Mr。Vincey’sperplexities，towhichthefeverofhisbruiseaddedfreshirritation，becameatlastintolerable，and，afterafruitlessvisittotheAlbany，hewentdowntoSt。Paul’sChurchyardtoMr。Hart，Mr。Bessel’spartner，and，sofarasMr。Vinceyknew，hisnearestfriend。
HewassurprisedtolearnthatMr。Hart，althoughheknewnothingoftheoutbreak，hadalsobeendisturbedbyavision，theveryvisionthatMr。Vinceyhadseen——Mr。Bessel，whiteanddishevelled，pleadingearnestlybyhisgesturesforhelp。Thatwashisimpressionoftheimportofhissigns。“IwasjustgoingtolookhimupintheAlbanywhenyouarrived，“saidMr。Hart。“Iwassosureofsomethingbeingwrongwithhim。“
AstheoutcomeoftheirconsultationthetwogentlemendecidedtoinquireatScotlandYardfornewsoftheirmissingfriend。
“Heisboundtobelaidbytheheels，“saidMr。Hart。“Hecan’tgoonatthatpaceforlong。“ButthepoliceauthoritieshadnotlaidMr。Besselbytheheels。TheyconfirmedMr。Vincey’sovernightexperiencesandaddedfreshcircumstances，someofanevengravercharacterthanthoseheknew——alistofsmashedglassalongtheupperhalfofTottenhamCourtRoad，anattackuponapolicemaninHampsteadRoad，andanatrociousassaultuponawoman。Alltheseoutrageswerecommittedbetweenhalf-pasttwelveandaquartertotwointhemorning，andbetweenthosehours——and，indeed，fromtheverymomentofMr。
Bessel’sfirstrushfromhisroomsathalf-pastnineintheevening——
theycouldtracethedeepeningviolenceofhisfantasticcareer。Forthelasthour，atleastfrombeforeone，thatis，untilaquartertotwo，hehadrunamuckthroughLondon，eludingwithamazingagilityeveryefforttostoporcapturehim。
Butafteraquartertotwohehadvanished。Uptothathourwitnessesweremultitudinous。Dozensofpeoplehadseenhim，fledfromhimorpursuedhim，andthenthingssuddenlycametoanend。AtaquartertotwohehadbeenseenrunningdowntheEustonRoadtowardsBakerStreet，flourishingacanofburningcolzaoilandjerkingsplashesofflametherefromatthewindowsofthehouseshepassed。ButnoneofthepolicemenonEustonRoadbeyondtheWaxworkExhibition，noranyofthoseinthesidestreetsdownwhichhemusthavepassedhadhelefttheEustonRoad，hadseenanythingofhim。Abruptlyhedisappeared。Nothingofhissubsequentdoingscametolightinspiteofthekeenestinquiry。
HerewasafreshastonishmentforMr。Vincey。HehadfoundconsiderablecomfortinMr。Hart’sconviction:“Heisboundtobelaidbytheheelsbeforelong，“andinthatassurancehehadbeenabletosuspendhismentalperplexities。Butanyfreshdevelopmentseemeddestinedtoaddnewimpossibilitiestoapilealreadyheapedbeyondthepowersofhisacceptance。Hefoundhimselfdoubtingwhetherhismemorymightnothaveplayedhimsomegrotesquetrick，debatingwhetheranyofthesethingscouldpossiblyhavehappened；andintheafternoonhehuntedupMr。Hartagaintosharetheintolerableweightonhismind。
HefoundMr。Hartengagedwithawell-knownprivatedetective，butasthatgentlemanaccomplishednothinginthiscase，weneednotenlargeuponhisproceedings。
AllthatdayMr。Bessel’swhereaboutseludedanunceasinglyactiveinquiry，andallthatnight。AndallthatdaytherewasapersuasioninthebackofVincey’smindthatMr。Besselsoughthisattention，andallthroughthenightMr。Besselwithatear-stainedfaceofanguishpursuedhimthroughhisdreams。AndwheneverhesawMr。Besselinhisdreamshealsosawanumberofotherfaces，vaguebutmalignant，thatseemedtobepursuingMr。Bessel。
Itwasonthefollowingday，Sunday，thatMr。VinceyrecalledcertainremarkablestoriesofMrs。Bullock，themedium，whowasthenattractingattentionforthefirsttimeinLondon。Hedeterminedtoconsulther。
