I nursed him through it, but it was terrible.

He did not always know what he was doing.

At times he was violent." A drop of blood suddenly ran down Piers' chin; he pulled out his handkerchief sharply and wiped it away, still reading on.
"He got over it, but it broke him.

He knew--we both knew--that things were hopeless.

We tried for a time to shut our eyes to the fact, but it remained.