articular form of rheumatism does not
generally come on with so little warning _unless there has been a
previous shock_."

I was about to deny this, thinking he referred to unexpected news, but
with the memory of my Devonshire experience so keen and clear, I felt
bound to tell him that I had certainly had a shock to my nerves
twenty-four hours previously.

Soon after this sudden and sharp attack of illness I found myself in
Portugal for the first time in my life.

I had gone there with an English friend--Mrs Frampton--in order to be
near connections who had lived in the country for many years.

A cousin and I spent a delightful afternoon in that Cintra paradise of
_Monserrat_, with General and Mrs Sartorius, who were living there at
the time of my visit to Portugal. I have heard that even this charming
house could tell strange tales if only walls could speak. It is easy to
imagine that any spirits--carnate or discarnate--might deem it a
privilege to haunt so exquisite a spot. Personally, I can only testify
to the hospitality of our kind host and hostess and the excellence of
the spirit of "Robur," which refreshed our weary bodies, and made the
walk back to the Cintra Hotel, through the lovely woodland paths, a
"thing of beauty and a joy for ever."

To return to Lisbon. My friend Mrs Frampton had never been present at
any sort of psychic phenomena, so we planned a little sitting for her
during one of these Lisbon evenings.

She and I descended in solemn state to the fine library of our host, on
the ground floor, whilst his wife and sister elected to remain in the
drawing-room upstairs. A sister-in-law also begged to be excused from
accompanying us, and spent the whole time occupied by our _seance_, in
playing Moody and Sankey hymns, doubtless hoping thereby to exorcise the
evil spirits whom we should presumably evoke.

Unfortunately, she did not play loud enough to divert the attention of
the Portuguese cook, who promptly gave warning next day, saying she
could not stand these "devilish practices"! We had failed to realise
that the very wall, close to which our small table was placed, divided
the kitchen from the large ground-floor library, so the poor woman
doubtless sat with her ear well jammed up against this partition, and
considered every rap of the table leg on the floor, a distinct footstep
of the devil!

Nothing more terrible happened to _us_ that evening than being forced to
look up our English history