Ihadheard，atParis，thattheinstitutionofMonsieurMaillardwasmanageduponwhatisvulgarlytermedthe“systemofsoothing“thatallpunishmentswereavoidedthatevenconfinementwasseldomresortedtothatthepatients，whilesecretlywatched，wereleftmuchapparentliberty，andthatmostofthemwerepermittedtoroamaboutthehouseandgroundsintheordinaryapparelofpersonsinrightmind。
Keepingtheseimpressionsinview，IwascautiousinwhatIsaidbeforetheyounglady；forIcouldnotbesurethatshewassane；
and，infact，therewasacertainrestlessbrilliancyabouthereyeswhichhalfledmetoimagineshewasnot。Iconfinedmyremarks，therefore，togeneraltopics，andtosuchasIthoughtwouldnotbedispleasingorexcitingeventoalunatic。SherepliedinaperfectlyrationalmannertoallthatIsaid；andevenheroriginalobservationsweremarkedwiththesoundestgoodsense，butalongacquaintancewiththemetaphysicsofmania，hadtaughtmetoputnofaithinsuchevidenceofsanity，andIcontinuedtopractise，throughouttheinterview，thecautionwithwhichIcommencedit。
Presentlyasmartfootmaninliverybroughtinatraywithfruit，wine，andotherrefreshments，ofwhichIpartook，theladysoonafterwardleavingtheroom。AsshedepartedIturnedmyeyesinaninquiringmannertowardmyhost。
“No。”hesaid，“oh，noamemberofmyfamilymyniece，andamostaccomplishedwoman。”
“Ibegathousandpardonsforthesuspicion。”Ireplied，“butofcourseyouwillknowhowtoexcuseme。TheexcellentadministrationofyouraffairshereiswellunderstoodinParis，andIthoughtitjustpossible，youknow-
“Yes，yessaynomoreorratheritismyselfwhoshouldthankyouforthecommendableprudenceyouhavedisplayed。Weseldomfindsomuchofforethoughtinyoungmen；and，morethanonce，someunhappycontre-tempshasoccurredinconsequenceofthoughtlessnessonthepartofourvisitors。Whilemyformersystemwasinoperation，andmypatientswerepermittedtheprivilegeofroamingtoandfroatwill，theywereoftenarousedtoadangerousfrenzybyinjudiciouspersonswhocalledtoinspectthehouse。HenceIwasobligedtoenforcearigidsystemofexclusion；andnoneobtainedaccesstothepremisesuponwhosediscretionIcouldnotrely。”
“Whileyourformersystemwasinoperation！”Isaid，repeatinghiswords“doIunderstandyou，then，tosaythatthe’soothingsystem’ofwhichIhaveheardsomuchisnolongerinforce？”
“Itisnow。”hereplied，“severalweekssincewehaveconcludedtorenounceitforever。”
“Indeed！youastonishme！”
“Wefoundit，sir。”hesaid，withasigh，“absolutelynecessarytoreturntotheoldusages。Thedangerofthesoothingsystemwas，atalltimes，appalling；anditsadvantageshavebeenmuchoverrated。I
believe，sir，thatinthishouseithasbeengivenafairtrial，ifeverinany。Wedideverythingthatrationalhumanitycouldsuggest。
Iamsorrythatyoucouldnothavepaidusavisitatanearlierperiod，thatyoumighthavejudgedforyourself。ButIpresumeyouareconversantwiththesoothingpracticewithitsdetails。”
“Notaltogether。WhatIhaveheardhasbeenatthirdorfourthhand。”
“Imaystatethesystem，then，ingeneralterms，asoneinwhichthepatientsweremenages-humored。Wecontradictednofancieswhichenteredthebrainsofthemad。Onthecontrary，wenotonlyindulgedbutencouragedthem；andmanyofourmostpermanentcureshavebeenthuseffected。Thereisnoargumentwhichsotouchesthefeeblereasonofthemadmanastheargumentumadabsurdum。Wehavehadmen，forexample，whofanciedthemselveschickens。Thecurewas，toinsistuponthethingasafacttoaccusethepatientofstupidityinnotsufficientlyperceivingittobeafactandthustorefusehimanyotherdietforaweekthanthatwhichproperlyappertainstoachicken。Inthismanneralittlecornandgravelweremadetoperformwonders。”
“Butwasthisspeciesofacquiescenceall？”
“Bynomeans。Weputmuchfaithinamusementsofasimplekind，suchasmusic，dancing，gymnasticexercisesgenerally，cards，certainclassesofbooks，andsoforth。Weaffectedtotreateachindividualasifforsomeordinaryphysicaldisorder，andtheword’lunacy’wasneveremployed。Agreatpointwastoseteachlunatictoguardtheactionsofalltheothers。Toreposeconfidenceintheunderstandingordiscretionofamadman，istogainhimbodyandsoul。Inthiswaywewereenabledtodispensewithanexpensivebodyofkeepers。”
