the days of my life-µÚ11ÕÂ
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¡¡Caithness£»¡¡who¡¡wore¡¡a¡¡necklace¡¡of¡¡enormous¡¡diamonds¡£¡¡When¡¡the¡¡lights¡¡were¡¡turned¡¡down¡¡these¡¡diamonds¡¡were¡¡the¡¡last¡¡objects¡¡visible¡£¡¡They¡¡gleamed¡¡alone£»¡¡and¡¡seemed¡¡to¡¡be¡¡hung¡¡on¡¡air¡£¡¡On¡¡these¡¡occasions¡¡a¡¡lady¡¡called¡¡Mrs¡£¡¡Guppy¡¡was¡¡the¡¡great¡¡medium¡£¡¡On¡¡Mrs¡£¡¡Guppy¡¡I¡¡and¡¡a¡¡confederate¡¡used¡¡to¡¡play¡¡jokes¡£¡¡For¡¡instance£»¡¡one¡¡of¡¡the¡¡manifestations¡¡was¡¡that¡¡the¡¡table¡¡suddenly¡¡became¡¡covered¡¡with¡¡great¡¡quantities¡¡of¡¡roses¡¡covered¡¡with¡¡dew¡£¡¡Off¡¡these¡¡roses¡¡my¡¡friend¡¡and¡¡I£»¡¡having¡¡unlinked¡¡our¡¡hands£»¡¡broke¡¡a¡¡number¡¡of¡¡fat£»¡¡hard¡¡buds¡¡and£»¡¡knowing¡¡where¡¡she¡¡was¡¡sitting£»¡¡discharged¡¡them¡¡through¡¡the¡¡darkness¡¡with¡¡all¡¡our¡¡strength¡¡straight¡¡at¡¡the¡¡head¡¡of¡¡Mrs¡£¡¡Guppy¡£¡¡Little¡¡wonder¡¡that¡¡presently¡¡we¡¡heard¡¡that¡¡poor¡¡lady¡¡exclaim£º
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I¡¡think¡¡it¡¡was¡¡Lady¡¡Caithness¡¡who¡¡made¡¡a¡¡somewhat¡¡similar¡¡remark¡¡when£»¡¡in¡¡the¡¡course¡¡of¡¡my¡¡investigation¡¡of¡¡certain¡¡phenomena¡¡that¡¡were¡¡happening¡¡underneath¡¡the¡¡table¡¡in¡¡connection¡¡with¡¡some¡¡musical¡¡glasses¡¡that¡¡seemed¡¡to¡¡be¡¡emitting¡¡their¡¡plaintive¡¡strains¡¡from¡¡between¡¡my¡¡feet£»¡¡I¡¡landed¡¡her¡¡a¡¡most¡¡severe¡¡kick¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡shins¡£
It¡¡was¡¡all¡¡very¡¡amusing£»¡¡and¡¡would¡¡have¡¡done¡¡no¡¡harm¡¡had¡¡the¡¡business¡¡stopped¡¡there¡£¡¡But¡¡it¡¡did¡¡not¡£¡¡Before¡¡I¡¡leave¡¡20¡¡Hanover¡¡Square£»¡¡however£»¡¡I¡¡may¡¡mention¡¡that¡¡more¡¡than¡¡a¡¡quarter¡¡of¡¡a¡¡century¡¡afterwards¡¡I¡¡revisited¡¡it¡¡under¡¡strangely¡¡different¡¡circumstances¡£¡¡The¡¡house¡¡is¡¡now¡¡the¡¡home¡¡of¡¡various¡¡societies£»¡¡and¡¡in¡¡the¡¡offices¡¡of¡¡one¡¡of¡¡these¡¡societies¡¡I¡¡was¡¡called¡¡upon¡¡to¡¡preside¡¡as¡¡Chairman¡¡of¡¡the¡¡mittee¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Society¡¡of¡¡Authors¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡occasion¡¡of¡¡a¡¡General¡¡Meeting¡£¡¡Of¡¡course¡¡everything¡¡was¡¡changed£»¡¡but¡¡it¡¡seemed¡¡to¡¡me¡¡that¡¡I¡¡recognised¡¡the¡¡marble¡¡mantelpieces¡£
