And then， as the bystanders afterwards affirmed， ahissing sound was heard， apparently in Roderick Elliston’sbreast. It was said， too， that an answering hiss came fromthe vitals of the shipmaster， as if a snake were actuallylurking there， and had been aroused by the call of itsbrother-reptile. If there were in fact any such sound，it might have been caused by a malicious exercise ofventriloquism， on the part of Roderick.
Thus， making his own actual serpent—if a serpentthere actually was in his bosom—the type of each man’sfatal error， or hoarded sin， or unquiet conscience， andstriking his sting so unremorsefully into the sorest spot，we may well imagine that Roderick became the pest ofthe city. Nobody could elude him； none could withstandhim. He grappled with the ugliest truth that he could layhis hand on， andcompelled his adversary to do the same.
Strange spectacle in human life， where it is the instinctiveeffort of one and all to hide those sad realities， and leavethem undisturbed beneath a heap of superficial topics，which constitute the materials of intercourse betweenman and man！ It was not to be tolerated that RoderickElliston should break through the tacit compact， by whichthe world has done its best to secure repose， withoutrelinquishing evil. The victims of his malicious remarks， itis true， had brothers enough to keep them in countenance；for， by Roderick’s theory， every mortal bosom harboredeither a brood of small serpents， or one overgrownmonster， that had devoured all the rest. Still， the city couldnot bear this new apostle. It was demanded by nearly all，and particularly by the most respectable inhabitants， thatRoderick should no longer be permitted to violate thereceived rules of decorum， by obtruding his own bosomserpentto the public gaze， and dragging those of decentpeople from their lurking-places.
Accordingly， his relatives interfered， and placed him in aprivate asylum for the insane. When the news was noisedabroad， it was observed that many persons walked thestreets with freer countenances， and covered their breastsless carefully with their hands.
His confinement， however， although it contributed nota little to the peace of the town， operated unfavorablyupon Roderick himself. In solitude， his melancholy grewmore black and sullen. He spent whole days—indeed， itwas his sole occupation—in communing with the serpent.
A conversation was sustained， in which， as it seemed， thehidden monster bore a part， though unintelligibly to thelisteners， and inaudible， except in a hiss. Singular as it mayappear， the sufferer had now contracted a sort of affectionfor his tormentor； mingled， however， with the intensestloathing and horror. Nor were such discordant emotionsincompatible； each， on the contrary， imparted strengthand poignancy to its opposite. Horrible love—horribleantipathy—embracing one another in his bosom， and bothconcentrating themselves upon a being that had creptinto his vitals， or been engendered there， and which wasnourished with his food， and lived upon his life， and wasas intimate with him as his own heart， and yet was thefoulest of all created things！ But not the less was it thetrue type of a morbid nature.
Sometimes， in his moments of rage and bitter hatredagainst the snake and himself， Roderick determined to bethe death of him， even at the expense of his own life. Oncehe attempted it by starvation. But， while the wretchedman was on the point of famishing， the monster seemedto feed upon his heart， and to thrive and wax gamesome，as if it were his sweetest and most congenial diet. Thenhe privily took a dose of active poison， imagining thatit would not fail to kill either himself， or the devil thatpossessed him， or both together. Another mistake； for ifRoderick had not yet been destroyed by his own poisonedheart， nor the snake by gnawing it， they had little to fearfrom arsenic or corrosive sublimate. Indeed， the venomouspest appeared to operate as an antidote against all otherpoisons. The physicians tried to suffocate the fiend withtobacco-smoke. He breathed it as freely as if it were hisnative atmosphere. Again， they drugged their patientwith opium， and drenched him with intoxicating liquors，hoping that the snake might thus be reduced to stupor，and perhaps be ejected from the stomach. They succeededin rendering Roderick insensible； but， placing their handsupon his breast， they were inexpressibly horror-strickento feel the monster wriggling， twining， and darting toand fro， within his narrow limits， evidently enlivenedby the opium or alcohol， and incited to unusual feats ofactivity. Thenceforth， they gave up all attempts at cureor palliation. The doomed sufferer submitted to his fate，resumed his former loathsome affection for the bosomfiend，and spent whole miserable days before a lookingglass，with his mouth wide open， watching， in hope andhorror， to catch a glimpse of the snake’s head， far downwithin his throat. It is supposed that he succeeded； for theattendants once heard a frenzied shout， and rushing intothe room， found Roderick lifeless upon the floor.
He was kept but little longer under restraint. Afterminute investigation， the medical directors of the asylumdecided that his mental disease did not amount toinsanity， nor would warrant his confinement； especiallyas its influence upon his spirits was unfavorable， andmight produce the evil which it was meant to remedy. Hiseccentricities were doubtless great—he had habituallyviolated many of the customs and prejudices of society； butthe world was not， without surer ground， entitled to treathim as a madman. On this decision of such competentauthority， Roderick was released， and had returned to hisnative city， the very day before his encounter with GeorgeHerkimer.