“Andyouhadnopunishmentsofanykind？”
“None。”
“Andyouneverconfinedyourpatients？”
“Veryrarely。Nowandthen，themaladyofsomeindividualgrowingtoacrisis，ortakingasuddenturnoffury，weconveyedhimtoasecretcell，lesthisdisordershouldinfecttherest，andtherekepthimuntilwecoulddismisshimtohisfriendsforwiththeragingmaniacwehavenothingtodo。Heisusuallyremovedtothepublichospitals。”
“Andyouhavenowchangedallthisandyouthinkforthebetter？”
“Decidedly。Thesystemhaditsdisadvantages，andevenitsdangers。
Itisnow，happily，explodedthroughoutalltheMaisonsdeSanteofFrance。”
“Iamverymuchsurprised。”Isaid，“atwhatyoutellme；forImadesurethat，atthismoment，noothermethodoftreatmentformaniaexistedinanyportionofthecountry。”
“Youareyoungyet，myfriend。”repliedmyhost，“butthetimewillarrivewhenyouwilllearntojudgeforyourselfofwhatisgoingonintheworld，withouttrustingtothegossipofothers。Believenothingyouhear，andonlyone-halfthatyousee。NowaboutourMaisonsdeSante，itisclearthatsomeignoramushasmisledyou。
Afterdinner，however，whenyouhavesufficientlyrecoveredfromthefatigueofyourride，Iwillbehappytotakeyouoverthehouse，andintroducetoyouasystemwhich，inmyopinion，andinthatofeveryonewhohaswitnesseditsoperation，isincomparablythemosteffectualasyetdevised。”
“Yourown？”Iinquired“oneofyourowninvention？”
“Iamproud。”hereplied，“toacknowledgethatitisatleastinsomemeasure。”
InthismannerIconversedwithMonsieurMaillardforanhourortwo，duringwhichheshowedmethegardensandconservatoriesoftheplace。
“Icannotletyouseemypatients。”hesaid，“justatpresent。Toasensitivemindthereisalwaysmoreorlessoftheshockinginsuchexhibitions；andIdonotwishtospoilyourappetitefordinner。Wewilldine。IcangiveyousomevealalaMenehoult，withcauliflowersinveloutesauceafterthataglassofClosdeVougeotthenyournerveswillbesufficientlysteadied。”
Atsix，dinnerwasannounced；andmyhostconductedmeintoalargesalleamanger，whereaverynumerouscompanywereassembled
twenty-fiveorthirtyinall。Theywere，apparently，peopleofrank-certainlyofhighbreedingalthoughtheirhabiliments，I
thought，wereextravagantlyrich，partakingsomewhattoomuchoftheostentatiousfineryoftheviellecour。Inoticedthatatleasttwo-thirdsoftheseguestswereladies；andsomeofthelatterwerebynomeansaccoutredinwhataParisianwouldconsidergoodtasteatthepresentday。Manyfemales，forexample，whoseagecouldnothavebeenlessthanseventywerebedeckedwithaprofusionofjewelry，suchasrings，bracelets，andearrings，andworetheirbosomsandarmsshamefullybare。Iobserved，too，thatveryfewofthedresseswerewellmadeor，atleast，thatveryfewofthemfittedthewearers。Inlookingabout，IdiscoveredtheinterestinggirltowhomMonsieurMaillardhadpresentedmeinthelittleparlor；butmysurprisewasgreattoseeherwearingahoopandfarthingale，withhigh-heeledshoes，andadirtycapofBrusselslace，somuchtoolargeforherthatitgaveherfacearidiculouslydiminutiveexpression。WhenIhadfirstseenher，shewasattired，mostbecomingly，indeepmourning。Therewasanairofoddity，inshort，aboutthedressofthewholeparty，which，atfirst，causedmetorecurtomyoriginalideaofthe“soothingsystem。”andtofancythatMonsieurMaillardhadbeenwillingtodeceivemeuntilafterdinner，thatImightexperiencenouncomfortablefeelingsduringtherepast，atfindingmyselfdiningwithlunatics；butIrememberedhavingbeeninformed，inParis，thatthesouthernprovincialistswereapeculiarlyeccentricpeople，withavastnumberofantiquatednotions；andthen，too，uponconversingwithseveralmembersofthecompany，myapprehensionswereimmediatelyandfullydispelled。
Thedining-roomitself，althoughperhapssufficientlycomfortableandofgooddimensions，hadnothingtoomuchofeleganceaboutit。Forexample，thefloorwasuncarpeted；inFrance，however，acarpetisfrequentlydispensedwith。Thewindows，too，werewithoutcurtains；
