in celibacy. Let us continue
again from the known to the unknown. Mrs. Lawrence Oliphant's brother,
the late Captain Lestrange, R.N., left his ship without leave, to avoid
his wife. He had married an undesirable person, who has also been dead
some years.

He was a most intelligent officer, and commanded the despatch vessel of
the Admiral in command of the Mediterranean fleet. It is most probable
that he was weakened by hypnotism, otherwise he would not have entered
into this marriage, or allowed himself to be broken down by disgust at
its consequences. An exceedingly manly, robust character, and devoted to
his profession, he could not without being hypnotised have deserted his
ship. The only reason he had for leaving it was that his wife threatened
to come to the Mediterranean to Malta. There was a gang of criminal
hypnotists on the Mediterranean coast then. Captain Lestrange fled to
Copenhagen, a place connected with most of the attacks of criminal
hypnotists, mentioned before and hereafter. He had visited it on duty two
or three times, and been in contact with others who suffered. He died two
or three years afterwards, probably of a broken heart. Here, for the
second time, a connection between two victims is traceable.

In the former case, the two were simply neighbours; the probability that
in each pair of cases one gang was concerned is very great. One gang, if
not both, were connected with Copenhagen; indeed, they may have been the
same gang.

If striking haunted house stories are rare, the reason is that, on
obvious grounds, gangs of hypnotists are rare also.

The writer believes that Lord Howe's and his sister's courage prompted
the attack on them by a gang of hypnotists 120 years ago.[6] Poltergeist
disturbances are caused by a single person generally; it is not
impossible that in rare cases there is a confederate.

[Footnote 6: A. Lang's "Ghost Stories."]

These victims of hypnotists were thus four--two very eminent literary
men, distinguished also in other ways; a very rising naval officer; and a
diplomatist, a member of the foremost of the services of the Crown.

Father B. was attacked in 1888-89 in London. In June 1892, Father H.
visited the Haunted House at B----. He first brought the haunting to the
notice of Lord Bute in August 1892, and in 1893 met a lady who had been
governess at B---- about twelve years before, and who reported that the
house was haunted then.

A noise like the continual explo