My¡¡acquaintance¡¡with¡¡Lady¡¡Paulet¡¡gave¡¡me¡¡the¡¡entree¡¡to¡¡the¡¡spiritualistic¡¡society¡¡of¡¡the¡¡day¡£¡¡Perhaps¡¡some¡¡of¡¡them¡¡had¡¡hopes¡¡that¡¡I¡¡might¡¡develop¡¡into¡¡a¡¡first¡class¡¡medium¡£¡¡Among¡¡the¡¡seances¡¡that¡¡I¡¡attended¡¡were¡¡some¡¡at¡¡a¡¡private¡¡house¡¡in¡¡Green¡¡Street¡£¡¡Here¡¡I¡¡witnessed¡¡remarkable¡¡things¡£¡¡The¡¡medium¡¡was¡¡a¡¡young¡¡lady£»¡¡not¡¡merely¡¡in¡¡the¡¡conventional¡¡sense¡¡of¡¡the¡¡term£»¡¡who¡¡evidently¡¡believed¡¡in¡¡her¡¡mission¡¡and¡¡was¡¡not¡¡paid¡£¡¡She¡¡sank¡¡into¡¡a¡¡trance¡¡secured¡¡by¡¡many¡¡tests£»¡¡and¡¡¡°strange¡¡things¡¡happened¡±¡¡or¡¡seemed¡¡to¡¡happen¡£¡¡Thus£»¡¡to¡¡leave¡¡out¡¡the¡¡minor¡¡manifestations£»¡¡two¡¡young¡¡women¡¡of¡¡great¡¡beauty¡¡¡ª¡¡or¡¡perhaps¡¡I¡¡should¡¡say¡¡young¡¡spirits¡¡¡ª¡¡one¡¡dark¡¡and¡¡the¡¡other¡¡fair£»¡¡appeared¡¡in¡¡the¡¡lighted¡¡room¡£¡¡I¡¡conversed¡¡with¡¡and¡¡touched¡¡them¡¡both£»¡¡and¡¡noted¡¡that¡¡their¡¡flesh¡¡seemed¡¡to¡¡be¡¡firm¡¡but¡¡cold¡£¡¡I¡¡remember¡¡that£»¡¡being¡¡a¡¡forind£»¡¡I¡¡even¡¡asked¡¡the¡¡prettier¡¡of¡¡the¡¡two¡¡to¡¡allow¡¡me¡¡to¡¡give¡¡her¡¡a¡¡kiss¡£¡¡She¡¡smiled¡¡but¡¡did¡¡not¡¡seem¡¡to¡¡be¡¡at¡¡all¡¡annoyed£»¡¡but¡¡I¡¡never¡¡got¡¡the¡¡kiss¡£¡¡I¡¡think¡¡she¡¡remarked¡¡that¡¡it¡¡was¡¡not¡¡permissible¡£
She¡¡was¡¡draped¡¡in¡¡a¡¡kind¡¡of¡¡white¡¡garment¡¡which¡¡covered¡¡her¡¡head£»¡¡and¡¡I¡¡asked¡¡her¡¡to¡¡allow¡¡me¡¡to¡¡see¡¡her¡¡hair¡£¡¡She¡¡pushed¡¡up¡¡the¡¡white¡¡drapery¡¡from¡¡her¡¡forehead£»¡¡remarking¡¡sweetly¡¡that¡¡if¡¡I¡¡would¡¡look¡¡I¡¡should¡¡see¡¡that¡¡she¡¡had¡¡no¡¡hair£»¡¡and¡¡in¡¡fact¡¡she¡¡appeared¡¡to¡¡be¡¡quite¡¡bald¡£¡¡A¡¡minute¡¡or¡¡two¡¡later£»¡¡however£»¡¡she¡¡had¡¡long¡¡and¡¡beautiful¡¡hair¡¡which¡¡flowed¡¡all¡¡about¡¡her¡£
Afterwards¡¡either¡¡she¡¡or¡¡the¡¡other¡¡apparition¡¡remarked¡¡that¡¡she¡¡was¡¡tired¡£¡¡Thereon¡¡her¡¡body¡¡seemed¡¡to¡¡shrink£»¡¡with¡¡the¡¡result¡¡that£»¡¡as¡¡her¡¡head¡¡remained¡¡where¡¡it¡¡was£»¡¡the¡¡neck¡¡elongated¡¡enormously£»¡¡after¡¡the¡¡fashion¡¡of¡¡Alice¡¡in¡¡Wonderland¡£¡¡Then¡¡she¡¡fell¡¡backwards¡¡and¡¡vanished¡¡altogether¡£
