PROFESSOR. I was sitting here at my work--I was writing--there! as you
see. Does that in any way look agitated? (_Shows him a paper_)
DOCTOR. I should not say so.
PROFESSOR. Does it make any sense?
DOCTOR. “When all the objective data presented to sense-receptivity
are compared, and the differentiations of their varying incentives and
reactions properly allowed for--” Well, I should say so--not that I
altogether understand it.
PROFESSOR. No, but it is constructive?--Would you say the man who wrote
that was out of his senses?
DOCTOR. Most certainly not!
PROFESSOR. I only wish to show that I was in the full possession of my
faculties, my ordinary work-a-day mind.
DOCTOR. Very well, Professor, I accept that.
PROFESSOR. Well--Suddenly I glanced up, and there I saw a horrid little
green thing looking at me--with eyes!
DOCTOR. Yes: it would have eyes, if it was looking at you.
PROFESSOR. Very curious eyes, Doctor,--like a young bird’s; and it
had horns also--And--well, there it was, you know!--At first I didn’t
believe it, I thought it was green tea--I tried to dismiss it from my
mind altogether. But--it wouldn’t let me. Before I knew where I was,
it--it spoke to me.
DOCTOR. Did you speak to _it_?
PROFESSOR. Yes, I did.
DOCTOR. Fatal thing to do, Professor. Of course in that way you
encouraged the--the phantasy.
PROFESSOR. Ah, but it was not _I_ who spoke first--At least I was
only talking to myself. And suddenly it said--“Six, six, six, six,
six,”--just like that!
DOCTOR. Was that in answer to anything?
PROFESSOR. Well, in a sort of way, yes--I had just said to myself:
“Now, how many cups of green tea did I have this morning?”--And then it
made the remark.
DOCTOR. And six _was_ the number?
PROFESSOR. There, or thereabouts.
DOCTOR. Very well, Professor. Now, better not think any more about it.
I’ll make you up a prescription. And you had better quite knock off
that green tea for a little while.
PROFESSOR. But that’s not all, Doctor.
DOCTOR. Do you think you need tell me any more?
PROFESSOR. Yes. You don’t how _real_ it seemed.
DOCTOR. It would give you that impression.
PROFESSOR. But even now.
DOCTOR. Yes, yes. But there will be a reaction. That will pass.
PROFESSOR. But--Doctor--I’m not satisfied.
DOCTOR. You will be. Don’t dwell on it! You’ll get all right again.
Don’t work too much at night, and don’t sit up late.
PROFESSOR. I go to bed regularly every night at a quarter to ten.
DOCTOR. Good! Then just for the present make it half-past nine.
PROFESSOR. Doctor, I want to explain-- At first, of course, I took the
view that _you_ take. I did not for a moment believe that such a thing
could exist. I regarded it as an hallucination. But later on, it--well
I came to think otherwise--It did such a lot of things--that I could
not myself have conceived--and once it actually touched me. That was a
great shock.