"He was a clergyman, I see," was my next remark; and I looked at the envelope which had led to this explanation.
"Yes; he was in orders, but he had become a complete agnostic for some years. During the last few weeks of his life--when he had to keep his bed--Mr Dale was always going up there, and having long arguments and discussions with him; but I don't suppose it did much good: it only worried him very much. He was too ill to listen to long arguments then, and wanted just kind, soothing words, I should have thought."
As the girl retreated to the school-room I naturally pondered over this fresh testimony to the truth of psychic atmosphere. No sensitive can question the _fact_, but at present we know little or nothing of the laws which condition the fact.
My friend Mr W. T. Stead kindly allows me to mention another incident connected with personal experiences of mine in the year 1898.
In the opening month of that year he lost a much-valued friend, who had worked for him loyally, both in his office and also with regard to some of his philanthropic schemes.
This lady in a fit of delirium, incident upon a severe attack of illness, threw herself out of a window in her flat. A fortnight before this sad occurrence, she had seen another resident in the same set of flats throw herself out of the window, and Mr Stead has always feared that this acted as a suggestion upon her mind in delirium, and led her to do the same thing. Her own account of the cause of her action differs somewhat from this impression, as will be seen later.
Mr Stead was naturally greatly affected by Mrs Morris' sudden death and the circumstances attending it, and having some of her hair cut off after her death, he sent portions of it to at least twelve well-known clairvoyants, hoping to receive some satisfactory solution of the mystery, and also, possibly, a sign decided upon between him and this lady. They were both interested in psychic matters, and had agreed to believe in no communications from the other side purporting to come from one or other of them, unless this preliminary sign were given.
Mrs Besant--an intimate friend of Mr Stead--was one of the oracles consulted, and was very confident of being able to find out all details, including the mystic sign.