CHAPTER VI
FIRST SITTING OF O. J. L. WITH MRS. LEONARD
ON 27 September, as already stated in Chapter III, I myself visited Mrs. Leonard, going anonymously and alone, and giving no information beyond the fact that I was a friend of Mrs. Kennedy. I lay no stress, on my anonymity, however.
In a short time Feda controlled, and at first described an elderly gentleman as present. Then she said he brought some one with the letter R; and as I took verbatim notes I propose to reproduce this portion in full, so as to give the general flavour of a 'Feda' sitting; only omitting what has already been extracted and quoted in [Chapter III.]
O. J. L. at Mrs. Leonard's, Monday, 27 September 1915, 12 noon to 1 o'clock
(Mrs. Leonard's control 'Feda' speaking all the time.)
There is some one here with a little difficulty; not fully built up; youngish looking; form more like an outline; he has not completely learnt how to build up as yet. Is a young man, rather above the medium height; rather well-built, not thick-set or heavy, but well-built. He holds himself up well. He has not been over long. His hair is between colours. He is not easy to describe, because he is not building himself up so solid as some do. He has greyish eyes; hair brown, short at the sides; a fine-shaped head; eyebrows also brown, not much arched; nice-shaped nose, fairly straight, broader at the nostrils a little; a nice-shaped mouth, a good-sized mouth it is, but it does not look large because he holds the lips nicely together; chin not heavy; face oval. He is not built up quite clearly, but it feels as if Feda knew him. He must have been here waiting for you. Now he looks at Feda and smiles; now he laughs, he is having a joke with Feda, and Paulie laughs too. Paul says he has been here before, and that Paul brought him. But Feda sees many hundreds of people, but they tell me this one has been brought quite lately. Yes, I have seen him before. Feda remembers a letter with him too. R, that is to do with him.
(Then Feda murmured, as if to herself, "Try and give me another letter.") (Pause.)
It is a funny name, not Robert or Richard. He is not giving the rest of it, but says R again; it is from him. He wants to know where his mother is; he is looking for her; he does not understand why she is not here.