OPENING OF THE TALE


The tale opens abruptly with an opium-bred vision of the tower of
Cloisterham Cathedral, beheld by Jasper as he awakens in the den of
the Princess Puffer, between a Chinaman, a Lascar, and the hag
herself. This Cathedral tower, thus early and emphatically
introduced, is to play a great but more or less mysterious part in
the romance: that is certain. Jasper, waking, makes experiments
on the talk of the old woman, the Lascar and Chinaman in their
sleep. He pronounces it "unintelligible," which satisfies him that
his own babble, when under opium, must be unintelligible also. He
is, presumably, acquainted with the languages of the eastern coast
of India, and with Chinese, otherwise, how could he hope to
understand the sleepers? He is being watched by the hag, who hates
him.

Jasper returns to Cloisterham, where we are introduced to the Dean,
a nonentity, and to Minor Canon Crisparkle, a muscular Christian in
the pink of training, a classical scholar, and a good honest
fellow. Jasper gives Edwin a dinner, and gushes over "his bright
boy," a lively lad, full of chaff, but also full of confiding
affection and tenderness of heart. Edwin admits that his betrothal
is a bore: Jasper admits that he loathes his life; and that the
church singing "often sounds to me quite devilish,"--and no wonder.
After this dinner, Jasper has a "weird seizure;" "a strange film
comes over Jasper's eyes," he "looks frightfully ill," becomes
rigid, and admits that he "has been taking opium for a pain, an