Dr. Rollinson, however (the elder doctor, that is--father of the present
[2] distinguished bearer of the name), had witnessed this scene with
something more than ordinary wonder or amusement; it had puzzled, but also
interested him extremely. He was less of a conservative than many of his
profession; he kept his mind open, and was not disinclined to examine into
odd theories, and even, perhaps, to originate a few such himself upon
occasion. The question that now confronted him and challenged his
ingenuity was, What was the matter with Archibald? Why had the boy
suddenly gone back to the primitive source of nourishment, not from mere
childish whim, but from actual ignorance--as it seemed--that nourishment
was obtainable in any other way? An obvious reply would be that the boy
had become wholly, idiotic; but the more Dr. Rollinson revolved this rough
and ready explanation, the less satisfactory did he find it. He wisely
decided to study the symptoms and weigh the evidence before committing
himself one way or the other.

The first result of his observations was to confirm his impression that
Archibald was not idiotic. There was a certain sort of vacancy in the
child's expression, but it was the vacancy of ignorance rather than of
foolishness. And ignorant to a surprising degree he was. He had at no time
been regarded as a boy of large attainments; but what he knew before his
strange seizure was, to what he knew after it, as Bacon to a ploughman.
Had he been newly born into the world, he could not have shown less
acquaintance with it, so far as intellectual comprehension went; his
father, mother, sister--all were alike strangers to him; he gazed at them
with intent but unrecognizing eyes; he never looked up when his name was
spoken, nor did he betray any sign of understanding the talk that went on
around him. His own thoughts and wants were expressed by inarticulate
sounds and by gestures; but the mystery of speech evidently interested