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ont rank of which I would mention M。 Duchatel's Enquete sur des Cas de Psychometrie and Dr。 Otty's recently published book； Lucidite et Intuition； which is the fullest； most profound and most conscientious work that we possess on the matter up to the present。 Nevertheless it may be said that these regions quite lately annexed by metaphysical science are as yet hardly explored and that fruitful surprises are doubtless awaiting earnest seekers。
2
The faculty in question is one of the strangest faculties of our subconsciousness and beyond a doubt contains the key to most of the manifestations that seem to proceed from another world。 Let us begin by seeing； with the aid of a living and typical example； how it is exercised。
Mme。 M； one of the best mediums mentioned by Dr。 Osty； is given an object which belonged to or which has been touched and handled by a person about whom it is proposed to question her。 Mme。 M operates in a state of trance； but there are other noted psychometers； such as Mme。 F and M。 Ph。 M。 de F； who retain all their normal consciousness； so that hypnotism or the somnambulistic state is in no way indispensable to the awakening of this extraordinary faculty of clairvoyance。
When the object； which is usually a letter； has been handed to Mme。 M； she is asked to place herself in communication with the writer of the letter or the owner of the object。 Forthwith； Mme。 M not only sees the person in question； his physical appearance； his character； his habits； his interests； his state of health； but also； in a series of rapid and changing visions that follow upon one another like cinematograph pictures； perceives and describes exactly his immediate surroundings； the scenery outside his window； the rooms in which he lives； the people who live with him and who wish him well or ill； the psychology and the most secret and unexpected intentions of all those who figure in his existence。 If； by means of your questions； you direct her towards the past； she traces the whole course of the subject's history。 If you turn her towards the future； she seems often to discover it as clearly as the past。 But we will for the moment reserve this latter point； to which we shall return later in a chapter devoted to the knowledge of the future。
3
In the presence of these phenomena； the first thought that naturally occurs to the mind is that we are once more concerned with that astonishing and involuntary communication between one subconsciousness and another which has been invested with the name of telepathy。 And there is no denying that telepathy plays a great part in these intuitions。 However； to explain their working； nothing is equal to an example based upon a personal experience。 Here is one which is in no way remarkable； but which plainly shows the normal course of the operation。 In September； 1913； while I was at Elberfeld； visiting Krall's horses； my wife went to consult Mme。 M； gave her a scrap of writing in my handa note dispatched previous to my journey and containing no allusion to itand asked her where I was and what I was doing。 Without a second's hesitation； Mme。 M declared that I was very far away； in a foreign country where they spoke a language which she did not understand。 She saw first a paved yard； shaded by a big tree； with a building on the left and a garden at the back： a rough but not inapt description of Krall's stables； which my wife did not know and which I myself had not seen at the time when I wrote the note。 She next perceived me in the midst of the horses； examining them； studying them with an absorbed； anxious and tired air。 This was true； for I found those visits； which overwhelmed me with a sense of the marvelous and kept my attention on the rack； singularly exhausting and bewildering。 My wife asked her if I intended to buy the horses。 She replied：
〃Not at all； he is not thinking of it。〃
And； seeking her words as though to express an unaccustomed and obscure thought； she added：
〃I don't know why he is so much interested； it is not like him。 He has no particular passion for horses。 He has some lofty idea which I can't quite discover。 。 。 。〃
She made two rather curious mistakes in this experiment。 The first was that； at the time when she saw me in Krall's stable…yard； I was no longer there。 She had received her vision just in the interval of a few hours between two visits。 Experience shows； however； that this is a usual error among psychometers。 They do not； properly speaking； see the action at the very moment of its performance； but rather the customary and familiar action； the principal thing that preoccupies either the person about whom they are being consulted or the person consulting them。 They frequently go astray in time。 There is not； therefore； necessarily any simultaneity between the action and the vision； and it is well never to take their statements in this respect literally。
The other mistake referred to our dress： Krall and I were in ordinary town clothes； whereas she saw us in those long coats which stable…lads wear when grooming their horses。
Let us now make every allowance for my wife's unconscious suggestions： she knew that I was at Elberfeld and that I should be in the midst of the horses； and she knew or could easily conjecture my state of mind。 The transmission of thought is remarkable； but this is a recognized phenomenon and one of frequent occurrence and we need not therefore linger over it。
The real mystery begins with the description of a place which my wife had never seen and which I had not seen either at the time of writing the note which established the psychometrical communication。 Are we to believe that the appearance of what I was one day to see was already inscribed on that prophetic sheet of paper； or more simply and more probably that the paper which represented myself was enough to transmit either to my wife's subconsciousness or to Mme。 M； whom at that time I had never met； an exact picture of what my eyes beheld three or four hundred miles away？ But； although this description is exceedingly accuratepaved yard； big tree； building on the left； garden at the backis it not too general for all idea of chance coincidence to be eliminated？ Perhaps； by insisting further； greater precision might have been obtained； but this is not certain； for as a role the pictures follow upon one another so swiftly in the medium's vision that he has no time to perceive the details。 When all is said； experiences of this kind do not enable us to go beyond the telepathic explanation。 But here is a different one； in which subconscious suggestion cannot play any part whatever。
Some days after the experiment which I have related； I received from England a request for my autograph。 Unlike most of those which assail an author of any celebrity； it was charming and unaffected； but it told me nothing about its writer。 Without even noticing from what town it was sent to me； after showing it to my wife； I replaced it in its envelope and took it to Mme。 M。 She began by describing us； my wife and myself； who both of us had touched the paper and consequently impregnated it with our respective 〃fluids。〃
I asked her to pass beyond us and come to the writer of the note。 She