SPECTRAL ILLUSIONS. 123 



the fire. As lie had gone out to take a walk about half an 

 hour before, she was surprised to see him there, and asked 

 him why he had returned so soon. The figure looked 

 fixedly at her with a serious and thoughtful expression of 

 countenance, but did not speak. Supposing that his mind 

 was absorbed in thought, she sat down in an arm-chair 

 near the fire, and within two feet at most of the figure, 

 which she still saw standing before her. As its eyes, how- 

 ever, still continued to be fixed upon her, she said after 



the lapse of a few minutes, " Why don't you speak ?'' 



The figure immediately moved off towards the window at 

 the farther end of the room, with its eyes still gazing on 

 her, and it passed so very close to her in doing so that 

 she was struck by the circumstance of hearing no step 

 nor sound, nor feeling her clothes brushed against, nor 

 even any agitation in the air. Although she was now con- 

 vinced that the figure was not her husband, yet she never 

 for a moment supposed that it was anything supernatural, 

 and was soon convinced that it was a spectral illusion. 

 As soon as this conviction had establised itself in her 

 mind, she recollected the experiment which I had suggested, 

 of trying to double the object ; but before she was able 

 distinctly to do this, the figure had retreated to the window, 

 where it disappeared. Mrs. A. immediately followed it, 

 shook the curtains and examined the window, the impres- 

 sion having been so distinct and forcible that she was 

 unwilling to believe that it was not a reality. Finding, 

 however, that the figure had no natural means of escape, 

 she was convinced that she had seen a spectral apparition 

 like those recorded in Dr. Hibbert's work, and she conse- 

 quently felt no alarm or agitation. The appearance was 

 seen in bright daylight, and lasted four or five minutes. 

 When the figure stood close to her it concealed the real 

 objects behind it, and the apparition was fully as vivid as 

 the reality. 



