按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
d not in the least assimilate。 For one thing； his religious views were what are called broad； whereas she belonged to the Society of Plymouth Brethren； whose views are narrow。 She told him that he would go to hell。 He intimated in reply that； if she were not there； that fate would have its consolations。 In short； the rows were awful。 I never knew a more ill…assorted pair。 I think that I stopped with these good people for about a year； imbibing some knowledge of French literature； and incidentally of the tes of the Plymouth Brethren。 Then my father announced that I was to go to Scoones； the great crammer； and there make ready to face the Foreign Office examination。
To this end； when I was just eighteen； I was put in lodgings alone in London； entirely uncontrolled in any way。 The first set of these lodgings was somewhere near Westbourne Grove and kept by a young widow。 As they did not turn out respectable I was moved to others in Davis Street； an excellent situation for a young gentleman about town。 Be it remembered that this happened at a time of life when youths nowadays are either still at school or just gone up to College； where they have the advantage of effective guidance and control for some years。 At this age I was thrown upon the world； as I remember when I was a little lad my elder brothers threw me into the Rhine to teach me to swim。 After nearly drowning I learned to swim； and in a sense the same may be said of my London life。
There is a kind Providence that helps some people through many dangers； although unfortunately it seems to abandon others to their fate。 In my case it helped me through。
Among the risks I ran were those attendant upon spiritualism。 Somehow or other； I have not the faintest recollection how； I became a frequent visitor at the house of old Lady Paulet； No。 20 Hanover Square。 She was a great spiritualist； and I used to attend her seances。 Undoubtedly very strange things happened at these seances which I will not stop to describe。 Among the other habitues of the “circle” was Lady Caithness； who wore a necklace of enormous diamonds。 When the lights were turned down these diamonds were the last objects visible。 They gleamed alone； and seemed to be hung on air。 On these occasions a lady called Mrs。 Guppy was the great medium。 On Mrs。 Guppy I and a confederate used to play jokes。 For instance； one of the manifestations was that the table suddenly became covered with great quantities of roses covered with dew。 Off these roses my friend and I； having unlinked our hands； broke a number of fat； hard buds and； knowing where she was sitting； discharged them through the darkness with all our strength straight at the head of Mrs。 Guppy。 Little wonder that presently we heard that poor lady exclaim：
“Oh！ the spirits are hurting me so。”
I think it was Lady Caithness who made a somewhat similar remark when； in the course of my investigation of certain phenomena that were happening underneath the table in connection with some musical glasses that seemed to be emitting their plaintive strains from between my feet； I landed her a most severe kick upon the shins。
It was all very amusing； and would have done no harm had the business stopped there。 But it did not。 Before I leave 20 Hanover Square； however； I may mention that more than a quarter of a century afterwards I revisited it under strangely different circumstances。 The house is now the home of various societies； and in the offices of one of these societies I was called upon to preside as Chairman of the mittee of the Society of Authors upon the occasion of a General Meeting。 Of course everything was changed； but it seemed to me that I recognised the marble mantelpieces。
My acquaintance with Lady Paulet gave me the entree to the spiritualistic society of the day。 Perhaps some of them had hopes that I might develop into a first…class medium。 Among the seances that I attended were some at a private house in Green Street。 Here I witnessed remarkable things。 The medium was a young lady； not merely in the conventional sense of the term； who evidently believed in her mission and was not paid。 She sank into a trance secured by many tests； and “strange things happened” or seemed to happen。 Thus； to leave out the minor manifestations； two young women of great beauty — or perhaps I should say young spirits — one dark and the other fair； appeared in the lighted room。 I conversed with and touched them both； and noted that their flesh seemed to be firm but cold。 I remember that； being a forind； I even asked the prettier of the two to allow me to give her a kiss。 She smiled but did not seem to be at all annoyed； but I never got the kiss。 I think she remarked that it was not permissible。
She was draped in a kind of white garment which covered her head； and I asked her to allow me to see her hair。 She pushed up the white drapery from her forehead； remarking sweetly that if I would look I should see that she had no hair； and in fact she appeared to be quite bald。 A minute or two later； however； she had long and beautiful hair which flowed all about her。
Afterwards either she or the other apparition remarked that she was tired。 Thereon her body seemed to shrink； with the result that； as her head remained where it was； the neck elongated enormously； after the fashion of Alice in Wonderland。 Then she fell backwards and vanished altogether。
To this day I wonder whether the whole thing was illusion； or； if not； what it can have been。 Of one thing I am certain — that spirits； as we understand the term； had nothing to do with the matter。 On the other hand I do not believe that it was a case of trickery； rather I am inclined to think that certain forces with which we are at present unacquainted were set loose that produced phenomena which； perhaps； had their real origin in our own minds； but nevertheless were true phenomena。
Sometimes these phenomena were purely physical。 Thus I and some other of the Scoones students’ arranged a seance at the house of the uncle of one of them in St。 James’s Place； where no such thing had ever been held before。 The medium； a feeble little man； whose name； I think； was Edwards； arrived and at the door was pounced upon by two of the st