Theos-Talk Archives (December 2006 Message tt00179)

Francesca Arundale 
June 30–August 16, 1884 
London
----------------------- 

HPB returned to London [from Paris] June [30th] taking up her abode 
with us at No. 77 Elgin Crescent, Notting Hill.

The few months of the summer of 1884 which she passed in our house in 
Elgin Crescent were marked by events of a curious and exceptional 
character, all alike bearing witness to the fact that the personality 
called Madame Blavatsky was different in most characteristics from 
those around, and crowds of visitors of all classes testified to the 
interest she invoked.

It was her custom while with us to devote the earlier part of the day 
to writing; she usually began at seven o'clock, but often earlier, 
and it was very rarely indeed that when I went into her room at about 
eight o'clock in the morning I did not find her already at her desk, 
at which she continued with a slight interval for lunch till about 
three or four o'clock in the afternoon. Then the reception time 
began, and from early afternoon to late evening, one constant 
succession of visitors arrived. The old lady sitting in her armchair 
in the same drawing room, which was barely large enough for the 
influx of guests, would be the center of an inquiring circle. Many, 
of course, drawn by the fame of her great powers, merely came from 
curiosity.

Mohini M. Chatterji accompanied Madame Blavatsky, and Colonel Olcott 
was with us from time to time as his tours allowed. There was also a 
very important member of the Indian contingent, namely Babula, HPB's 
servant; in his picturesque turban and white dress, he created quite 
a little sensation; and on the afternoons when tea was served and 
HPB's Russian samovar glistened and shone on the table, and Babula 
bore cups of tea and sweet cakes to the visitors, we were certainly a 
unique house in suburban London. The house was always full of 
visitors, and as HPB often liked to invite friends to stay, I never 
knew whether I should have one person or twenty to lunch or dinner as 
the case might be.

The house was not large, but there were two good rooms with folding 
doors between, and it was a sight to see HPB seated in a big armchair 
surrounded by learned as well as fashionable people. A brilliant 
conversationalist, she kept young and old entranced, and at the same 
time her graceful fingers were constantly diving into the Nubian 
basket of tobacco that was ever by her side, and twisting the little 
cigarettes that she was constantly smoking. That was her social 
aspect. Then very often Mohini Chatterji would answer questions on 
Indian philosophy. His lectures were much sought after, and we rarely 
closed our doors till one or two o'clock in the morning.

During this time, the little George Arundale was sent to a day school 
quite near, but he was not entirely out of it all, and I remember one 
afternoon a party was made up to go to the Zoological Gardens. We all 
went there in carriages and the child with us. Then a bath chair was 
procured for HPB and we proceeded to visit the animals. There were no 
occult phenomena on that visit, but there was the manifestation of a 
trait that showed forth the kindly nature of HPB. The child was 
running about as children will and, running near HPB's chair, 
suddenly missed his footing and fell to the ground. HPB, in spite of 
the fact that she moved with difficulty, almost sprang out of the 
chair, throwing her umbrella on one side, and tried to help the child 
up. It was but a little thing, it is true, but it showed the kindly 
disregard of self.

A curious happening which has never been effaced from my memory took 
place in the early part of HPB's stay with us. Many people at that 
time wished to get into communication with the Masters through HPB, 
and would sometimes bring letters asking that they should be 
forwarded to the Masters. HPB always said, "It is not for me to 
forward the letters; the Masters will take them if They wish," and 
the letters were put into a certain drawer in her room. Sometimes the 
writers received a message through HPB, very often they did not; but 
the drawer was kept open. One day Mr. Sinnett had something he wished 
to ask of Master K.H., and that letter also was placed in the drawer. 
More than a week passed and there was no answer, and I was grieved, 
for we all desired that the questions should be answered. Day after 
day I looked into the drawer, but the letter was still there.

One morning at about 7.30 I went in to HPB (I always went to her room 
the first thing); I found her at her table, writing as usual, and I 
said to her, "How much I wish that letter could be taken." She looked 
very straight at me and said, "Bring me the letter," in rather a 
severe tone. I gave the letter into her hand. There was a candle on 
the table and "Light the candle," she said; then giving me the 
letter, she said, "Burn the letter." I felt rather sorry to burn Mr. 
Sinnett's letter but, of course, did as she said. "Now go to your 
room and meditate." I went up to my room, which I had only left a 
short time before. My room was at the top of the house, in what we 
call an attic, for all the lower rooms were being used by our 
visitors, and I and the little boy slept upstairs. I went to the 
window, which looked on to a beautiful garden with lovely trees. 
Before the window there was a box, covered with a pink cloth, and I 
stood there for a minute or two wondering what HPB meant [and] what I 
was to meditate on.

