experience, or whatever you like to call it, befell me, which I am about to relate, and which I have all this time been gradually leading up to. Simpkins was there, of course, sitting in one arm-chair, with his feet on another-beastly behaviour, I call it with his hat on the back of his head, reading the paper. "There's Simpkins," said Davis, nodding to him; "shall I ask him to join us? He's capital company and a rattling good fellow." "On no account," I answered in a hurry. "That is to say, not at all; or, if you do, you must excuse me." "Why, what's the matter with the man?" he asked. "I've always found him most agreeable and gentlemanly; but have it your own way." And I did. It was a very good dinner Davis gave me a very good dinner, indeed-if only he hadn't insisted upon talking such nonsense all the time. He's always going in for some ridiculous project, and propounding impossible and unheard-of theories on all sorts of subjects. This time his particular hobby happened to be nothing less than the doctrine of transmigration, with the latest variations. The last time I had met him it had been "Volapuk," and the time before that, "The Moral and Social Elevation of Costermongers." He began with the soup : "Gregson," he said, "I don't know whether you've ever given your mind to the subject of transmigration?" "You mean emigration, I suppose," I said, with my mouth full. "No, I don't; nothing of the kind," he answered, hastily; "I mean neither more nor less than the passing from one state of being to another the passage of the soul, after death, into another body. Now, I dare say, Gregson," he continued, passing the bottle, "you've never even given a thought to the subject, or felt the slightest curiosity as to what your status in life might have been in a previous condition?" Davis was quite right, I hadn't. long way-this is merely, so to speak, the outside case, and when you've worn it out, sooner or later, your spirit will pass from it and occupy another, and one, perhaps, not in the least resembling it. You might even be a butterfly, Gregson," he continued, looking at me contemplatively, " or a-or a bulldog, or else be turned out fresh as some other fellow, and start again as a baby in long frocks." I knew it was of no use contradicting or arguing with him when he'd picked up a new theory, so I merely said I was quite willing to have my remains worked up into some fresh form when I'd done with them-the same as my brother Bob's clothes used to be cut down to fit me, when he had finished wearing them; still, I thought that there would be more than enough stuff left to make a butterfly; in fact, I preferred-if I might be allowed a voice in the matter-the bulldog scheme, as thereby-only I kept this to myself— I might be able to harass Simpkins's calves-only Simpkins, under similar circumstances, wouldn't be himself, and in his next metamorphosis mightn't have any calves to harass. Davis shook his head and sighed. "Ah, I was afraid you'd take it in this way-they all do; but I'd expected better things of you, Gregson. Try the claret. Now, do you mean to tell me seriously that it's of no consequence to you whether you pass the next phase of your existence as "-looking round him for inspirationas an oyster or a-an omnibus conductor?” 66 "Not a bit," I answered, staring hard at Simpkins, who had now come in, and was dining at a table opposite. Davis looked at me reproachfully, dropped the subject, and splashed the gravy. But towards the end of the repast, after the bottle or, I should say, bottles had circulated freely, and the eye of Davis had begun to beam benevolently on surrounding objects, animate or inanimate, and I was conscious myself of a feeling of good fellowship almost towards Simpkins, who was enjoying his dinner as freely as though there were no such circumstances as twins to be considered or provided for in the near future-he picked up the thread of his former argument, and leaning across the table, continued in a low, mysterious tone of voice : "Or felt any desire to know what shape or substance you may assume in a future one? For you know, Gregson," impressively, "your present existence will undoubtedly become merged and lost in another, and it may be a widely different phase of being." Here he leant across the table and prodded me in the ribs, to "Gregson, my boy, what would you say awake my slumbering interest. "You if I told you there was such a thing as know this won't be the last of you by a transmigration of souls before death? "What should I say, Davis?" I replied, facetiously. "I should say that you're a brick, and the claret's first-rate." He took no notice of my remark, but brought his chair round the table until it was close to mine, and uttered these remarkable words: "I tell you, Gregson, that it is possible for a man of strong will, under certain circumstances, and by exerting his mental powers to the utmost, to project his spirit and individuality into that of some other person and occupy the outward semblance of another being; and while still retaining his own proper intellectual capacity and existence, to live and move in some different fleshly tenement to his own. It's a most remarkable discovery, this of mine, Gregson, and you're the first I've revealed it to! There's only one circumstance which baffles me, and that is, what becomes of your own proper personality when you're masquerading round in some one else's bones ? But for that, I should have tried the experiment myself before this, and projected myself into the outward fabric of-say Mr. Gladstone or the Archbishop of Canterbury; only the question remains, who would take charge of my own