Read The Country of the Blind, and Other Stories Page 10

  II.

  It was just then that Boyce came in. So soon as he spoke Davidsonexclaimed: "Old Boyce! Dead too! What a lark!" I hastened to explain thatDavidson was in a kind of somnambulistic trance. Boyce was interested atonce. We both did all we could to rouse the fellow out of hisextraordinary state. He answered our questions, and asked us some of hisown, but his attention seemed distracted by his hallucination about abeach and a ship. He kept interpolating observations concerning some boatand the davits, and sails filling with the wind. It made one feel queer,in the dusky laboratory, to hear him saying such things.

  He was blind and helpless. We had to walk him down the passage, one ateach elbow, to Boyce's private room, and while Boyce talked to him there,and humoured him about this ship idea, I went along the corridor and askedold Wade to come and look at him. The voice of our Dean sobered him alittle, but not very much. He asked where his hands were, and why he hadto walk about up to his waist in the ground. Wade thought over him a longtime--you know how he knits his brows--and then made him feel the couch,guiding his hands to it. "That's a couch," said Wade. "The couch in theprivate room of Professor Boyce. Horse-hair stuffing."

  Davidson felt about, and puzzled over it, and answered presently that hecould feel it all right, but he couldn't see it.

  "What _do_ you see?" asked Wade. Davidson said he could see nothingbut a lot of sand and broken-up shells. Wade gave him some other things tofeel, telling him what they were, and watching him keenly.

  "The ship is almost hull down," said Davidson presently, _apropos_ ofnothing.

  "Never mind the ship," said Wade. "Listen to me, Davidson. Do you knowwhat hallucination means?"

  "Rather," said Davidson.

  "Well, everything you see is hallucinatory."

  "Bishop Berkeley," said Davidson.

  "Don't mistake me," said Wade. "You are alive and in this room of Boyce's.But something has happened to your eyes. You cannot see; you can feel andhear, but not see. Do you follow me?"

  "It seems to me that I see too much." Davidson rubbed his knuckles intohis eyes. "Well?" he said.

  "That's all. Don't let it perplex you. Bellows here and I will take youhome in a cab."

  "Wait a bit." Davidson thought. "Help me to sit down," said he presently;"and now--I'm sorry to trouble you--but will you tell me all that overagain?"

  Wade repeated it very patiently. Davidson shut his eyes, and pressed hishands upon his forehead. "Yes," said he. "It's quite right. Now my eyesare shut I know you're right. That's you, Bellows, sitting by me on thecouch. I'm in England again. And we're in the dark."

  Then he opened his eyes. "And there," said he, "is the sun just rising,and the yards of the ship, and a tumbled sea, and a couple of birdsflying. I never saw anything so real. And I'm sitting up to my neck in abank of sand."

  He bent forward and covered his face with his hands. Then he opened hiseyes again. "Dark sea and sunrise! And yet I'm sitting on a sofa in oldBoyce's room!... God help me!"