," she added, "I have been a firm believer in spiritualism."

A young French girl, in draggly black garments and a shock of thick
black hair, then came forward and rushed amongst us, trying to find
someone to talk French with her. My friend Mrs Hall went up first, and
then I was told to go up and speak to her. I took hold of her hands, and
grasped them firmly for a moment. They seemed to be ordinary flesh and
blood, but I am bound to confess that they appeared to _lengthen out_ in
a somewhat abnormal fashion when the pressure was removed.

Her face was very cadaverous, and she spoke in a quick, hurried way, _as
if time were an object_. She said she understood a little English, but
could not speak it. Her mother had been French; her father an Indian,
"un brave homme."

It seemed to me that a good deal of kissing and embracing went on. One
old grey-headed gentleman was constantly walking up to the cabinet and
being embraced by a white figure, whose arms we could just see, thrown
round his neck, in the dim light. (I note that the light here was much
less than with Mrs Stoddart Gray in New York.)

The only excitement was the chance of some disturbance before we left;
for Mrs Porter became more and more indignant with the "gross
imposture," which culminated when at length she was called up and told
that "a young man wished to speak with her." She asserted that it was
"the most horrible, grinning, painted creature who hissed into her
ears."

The master of the house begged her to be patient, and try to hear what
the spirit wished to say, but with a very emphatic "NO, NO, NO" she
resumed her seat, amidst a general titter of laughter.

At the last we were told that three little girls, whose mother sat near
the cabinet, wished to materialise, but found it difficult to do so,
owing to the absence of children in the audience.

The mother seemed very anxious to see them; but suddenly the gas was
turned up, and the _seance_ declared over--a very abrupt finale to a
piece of unmitigated humbug, I should say.

These extracts sufficiently show the spirit in which I entered upon my
investigations and the result of that spirit. I think even Mr Podmore
would have considered me _thoroughly sound_ on that first evening. I
have no doubt that the violence of Mrs Porter's antagonism, and the
smiling cynicism of Mrs Hall in face of the "American experience" she
had proposed for us, added to my own preconceived prejudices.

I am aware