And now the gaslights bracketed round the room were put as low as possible, making a dim, religious semi-darkness; however, as there was a bright fire in the grate, and some small scintillae of gas, and one's eyesight soon gets accustomed to any diminution of light, we could soon see nearly as well as usual.

This "gloaming" is a common condition in _seances_, and for aught any one knows may be an electrical _sine qua non_ as needed for animal magnetism; albeit some paid professionals may possibly find darkness a very useful veil for cheatery.

While we were chatting round the table,--and Mr.Home enjoined this as better than the silent sobriety I looked for--suddenly the table shuddered, and a cold wind swept over our hands laid upon it.

"They are coming now," said Mr.Home, which everybody seemed glad of, though that cold wind felt to me not a little "uncanny," but I said nothing in disparagement, for fear of stopping a "manifestation." Soon loud knocks were heard, apparently from the middle of the table, and on sundry spirits being alleged to be present, Mr.
Home proceeded to question them through the ordinary clumsy fashion, of the alphabet, and some unimportant answers were elicited, which I fail to remember and in common honesty must not invent.

We were soon to see stranger things; and I suppose the _seance_ was exceptionally successful, as I afterwards noticed some of it in print.