es." And then I told
her about my terrible night.

Although forced to admit the facts, Miss Hunter fought every inch of the
ground, so far as the _painful_ experiences were concerned.

"Such an excellent man! so interested in everything--a _clergyman_, my
dear Miss Bates, and so _good!_ How could there be anything painful
connected with his death?" etc. etc.

I suggested that, as Christians, we had the most overwhelming proof that
holiness of life does not always preclude even mental suffering at
death; but she would not hear of this argument, and doubtless considered
it blasphemous.

By dint of questioning, however, I made two discoveries--first, that
the death was quite unexpected. The man had only been a fortnight in the
house, and when I expressed surprise that he should have been moved
there so late in a fatal illness, she said unguardedly:

"_Oh, but he was very slightly ill when he came--it was more a
preventive measure. None of us had any idea that he was a dying man, the
symptoms developed so suddenly._"

I also elicited another fact--_i.e._ that this delightfully interesting
personality "so intellectual--so full of interest in everything" (to
quote Miss Hunter's words), had died at the age of forty, in the very
prime of life. No wonder, under the circumstances of so short an
illness, in the very zenith of life and enjoyment, that body and soul
should have been loath to separate, and thus free the imprisoned spirit!
But Miss Hunter was adamant, and would admit nothing.

Just before leaving her, it struck me that I had not yet told her about
the text, so I repeated that episode, and then, for the first time, a
startled look came into her eyes. She was taken by surprise, and said
hastily: "That _is_ extraordinary! I was with him when he died in the
night, and he kept on asking for that text. That is not so remarkable,
many might have asked for that text, but I stopped once or twice after
the first sentence, and he kept on urging me: "_Say it to the end, Miss
Hunter! Say it to the end!_"

Later the good lady even consented to write out the evidential points in
this story, which I sent at once to my friend Dr Richard Hodgson.

Immediately upon my return to London on this occasion, I was attacked
quite suddenly by a very acute form of rheumatism, which laid me on my
back--perfectly helpless--for several days.

When the doctor arrived, his first question was: "Have you had any
special shock lately? This p