"He was
standing on the left leg and the right drawn up at a sharp angle,
the toe pointing downwards. I asked him if his leg hurt him. His
only answer was to shoot the leg straight at right angles to the
other, as if pointing to the other with his toe to the wall. He was
still looking quite gravely at the fireplace.
"`James, what is the matter?' I cried, for I was thoroughly
frightened. James gave three kicks in the air with the right leg,
flung up the other, gave three kicks in the air with it also and
spun round like a teetotum the other way. `Are you mad?' I cried.
`Why don't you answer me?' He had come to a standstill facing me,
and was looking at me as he always does, with his lifted eyebrows
and great spectacled eyes. When I had spoken he remained a second
or two motionless, and then his only reply was to lift his left
foot slowly from the floor and describe circles with it in the air.
I rushed to the door and shouted for Christina. I will not dwell on
the dreadful hours that followed. All three of us talked to him,
implored him to speak to us with appeals that might have brought
back the dead, but he has done nothing but hop and dance and kick
with a solemn silent face. It looks as if his legs belonged to some
one else or were possessed by devils.
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