— 494 — 



in this- affair is, as I have said, a defiance of common sense when worked out in 

 any imaginable way. The extravagance of this explanation will, moreover, be 

 seen to heighten as my narrative proeeeds, and as the incident just related is 

 compared with others which took place later. But I have not yet done with the 

 incidents of the cup-morning. 



The gentleman called X . . . had been a good deal with us during the 

 week or two that had already elapsed since Madame Blavatsky's arrival. Like 

 many of our friends, he had been greatly impressed with much he had seen in 

 her presence. He had especially come to the conclusion that the Theosophical 

 Society, in which she was interested, was exerting a good influence with the 

 natives, a view which he had expressd more than once in warm language in 

 my presence. He had declared his intention of joining this Society as I had 

 done myself. Now, when the cup and saucer were found most of us who were 

 present, X . . . among the number, were greatly impressed, and in the conversation 

 that ensued the idea arose that X . . . might formally become a member of the 

 Society then and there. I should not have taken part in this Suggestion — I 

 believe I originated it — if X . . . had not in cool blood decided, as I understood, 

 to join the Society; in itself, moreover, a step which involved no responsibilities 

 whatever, and simply indicated sympathy with the pursuit of occult knowledge 

 and a general adhesion to broad philanthropic doctrines of brotherly sentiments 

 towards all humanity, irrespective of race and creed. This has to be explained 

 in view of some little annoyances which followed. 



The proposal that X . . . should then and there formally join the Society 

 was one with which he was quite ready to fall in. But some documents were 

 required — a formal diploma, the gift of which to a new member should follow 

 his initiation into certain little masonic forms of recognition adopted in the Society. 

 How could we get a diploma? Of course for the group then present a difficulty 

 of this sort was merely another opportunity for the exercise of Madame's powers. 

 Could she get a diploma brought to us by „magic?" After an occult conversation 

 with the Brother who had then interested himself in our proeeedings, Madame 

 told us that the diploma would be fortheoming. She described the appearance 

 it would present — a roll of paper wound round with an immense quantity of 

 string, and then bound up in the leaves of a creeping plant. We should find 

 it about in the wood where we were, and we could all look for it, but it would 

 be X . . ., for whom it was intended, who would find it. Thus it feil out. We 

 all searched about in the undergrouth or in the trees, wherever fancy prompted 

 us to look, and it was X . . . who found the roll, done up as described. 



We had had our breakfast by this time. X . . . was formally „initiated u 

 a member of the society by Colonel Olcott, and after a time we shifted our 

 quarters to a lower place in the wood where there was the little Thibetan temple, 