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Sometimes¡¡these¡¡phenomena¡¡were¡¡purely¡¡physical¡£¡¡Thus¡¡I¡¡and¡¡some¡¡other¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Scoones¡¡students¡¯¡¡arranged¡¡a¡¡seance¡¡at¡¡the¡¡house¡¡of¡¡the¡¡uncle¡¡of¡¡one¡¡of¡¡them¡¡in¡¡St¡£¡¡James¡¯s¡¡Place£»¡¡where¡¡no¡¡such¡¡thing¡¡had¡¡ever¡¡been¡¡held¡¡before¡£¡¡The¡¡medium£»¡¡a¡¡feeble¡¡little¡¡man£»¡¡whose¡¡name£»¡¡I¡¡think£»¡¡was¡¡Edwards£»¡¡arrived¡¡and¡¡at¡¡the¡¡door¡¡was¡¡pounced¡¡upon¡¡by¡¡two¡¡of¡¡the¡¡strongest¡¡young¡¡men¡¡present£»¡¡who¡¡never¡¡let¡¡go¡¡of¡¡him¡¡until¡¡the¡¡end¡¡of¡¡the¡¡proceedings¡£¡¡These¡¡were¡¡various¡¡and¡¡tumultuous¡£¡¡We¡¡sat¡¡in¡¡the¡¡darkened¡¡dining¡room¡¡round¡¡the¡¡massive¡¡table£»¡¡which¡¡presently¡¡began¡¡to¡¡skip¡¡like¡¡a¡¡lamp¡£¡¡Lights¡¡floated¡¡about¡¡the¡¡room£»¡¡and¡¡with¡¡them¡¡a¡¡file¡¡of¡¡Morning¡¡Posts¡¡which¡¡normally¡¡reposed¡¡in¡¡a¡¡corner¡£¡¡Cold¡¡little¡¡hands¡¡picked¡¡at¡¡the¡¡studs¡¡in¡¡our¡¡shirts£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡feather¡¡fans¡¡off¡¡the¡¡mantelpiece¡¡floated¡¡to¡¡and¡¡fro£»¡¡performing¡¡their¡¡natural¡¡office¡¡upon¡¡our¡¡heated¡¡brows¡£¡¡Our¡¡host£»¡¡Mr¡£¡¡Norris£»¡¡whispered¡¡to¡¡me¡¡that¡¡he¡¡was¡¡receiving¡¡these¡¡attentions¡£
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This¡¡was¡¡curious¡¡but¡¡by¡¡no¡¡means¡¡the¡¡cream¡¡of¡¡the¡¡proceedings¡£¡¡We¡¡became¡¡aware¡¡that¡¡heavy¡¡articles¡¡were¡¡on¡¡the¡¡move£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡light¡¡showed¡¡us¡¡that¡¡we¡¡were¡¡not¡¡mistaken¡£¡¡There¡¡in¡¡the¡¡centre¡¡of¡¡the¡¡dining¡table£»¡¡piled¡¡one¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡other£»¡¡like¡¡Ossa¡¡upon¡¡Pelion£»¡¡were¡¡the¡¡two¡¡massive¡¡dining¡room¡¡arm¡chairs£»¡¡and¡¡on¡¡the¡¡top¡¡of¡¡these£»¡¡reaching¡¡nearly¡¡to¡¡the¡¡ceiling£»¡¡appeared¡¡Mr¡£¡¡Norris¡¯s¡¡priceless¡¡china¡¡candelabra¡£
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