g out his lancet, he wanted to bleed me on the spot, but I refused
to be bled.

"Nonsense, doctor," said I; "I haven't any more blood than I know what
to do with. I tell you I saw _her_ as distinctly as I see you now. She
was in the box opposite yours where those two gentlemen were, but she
did not seem to belong to them."

"Well," said he, "I saw those two gentlemen in the box opposite mine,
and I can take my oath there was no one else there."

"Mark my word," said I, "when you return to ---- and call on that
family, you will be informed that Maud has had another fit. This is the
15th. Mark the day and the hour, and if she has not, I will lose my
right hand, or I will give you permission to bleed me."

"What connection is there between her having a fit and your imagining
that you saw her at the theatre? If she was at the theatre, I must have
seen her as well as you, and if she were in a fit this evening, how
could she be at the theatre?"

I pretended to be convinced by his arguments, but forbore to explain
myself further, merely adding:

"Well, we shall see--if you hear Maud has had a fit on the evening of
the 15th, at about the same hour as the last one, you will let me know,
will you not?"

"Oh, certainly."

At this moment the waiter returned with my supper, and the conversation
took a different turn; but after we had finished and were returning
home, he urged me again to be bled or to try a little change of air, as
he observed that my nerves were evidently out of order. Having arrived
at the corner of a street, I shook hands with my friend, and we parted.
It was about a week after our parting, on returning from a walk I found
a letter on my table. My servant told me that an elderly gentleman had
called and enquired if I were at home, and receiving an answer in the
negative, he had asked for pen, ink, and paper, and left me the
following lines:--

MY DEAR SIR--Since I saw you last I have received a letter from Mrs.
---- begging me to return as soon as I conveniently could, as Maud had
had another fit on the evening of the 15th, between nine and
half-past--the very day and hour, you will remember, you fancied you saw
her in the box opposite mine. I am not a believer in spiritual
apparitions, and therefore cannot set this down to anything more than a
very strange coincidence. I called at the house of Mrs. ---- and saw the
whole family. When the lady of the house had told me about Maud's fit, I
afterwards re