body in the meantime? I shouldn't like to leave myself lying about anywhere for fear of mistake-of seeing my name in the police intelligence, or perhaps of even getting buried, under a wrong impression, before I could get back and lay claim to myself. You see, the subject is in itself so vast and opens up such a field for conjecture, that it is almost more than the mind can grasp." I did see it, or at least tried to look as though I did; but, to tell the truth, I was just then engaged in staring hard at Simpkins, who was now leaning back in his chair and picking his teeth in, what appeared to me, a peculiarly personal and aggressive manner; though, as I looked, it struck me that there was a haziness in his outlines and a want of finish about his features which was unusual to him, or, at any rate, which I had not remarked before. It occurred to me, however, what a joke it would be to what was the term Davis had made use of project myself into Simpkins. It was worth thinking about, and the more I thought about it the more the idea tickled me. To borrow Simpkins's body and turn him out of it-evict him, in short-would be no end of a lark! I could hear Davis still droning away in my ear, but I was too much amused at my own notion to pay great attention to what he was saying. Simpkins, too, of all men! I suppose we stayed another half hour or so at the club, and Davis ordered spirits and cigars, of which we both partook. After this Simpkins's outline seemed to become still more blurred and undefined, and at one time it even appeared to me as though there were two Simpkinses. I mentioned this fact to Davis, as being rather peculiar, and asked him if he had ever heard of Simpkins having a twin brother; but he only laughed and said, "Come along, old chap, we'll get out of this." And then I fancy we left the room, for the last thing I recollect seeing was the twin Simpkinses, each smoking a couple of cigars and imbibing something liquid out of an indefinite number of tumblers, with what seemed like a most unnecessary profusion, not to say bad taste. The next thing I remember clearly was finding myself in a cab, I suppose, driving homewards, with my mind still harping on Davis's remarkable theory; and then, all at once, a peculiar and indescribable feeling came over me of having on some one else's boots, accompanied also by a strange sensation of some one else's corn on one of my toes. Before I had by any means successfully solved this puzzle, the cab came to a stop before a house-my house, evidently-and though I didn't remember having given the cabman any address, he appeared at the door of the vehicle, and wrenching open the door, announced, "Here you are." So I got out and paid him, and sauntering slowly-in consequence of the undesirable presence of that unexplained corn-up the path to the front door, in which I inserted my latchkey, entered the house. There was a light burning in the hall, but turned down very low in order to economise the gas-so low, in fact, that on advancing towards the umbrella-stand I fell over some large and unfamiliar object, and bruised my shins unmercifully. I made a few secular observations to myself on the subject and proceeded to investigate the stumbling block. It was a perambulator! Now, what on earth, I thought to myself, does my landlady mean by sticking such a thing as this in the way for me to fall over and nearly break my legs; and who has she got stopping with her that requires such an apparatus? Confound the thing! and I gave it a vicious kick, with a total disregard of consequences and my newly acquired corn. For the next five minutes or so I was fully occupied in hugging my foot and uttering profanities with reference | twins), and the condensed milk-they were all his! This, then, was a practical exemplification of the truth of Davis's discoverythis was why things had appeared at once so strange and so familiar-this accounted for the corn on my right foot-I was not myself at all, I was Simpkins! to that infantile equipage. Then I picked myself up and made for my sitting room, the door of which was ajar, showing the gas also turned down low and the fire nearly out. In no very good humour, I proceeded to rake the coals together and turn up the gas. Why hadn't the landlady put more Davis had distinctly said that a man coals on before she went to bed, when she with a strong will might under favourable knew I hated to come home late and find no- circumstances so exert it as to transfer thing but a few burnt-out cinders, and the himself, for the time being, into the coal-scuttle empty? However, there were outward form of any other individual he the whisky decanter and the biscuits on the might fix upon for the purpose. Now, table, as usual, and some cold meat; but all I was undoubtedly a man of strong will. the time I was conscious of something This proved it unmistakeably. I had in different-something I couldn't define. It some way projected and merged my own wasn't the room-that seemed all right- individuality into that of Simpkins-had, and I knew just where everything was. in fact, become Simpkins. What I had For instance, in the cupboard on the done with my own body I didn't knowleft-hand side of the fireplace was my whether I'd left it behind at the club or tobacco-jar; but was it my tobacco-jar? dropped it in the cab-but here I was, Why, of course it was. And what was in with my perambulator in the hall and, in that tin next to it? Why, condensed all probability, my twins upstairs in the milk, of course. I knew it was, without nursery, their condensed milk on the top reading the label, only-what on earth did shelf of my cupboard, and Simpkins's