to mimic exactly the voice of another, and to modify the sound so_that it shall appear to_come from what quarter and be uttered at what distance I please .

" I_know not that everyone possesses this power . perhaps, though a casual position of_my organs in my youth showed me that I possessed it, it_is an art which_may_be taught to all . would to god I had died unknowing of_the secret ! it has produced nothing but degradation and calamity ."

[1] Biloquium, or ventrilocution . sound is varied according to_the variations of direction and distance . the art of_the ventriloquist consists in modifying his voice according to all these variations, without changing his place . see the work of_the Abbe de la Chappelle, in_which are accurately recorded the performances of one_of_these artists, and some ingenious though unsatisfactory speculations are given on_the means by_which the effects are produced . this power is, perhaps, given by nature, but is doubtless improvable, if_not acquirable, by art . it may, possibly, consist in an unusual flexibility or extension of_the bottom of_the tongue and_the uvula . that speech is producible by_these alone must_be granted, since anatomists mention two instances of persons speaking without a tongue . in one case the organ was originally wanting, but its place was supplied by a small tubercle, and_the uvula was perfect . in_the other the tongue was destroyed by disease, but probably a small part of it remained .

this power is difficult to explain, but the fact is undeniable . experience shows that_the human voice can imitate the voice of all men and of all inferior animals . the sound of musical instruments, and even noises from_the contact of inanimate substances, have_been accurately imitated . the mimicry of animals is notorious; and Dr .Burney (" musical Travels") mentions one who imitated a flute and violin, so as_to deceive even his ears .

third part

I

[ after Carwin's confession of_his powers of ventriloquism all the mysteries are cleared up-- save one . the owner of_the voice heard in Clara's chamber, on_the first night after_the wanderer appeared at Mettingen; the threatener on_the edge of_the precipice; the spy in Clara's closet, and would- be intruder; the manipulator of_the vile plot that destroyed her lover's confidence-- all these hidden identities have materialized in_the person of this_one unhappy man . but while confessing the prying disposition which led to_these sins, in efforts to protect himself from discovery, Carwin still denies that Wieland's mad acts were perpetrated at his instigation .]

" I_have uttered the truth . this_is_the extent of_my offenses . you tell me a horrid tale of Wieland being led to_the destruction of_his wife and children by some mysterious agent . you charge me with_the guilt of_this agency, but I repeat that_the amount of_my guilt has_been truly stated . the perpetrator of Catharine's death was unknown to_me till now; nay, it_is still unknown to_me ."

at_that moment, the closing of a door in_the kitchen was distinctly heard by_us .Carwin started and paused ." there_is some one coming . I_must not be found here by my enemies, and need not, since my purpose is answered ."

I had drunk in, with_the most vehement attention, every word that he had uttered .I had no breath to interrupt his tale by interrogations or comments . the power that he spoke of was hitherto unknown to_me; its existence was incredible; it_was susceptible of no direct proof .

he owns that his were the voice and face which I heard and saw . he attempts to_give a human explanation of_these phantasms but it_is enough that he owns himself to_be the agent: his tale is a lie, and_his nature devilish . as he deceived me, he likewise deceived my brother, and now do I behold the author of all our calamities !

such were my thoughts when his pause allowed me to_think . i_should_have bade him begone if_the silence had_not_been interrupted; but now I feared no more for_myself; and_the milkiness of_my nature was curdled into hatred and rancor . some one was near, and this enemy of god and man might possibly be brought to justice .I reflected not that_the preternatural power which he had hitherto exerted would avail to rescue him from any toils in_which his feet might_be entangled . meanwhile, looks, and not words, of menace and abhorrence, were all that I_could bestow .

he_did_not depart . he_seemed dubious whether by passing out_of_the house,

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