necessary to
turn round once more to the wall to realise that I _did_ see her in
fact, although I ought not to have done so in theory! I saw her as
distinctly as I ever saw a marble statue in the Vatican Gallery by the
light of noon. Although I had recalled the Jephson story so
circumstantially, it never struck me that it might be interesting to
attempt any conversation, and see whether I also were tongue-tied. I did
not _want_ to speak--there seemed no special reason for speaking. It was
quite enough to lie there with this blissful feeling of protection and
love folding me round like a cloud with golden lining. And as this
consciousness held me in its loving grasp, to my infinite sorrow the
kind, protecting figure disappeared, gently and very slowly, sinking
into the ground on the spot where I had first seen her; and once more
all was dark in the room.

I lay, too happy and peaceful for movement or even speculation for some
ten minutes, and then it struck me that I had better light the candle by
my side, and find out what o'clock it might be.

Now I have a rather accurate idea of time, and can generally tell within
a minute or two how long any special work may have taken me. Looking at
my watch, I saw it was just two-twenty-five A.M., so I settled in my own
mind that I must have seen the figure at two-fifteen A.M., or possibly
at two-ten A.M., for I think the experience lasted nearly five minutes
altogether. Anyway, I felt sure that ten minutes, as nearly as possible,
had elapsed between the sinking of the figure out of sight and my
lighting the match in order to consult my watch. It may have been nine
minutes, or possibly eleven, but I feel confident the time mentioned
would be within these limits.

Therefore next morning, when our host appeared, and I was chaffed about
"the vision," I said boldly: "You think it all nonsense, and I confess
I did not believe anything that came last night when so much joking was
going on, but I was mistaken. I _did_ see, for the first time in my
life, anything abnormal." And I repeated my experience, just as I have
now written it down.

Incredulous looks greeted me, and then Mr Kitchener said quietly:

"Oh yes, you saw something at four A.M. I am not at all surprised to
hear that."

"Not at four A.M.," I answered, "but at two-fifteen A.M. I made a
special note of the time. I was asleep again long before four A.M., and
never slept better in my life."

He looked puzzled, and then