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     Worst of all, my salary was reduced, and I saw that marriage was out of the question.
 
     In my despair I consulted Professor Clinch about my dilemma, and as to some safe way of getting at the rubies. He said that, if my uncle had not lied, there was none that would not ruin the stones, especially the pearls, but that it was a silly tale and altogether incredible. I offered him the biggest ruby if he wished to test his opinion. He did not desire to do so.
 
     Dr. Schaff, my uncle’s doctor, believed the old man’s letter, and added a caution, which was entirely useless, for by this time I was afraid to be in the room with that terrible box.
 
     At last the doctor kindly warned me that I was in danger of losing my mind with too much thought about my rubies. In fact, I did nothing else but contrive wild plans to get at them safely. I spent all my spare hours at one of the great libraries reading about dynamite.
 
     Indeed, I talked of it until the library attendants, believing me a lunatic or a dynamite fiend, declined to humor me, and spoke to the police. I suspect that for a while I was “shadowed” as a suspicious, and possibly criminal, character. I gave up the libraries, and, becoming more and more fearful, set my precious box on a down pillow, for fear of its being shaken; for at this time even the absurd possibility of its being disturbed by an earthquake troubled me. I tried to calculate the amount of shake needed to explode my box.
Explanation:
 
In addition to all the sadness, the narrator's salary got reduced. Due to the overthinking of opening the box, he might not have concentrated on his work or else he wouldn't have gone to his work. Also, he realised that marriage was no longer an option, and he did not know whether he could marry her (Susan). It might be because he failed to give his attention to Susan while thinking about the gems and stones he would receive. The narrator sought a piece of advice from Professor Clinch regarding his dilemma and a secure method of obtaining the rubies.

Professor Clinch said that if his uncle had not lied, no one could be able to destroy the stones, particularly the pearls. The story seemed odd and unbelievable to the professor. After hearing that, the narrator stated that if he could assist him in unlocking the box, he would offer him the largest ruby. The professor, on the other hand, refused to open it. It could be because he was afraid it would explode at any moment. The narrator next visits his uncle's doctor, Dr Schaff. The doctor believed the old man's letter and added a warning, which was entirely ineffective because he was scared to enter the room with that horrible box by this point.

Finally, the doctor politely informed the narrator that his obsession with the rubies was causing him to go insane. In truth, the narrator was always thinking about getting the rubies out of the box. The narrator spent most of his leisure time reading about the dynamites at a big library. He also talked about the dynamite with the library attendants.
 
People initially assumed the narrator was insane; subsequently, after hearing the narrator's question concerning dynamite, they suspected him of being a criminal. The library attendants reported it to the police. As a result, he no longer visits libraries. As time passed, the narrator's worry grew, and he hid his valuable box under the pillow for fear of it being shaken. At the time, even the ridiculous possibility of it being disturbed by an earthquake worried him. The narrator then attempted to calculate how much shaking was required to blow up his box. It might be because he thought of knowing the amount of time needed for the explosion of the box.
 
From the above paragraphs, one might understand the narrator's change of mind as per the situation. Each time, he had different thoughts because of his wish to open the box and enjoy the possessions inside the box.
 
Meanings of the difficult words:
 
S.No
Words
Meanings
1
Despair The feeling that there is no hope and that you can do nothing to improve a difficult or worrying situation
2
Consult Seek information or advice from someone, especially an expert or professional
3
DilemmaA situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two different things you could do
4
Salary A fixed amount of money agreed every year as pay for an employee, usually paid directly into his or her bank account every month
5
IncredibleImpossible, or very difficult, to believe
6
Afraid Feeling fear or feeling worried about the possible results of a particular situation
7
Contrive To arrange a situation or event, or arrange for something to happen, using clever planning
8
Lunatic Someone who behaves in a silly or dangerous way
9
CriminalSomeone who commits a crime
10
SuspiciousMaking you feel that something illegal is happening or that something is wrong
11
FiendAn evil spirit
Reference:
State Council of Educational Research and Training (2018). Term-1 English Standard-10. A Dilemma - Silas Weir Mitchell (pp. 205-211). Published by the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation.