pier-table--caused me such a shock of surprise that I readjusted my
glasses upon my nose with both hands at once, and then felt myself
over so as to get at least some superficial proof of my own existence.
In less than one second there thronged from my mind twenty different
conjectures--the most rational of which was that I had suddenly
become crazy. It seemed to me absolutely impossible that what I was
looking at could exist; yet it was equally impossible for me not to
see it as a thing actually existing. What caused my surprise was
resting on the pier-table, above which rose a great dull speckled
mirror.

I saw myself in that mirror; and I can say that I saw for once in my
life the perfect image of stupefaction. But I made proper allowance
for myself; I approved myself for being so stupefied by a really
stupefying thing.

The object I was thus examining with a degree of astonishment that
all my reasoning power failed to lessen, obtruded itself on my
attention though quite motionless. The persistence and fixity of
the phenomenon excluded any idea of hallucination. I am totally
exempt from all nervous disorders capable of influencing the sense
of sight. The cause of such visual disturbance is, I think,
generally due to stomach trouble; and, thank God! I have an excellent
stomach. Moreover, visual illusions are accompanied with special
abnormal conditions which impress the victims of hallucination
themselves, and inspire them with a sort of terror. Now, I felt
nothing of this kind; the object which I saw, although seemingly
impossible in itself, appeared to me under all the natural conditions
of reality. I observed that it had three dimensions, and colours,
and that it cast a shadow. Ah! how I stared at it! The water came