148 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY CHAP. V 



the manner of Mr. Y's remarks it was clear that his 

 attention was entirely given to its movements. 



Then I felt the fingers of the medium's left hand 

 become tense in such a manner as to show that the 

 muscles of the left arm were contracting sympathetically 

 with those of the other arm, on which a considerable 

 strain was evidently being put. Mr. Y's observations 

 upon the eccentricities of the arm-chair became louder 

 a noise was heard as of the chair descending on the table 

 and shoving the guitar before it (while at the same time, 

 or just before, ^here was a crash of a falling thermometer), 

 and the tension of the left arm ceased. The chair had 

 got on to the table. Says the medium to Mr. Y, " Your 

 hand was against mine all the time." " Well, no," replied 

 Mr. Y, " not quite. For a moment as the chair was 

 coming up I don't think it was." But it was agreed that 

 this momentary separation made no difference. I said 

 nothing, but, like the parrot, thought the more. After 

 this nothing further happened. But conversation went 

 on, and more than once the medium was careful to point 

 out that the chair came upon the table while his hand 

 was really in contact with Mr. Y's. 



G. D. will tell you if this is a fair statement of the 

 facts. I believe it is, for my attention was on the stretch 

 for those mortal two hours and a half, and I did not 

 allow myself to be distracted from the main points in any 

 way. My conclusion is that Mr. X is a cheat and an 

 impostor, and I have no more doubt that he got Mr. Y 

 to sit on his right hand, knowing from the turn of his 

 conversation that it would be easy to distract his attention, 

 and that he then moved the chair against Mr. Y with his 

 leg, and finally coolly lifted (it) on to the table, than that 

 I am writing these lines. T. H. H. 



As Mr. G. Darwin wrote of the stance, " It has given 

 me a lesson with respect to the worthlessness of evidence 

 which J shall always remember, and besides will make 