own I want with condensed milk? I gave it particular corn adorning my extremities. up as a bad job, as I did several other Here was a go. To think that I had got a things which puzzled me, such as a work-wife and family and-if I remembered basket on a table by the window and a rightly-a mother-in-law overhead! very small pair of what looked likedoll's socks, apparently undergoing repairs, which couldn't by any possibility belong to me, and yet there was something familiar about them, too, as though I'd seen them before under different circumstances. suppose I I laughed to myself quietly, for fear of waking the twins, but suddenly remembered a fact which brought my mirth to an untimely conclusion. Suppose I couldn't find my way back again was buried under a mistaken impression, and so had no body to get back tosuppose I had to remain as I was for the rest of my natural life! In fact, there was no end to my suppositions, and, thus becoming aware of the serious nature of my position, I set myself firmly to try and will myself back again into my own proper person, wherever that might be. But it was of no good. I could not do it, although I tried for half an hour, until the perspiration streamed off me; so, taking the tumbler of whisky and water at a draught, I sank back exhausted into an arm-chair and fell either asleep or into a state of unconsciousness. Finally I sat down, and, having compounded myself a tumbler of whisky and water, took off my boot to ease my corn. Was it the fact of finding my foot encased in a red sock, when I could have sworn that I never wore anything but black, that caused me to investigate other portions of my attire, and subsequently, on discovering further discrepancies, stand up and review myself in the looking-glass over the mantelpiece? Is it possible by the aid of mere words to chronicle my amazement on finding that the individual therein reflected was not myself at all, but Simpkins There was his face, with the nondescript sort of nose and sandy moustache which When I awoke, or came to myself, it characterised it, and the clothes-those was morning, the gas was out, and the abnormal checks, always associated with table laid for breakfast, and by my side him, and that glaring and aggressive there stood a tall, imposing-looking figure, necktie-all were his. I thought of the frowning down upon me in intense disperambulator-a double perambulator, too, approval. I knew that face and figure. It if I remembered rightly-over which I had was Simpkins's mother-in-law, now, alas! bruised my-that is, Simpkins's-shins, and mine, as was only too evident from the way the work-basket and the socks (doubtless ap-in which she addressed me. pertaining to one of those before-mentioned "Mis-ter Simpkins - John Edward! "Or a wife either," continued the elder lady. "Much less twins," concluded her daughter. I cowered before the blast and tried to hide my head, like a dissipated ostrich, behind the coffee-urn. Hostilities were abandoned for a few minutes during the entrance of the maid, bearing the matutinal bacon; but were resumed with renewed vigour in consequence of one of the twins Aren't you ashamed of yourself? Nine "Walk home ! said my wife and o'clock in the morning, and you've not mother-in-law together; "you don't debeen to bed all night! Nine o'clock in serve to have a home!" the morning, and you the father of twins, who are at this identical moment being bathed in the room over your head and screaming at the tops of their little lungs -as well they may, dear innocents, with their father not home all night, and no doubt ruining himself at billiards, until the poor dear children won't have so much as a gum-ring left to cut their teeth on before many months are over their heads!" | Overcome by this picture of destitution in the near future, she paused for a moment to take breath, while I hung my head in dejection and dismay at the situation in which I found myself. Truly, if I had known before all about this mother-in-law, I need not have hated and despised poor Simpkins to the extent I had done. Perhaps, after all, it was just as well that he and not I had married the third Miss Tomlins, who now, with indignation on her brow and a twin on each arm, entered the room and proceeded to add her reproaches to those of her maternal parent. "And, perhaps, you will have the goodness to say where you've been all night, and mamma and I sitting up for you until past twelve, and no one to help me with the children, or rock the cradle or walk up and down with them when they were fractious, so that I never got a wink of sleep until daylight!" I murmured something about the club, missing the last omnibus, and having to walk home. You see, under the circumstances, I felt obliged to stand up for Simpkins, as what had happened was not his fault at all. I wondered, too, whether this sort of thing happened every time he stopped out late. Poor Simpkins, I felt quite sorry for him! Meanwhile, I pondered, as the two ladies joined forces and vituperated me as to the probable whereabouts of myself. Where was I? Had I been taken up as a "drunk and incapable" or what? a "Club, indeed!" said I suppose I must, under the circumstances, call her my mother-in-law. "What do you, married man, want with a club? I wonder the ceiling doesn't fall in upon you for talking in such a manner!" If it only would, I thought to myself, and bury you in its ruins! "Omnibus, indeed!" said my wife, pro tem., "a likely story. I don't believe a word of it!" I don't know which, but it was the one with the baldest head and a vicious look in his eye-getting his fist jammed into the milk-jug, and being rescued with