ully developed medium in the United States
to-day, and many spirits, which cannot materialize through other mediums,
are dependent upon her; she feels that she has a duty to discharge
towards the spirit-world, at whatever risk to herself. I doubt if
to-night's seance, for example, would have been successful with any other
medium."

Immediately after this conversation Miss Ludington and Paul took their
departure. Dr. Hull went, out with them to the carriage, and was obliged
to remind them of the little matter of Mrs. Legrand's fee, which they had
entirely forgotten.

CHAPTER VII.

Now, before she ever had heard of Mrs. Legrand, Miss Ludington had fully
believed that her former self had an immortal existence, apart and
distinct from her present self, and Paul, to whom she was indebted for
this belief, held it even more firmly than she.

But there is a great difference between the strongest form of faith and
the absolute assurance of sight. The effect of the vision which they had
witnessed in Mrs. Legrand's parlours was almost as startling as if they
had not expected to see it.

Very little was said in the carriage going home, but, as they were
crossing the ferry, Miss Ludington exclaimed, in an awestruck voice,

"O Paul! was it not strange!"

"Strange? Strange?" he echoed, in strong, exultant tones. "How oddly you
use the word, aunty! You might well say how strange, if we mortals were
isolated here on this little island of time, with no communication with
the mainland of eternity; but how can you call it strange when you find
out that we are not isolated? Surely it is not strange, but supremely
reasonable, right, and natural."

"I suppose it is so," said Miss Ludington, "but if I had let you go alone
to-night, and stayed at home, I could never have fully believed you when
you told me what you had seen any more than I shall ever expect any one
to believe me. Think, Paul, if I had not gone, if I had not seen her, if
she had not given me that look! I knew, of course, if she appeared that I
should recognize her, but I did not dare to be sure that she would
recognize me. I remember her, but she never saw me on earth."

"It was as a spirit that she knew you, and that is the way she knew me,
and knew that I loved her," said Paul, with a sudden huskiness in his
voice.

"Surely that makes it clear," said Miss Ludington, "that the spirits of
our past selves love us who follow them, as we, in looking back, year