did not understand, although the words were in my mouth. When
things mean nothing, they don't make you feel queer--they don't
impress you. Nine times running you may see a solitary crow, or spill
the salt, or sit down thirteen to table, and laugh at all
superstitious nonsense; then the sign was not for you; but the tenth
time, something will come over you, and you won't laugh; then be
warned and beware! I sometimes feel as if I were listening, but not
with my ears, and waiting for things to happen that I know about, but
not with my head; and I try always to understand when I find myself
listening, but not with my ears, and something surely comes; and so
also when I am waiting for things to happen that I know about, but not
with my head; they do happen. Only most of the time I know that
something is coming, but I cannot tell what it is. In order to be able
to tell exactly, I have to hold myself in a certain attitude--not my
body, you know, _myself_--hold myself in suspense, as it were, or
suspend something in myself, stop something, push something aside--I
can't get it into words; I can't always do it; but when I can, then I
know."

"Who taught you this?" Aunt Victoria asked, as if she were startled.

"Oh, no one taught me," Beth answered. "I just found myself doing it.
Then I tried to notice how it was done. I wanted to be able to do it
myself when I liked. And it was just as if there were two doors, and
one had to be shut before I could look out of the other--the one that
is my nose and eyes and ears; when that is shut, then I know; I look
out of the other. Do things come to you so, Aunt Victoria?"

The old lady had taken Beth's hand, and was stroking it and looking at
her very seriously. "No," she said, shaking her head, "no, things do
not come to me like that. But although I have only one set of
faculties myself, my outlook is not so limited by them that I cannot
comprehend the possibility of something beyond. There are written
records of people in olden times who must have possessed some such
power--some further faculty such as you describe. It may be that it
lies latent in the whole race, awaiting favourable conditions to
develop itself, and some few rare beings have come into possession of
it already. We are complex creatures--body, soul, and spirit, says the
saint; and there is spiritual power. Beth, lay hold of that which you
perceive in yourself, cherish it, cultivate it, live the life
necessary to develop i