(29) "My late parishioner, Mrs. de Freville, was a somewhat eccentric lady, who was specially morbid on the subject of tombs, etc.

"About two days after her death, which took place in London, May 8th, in the afternoon, I heard that she had been seen that very night by Alfred Bard. I sent for him, and he gave me a very clear and circumstantial account of what he had seen.

"He is a man of great observation, being a self-taught naturalist, and I am quite satisfied that he desires to speak the truth without any exaggeration.

"I must add that I am absolutely certain that the news of Mrs. de Freville's death did not reach Hinxton till the next morning, May 9th. She was found dead at 7.30 p.m. She had been left alone in her room, being poorly, but not considered seriously or dangerously ill.

"C. T. Forster." The following is the percipient's own account: -

"July 21st, 1885.

"I am a gardener in employment at Sawston. I always go through Hinxton churchyard on my return home from work. On Friday, May 8th, 1885, I was walking back as usual. On entering the churchyard, I looked rather carefully at the ground, in order to see a cow and donkey which used to lie just inside the gate. In so doing I looked straight at the square stone vault in which the late Mr. de Fr6ville was at one time buried. I then saw Mrs. de Freville leaning on the rails, dressed much as I had usually seen her, in a coal-scuttle bonnet, black jacket with deep crape, and black dress. She was looking full at me. Her face was very white, much whiter than usual. I knew her well, having at one time been in her employ. I at once supposed that she had come, as she sometimes did, to the mausoleum in her own park, in order to have it opened and go in. I supposed that Mr. Wiles, the mason from Cambridge, was in the tomb doing something. I walked round the tomb, looking carefully at it, in order to see if the gate was open, keeping my eye on her and never more than five or six yards from her. Her face turned and followed me.

I passed between the church and the tomb (there are about four yards between the two), and peered forward to see whether the tomb was open, as she hid the part of the tomb which opened. I slightly stumbled on a hassock of grass, and looked at my feet for a moment only. When I looked up she was gone. She could not possibly have got out of the churchyard, as in order to reach any of the exits she must have passed me.1 So I took for granted that she had quickly gone into the tomb. I went up to the door, which I expected to find open, but to my surprise it was shut and had not been opened, as there was no key in the lock. I rather hoped to have a look into the tomb myself, so I went back again and shook the gate to make sure, but there was no sign of any one's having been there. I was then much startled and looked at the clock, which marked 9.20. When I got home I half thought it must have been my fancy, but I told my wife that I had seen Mrs. de Freville.

1 As to this point, see pp. 515-16.

"Next day, when my little boy told me that she was dead, I gave a start, which my companion noticed, I was so much taken aback.

"I have never had any other hallucination whatever.

"Alfred Bard".

Mrs. Bard's testimony is as follows: -

"July 8th, 1885.

"When Mr. Bard came home he said, 'I have seen Mrs. de Freville to-night, leaning with her elbow on the palisade, looking at me. I turned again to look at her and she was gone. She had cloak and bonnet on.' He got home as usual between 9 and 10; it was on the 8th of May, 1885.

"Sarah Bard".

The Times obituary confirms the date of the death.

[Mr. Myers was conducted over Hinxton churchyard by Mr. Forster, and can attest the substantial accuracy of Mr. Bard's description of the relative position of the church, the tomb, and the exits. The words "must have passed me," however, give a slightly erroneous impression; "must have come very near me " would be the more correct description].

[In 1887 and 1888, in replies to criticisms by Professor C. S. Peirce, Mr. Gurney gives (in the Proceedings of the American Society for Psychical Research, vol. i., 1885-1889) three additional contributions to the evidence in this case, viz.: (a) On page 168 a testimonial to Mr. Bard's sobriety from the Vicar which I need not quote; (b) On page 273, footnote, a correction as to the hour of death; he says, "In case 29 it is stated that Mrs. de Freville was found dead at 7.30 p.m. I learn from a near relative of hers that the time was certainly some hours earlier, about 2 p.m.; " (c) on page 292 the following explicit statement by Mr. Bard: "I had no knowledge that Mrs. de Fr6ville was ill, and was not even aware that she was away from Hinxton. - Alfred Bard." Ed].

The next case is of a more abnormal type. We received the first account of it - the percipient's evidence - through the kindness of Mrs. Martin, of Ham Court, Upton-on-Severn, Worcester.

"Antony, Torpoint, December 14th, 1882.