I will now relate another curious experience.  We had only recently taken up our residence at Norwood, when one day I was seated in the dining-room, but suddenly found myself in the hall, and saw two ladies going up the stairs.  They passed close to me, and turning round the landing at the top of the stairs passed out of sight in a perfectly natural manner.  They looked as solid as any one I have ever seen in my life.  One of them was a stout lady with a rather florid complexion, apparently between forty-five and fifty, wearing a silk blouse with thin purple and white stripes.  Leaning on her arm was a slightly-built old lady with white ringlets, dressed all in black and wearing a lace mantilla.  I noticed their appearance particularly.  The next moment I found I was really sitting in the dining-room, and that the ladies I had seen were nothing but visionary figures.  I wondered what it could mean, but as we had only recently taken the house, thought it better not to mention it to any of my family, for fear of causing them alarm.  But a few days later I mentioned it to a Mrs. F. who I knew had had some experience in such matters, and she said:  “You have seen either some one who has lived in the house or who is going to live there.”  Then the matter dropped.

About a month later my wife arranged by correspondence for a certain Miss B. to come as governess to our children.  When she arrived there was no mistaking her identity.  She was the stout lady I had seen, and the next morning she came down to breakfast dressed in the identical blouse with purple and white stripes.  There was no mistaking her, but I was puzzled as to who the other figure could be whom I had seen along with her.  I resolved, however, to say nothing about the matter until we became better acquainted, lest she should think that my mind was not quite balanced.  I therefore held my peace for six months, at the end of which time I concluded that we knew enough of each other to allow one another credit for being fairly level-headed.  Then I thought, now if I tell her what I saw she may perhaps be acted upon by suggestion and imagine a resemblance between the unknown figure and some acquaintance of hers, so I will not begin by telling her of the vision, but will first ask if she knows any one answering to the description, and give her the reason afterwards.  I therefore took a suitable opportunity of asking her if she knew any such person, describing the figure to her as accurately as I could.

Her look of surprise grew as I went on, and when I had finished she explained with astonishment:  “Why, Mr. Troward, where could you have seen my mother?  She is an invalid, and I am certain you have never seen her, and yet you have described her most accurately.”