Page:The Naturalisation of the Supernatural.pdf/137

Rh ten and gone to his room, and I lay reading, when suddenly a strange creepy sensation came over me, and I felt my eyes drawn towards the left hand side of the room. I felt I must look, and there distinct against the curtain was a blue luminous mist.

I could not for some time move my eyes away, and all the time I was really terrified, for I thought it was something uncanny. I wished to call my son, but fought down the feeling, knowing I should only upset him if he thought I was nervous, and possibly they would think I was going to be ill again. So I battled down my fears, and making up my mind it was all imagination, turned round with my back to this misty light and continued my book. Soon the feeling of fear passed away; but all desire for sleep had also gone, and for a long time I lay reading,—when again quite suddenly came the dread and the feeling of awe.

This time I was impelled to cast my eyes downward to the side of my bed, and there, creeping upwards towards me, was the same blue luminous mist. I was too terrified to move, and remember keeping my book straight up before my face as though to ward off a blow, at the same time exerting all my strength of will and determination not to be afraid,—when suddenly, as if with a jerk, above the top of my book came the brow and eyes of Mr. Rose. In an instant all fear left me. I dropped my book with an exclamation not complimentary, for then I knew that Mr. Rose had been trying the same thing again. In one moment mist and face were gone.

It is unfortunate that in this case no notes were made by either party, and that the date of the experience cannot now be fixed. But Mr. Rose has given us a concordant account, so that the coincidence is confirmed by the testimony of three witnesses.

In the case next to be quoted, we have accounts from both agent and percipient written before the