were they-two young men in robust health, scoffers at superstition, intelligent, and living in a scientific age!

What did it all mean? Was this a huge imposition, one which ought to be punished in a manner that should put down all such practices for ever, or could these things really be?

What art thou, that usurp'st this time of night,
Together with that fair and warlike form
In which the majesty of buried Denmark.
Did sometimes march?

SHAKESPEARE: "Hamlet," Act I, Scene 1.

I have retained one of these hands in my own, firmly resolved not to let it escape. There was no struggle or effort made to get loose, but it gradually seemed to resolve itself into vapour, and faded in that manner from my grasp.-WILLIAM CROOKES, F.R.S. "Researches in the Phenomena of Spiritualism."

HE medium entered the cabinet.

"I will ask one of the strangers present to put in the screws," said the President. "Mr. Kent, will you kindly step forward and do so?"

Tom did as he was requested. They had previously made a minute examination of the

structure, without being able to detect anything savouring of trickery.

"We will now turn down this gas, continued the speaker, "and after our eyes have become somewhat accustomed to the want of light we will put it entirely out." Here the gas was turned down. "In accordance with our usual practice, I will now state the conditions which all present are bound to observe, premising that we do not guarantee any manifestation whatever. Trifles sometimes affect the success of a séance of this kind, and to-night we may or may not see the forms. I have great hopes, however, that we shall be successful, inasmuch as a female form appeared for the first time last Friday night, and requested the presence of a gentleman who is now here. The form said that the gentleman would issue from Notre Dame at a certain time to-day, and gave the letters C. R. as the initial letters of his name, in both respects being strictly correct. This figure was quite

unknown to the members then present, but if it should appear to-night the gentleman in question may possibly recognise it. The rules expressly stipulate that you keep your seats, and that you do not leave them unless requested by the medium, or the form, or the control. You must not touch the forms un

less they ask you to do so. If you were to seize one of them, your act, instead of leading to exposure as you might vainly suppose, would only result in injury to the medium. Either the form would vanish, or you would find you had secured Mademoiselle. Even this last result, however, instead of proving deceit, would really be one of the strongest arguments in our favour, for the cabinet would be found intact, and the medium would have emerged from it unwittingly. I ask you to preserve a harmonious state of mind as tending to facilitate materialisation. To this end we will engage in singing and in conversation, which, however, must not be of a con

troversial nature.

I need only mention further that you will be expected to join hands

if requested."

Shortly afterwards the gas was turned out, leaving only the light of the red lamp, and, after a little while, even this light was reduced. The two young men soon found their eyes become accustomed to the semi-darkness, and could then clearly distinguish the faces of the rest of the company. After some conversation, a hymn was sung, during the progress of which sounds were heard from the cabinet. Then there came a voice different from that of the medium, yet in some respects resembling it.

"I may say, for the information of the strangers," continued the President, "that the medium is now controlled by the spirit of a little child. You will observe the striking change in her voice and pronunciation, and that there are certai. combinations of sound which she is incapable of uttering. The