(a) the ordinary state, with no consciousness of the presence of Fairies;
(b) the ‘eerie’ state, in which, while conscious of actual surroundings, he is also conscious of the presence of Fairies;
(c) a form of trance, in which, while unconscious of actual surroundings, and apparently asleep, he (i.e. his immaterial essence) migrates to other scenes, in the actual world, or in Fairyland, and is conscious of the presence of Fairies.
I have also supposed a Fairy to be capable of migrating from Fairyland into the actual world, and of assuming, at pleasure, a Human form; and also to be capable of various psychical states, viz.
(a) the ordinary state, with no consciousness of the presence of Human beings;
(b) a sort of ‘eerie’ state, in which he is conscious, if in the actual world, of the presence of actual Human beings; if in Fairyland, of the presence of the immaterial essences of Human beings.
I will here tabulate the passages, in both Volumes, where abnormal states occur.
| Historian’s Locality and State. | Other characters. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vol. I. | ||||||
| pp. [1]-16 | In train | c | Chancellor (b) p. [2]. | |||
| [33]-55 | do. | c | ||||
| [65]-79 | do. | c | ||||
| [83]-99 | At lodgings | c | ||||
| [105]-117 | On beach | c | ||||
| [119]-183 | At lodgings | c | S. and B. (b) pp. [158]-163. Professor (b) p. [169]. | |||
| [190]-221 | In wood | b | Bruno (b) pp. [198]-220. | |||
| [225]-233 | do. sleep-walking | c | S. and B. (b). | |||
| [247]-253 | Among ruins | c | do. (b). | |||
| [262], 263 | do. dreaming | a | ||||
| [263]-269 | do. sleep-walking | c | S. B. and Professor in Human form. | |||
| [270] | In street | b | ||||
| [279]-294 | At station, &c. | b | S. and B. (b). | |||
| [304]-323 | In garden | c | S. B. and Professor (b). | |||
| [329]-344 | On road, &c. | a | S. and B. in Human form. | |||
| [345]-356 | In street, &c. | a | ||||
| [361]-382 | In wood | b | S. and B. (b). | |||
| Vol. II. | ||||||
| pp. [4]-18 | In garden | b | S. and B (b). | |||
| [47]-52 | On road | b | do. (b). | |||
| [53]-78 | do. | b | do. in Human form. | |||
| [79]-92 | do | b | do. (b). | |||
| [152]-211 | In drawing-room | a | do. in Human form. | |||
| [212]-246 | do. | c | do. (b). | |||
| [262]-270 | In smoking-room | c | do. (b). | |||
| [304]-309 | In wood | b | do. (a); Lady Muriel (b). | |||
| [311]-345 | At lodgings | c | ||||
| [351]-399 | do. | c | ||||
| [407]-end. | do. | b | ||||
In the Preface to Vol. I., at p. [x]., I gave an account of the origination of some of the ideas embodied in the book. A few more such details may perhaps interest my Readers:—
I. [p. 203]. The very peculiar use, here made of a dead mouse, comes from real life. I once found two very small boys, in a garden, playing a microscopic game of ‘Single-Wicket.’ The bat was, I think, about the size of a table-spoon; and the utmost distance attained by the ball, in its most daring flights, was some 4 or 5 yards. The exact length was of course a matter of supreme importance; and it was always carefully measured out (the batsman and the bowler amicably sharing the toil) with a dead mouse!