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The Leech
Ifthelatterpossessnativesagacity,andanamelesssomethingmoreletuscallitintuition;ifheshownointrusiveegotism,nordisagreeableprominentcharacteristicsofhisown;ifhehavethepower,whichmustbebornwithhim,tobringhismindintosuchaffinitywithhispatient’s,thatthislastshallunawareshavespokenwhatheimagineshimselfonlytohavethoughtifsuchrevelationsbereceivedwithouttumult,andacknowledgednotsooftenbyanutteredsympathyasbysilence,aninarticulatebreath,andhereandthereawordtoindicatethatallisunderstood;iftothesequalificationsofaconfidantbejoinedtheadvantagesaffordedbyhisrecognisedcharacterasaphysician;—then,atsomeinevitablemoment,willthesoulofthesuffererbedissolved,andflowforthinadarkbuttransparentstream,bringingallitsmysteriesintothedaylight.
RogerChillingworthpossessedall,ormost,oftheattributesaboveenumerated.Nevertheless,timewenton;akindofintimacy,aswehavesaid,grewupbetweenthesetwocultivatedminds,whichhadaswideafieldasthewholesphereofhumanthoughtandstudytomeetupon;theydiscussedeverytopicofethicsandreligion,ofpublicaffairs,andprivatecharacter;theytalkedmuch,onbothsides,ofmattersthatseemedpersonaltothemselves;andyetnosecret,suchasthephysicianfanciedmustexistthere,everstoleoutoftheminister’sconsciousnessintohiscompanion’sear.Thelatterhadhissuspicions,indeed,thateventhenatureofMr.
