Page:The Naturalisation of the Supernatural.pdf/81

Rh a dear little vine-covered terrace, looking out into the Piazza di Spagna, and looking also right up to the spires or rather towers of S. Trinita dei Monti, with the great obelisk in front. The afternoon of Jan. 27th I returned to my home after a walk and [after] making a few purchases, at 5 I took off my fur jacquette, and went at once into my dining-room to see about the dinner-table, as three friends came [or "come" at 7  to dine. I busied myself about the table for some time, then stepped on to the terrace (which is so pretty, but opens, unfortunately, from the kitchen). I went into the terrace at that time to see about our dessert for dinner, which I had put there to become cool. Then I went back into the dining-room, and as the hanging-lamp had just been lighted, I ordered the maid to drop the outside curtains. She did so. I remember that I looked just then at the clock, and it was 5.35 I had on a black skirt, a black silk blouse, and a mauve tie, which twisted about my neck and hung in two ends to my waist. It looked to you like a mauve blouse. Then I went into our small salon and took something from the table. I remember it distinctly. Our salon is very small; there is an upright piano and a writing-table, on which are photos and books too, and a lot of little silver things. Hermes (your photo to me) stands very near, on another little table, quite near, in fact. It is all quite mysterious. I believe you have really peeped into my house. . ..

Vivid and detailed visions of the kind given in the last two narratives are of rare occurrence with persons in a state of normal wakefulness. The early mesmerists, both in this country and in France and Germany, have recorded many cases where the subject in a state of trance purported to have visions of distant scenes and of the persons taking part in them: and these descriptions were in many cases