f my own
foolish remark, whilst she took pencil and paper and sat down
expectantly.

Soon she looked up, the writing having already begun.

"Do you know any William? There seems to be some message from a William,
as far as I can make out."

Having had a favourite cousin of that name, I told her it might be quite
correct, and I should be glad to receive any message that came.

A few moments passed, and then Miss Vincent said, in a puzzled tone:

"It is not _from_ William--the message is _to_ some William--I cannot
understand it at all." She pushed the paper rather impatiently towards
me. Written upon it clearly but faintly were these words:

DEAR WILLIAM,--I want to explain to you how I came to fall out of that
window--it was not my fault really--someone came up behind and pushed me
out. ETHEL.

The signature was rather indistinct, but quite unmistakable to _me_; but
then I knew the Christian name of Mr Stead's friend, and realised at
once that she was taking this opportunity of sending a message to him.

I asked Miss Vincent what name was written at the bottom of the paper.
"It looks like Ethel," she said, "but it is not very clear. I will ask
the spirit to write it again." A very bold and unmistakable signature
was at once given.

I concealed my excitement, and said quietly to Miss Vincent:

"I think I know from whom the message comes and for whom it is intended,
but to make quite sure it would be very satisfactory if the spirit could
give through you a sign agreed upon by the sender and the recipient and
unknown to everyone else."

"Well, I will try," said Miss Vincent at once. She had scarcely touched
the pencil when it began describing a circle. "There is no doubt about
my having to make a circle," she said, laughing. "Oh, now I am to put a
cross into it," she added.

Within a few seconds both these were given, and to _our_ great
delight--as well as to his--the sign was recognised by Mr Stead as being
the one agreed upon, and which had hopelessly puzzled all the other
mediums.

CHAPTER XII

1900-1901

I must now note a curious episode connected with my friend Judge Forbes,
whose astral influence I had traced clinging to the rooms he once
occupied in Cambridge.

As before mentioned, he had married, and I had lost sight of him and his
whole family for many years. But we had several mutual friends, through
whom I had heard of the birth of