Shewasstayingatthehouseofthatwell-knowninquirer，Dr。WilsonPaget，andMr。Vincey，althoughhehadnevermetthatgentlemanbefore，repairedtohimforthwithwiththeintentionofinvokingherhelp。
ButscarcelyhadhementionedthenameofBesselwhenDoctorPagetinterruptedhim。“Lastnight——justattheend，“hesaid，“wehadacommunication。“
Helefttheroom，andreturnedwithaslateonwhichwerecertainwordswritteninahandwriting，shakyindeed，butindisputablythehandwritingofMr。Bessel！
“Howdidyougetthis？“saidMr。Vincey。“Doyoumean——？“
“Wegotitlastnight，“saidDoctorPaget。WithnumerousinterruptionsfromMr。Vincey，heproceededtoexplainhowthewritinghadbeenobtained。Itappearsthatinherseances，Mrs。Bullockpassesintoaconditionoftrance，hereyesrollingupinastrangewayunderhereyelids，andherbodybecomingrigid。Shethenbeginstotalkveryrapidly，usuallyinvoicesotherthanherown。Atthesametimeoneorbothofherhandsmaybecomeactive，andifslatesandpencilsareprovidedtheywillthenwritemessagessimultaneouslywithandquiteindependentlyoftheflowofwordsfromhermouth。BymanysheisconsideredanevenmoreremarkablemediumthanthecelebratedMrs。Piper。Itwasoneofthesemessages，theonewrittenbyherlefthand，thatMr。Vinceynowhadbeforehim。Itconsistedofeightwordswrittendisconnectedly:“GeorgeBessel……trialexcavn……
BakerStreet……help……starvation。“Curiouslyenough，neitherDoctorPagetnorthetwootherinquirerswhowerepresenthadheardofthedisappearanceofMr。Bessel——thenewsofitappearedonlyintheeveningpapersofSaturday——andtheyhadputthemessageasidewithmanyothersofavagueandenigmaticalsortthatMrs。Bullockhasfromtimetotimedelivered。
WhenDoctorPagetheardMr。Vincey’sstory，hegavehimselfatoncewithgreatenergytothepursuitofthiscluetothediscoveryofMr。Bessel。ItwouldservenousefulpurposeheretodescribetheinquiriesofMr。Vinceyandhimself；sufficeitthatthecluewasagenuineone，andthatMr。Besselwasactuallydiscoveredbyitsaid。
HewasfoundatthebottomofadetachedshaftwhichhadbeensunkandabandonedatthecommencementoftheworkforthenewelectricrailwaynearBakerStreetStation。Hisarmandlegandtworibswerebroken。Theshaftisprotectedbyahoardingnearly20feethigh，andoverthis，incredibleasitseems，Mr。Bessel，astout，middle-agedgentleman，musthavescrambledinordertofalldowntheshaft。
Hewassaturatedincolzaoil，andthesmashedtinlaybesidehim，butluckilytheflamehadbeenextinguishedbyhisfall。Andhismadnesshadpassedfromhimaltogether。Buthewas，ofcourse，terriblyenfeebled，andatthesightofhisrescuershegavewaytohystericalweeping。
Inviewofthedeplorablestateofhisflat，hewastakentothehouseofDr。HattoninUpperBakerStreet。Herehewassubjectedtoasedativetreatment，andanythingthatmightrecalltheviolentcrisisthroughwhichhehadpassedwascarefullyavoided。Butontheseconddayhevolunteeredastatement。
SincethatoccasionMr。Besselhasseveraltimesrepeatedthisstatement——tomyselfamongotherpeople——varyingthedetailsasthenarratorofrealexperiencesalwaysdoes，butneverbyanychancecontradictinghimselfinanyparticular。Andthestatementhemakesisinsubstanceasfollows。
InordertounderstanditclearlyitisnecessarytogobacktohisexperimentswithMr。Vinceybeforehisremarkableattack。Mr。Bessel’sfirstattemptsatself-projection，inhisexperimentswithMr。Vincey，were，asthereaderwillremember，unsuccessful。Butthroughallofthemhewasconcentratingallhispowerandwillupongettingoutofthebody——“willingitwithallmymight，“hesays。Atlast，almostagainstexpectation，camesuccess。AndMr。Besselassertsthathe，beingalive，didactually，byaneffortofwill，leavehisbodyandpassintosomeplaceorstateoutsidethisworld。
