aradise that she could hardly be dragged from it even by a flaming
sword, we agreed to cry "quits," and continue our travels together. So
Miss Greenlow spent the month of March in Sydney, whilst I paid my
visit to Queensland, and we met once more at Brisbane to take steamer
for Thursday Island, Cape Darwin, and eventually Hong Kong. Only one
small matter of psychic interest occurred during this voyage.

I have mentioned in a previous chapter the little "swallows," which I
first saw in San Francisco in the year 1886. I had been accustomed to
seeing them ever since that date, and had been frequently commiserated
for incipient eye trouble in consequence, by more than one sceptical
friend.

On the very day we went on board the Hong Kong steamer at Brisbane, a
new sign appeared: a single bird, holding in its beak a ring with half
hoop of five stones, presumably diamonds. I told my friend about this,
but neither she nor I could imagine any significance in it. At that time
we had not even met any of our fellow-passengers to speak to, for we
were all taken up with settling into our cabins and trying to make
ourselves as comfortable as circumstances would permit.

For a whole week the same little bird and the same ring were
persistently held up before me. Then an inkling of the possible meaning
broke upon me suddenly. Within a fortnight of our sailing this suspicion
was confirmed, and the little bird's warning or suggestion amply
justified. But "that is another story!" Curiously enough, the new "sign
in the heavens" was withdrawn as soon as I had grasped its meaning.

I must hasten over our delightful stay in Japan, because amongst much of
extreme interest from artistic, social, and various other points of
view, nothing occurred which has any special bearing on my present
subject.

Leaving Japan eventually by sailing from Yokohama to Vancouver
(Washington territory), the old threads were once more put into my
hands.

We made the acquaintance on board the old P. & O. _Abyssinia_ of the
late Captain MacArthur, a kindly and genial naval man. He was an
Australian by birth, but belonged to our English navy, and was just
returning home on his promotion as commander.

He became rather interested in my "queer ideas," and ended by suggesting
some experiments with "the table," so he persuaded the ship's carpenter
to put together a small rough wooden table. The sittings were held,
generally after dinner, in either my cabin or that