theshutters，beingshut，weresecurelyfastenedwithironbars，applieddiagonally，afterthefashionofourordinaryshop-shutters。
Theapartment，Iobserved，formed，initself，awingofthechateau，andthusthewindowswereonthreesidesoftheparallelogram，thedoorbeingattheother。Therewerenolessthantenwindowsinall。
Thetablewassuperblysetout。Itwasloadedwithplate，andmorethanloadedwithdelicacies。Theprofusionwasabsolutelybarbaric。
ThereweremeatsenoughtohavefeastedtheAnakim。Never，inallmylife，hadIwitnessedsolavish，sowastefulanexpenditureofthegoodthingsoflife。Thereseemedverylittletaste，however，inthearrangements；andmyeyes，accustomedtoquietlights，weresadlyoffendedbytheprodigiousglareofamultitudeofwaxcandles，which，insilvercandelabra，weredepositeduponthetable，andallabouttheroom，whereveritwaspossibletofindaplace。Therewereseveralactiveservantsinattendance；and，uponalargetable，atthefartherendoftheapartment，wereseatedsevenoreightpeoplewithfiddles，fifes，trombones，andadrum。Thesefellowsannoyedmeverymuch，atintervals，duringtherepast，byaninfinitevarietyofnoises，whichwereintendedformusic，andwhichappearedtoaffordmuchentertainmenttoallpresent，withtheexceptionofmyself。
Uponthewhole，IcouldnothelpthinkingthattherewasmuchofthebizarreabouteverythingIsawbutthentheworldismadeupofallkindsofpersons，withallmodesofthought，andallsortsofconventionalcustoms。Ihadtravelled，too，somuch，astobequiteanadeptattheniladmirari；soItookmyseatverycoollyattherighthandofmyhost，and，havinganexcellentappetite，didjusticetothegoodcheersetbeforeme。
Theconversation，inthemeantime，wasspiritedandgeneral。Theladies，asusual，talkedagreatdeal。Isoonfoundthatnearlyallthecompanywerewelleducated；andmyhostwasaworldofgood-humoredanecdoteinhimself。HeseemedquitewillingtospeakofhispositionassuperintendentofaMaisondeSante；and，indeed，thetopicoflunacywas，muchtomysurprise，afavoriteonewithallpresent。Agreatmanyamusingstoriesweretold，havingreferencetothewhimsofthepatients。
“Wehadafellowhereonce。”saidafatlittlegentleman，whosatatmyright，“afellowthatfanciedhimselfatea-pot；andbytheway，isitnotespeciallysingularhowoftenthisparticularcrotchethasenteredthebrainofthelunatic？ThereisscarcelyaninsaneasyluminFrancewhichcannotsupplyahumantea-pot。OurgentlemanwasaBritanniawaretea-pot，andwascarefultopolishhimselfeverymorningwithbuckskinandwhiting。”
“Andthen。”saidatallmanjustopposite，“wehadhere，notlongago，apersonwhohadtakenitintohisheadthathewasadonkey
whichallegoricallyspeaking，youwillsay，wasquitetrue。Hewasatroublesomepatient；andwehadmuchadotokeephimwithinbounds。
Foralongtimehewouldeatnothingbutthistles；butofthisideawesooncuredhimbyinsistinguponhiseatingnothingelse。Thenhewasperpetuallykickingouthisheels-so-so-“
“Mr。DeKock！Iwillthankyoutobehaveyourself！”hereinterruptedanoldlady，whosatnexttothespeaker。“Pleasekeepyourfeettoyourself！Youhavespoiledmybrocade！Isitnecessary，pray，toillustratearemarkinsopracticalastyle？Ourfriendherecansurelycomprehendyouwithoutallthis。Uponmyword，youarenearlyasgreatadonkeyasthepoorunfortunateimaginedhimself。Youractingisverynatural，asIlive。”
“Millepardons！Ma’m’selle！”repliedMonsieurDeKock，thusaddressed“athousandpardons！Ihadnointentionofoffending。Ma’m’selleLaplaceMonsieurDeKockwilldohimselfthehonoroftakingwinewithyou。”
HereMonsieurDeKockbowedlow，kissedhishandwithmuchceremony，andtookwinewithMa’m’selleLaplace。
“Allowme，monami。”nowsaidMonsieurMaillard，addressingmyself，“allowmetosendyouamorselofthisvealalaSt。Menhoultyouwillfinditparticularlyfine。”
Atthisinstantthreesturdywaitershadjustsucceededindepositingsafelyuponthetableanenormousdish，ortrencher，containingwhatIsupposedtobethe“monstrumhorrendum，informe，ingens，cuilumenademptum。”Acloserscrutinyassuredme，however，thatitwasonlyasmallcalfroastedwhole，andsetuponitsknees，withanappleinitsmouth，asistheEnglishfashionofdressingahare。