Thereleasewas，heasserts，instantaneous。“AtonemomentIwasseatedinmychair，withmyeyestightlyshut，myhandsgrippingthearmsofthechair，doingallIcouldtoconcentratemymindonVincey，andthenIperceivedmyselfoutsidemybody——sawmybodynearme，butcertainlynotcontainingme，withthehandsrelaxingandtheheaddroopingforwardonthebreast。“
Nothingshakeshiminhisassuranceofthatrelease。Hedescribesinaquiet，matter-of-factwaythenewsensationheexperienced。
Hefelthehadbecomeimpalpable——somuchhehadexpected，buthehadnotexpectedtofindhimselfenormouslylarge。So，however，itwouldseemhebecame。“Iwasagreatcloud——ifImayexpressitthatway——anchoredtomybody。Itappearedtome，atfirst，asifIhaddiscoveredagreaterselfofwhichtheconsciousbeinginmybrainwasonlyalittlepart。IsawtheAlbanyandPiccadillyandRegentStreetandalltheroomsandplacesinthehouses，veryminuteandverybrightanddistinct，spreadoutbelowmelikealittlecityseenfromaballoon。Everynowandthenvagueshapeslikedriftingwreathsofsmokemadethevisionalittleindistinct，butatfirstIpaidlittleheedtothem。Thethingthatastonishedmemost，andwhichastonishesmestill，isthatIsawquitedistinctlytheinsidesofthehousesaswellasthestreets，sawlittlepeoplediningandtalkingintheprivatehouses，menandwomendining，playingbilliards，anddrinkinginrestaurantsandhotels，andseveralplacesofentertainmentcrammedwithpeople。Itwaslikewatchingtheaffairsofaglasshive。“
SuchwereMr。Bessel’sexactwordsasItookthemdownwhenhetoldmethestory。QuiteforgetfulofMr。Vincey，heremainedforaspaceobservingthesethings。Impelledbycuriosity，hesays，hestoopeddown，and，withtheshadowyarmhefoundhimselfpossessedof，attemptedtotouchamanwalkingalongVigoStreet。Buthecouldnotdoso，thoughhisfingerseemedtopassthroughtheman。Somethingpreventedhisdoingthis，butwhatitwashefindsithardtodescribe。
Hecomparestheobstacletoasheetofglass。
“Ifeltasakittenmayfeel，“hesaid，“whenitgoesforthefirsttimetopatitsreflectioninamirror。“Againandagain，ontheoccasionwhenIheardhimtellthisstory，Mr。Besselreturnedtothatcomparisonofthesheetofglass。Yetitwasnotaltogetheraprecisecomparison，because，asthereaderwillspeedilysee，therewereinterruptionsofthisgenerallyimpermeableresistance，meansofgettingthroughthebarriertothematerialworldagain。But，naturally，thereisaverygreatdifficultyinexpressingtheseunprecedentedimpressionsinthelanguageofeverydayexperience。
Athingthatimpressedhiminstantly，andwhichweigheduponhimthroughoutallthisexperience，wasthestillnessofthisplace——hewasinaworldwithoutsound。
AtfirstMr。Bessel’smentalstatewasanunemotionalwonder。
Histhoughtchieflyconcerneditselfwithwherehemightbe。Hewasoutofthebody——outofhismaterialbody，atanyrate——butthatwasnotall。Hebelieves，andIforonebelievealso，thathewassomewhereoutofspace，asweunderstandit，altogether。Byastrenuouseffortofwillhehadpassedoutofhisbodyintoaworldbeyondthisworld，aworldundreamtof，yetlyingsoclosetoitandsostrangelysituatedwithregardtoitthatallthingsonthisearthareclearlyvisiblebothfromwithoutandfromwithininthisotherworldaboutus。Foralongtime，asitseemedtohim，thisrealisationoccupiedhismindtotheexclusionofallothermatters，andthenherecalledtheengagementwithMr。Vincey，towhichthisastonishingexperiencewas，afterall，butaprelude。
