o that the said pleasurable feeling at the commencement would
seem to be the fascination of temptation with which the Spirit World
lures us on and ensnares us. We were talking of certain Nature-tones
which are capable of explanation, and of their fearsome effect upon our
senses. But we at times hear sounds more extraordinary, of which the
origin and cause are indiscoverable by us, and which produce in us the
profoundest awe and terror. All reassuring ideas--such as that they
proceed from some animal in pain, or are produced by currents of air,
or other natural causes--are useless and of no avail. Every one, I
presume, has experienced that, in the night, the very faintest sound,
if only it occurs at regular intervals with pauses between, completely
drives away sleep, and goes on increasingly stirring up one's inward
disquiet till it reaches the point of complete disorganization of the
faculties. Not very long ago I had to spend a night, on a journey, at
an inn, where the landlord put me in a nice, comfortable, lofty, airy
bedroom. In the middle of the night I started up from my sleep, wide
awake. The moon was shining brightly in at the window, which was
uncurtained, so that I could see every article of the furniture, and
even the minutest objects in the room. There was a sound as of water
dropping into some metallic dish. I lay and listened. The drops went on
falling at regular, measured intervals, drip, drip, drip. My dog, who
was lying under the bed, crept out, and went about the room whimpering
and crying, scratching on the walls and on the floor. I felt as if
streams of icy water were running all through me, and the cold
perspiration dripped from my brow. However, I collected myself by a
great effort, and--after first of all giving a good loud shout--I got
out of bed, and went forward to the middle of the room. There the drops
seemed to be falling close in front of me, or rather I should say
_right through_ me into the metal, of which I heard the reverberation
ringing loud and clear as they fell. Then, overcome by terror, I crept
back, somehow, to the bed, and covered myself up with the bedclothes.
And then it seemed to me that the dropping--still going on at the same
regular intervals--grew gradually fainter and fainter, and died away as
if in the distance. I fell into a deep sleep, out of which I did not
wake till it was bright daylight in the morning. The dog had come and
lain down close beside me in bed, and did no