the days of my life-µÚ8ÕÂ
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To¡¡this¡¡end£»¡¡when¡¡I¡¡was¡¡just¡¡eighteen£»¡¡I¡¡was¡¡put¡¡in¡¡lodgings¡¡alone¡¡in¡¡London£»¡¡entirely¡¡uncontrolled¡¡in¡¡any¡¡way¡£¡¡The¡¡first¡¡set¡¡of¡¡these¡¡lodgings¡¡was¡¡somewhere¡¡near¡¡Westbourne¡¡Grove¡¡and¡¡kept¡¡by¡¡a¡¡young¡¡widow¡£¡¡As¡¡they¡¡did¡¡not¡¡turn¡¡out¡¡respectable¡¡I¡¡was¡¡moved¡¡to¡¡others¡¡in¡¡Davis¡¡Street£»¡¡an¡¡excellent¡¡situation¡¡for¡¡a¡¡young¡¡gentleman¡¡about¡¡town¡£¡¡Be¡¡it¡¡remembered¡¡that¡¡this¡¡happened¡¡at¡¡a¡¡time¡¡of¡¡life¡¡when¡¡youths¡¡nowadays¡¡are¡¡either¡¡still¡¡at¡¡school¡¡or¡¡just¡¡gone¡¡up¡¡to¡¡College£»¡¡where¡¡they¡¡have¡¡the¡¡advantage¡¡of¡¡effective¡¡guidance¡¡and¡¡control¡¡for¡¡some¡¡years¡£¡¡At¡¡this¡¡age¡¡I¡¡was¡¡thrown¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡world£»¡¡as¡¡I¡¡remember¡¡when¡¡I¡¡was¡¡a¡¡little¡¡lad¡¡my¡¡elder¡¡brothers¡¡threw¡¡me¡¡into¡¡the¡¡Rhine¡¡to¡¡teach¡¡me¡¡to¡¡swim¡£¡¡After¡¡nearly¡¡drowning¡¡I¡¡learned¡¡to¡¡swim£»¡¡and¡¡in¡¡a¡¡sense¡¡the¡¡same¡¡may¡¡be¡¡said¡¡of¡¡my¡¡London¡¡life¡£
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Among¡¡the¡¡risks¡¡I¡¡ran¡¡were¡¡those¡¡attendant¡¡upon¡¡spiritualism¡£¡¡Somehow¡¡or¡¡other£»¡¡I¡¡have¡¡not¡¡the¡¡faintest¡¡recollection¡¡how£»¡¡I¡¡became¡¡a¡¡frequent¡¡visitor¡¡at¡¡the¡¡house¡¡of¡¡old¡¡Lady¡¡Paulet£»¡¡No¡£¡¡20¡¡Hanover¡¡Square¡£¡¡She¡¡was¡¡a¡¡great¡¡spiritualist£»¡¡and¡¡I¡¡used¡¡to¡¡attend¡¡her¡¡seances¡£¡¡Undoubtedly¡¡very¡¡strange¡¡things¡¡happened¡¡at¡¡these¡¡seances¡¡which¡¡I¡¡will¡¡not¡¡stop¡¡to¡¡describe¡£¡¡Among¡¡the¡¡other¡¡habitues¡¡of¡¡the¡¡¡°circle¡±¡¡was¡¡Lady¡¡Caithness£»¡¡who¡¡wore¡¡a¡¡necklace¡¡of¡¡enormous¡¡diamonds¡£¡¡When¡¡the¡¡lights¡¡were¡¡turned¡¡down¡¡these¡¡diamonds¡¡were¡¡the¡¡last¡¡objects¡¡visible¡£¡¡They¡¡gleamed¡¡alone£»¡¡and¡¡seemed¡¡to¡¡be¡¡hung¡¡on¡¡air¡£¡¡On¡¡these¡¡occasions¡¡a¡¡lady¡¡called¡¡Mrs¡£¡¡Guppy¡¡was¡¡the¡¡great¡¡medium¡£¡¡On¡¡Mrs¡£¡¡Guppy¡¡I¡¡and¡¡a¡¡confederate¡¡used¡¡to¡¡play¡¡jokes¡£¡¡For¡¡instance£»¡¡one¡¡of¡¡the¡¡manifestations¡¡was¡¡that¡¡the¡¡table¡¡suddenly¡¡became¡¡covered¡¡with¡¡great¡¡quantities¡¡of¡¡roses¡¡covered¡¡with¡¡dew¡£¡¡Off¡¡these¡¡roses¡¡my¡¡friend¡¡and¡¡I£»¡¡having¡¡unlinked¡¡our¡¡hands£»¡¡broke¡¡a¡¡number¡¡of¡¡fat£»¡¡hard¡¡buds¡¡and£»¡¡knowing¡¡where¡¡she¡¡was¡¡sitting£»¡¡discharged¡¡them¡¡through¡¡the¡¡darkness¡¡with¡¡all¡¡our¡¡strength¡¡straight¡¡at¡¡the¡¡head¡¡of¡¡Mrs¡£¡¡Guppy¡£¡¡Little¡¡wonder¡¡that¡¡presently¡¡we¡¡heard¡¡that¡¡poor¡¡lady¡¡exclaim£º
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I¡¡think¡¡it¡¡was¡¡Lady¡¡Caithness¡¡who¡¡made¡¡a¡¡somewhat¡¡similar¡¡remark¡¡when£»¡¡in¡¡the¡¡course¡¡of¡¡my¡¡investigation¡¡of¡¡certain¡¡phenomena¡¡that¡¡were¡¡happening¡¡underneath¡¡the¡¡table¡¡in¡¡connection¡¡with¡¡some¡¡musical¡¡glasses¡¡that¡¡seemed¡¡to¡¡be¡¡emitting¡¡their¡¡plaintive¡¡strains¡¡from¡¡between¡¡my¡¡feet£»¡¡I¡¡landed¡¡her¡¡a¡¡most¡¡severe¡¡kick¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡shins¡£
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My¡¡acquaintance¡¡with¡¡Lady¡¡Paulet¡¡gave¡¡me¡¡the¡¡entree¡¡to¡¡the¡¡spiritualistic¡¡society¡¡of¡¡the¡¡day¡£¡¡Perhaps¡¡some¡¡of¡¡them¡¡had¡¡hopes¡¡that¡¡I¡¡might¡¡develop¡¡into¡¡a¡¡first¡class¡¡medium¡£¡¡Among¡¡the¡¡seances¡¡that¡¡I¡¡attended¡¡were¡¡some¡¡at¡¡a¡¡private¡¡house¡¡in¡¡Green¡¡Street¡£¡¡Here¡¡I¡¡witnessed¡¡remarkable¡¡things¡£¡¡The¡¡medium¡¡was¡¡a¡¡young¡¡lady£»¡¡not¡¡merely¡¡in¡¡the¡¡conventional¡¡sense¡¡of¡¡the¡¡term£»¡¡who¡¡evidently¡¡believed¡¡in¡¡her¡¡mission¡¡and¡¡was¡¡not¡¡paid¡£¡¡She¡¡sank¡¡into¡¡a¡¡trance¡¡secured¡¡by¡¡many¡¡tests£»¡¡and¡¡¡°strange¡¡things¡¡happened¡±¡¡or¡¡seemed¡¡to¡¡happen¡£¡¡Thus£»¡¡to¡¡leave¡¡out¡¡the¡¡minor¡¡manifestations£»¡¡two¡¡young¡¡women¡¡of¡¡great¡¡beauty¡¡¡ª¡¡or¡¡perhaps¡¡I¡¡should¡¡say¡¡young¡¡spirits¡¡¡ª¡¡one¡¡dark¡¡and¡¡the¡¡other¡¡fair£»¡¡appeared¡¡in¡¡the¡¡lighted¡¡room¡£¡¡I¡¡conversed¡¡with¡¡and¡¡touched¡¡them¡¡both£»¡¡and¡¡noted¡¡that¡¡their¡¡flesh¡¡seemed¡¡to¡¡be¡¡firm¡¡but¡¡cold¡£¡¡I¡¡remember¡¡that£»¡¡being¡¡a¡¡forind£»¡¡I¡¡even¡¡asked¡¡the¡¡prettier¡¡of¡¡the¡¡two¡¡to¡¡allow¡¡me¡¡to¡¡give¡¡her¡¡a¡¡kiss¡£¡¡She¡¡smiled¡¡but¡¡did¡¡not¡¡seem¡¡to¡¡be¡¡at¡¡all¡¡annoyed£»¡¡but¡¡I¡¡never¡¡got¡¡the¡¡kiss¡£¡¡I¡¡think¡¡she¡¡remarked¡¡that¡¡it¡¡was¡¡not¡¡permissible¡£
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