ime).

Lizzie went on to say how nervous they were about writing the letter,
fearing that so popular an author might not take any notice of the badly
expressed letter of two young colonial girls. However, she did her best,
and Lily Boyle did _her_ best, and the result was a hopeless failure!
"Then," continued Lizzie, "a happy thought struck me--George Eliot had
used my hand to convey her message to you last October; might we not,
remembering this, appeal to her to help us in our difficulty? So we gave
up trying to write the letter ourselves, took down planchette from its
shelf, and started again. In a few moments an excellent letter was
written, giving your name as an introduction, with all the little
points you had specially begged us to remember in connection with Miss
Pearl's probable prejudices. It was so splendidly written, and so
quickly, that you can imagine our delight! We could not bear to give up
planchette even after both our names had been signed, and I said
pleadingly: '_Oh, don't go away! Do stop and tell us something more._'

"In large letters, as you see" (Lizzie enclosed the script), "was
written very decidedly:

"NO, I CANNOT STAY WITH YOU NOW--I HAVE PROMISED TO GO AND SEE
STELLA'S DAUGHTER.

"I remembered, dear Miss Bates, that G. Eliot had said your mother's
name in spirit life was _Stella_, so, of course, we knew that she meant
us to understand that she was going to see _you_.

"Unfortunately, you did not mention the hour of her visit, but we took
the time when enclosed message was written--very accurately--in order to
tell you about it, and the hour was just twelve-thirty A.M. Do write and
tell us that was the time when she appeared to you--we feel sure it must
have been--but are longing to have our idea confirmed, etc. etc."

Now my young friends had evidently entirely forgotten the difference
in time between Dunedin and Melbourne, and I must confess to my own
amazement when I found that it was considerably over the sixty
minutes, which I should have vaguely supposed it to be.

In fact, I was rather disappointed to think there was so wide a margin
between the two occurrences, until I casually asked a gentleman, who was
staying in my hotel, if he could tell me the difference in time between
the two cities.

"Not exactly, I'm afraid, but it is considerably over an hour. Ah,
there is a good atlas! I can easily calculate it for you." He remained
silent for a moment, and then raising his head