124: LETTERS ON NATURAL MAGIC. 



3. On these two occasions Mrs. A. was alone, but when 

 the next phantasm appeared her husband was present. 

 This took place on the 4th of January, 1830. About ton 

 o'clock at night, when Mr. and Mrs. A. were sitting in 

 the drawing-room, Mr. A. took up the poker to stir the 

 fire, and when he was in the act of doing this, Mrs. A. 

 exclaimed, "Why there's the cat in the room!" "Where?" 

 asked Mr. A. " There, close to you," she replied. 

 " Where ?" he repeated. " Why on the rug to be sure, 

 between yourself and the coal-scuttle." Mr. A., who had 

 still the poker in his hand, pushed it in the direction 

 mentioned. " Take care," cried Mrs. A., " take care, you 

 are hitting her with the poker." Mr. A. again asked her 

 to point out exactly where she saw the cat. She replied, 

 " Why sitting up there close to your feet on the rug : she 

 is looking at me. It is Kitty come here, Kitty !" 

 There were two cats in the house, one of which went by 

 this name, and they were rarely if ever in the drawing- 

 room. At this time Mrs. A. had no idea that the sight 

 of the cat was an illusion. When she was asked to touch 

 it, she got up for the purpose, and seemed as if she were 

 pursuing something which moved away. She followed a 

 few steps, and then said, " It has gone under the chair." 

 Mr. A. assured her it was an illusion, but she would not 

 believe it. He then lifted up the chair, and Mrs. A. saw 

 nothing more of it. The room was then searched all 

 over, and nothing found in it. There was a dog lying on 

 the hearth, who would have betrayed great uneasiness if a 

 cat had been in the room, but he ]ay perfectly quiet. In 

 order to be quite certain, Mr. A. rung the bell, and sent 

 for the two cats, both of which were found in the house- 

 keeper's room. 



4. About a month after this occurrence, Mrs. A., who 

 had taken a somewhat fatiguing drive during the day, was 

 preparing to go to bed about eleven o'clock at night, and, 



