"I think so. To tell the truth--"
He stopped.
"Yes; but the thing itself is really overwhelming.... There"s--there"s an extraordinary power sometimes. You know I was with Maud Stapleton when she saw her father--"
She stopped again.
"Yes?"
"I saw him too, you know.... Oh! there was no possibility of fraud.
It was with Mr. Vincent. It--it was rather terrible."
"Yes?"
"Maud fainted.... Please don"t tell her I told you, Mr. Baxter; she wouldn"t like you to know that. And then other things happen sometimes which aren"t nice. Do you think me a great coward? I--I think I"ve got a fit of nerves tonight."
Laurie could see that she was trembling.
"I think you"re very kind," he said, "to take the trouble to tell me all this. But indeed I was quite ready to be startled. I quite understand what you mean--but--"
"Mr. Baxter, you can"t understand unless you"ve experienced it. And, you know, the other day here you knew nothing at all: you were not conscious. Now tonight you"re to keep awake; Mr. Vincent"s going to arrange to do what he can about that. And--and I don"t quite like it."
"Why, what on earth can happen?" asked Laurie, bewildered.
"Mr. Baxter, I suppose you realize that it"s you that they--whoever they are--are interested in? There"s no kind of doubt that you"ll be the center tonight. And I did just want you to understand fully that there are risks. I shouldn"t like to think--"
Laurie stood up.
"I understand perfectly," he said. "Certainly, I always knew there were risks. I hold myself responsible, and no one else. Is that quite clear?"
The wire of the front-door bell suddenly twitched in the hall, and a peal came up the stairs.
"He"s come," said the other. "Come upstairs, Mr. Baxter. Please don"t say a word of what I"ve said."
She hurried out, and he after her, as the footman came up from the lower regions.
The drawing-room presented an unusual appearance to Laurie as he came in. All the small furniture had been moved away to the side where the windows looked into the street, and formed there what looked like an amateur barricade. In the center of the room, immediately below the electric light, stood a solid small round table with four chairs set round it as if for Bridge. There was on the side further from the street a kind of ante-room communicating with the main room by a high, wide archway nearly as large as the room to which it gave access; and within this, full in sight, stood a curious erection, not unlike a confessional, seated within for one, roofed, walled, and floored with thin wood. The front of this was open, but screened partly by two curtains that seemed to hang from a rod within. The rest of the little extra room was entirely empty except for the piano that stood closed in the corner.
There were two persons standing rather disconsolately on the vacant hearthrug--Mrs. Stapleton and the clergyman whom Laurie had met on his last visit here. Mr. Jamieson wore an expression usually a.s.sociated with funerals, and Mrs. Stapleton"s face was full of suppressed excitement.
"Dearest, what a time you"ve been! Was that Mr. Vincent?"
"I think so," said Lady Laura.
The two men nodded to one another, and an instant later the medium came in.
He was in evening clothes; and, more than ever, Laurie thought how average and conventional he looked. His manner was not in the least pontifical, and he shook hands cordially and naturally, but gave one quick glance of approval at Laurie.
"It struck me as extraordinarily cold," he said. "I see you have an excellent fire." And he stooped, rubbing his hands together to warm them.
"We must screen that presently," he said.
Then he stood up again.
"There"s no use in wasting time. May I say a word first, Lady Laura?"
She nodded, looking at him almost apprehensively.
"First, I must ask you gentlemen to give me your word on a certain point. I have not an idea how things will go, or whether we shall get any results; but we are going to attempt materialization. Probably, in any case, this will not go very far; we may not be able to do more than to see some figure or face. But in any case, I want you two gentlemen to give me your word that you will attempt no violence.
Anything in the nature of seizing the figure may have very disastrous results indeed to myself. You understand that what you will see, if you see anything, will not be actual flesh or blood; it will be formed of a certain matter of which we understand very little at present, but which is at any rate intimately connected with myself or with someone present. Really we know no more of it than that. We are all of us inquirers equally. Now will you gentlemen give me your words of honor that you will obey me in this; and that in all other matters you will follow the directions of ..." (he glanced at the two ladies)--"of Mrs.
Stapleton, and do nothing without her consent?"
He spoke in a brisk, matter-of-fact way, and looked keenly from face to face of the two men as he ended.
"I give you my word," said Laurie.
"Yes; just so," said Mr. Jamieson.
"Now there is one matter more," went on the medium. "Mr. Baxter, you are aware that you are a sensitive of a very high order. Now I do not wish you to pa.s.s into trance tonight. Kindly keep your attention fixed upon me steadily. Watch me closely: you will be able to see me quite well enough, as I shall explain presently. Mrs. Stapleton will sit with her back to the fire. Lady Laura opposite, Mr. Jamieson with his back to the cabinet, and you, Mr. Baxter, facing it. (Yes, Mr. Jamieson, you may turn round freely, so long as you keep your hands upon the table.) Now, if you feel anything resembling sleep or unconsciousness coming upon you irresistibly, Mr. Baxter, I wish you just lightly to tap Mrs. Stapleton"s hand. She will then, if necessary, break up the circle. Give the signal directly you feel the sensation is really coming on, or if you find it very difficult to keep your attention fixed. You will do this?"
"I will do it," said Laurie.
"Then that is really all."
He moved a step away from the fire. Then he paused.
"By the way, I may as well just tell you our methods. I shall take my place within the cabinet, drawing the curtains partly across at the top so as to shade my face. But you will be able to see the whole of my body, and probably even my face as well. You four will please to sit at the table in the order I have indicated, with your hands resting upon it. You will not speak unless you are spoken to, or until Mrs. Stapleton gives the signal. That is all. You then wait. Now it may be ten minutes, half an hour, an hour--anything up to two hours before anything happens. If there is no result, Mrs. Stapleton will break up the circle at eleven o"clock, and awaken me if necessary."
He broke off.
"Kindly just examine the cabinet and the whole room first, gentlemen.
We mediums must protect ourselves."
He smiled genially and nodded to the two.
Laurie went straight across the open floor to the cabinet. It was raised on four feet, about twelve inches from the ground. Heavy green curtains hung from a bar within. Laurie took these, and ran them to and fro; then he went into the cabinet. It was entirely empty except for a single board that formed the seat. As he came out he encountered the awestruck face of the clergyman who had followed him in dead silence, and now went into the cabinet after him. Laurie pa.s.sed round behind: the little room was empty except for the piano at the back, and two low bookshelves on either side of the fireless hearth. The window looking presumably into the garden was shuttered from top to bottom, and barred, and the curtains were drawn back so that it could be seen. A cat could not have hidden in the place. It was all perfectly satisfactory.
He came back to where the others were standing silent, and the clergyman followed him.
"You are satisfied, gentlemen?" said the medium, smiling.
"Perfectly," said Laurie, and the clergyman bowed.
"Well, then," said the other, "it is close upon nine."
He indicated the chairs, and himself went past towards the cabinet, his heavy step making the room vibrate as he went. As he came near the door, he fumbled with the b.u.t.ton, and all the lights but one went out.