Excerpt from Avatar: Or the Double Transformation Perhaps! Ejaculated the doctor, as he settled himself more comfortably in his chair, as though he were preparing to listen to what might be a lengthy confidence. I don't want you, said Octave, to think me childishly obstinate, and to leave you at liberty, through my persistent silence, to wash your hands of whatever fatal result may ensue from my peculiar disease; so, since you wish it, I will tell you my story. You have already guessed the clue to it, and I won't dispute with you about details. Don't expect anything very singular or romantic. It is a very simple history, very common and trite 3 but, as Henri Heine says, he to whom it happens always finds it new, and breaks his heart over it. In truth, doctor, I am almost ashamed to mention such a commonplace matter to a man who has lived in the most fabulous and strange countries. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.