(62) " Some years ago, the writer, when recovering from an illness, had a remarkable experience of ' second-sight.' It was thus: -

"A friend had been invited to dinner, whom the writer was most anxious to consult on a subject of grave anxiety. At 7 o'clock the servant came to ask, 'if dinner should be served or not, as the guest had not arrived'.

"The writer said at once, and without hesitation, 'No, put off the dinner till 8 o'clock. Mr. A. will arrive at------ Station by 7.45 train; send the carriage there to meet him'.

"The writer's husband, surprised at this announcement, said, ' Why did you not tell us this before, and when did Mr. A. let you know of the delay in his arrival? '

"The writer then explained that there had been no intimation from Mr. A., but that as she had been lying there, on the couch, and anxiously hoping to see her guest, she had had a distinct vision of him, at a certain place (mentioning the name of the town); that she had seen him going over a 'House to Let'; that, having missed the train and also the ferry, he had crossed the river in a small boat and scrambled up the steep bank, tripping in doing so, and that he had run across a ploughed field, taking up the train at a side station, which would arrive at------at a quarter to 8 p.m.

"The writer gave all these particulars without any sort of mental effort, and felt surprised herself at the time that they should arise to her mind and tongue.

"Presently Mr. A. arrived full of apologies, and surprised beyond measure to find his friend's carriage awaiting him at the station. He then went on to explain that he had that morning quite suddenly taken it into his head to leave town for------, and finding it so fresh and healthy a place, he had been tempted to look over some houses to let, hoping to be able to get one for a few weeks in the season; that he had lost time in doing this, and missed both train and ferry; that he had bribed a small boat to row him over; that in getting up the side bank, he fell, which delayed him again, but that he had just contrived to catch the train at a siding, by running breathless over a field; that he had intended to telegraph on arriving at the station, but, meeting the carnage there, he had felt bound to come on, to explain and apologise, in spite of delay, and ' morning dress,' etc, etc".

The following is a letter from Mr. A. to Mrs. L.: -

" February 16th, 1885.

"Dear Mrs. L., - Anent that Indian incident, your seeing me, and what I was doing at Barrackpore one evening, you yourself being in Calcutta at the time.

"It is now so long ago, 13 years, I think, that I cannot recall ail the circumstances, but I do remember generally.

"I left home one morning without the intention of going from Calcutta during the day, but I did go from Calcutta to Barrackpore and spent some time in looking through the bungalows to let.

" I remember I crossed in a small boat - not by the ferry, and my impression is that I did not land at the usual jetty, but, instead, at the bank opposite the houses which I wished to see.

' I missed the train by which I would ordinarily have travelled, and consequently arrived in Calcutta considerably later than your usual dinner-hour.

' I cannot remember distinctly that I found any gharry at the Barrackpore train, Calcutta Station, but you may probably remember whether you sent the gharry; but I do remember my astonishment that you had put back dinner against my return from Barrackpore by that particular train, you having had no previous direct knowledge of my having gone to Barrackpore at all.

"I remember, too, your telling me generally what I had been doing at Barrackpore, and how I had missed the earlier train. And on my inquiry ' How on earth do you know these things? 'you said, ' I saw you.' Expecting me by that train, I can quite understand your having sent the carriage for me, although that particular item is not clearly on my memory.

"I can well remember that at the time of the incident you were in a very delicate state of health.

"Do you remember that other occasion in Calcutta, a holiday, when Mrs.------called, I being out, and on her inquiring for me your intorming her that I had gone to the bootmaker's and the hatter's, you having had no previous intimation from me of any such intention on my part 'i and our astonishment and amazement when I did a little later turn up, a new hat in my hand, and fresh from registering an order at the bootmaker's?

"These have always appeared to me very extraordinary incidents, and the first, especially, incapable of explanation in an ordinary way".

Mrs. L. recollects the other incident referred to, but she is not inclined to think it of much importance.

She adds: -

"The river crossed was the Hooghly from Serampore to Barrackpore, where the house was situated which Mr. A. looked over. The station he arrived at was in Calcutta, I think called the South Eastern, but of this I am not sure".

The next account is from a lady who is an active philanthropist, and as practical and unvisionary a person as could be found. She has no special interest in our work, and withholds her name on the ground that her friends would dislike or despise the subject. This is one of the ways in which the present state of thought and feeling often prevents the facts from laving their legitimate force.

"May 9th, 1883. (63) " It happened one Tuesday last January. I was going to start for one of my usual visits to Southampton. In the morning I received a letter from a friend saying he was going to hunt that day, and would write next day, so that I should get the letter on my return home. In the train, being tired, I put down my book and shut my eyes, and presently the whole scene suddenly occurred before me - a hunting field and two men riding up to jump a low stone wall. My friend's horse rushed at it, could not clear it, and blundered on to his head, throwing off his rider, and the whole scene vanished. I was wide awake the whole time. My friend is a great rider, and there was no reason why such an accident should have befallen him. Directly I arrived at Southampton I wrote to him, simply saying I knew he had had a fall, and hoped he was not hurt. On my return late on Wednesday night, not finding the promised letter, I wrote a few lines, merely saying I should expect to hear all about his spill next day, and I mentioned to two people that evening on my return what I had seen; also that Tuesday evening, dining with friends, I spoke of what had happened in the train, and they all promptly laughed at me.

On Thursday morning I received a letter from my friend, telling me he had had a fall, riding at a low stone wall, that the horse had not been able to clear it, and had blundered on to his head, that he was not much hurt, and had later on remounted. He had not, when he wrote, received either of my letters, as my Tuesday one only arrived in Scotland on Thursday morning, and my Wednesday one on Friday. When he received my letters, he only declared I must have been asleep. Nothing of the sort ever happened to me before or since. It all seemed very natural and did not alarm me. "H. G. B".

In answer to inquiries, Mrs. B. adds: -

"My friend, who is a hard-headed Scotchman, declined to say another word about it. All I know is that there were two horsemen riding up to the same spot".

In a personal interview, Mrs. B. told the present writer that her vision took place about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and that she had heard from her friend that his accident took place "after lunch." She had no idea of disaster, and felt sure he was not much hurt. She cannot say whether her eyes were open or shut, but is certain that the experience was an altogether unique one.

[Case 64 is omitted.] We received the next account through the kindness of Mr. J. Bradley Dyne, of 2, New Square, Lincoln's Inn. The incident took place in his house at Highgate, and the narrator is his sister-in-law. The case brings us again to the very verge of actual sensory hallucination. It seems also to be an extreme instance of a deferred or a latent telepathic impression - the death of the agent (allowing for longitude) having preceded the percipient's experience by about 10 hours. This feature does not seem specially surprising, when we remember how actual impressions of sense may pass unnoted, and yet emerge into consciousness hours afterwards, either in dream or in some moment of silence or recueilletnent. (See above; p. 144,) "1883.