much difficulty and the loss of the greater part of its contents. "A nice father you are!" said my mother-in-law, breaking out again, as the other twin, who had, no doubt, with the best intentions, been endeavouring to cut his teeth on the handle of a fork, accidentally hit himself in the eye, and sent up a howl of anguish to the heavens! "Do you want to see the poor children murdered before your very eyes, and not so much as move a finger to help them? Do leave off staring like a born fool and hold the children for a moment while your wife pours out the coffee!" I obeyed; that is to say, the two squirming, squealing masses of flabby humanity were deposited one on each knee, and I was bidden to mind what I was about and not turn my poor, dear wife's hair grey with grief by dropping them under the table. To which my poor, dear wife replied, a lot I should care for that, so long as I could carry on with those painted, made-up things at the refreshment bars. Just then as I was meditating, in Simpkins's interests, gagging my motherin-law with the table-cloth and depositing the twins in the coal-scuttle-a diversion was occasioned by the former exclaiming: "Ah, there he goes! A nice, quiet, gentlemanly fellow. He would never stop out all night playing cards until goodness knows what time and wearing his wife into fiddle-strings! That's the one you ought to have married, Roberta ! " I looked and beheld-myself!-my own head and shoulders, which were all that could be seen of me over the top of the fence, passing the house, evidently on my way to the station. By Jove! there I was, in my light overcoat and top hat, Mooking, as I could not help remarking, not at all a bad-looking chap and worth two of Simpkins any day. I tried hard, with my whole heart and soul, to will myself back again; but it was no go. There I continued to sit, with a twin cherub on each knee, and Simpkins's own particular brand of corn harassing my right foot. So she ought to have married him—that is to say, me, ought she? Not if I-that is to say, he-knew it! No, indeed! I-that is, the other fellow-had had a lucky escape, and poor old Simpkins had been the victim instead. Who would ever have thought, though, that Roberta Tomlins would have turned out such a termagant, or that Mrs. T., on the death of her husband, would come and quarter herself on her unfortunate son-in-law, making his lifewith the aid of the twins-a howling wilderness? But in the meantime I wanted to know who it was had the infernal cheek to go about dressed up in my flesh and blood? Was it Simpkins? Well, if so, I could hardly blame him, seeing that I had turned him out of his own body. Anyhow, I wasn't dead or being brought up at Bow Street, which was somewhat of a relief. The Greek chorus was still continuing its denunciations and cataloguing my iniquities over my defenceless head; but I scarcely heard or heeded them, until, in the consternation and bewilderment caused by the unexpected appearance of somebody else pretending to be me, I unfortunately allowed the bald-headed twin to anoint himself plentifully with the mustard, with distressing results. "Inhuman wretch!" shrieked my mother-in-law. "Would you try to destroy your own innocent offspring? Give him to me, sir! You are a brute, and no more fitted to be the father of twins than Something within roused me to sudden fury. "Confound the twins!" I cried, seizing hold of them by their petticoats. "Who wants twins? I don't!" I swung them in the air-their skulls came together with a violent crash; I heard them crack like egg-shells amid a chorus of shrieks from their female relatives. "Now, then, are yer a-goin' to tell me where to drive yer to or not?" There was a rush of cold air upon my face as I once more regained consciousness. The cabman had opened the door of the cab and was confronting me with determination written upon his brow. "'Ere 'ave I bin Where was I? Who was I? How Was I Simpkins or myself? And where were the massacred innocents? I felt myself carefully all over, and came to the conclusion that I was back in my own body again. There was no corn on my right foot-it was evident, then, that my spirit had returned to its original clay tenement. I concluded to get out and walk, and having paid a most exorbitant fare, I proceeded to take the rest of my way home on foot. I had passed through a most remarkable experience, and completely proved the truth and practicability of Davis's theory with regard to the doctrine of transmigration. But I didn't want it to occur again ; the experiment had proved completely successful, but decidedly unpleasant. I pitied Simpkins from the bottom of my heart, and when I remembered from what he had saved me, I even felt grateful to him. The most remarkable part of it was that it was now only half-past one in the morning. The cabman said he had been driving me about for the last hour and a half. How could I have passed through such an experience as had been mine in that little time? And what had Simpkins been doing in the meanwhile? I must ask Davis the next time I meet him. I did ask him, and he laughed. "My dear fellow," he said, "you went to sleep and dreamt it all. I put you into the cab myself, as you seemed-well, a little undecided in your movements, and that's how you came to fancy it all." "But how about your theory?" I enquired. Would you believe it possible, but he actually declared that I had dreamt that too! LAST WORDS. HUSH, for I am dying, Let me think my thoughts in peace. For Death's angel draweth near me, Where! ah, where! who knows? and yet, Spite my load of dull despair, I could pass in joy-if there He, my best beloved, might greet me |