This extraordinary and
fearful gift had evidently been noticed by others before it fell under
my own observation, since for a long time previous to seeing it myself
it was reported throughout the village that Claribel Falkland had
appeared in two places at the same time. To this, however, as to all other village gossip, I paid no attention,
knowing well how trifles get exaggerated after passing through many
mouths, and how sometimes reports are circulated without an atom of
truth for their foundation. I can only tell you, however, gentlemen,
what I saw with my own eyes, believe it, or not, as you will. One
morning, then, after returning home from school, Claribel having been
unable to attend from some slight indisposition, I entered the room
suddenly where my friend was seated. I remember, too, that I had never
felt in better health in all my life, when there, to my utter
consternation, was not only my friend, seated as was her wont, in an
easy chair, with her head resting on her hand, but another figure, the
exact counterpart of herself, a duplicate Claribel, leaning over the
back of her arm-chair, exactly in the same position as my friend
happened to be at the time. I remained at the door, my eyes and mouth wide open, in mute horror,
unable to advance a step or utter an exclamation, until my friend,
looking up and inquiring the reason of my surprise, the figure behind
the chair instantly vanished. I then proceeded to relate to her the
vision, which she, however, smiled at and affected to treat as a
temporary delusion on my part, the result of indigestion or disordered
state of my nerves. I persisted that I was in the most perfect health,
and that I had seen what I chose to style her "double." She declared to me that she herself had not been conscious of it, and
that, therefore, whatever I might say to the contrary, it _was_ a
delusion. She answered even with some irritability--very unusual to
her--which made me think that she had long been aware of this phenomenon
in herself, but wished to keep it secret from others. Seeing she was displeased, I said no more, and half persuaded myself
that I had been deluded by my senses. She had been living with us for
some time previous to the first appearance of the spectre, but after
this first visit the apparition repeatedly presented itself, often as
many as five or six times in the same day, though sometimes disappearing
for a week or a month, and then returning. I observed that the figure
always appeared clearer and more defined the more my friend appeared
absorbed in some favourite occupation, or when in a deep reverie. In
whatsoever way she happened to be occupied, whether in reading, writing,
reckoning, or in earnest conversation, the spectre would instantly
appear behind her, imitating her every movement with the precision of a
looking-glass. Of course, this peculiarity in her constitution caused no slight terror
to myself, as well as to my father, who was then alive, and some
intimate friends; yet after a time, finding that the visits of the
apparition boded no harm, and getting accustomed to the same, we hailed
our spiritual visitant as a welcome guest, cracking jokes in its
presence, and even addressing it with so little appearance of reverence,
that had it not been a very good-tempered spectre, it must have resented
our rudeness. But the double never showed any resentment, unless
treating us all with silent contempt may be considered as resentment. Indeed, it had never been once known to utter a sound; neither did it
appear to be conscious of our presence. I remember on one occasion, for a frolic, throwing a heavy book at its
head, but this had no further effect than to disturb for a moment the
luminous ether of which the spectre appeared composed, and which
speedily re-settled itself, while the phantom seemed unconscious of
having received injury or insult of any kind. The book passed through
its head as if it had been air or smoke, and fell to the ground. I was
bold enough once to walk up to it and take it by the arm, and found to
my surprise, that there was a slight resistance, like that of muslin or
crape, but it melted within my grasp, and I noticed that wherever I
placed my hand, that that part of the figure was instantly wanting, and
did not right itself until I withdrew my touch. Sometimes the whole figure would disappear if I came within two paces of
it, and it was not always of the same consistency, being sometimes less
palpable than at others. This I observed to be dependent upon the
greater or less absorption of my friend in her occupation or reverie. It
is also remarkable that the more clearly defined and life-like the
phantom appeared, the more exhausted and haggard grew my friend, and
_vice versa_. But I must now return to the second visit of our spiritual companion. You may well imagine my terror and consternation at its first
appearance, yet when the first shock had passed over, I should probably
never have related the vision to a single soul, and set down everything
to hallucination, had I not shortly after caught a second glimpse of the
spectre. This time my friend and I happened to be playing chess
together, when, whilst waiting for her to move, I distinctly saw the
double leaning over her chair, as if in the act of assisting her in the
game. "Look, Claribel," I cried; "there it is again, you can't deny it this
time," whereupon the figure instantly disappeared. Now, as my friend still persisted that it was nothing more than my
delusion, I began to be alarmed for my own health, and acquainted my
father with what I had seen. He, too, laughed at me, and called it a
silly girlish fancy, but said no more until I had seen it again three or
four times, going immediately to my father each time after the vision
had presented itself, and describing to him exactly the attitude and the
gestures of the apparition on each successive visit. Then my father became alarmed for the state of my health, and a doctor
was sent for, that I might be bled. But on the doctor's arrival, he
could detect nothing wrong with me; but just to satisfy my father,
ordered me a little harmless physic, and took his departure. Believing
that whether the doctor perceived it or not, that I must really be in a
very bad state, I took all his medicine in regular doses, and at the
times prescribed, carrying out his injunctions to the letter. Nevertheless, the vision continued, appearing several times a day, and
remaining sometimes almost half the day at a visit. Upon hearing all
this, my father called for the doctor again, and positively insisted on
my being bled this time. I remember that I was averse to the operation,
never having undergone it before, and imagining that the pain would be
much greater than I found it in reality. I therefore begged--finding my
father so determined--that my friend might be present during the
operation to give me courage.