MESMERISM TO SPIRITUALISM 315 



" I admitted the truth of what he said ; and I feel 

 therefore that an apology is due to you, which pray under- 

 stand me as making without reserve. I have read the greater 

 part of the book you so kindly gave me, and shall read every 

 word of it. I admire the force and clearness with which 

 it is written, every word of it impressing me that it is written 

 by one who understands his own meaning and wishes others 

 to understand it; but I cannot pretend that it has kindled 

 in me that inward motion to see and hear more, without 

 which you and I both know no good can come of any inves- 

 tigation. 



" If there is that spiritual world independent of matter, 

 which you believe in, a day may come when something will 

 happen to me which will kindle in a moment the right spirit 

 of inquiry; no one will follow it up more promptly or per- 

 sistently when it is aroused. If that time never comes, it 

 must be taken as a sign that I am not one of those from whom 

 that cause would gain. 



" Hoping you will forgive me for any rudeness that I fear 

 I have been guilty of, 



Believe me, 



Yours very truly, 



1 -Dt 



(( 



S. Butler/' 



That seems to me a very pleasant letter, expressing his 

 position very clearly. Of course, he had no rudeness to apol- 

 ogize for, as I told him, and though I do not think we met 

 very often afterwards, we continued very good friends. 



While residing at Godalming, I made the acquaintance of 

 William Allingham and his wife — the poet and the artist — who 

 then lived at Witley — I think it was about the years 1886 or 

 1887. Mr. Allingham told me that Tennyson wished to see 

 me, and would be glad if I would come some day and lunch 

 with him. A day was fixed, and I accompanied Mr. Alling- 

 ham to the beautifully-situated house on Blackdown, near Has- 

 lemere, where the poet lived during the summer. Lord Ten- 

 nyson did not appear till luncheon was on the table, but in 



