An account

Athens, (English address, 131, Tavistock Street, Bedford). May 3rd, 1884. My cousin, Sebastiano Fenzi, of Florence, has sent me your letter of 13th March last, with a request that I would give you my recollections of the strange circumstance attending the death of his brother, Carlo Fenzi, in September, 1881, a circumstance which made (and has left) a deep impression on my mind. I will endeavour to recall the whole circumstance. Nearly three years, it is true, have since passed, but my recollection of the event, on account of its strangeness, remains clear. Passing through Italy in the autumn of 1881, I profited by the occasion to visit my relatives. At Milan I learnt that the major portion were at Fortullino, my cousin's seaside villa. Thither I accordingly went, arriving the last days of August. Fortullino is a charming villa, situated on the top of a clifi on the sea, and surrounded by deep growths of trees and shrubs. The weather, during the beginning of my stay, was very bad, rain, thunder, strong winds, and heavy sea. I remember that on the morning of my cousin's death — none then dreamed the end was near — indulging in a favourite weakness (?). — I started ofi alone for an escapade along the shore. Descending by the hillside to the beach, I passed on, leaping from boulder to boulder, climbing over, or passing round them when too huge, past a bend, which hid me from a view of the villa, for some distance along the shore. Returning for breakfast, I found the rain (driven into my face by the wind) blinding, and, fearing an accident, entered the wood. The undergrowth of the shrubs, and the wet state of the ground, urged me to try the open again. This I did, emerging just inside the bend, in full sight of the house. To my surprise I saw my cousin standing on the edge of the cliff. When I approached him he remarked that there must be a strange family likeness, as he had mistaken me for his brother Carlo, being on the rocks, but wondered how I had managed to enter the wood unseen by him, and then suddenly leave it again. I replied that he had not seen me on the rocks before leaving the wood (for I was out of sight). The matter shortly afterwards dropped. Scarcely was breakfast over than a wire arrived, summoning him and his daughter Christina to Florence, — Carlo was very ill. They left at once, I staying, at their request, with VOL. II. ^ 66 FURTHER VISUAL CASES [chap. the younger members at Fortullino. Our next news was that Carlo Fenzi had died — about the very time that Sebastiano had fancied to