The orator made a pause, holding his head high, and there was a certain amount of applause.  The two men before me cheered vociferously.  ’That is the right way to look at it,’ one of them said.  My eyes were upon them, with no particular motive; and I could not help starting, as I saw suddenly underneath their applause and laughter a snarl of cursing, which was the real expression of their thoughts.  I felt disposed in the same way to curse the speaker, though I knew no reason why.

He went on a little farther, explaining what he meant to do; and then turning round, approached the table.  An assistant, who was waiting, uncovered it quickly.  The audience stirred with quickened interest, and I with consternation made a step forwards, crying out with horror.  The object on the table, writhing, twitching to get free, but bound down by every limb, was a living man.  The lecturer went forwards calmly, taking his instruments from their case with perfect composure and coolness.  ‘Now, ladies and gentlemen,’ he said, and inserted the knife in the flesh, making a long clear cut in the bound arm.  I shrieked out, unable to restrain myself.  The sight of the deliberate wound, the blood, the cry of agony that came from the victim, the calmness of all the lookers-on, filled me with horror and rage indescribable.  I felt myself clear the crowd away with a rush, and spring on the platform, I could not tell how.  ‘You devil!’ I cried, ’let the man go!  Where is the police?  Where is a magistrate?  Let the man go this moment! fiends in human shape!  I’ll have you brought to justice!’ I heard myself shouting wildly, as I flung myself upon the wretched sufferer, interposing between him and the knife.  It was something like this that I said.  My horror and rage were delirious, and carried me beyond all attempt at control.

Through it all I heard a shout of laughter rising from everybody round.  The lecturer laughed; the audience roared with that sound of horrible mockery which had driven me out of myself in my first experience.  All kinds of mocking cries sounded around me.  ’Let him a little blood to calm him down.’  ‘Let the fool have a taste of it himself, doctor.’  Last of all came a voice mingled with the cries of the sufferer whom I was trying to shield, ‘Take him instead; curse him! take him instead.’  I was bending over the man with my arms outstretched, protecting him, when he gave vent to this cry.  And I heard immediately behind me a shout of assent, which seemed to come from the two strong young men with whom I had been standing, and the sound of a rush to seize me.  I looked round, half mad with terror and rage; a second more and I should have been strapped on the table too.  I made one wild bound into the midst of the crowd; and struggling among the arms stretched out to catch me, amid the roar of the laughter and cries—­fled—­fled wildly, I knew not whither, in panic and rage and horror which no words could describe.  Terror winged my feet.  I flew, thinking as little of whom I met, or knocked down, or trod upon in my way, as the others did at whom I had wondered a little while ago.