"I have had occasion to think a good deal about those things," said Falconer. "The first thing evident is, that Miss Cameron is peculiarly constituted, belonging to a class which is, however, larger than is commonly supposed, circumstances rarely combining to bring out its peculiarities. In those who constitute this class, the nervous element, either from preponderating, or from not being in healthy and harmonious combination with the more material element, manifests itself beyond its ordinary sphere of operation, and so occasions results unlike the usual phenomena of life, though, of course, in accordance with natural laws. To use a simile: it is, in such cases, as if all the nerves of the human body came crowding to the surface, and there exposed themselves to a thousand influences, from which they would otherwise be preserved. Of course I am not attempting to explain, only to suggest a conceivable hypothesis. Upon such constitutions, it would not be surprising that certain other constitutions, similar, yet differing, should exercise a peculiar influence. You are, I dare say, more or less familiar with the main features of mesmerism and its allies, among which is what is called biology. I presume it is on such constitutions as I have supposed, that those powers are chiefly operative. Miss Cameron has, at some time or other in her history, submitted herself to the influences of this Count Halkar; and he has thus gained a most dangerous authority over her, which he has exercised for his own ends.""She more than implied as much in the last conversation I had with her.""So his will became her law. There is in the world of mind a something corresponding to physical force in the material world.--Icannot avoid just touching upon a higher analogy. The kingdom of heaven is not come, even when God's will is our law: it is come when God's will is our will. While God's will is our law, we are but a kind of noble slaves; when his will is our will, we are free children. Nothing in nature is free enough to be a symbol for the state of those who act immediately from the essence of their hidden life, and the recognition of God's will as that essence. But, as Isaid, this belongs to a far higher region. I only wanted to touch on the relation of the freedoms--physical, mental, and spiritual.
To return to the point in hand: I recognise in the story a clear evidence of strife and partial victory in the affair of the ring.
The count--we will call him by the name he gives himself--had evidently been anxious for years to possess himself of this ring: the probable reasons we have already talked of. He had laid his injunctions on his slave to find it for him; and she, perhaps at first nothing loath, perhaps loving the man as well as submitting to him, had for a long time attempted to find it, but had failed. The count, probably doubting her sincerity, and hoping, at all events, to urge her search, followed her to Arnstead, where it is very likely he had been before, although he had avoided Mr. Arnold.
Judging it advantageous to get into the house, in order to make observations, he employed his chance meeting with you to that result. But, before this, he had watched Miss Cameron's familiarity with you--was jealous and tyrannical. Hence the variations of her conduct to you; for when his power was upon her, she could not do as she pleased. But she must have had a real regard for you; for she evidently refused to get you into trouble by taking the ring from your custody. But my surprise is that the fellow limited himself to that one jewel.""You may soon be relieved from that surprise," answered Hugh: "he took a valuable diamond of mine as well.""The rascal! We may catch him, but you are not likely to find your diamond again. Still, there is some possibility.""How do you know she was not willing to take it from me?""Because, by her own account, he had to destroy her power of volition entirely, before he could make her do it. He threw her into a mesmeric sleep.""I should like to understand his power over her a little better. In such cases of biology--how they came to abuse the word, I should like to know--""Just as they call table-rapping, &c., spiritualism.""I suppose his relation to her must be classed amongst phenomena of that sort?""Certainly."
"Well, tell me, does the influence outlast the mesmeric condition?""If by mesmeric condition you mean any state evidently approaching to that of sleep--undoubtedly. It is, in many cases, quite independent of such a condition. Perhaps the degree of willing submission at first, may have something to do with it. But mesmeric influence, whatever it may mean, is entirely independent of sleep.
That is an accident accompanying it, perhaps sometimes indicating its culmination.""Does the person so influenced act with or against his will?""That is a most difficult question, involving others equally difficult. My own impression is, that the patient--for patient in a very serious sense he is--acts with his inclination, and often with his will; but in many cases with his inclination against his will.