a sentence as—­“It was the most splendid sight I ever saw!” will ascend to the first syllable of the word “splendid,” and thence will descend:  the word “splendid” marking the climax of the feeling produced by the recollection.  Hence, again, it happens that, under some extreme vexation produced by another’s stupidity, an irascible man, exclaiming—­“What a confounded fool the fellow is!” will begin somewhat below his middle voice, and descending to the word “fool,” which he will utter in one of his deepest notes, will then ascend again.  And it may be remarked, that the word “fool” will not only be deeper and louder than the rest, but will also have more emphasis of articulation—­another mode in which muscular excitement is shown.

There is some danger, however, in giving instances like this; seeing that as the mode of rendering will vary according to the intensity of the feeling which the reader feigns to himself, the right cadence may not be hit upon.  With single words there is less difficulty.  Thus the “Indeed!” with which a surprising fact is received, mostly begins on the middle note of the voice, and rises with the second syllable; or, if disapprobation as well as astonishment is felt, the first syllable will be below the middle note, and the second lower still.  Conversely, the word “Alas!” which marks not the rise of a paroxysm of grief, but its decline, is uttered in a cadence descending towards the middle note; or, if the first syllable is in the lower part of the register, the second ascends towards the middle note.  In the “Heigh-ho!” expressive of mental and muscular prostration, we may see the same truth; and if the cadence appropriate to it be inverted, the absurdity of the effect clearly shows how the meaning of intervals is dependent on the principle we have been illustrating.

The remaining characteristic of emotional speech which we have to notice is that of variability of pitch.  It is scarcely possible here to convey adequate ideas of this more complex manifestation.  We must be content with simply indicating some occasions on which it may be observed.  On a meeting of friends, for instance—­as when there arrives a party of much-wished-for-visitors—­the voices of all will be heard to undergo changes of pitch not only greater but much more numerous than usual.  If a speaker at a public meeting is interrupted by some squabble among those he is addressing, his comparatively level tones will be in marked contrast with the rapidly changing one of the disputants.  And among children, whose feelings are less under control than those of adults, this peculiarity is still more decided.  During a scene of complaint and recrimination between two excitable little girls, the voices may be heard to run up and down the gamut several times in each sentence.  In such cases we once more recognise the same law:  for muscular excitement is shown not only in strength of contraction but also in the rapidity with which different muscular adjustments succeed each other.