Moreover, it seemed to me mean to reproach him with not giving me more, when I owed him already such unhoped-for prosperity. My tranquillity was, therefore, absolute when complications with Germany broke out. Then, from the first day, I wished to liquidate. ‘There, are your fears beginning again as at the time of the Luxembourg incident? Believe him who is the Master, and who for nearly three years has never deceived you.’ Notwithstanding his affirmations, two days afterwards war was decided, and in taking possession of the telegraph lines, the light-hearted minister put the finishing-stroke to my ruin, for it placed me in the impossibility of communicating, and therefore of limiting my loss. Whatever may be the danger of a struggle, we succumb with less regret when we have fought on equal terms; but here, without speaking of the strange circumstances, the suppression of telegraphic communication placed me in the position of a man bound hand and foot, who is thrown into the sea and reproached for not swimming. In this critical moment, the unknown was absolutely dumb. He answered none of the questions I asked him. And yet the situation was most critical; for twenty years of labour disappeared into the gulf, and, moreover, to this material loss was added the grief of being forced to remain separated from my daughter, who was dangerously ill. A last explanation took place: ‘There, then,’ I said to him, ‘here is what you have brought me to, and I do not know who you are; I only know that you have appealed to honourable sentiments, in order to make me your dupe, and that you have not hesitated using the name of God when laying your snares.’ I was too irritated to heed his reply; and I have only a vague souvenir of the word ‘_trials_’ faltered out in answer to my upbraidings. Thus ends this long and sad ‘story.’ * * * * * I have given this curious self-observation _in extenso_. The personification is liable to errors which may be dangerous if we abandon ourselves to its direction, as too many people are tempted to do. The extraordinary facts with which Madame Vergniat’s life was filled are not confined to those just related; she appears to have possessed supernormal faculties right up to the last. It might be of considerable interest if her family would give a detailed account of her life. Printed by T. and A. CONSTABLE, Printers to His Majesty at the Edinburgh University Press Transcriber’s note Words in italics have been surrounded with _underscores_, some bold letters with =signs=, and small capitals were changed to all capitals. A few missing page numbers were added to the table of Contents, but other omissions and inconsistencies were preserved. Some missing punctuation has been corrected, also the following changes were made, on page 24 under point 6 “a” changed to “d” ((_d_) Lastly, the most complete) 64 “IV.” added (IV. THE PERSONIFICATION)