In a few minutes I cast my eyes down on the pink cloth, and in the 
middle of the cloth there was a letter which either I had not noticed 
before or which had not been there. I took up the envelope and looked 
at it, and found there was no address on it; it was quite blank, but 
it contained a thickness of paper and I concluded it was a letter. I 
held it in my hand and looked at it once or twice, and still finding 
the envelope without name or address, I felt sure it must be 
something occult and wondered for whom it could be. At length I 
decided to take the letter to HPB, and looking at it once again saw, 
in the clear writing of the Master K.H., Mr. Sinnett's name. That the 
name had not been on it at the beginning I am sure, nor during the 
many times when I looked at it most carefully. The letter was an 
answer to the one I had burnt, and it gave me much joy to be the 
recipient in the curious way in which it was sent.

There were several instances of the same kind. Once, when the letter 
I wanted answered was very private to myself, instead of putting it 
in the usual drawer I carried it in my pocket unknown to HPB or to 
anyone else. But one night when I was sitting with her just before 
going up to my room, she handed me a letter in the well-known 
handwriting [of Master K.H.].

It was a time of continual excitement; many people of note came to 
see HPB. Among them I remember well Mr. Frederick W. H. Myers of 
Psychic Research fame. HPB happened to be alone that afternoon, and 
she and her visitor began talking about the phenomena in which Mr. 
Myers was so interested. "I wish you would show me a proof of your 
occult power," said he, "will you not do something that will prove 
that there are these occult forces of which you speak?" "What would 
be the good?" said Madame Blavatsky. "Even if you saw and heard, you 
would not be convinced." "Try me," he said.

She looked at him for a moment or so in that strange, penetrating 
manner she had, and turning to me said, "Bring me a finger bowl and 
some water in it." They were sitting in the full light of a summer's 
afternoon; she was to the right of Mr. Myers, who was seated in a 
small chair about three feet away. I brought the glass bowl of water 
and she told me to place it on a stool just in front of Mr. Myers and 
a fairly long distance from her, which I did. We sat for a few 
moments in quiet expectation, and then from the glass there seemed to 
come four or five notes, such as we have called the "astral bells."

It was evident that Mr. Myers was astonished; he looked at HPB and 
her folded hands in her lap, and then again at the glass bowl; there 
was no visible connection between the two. Again the notes of the 
astral bell sounded, clear and silvery, and no movement on the part 
of Madame Blavatsky. He turned to me, and one could see that he was 
quite confused as to how the sounds could have been produced. HPB 
smiled, and said, "Nothing very wonderful, only a little knowledge of 
how to direct some of the forces of nature." As Mr. Myers left he 
turned to me and said, "Miss Arundale, I shall never doubt again."

But alas for the fickle, doubting mind; before a fortnight had passed 
he wrote to say he was not convinced, and that the sounds might have 
been produced in this way or that. HPB was not one whit disturbed, in 
fact she said, "I knew it, but I thought I would give him what he 
asked for." This incident goes to show that conviction is rarely 
gained through phenomena; they arouse the attention, and if the mind 
is receptive and willing to investigate and not declare that that 
which is not understood cannot be, then there is a possibility that 
new facts and laws may be discovered.

I see her of an early morning in her room writing at her table, the 
floor strewn with burnt matches which were my despair, careful 
housekeeper as I was, for coverlets, tablecovers, and carpets might 
well get burned, and even the house itself might have received 
considerable damage, for HPB was accustomed to throw her lighted 
match away without any consideration as to where it might fall. I 
have also lively remembrances of some of the difficult times involved 
by HPB's absolute disregard of all conventionality. People would come 
long distances to see her, and it was generally understood that 
visitors might come between four and six in the afternoon. Sometimes, 
however, for no reason that we could see, she would decline to come 
from her room.

I remember well one afternoon there was quite a distinguished set 
waiting to meet her, and when I went up to inform her that visitors 
had come to see her, I found her in a state of undress incompatible 
with a visit to the drawing room. When I told her who was there, a 
little strong language was used and she said that Mr. and Mrs. X 
might come up. I gently remonstrated that neither her room nor her 
person was quite in a suitable condition for visitors; she told me I 
might go somewhere, but if she came down she should come down as she 
was, and if she saw anyone she would see them as she was, and that I 
was to send her food as soon as possible for she was hungry. The 
visitors had to leave and I made what excuses I could.

The most pleasant time I had was always in the early morning; she 
always seemed more get-at-able then, her mouth settled in pleasant 
curves, her eyes kind and brilliant, and she always seemed to 
understand and sympathize not only with what one said but also with 
what one did not say. I never felt afraid of HPB in spite of the very 
strong language she sometimes used. One always somehow felt it was 
surface strong language.

Quoted from:

http://theosophical.org/resources/books/esotericworld/chapter13/

Daniel
http://hpb.cc