"Mr. Baxter--Mr. Jamieson."
He seemed a harmless young man, thought Laurie, and plainly a little nervous at the situation in which he found himself, as might a greyhound carry himself in a kennel of well-bred foxhounds. He was very correctly dressed, with Roman collar and stock, and obviously had not long left a theological college. He had an engaging kind of courtesy, ecclesiastically cut features, and curly black hair. He sat balancing a delicate cup adroitly on his knee.
"Mr. Jamieson is so anxious to know all that is going on," explained Lady Laura, with a voluble frankness. "He thinks it so necessary to be abreast of the times, as he said to me the other day."
Laurie a.s.sented, grimly pitying the young man for his indiscreet confidences. The clergyman looked priggish in his efforts not to do so.
"He has a cla.s.s of young men on Sundays," continued the hostess--"(Another biscuit, Maud darling?)--whom he tries to interest in all modern movements. He thinks it so important."
Mr. Jamieson cleared his throat in a virile manner.
"Just so," he said; "exactly so."
"And so I told him he must really come and meet Mr. Vincent.... I can"t think why he is so late; but he has so many calls upon his time, that I am sure I wonder--"
"Mr. Vincent," announced the footman.
A rather fine figure of a man came forward into the room, dressed in much better taste than Laurie somehow had expected, and not at all like the type of an insane dissenting minister in broadcloth which he had feared. Instead, it was a big man that he saw, stooping a little, inclined to stoutness, with a full curly beard tinged with grey, rather overhung brows, and a high forehead, from which the same kind of curly greyish hair was beginning to retreat. He was in a well-cut frock-coat and dark trousers, with the collar of the period and a dark tie.
Lady Laura was in a flutter of welcome, pouring out little sentences, leading him to a seat, introducing him, and finally pressing refreshments into his hands.
"It is too good of you," she said; "too good of you, with all your engagements.... These gentlemen are most anxious.... Mrs. Stapleton of course you know.... And you will just sit and talk to us ... like friends ... won"t you.... No, no! no formal speech at all ... just a few words ... and you will allow us to ask you questions...."
And so on.
Meanwhile Laurie observed the high-priest carefully and narrowly, and was quite unable to see any of the unpleasant qualities he had expected. He sat easily, without self-consciousness or arrogance or unpleasant humility. He had a pair of pleasant, shrewd, and rather kind eyes; and his voice, when he said a word or two in answer to Lady Laura"s volubility, was of that resonant softness that is always a delight to hear. In fact, his whole bearing and personality was that of a rather exceptional average man--a publisher, it might be, or a retired lawyer--a family man with a sober round of life and ordinary duties, who brought to their fulfillment a wholesome, kindly, but distinctly strong character of his own. Laurie hardly knew whether he was pleased or disappointed. He would almost have preferred a wild creature with rolling eyes, in a cloak; yet he would have been secretly amused and contemptuous at such a man.
"The sitting is off for Sunday, by the way, Lady Laura," said the new-comer.
"Indeed! How is that?"
"Oh! there was some mistake about the rooms; it"s the secretary"s fault; you mustn"t blame me."
Lady Laura cried out her dismay and disappointment, and Mrs.
Stapleton played chorus. It was _too_ tiresome, they said, _too_ provoking, particularly just now, when "Annie" was so complacent.
(Mrs. Stapleton explained kindly to the two young gentlemen that "Annie" was a spirit who had lately made various very interesting revelations.) What was to be done? Were there no other rooms?
Mr. Vincent shook his head. It was too late, he said, to make arrangements now.
While the ladies continued to buzz, and Mr. Jamieson to listen from the extreme edge of his chair, Laurie continued to make mental comments. He felt distinctly puzzled by the marked difference between the prophet and his disciples. These were so shallow; this so impressive by the most ordinary of all methods, and the most difficult of imitation, that is, by sheer human personality. He could not grasp the least common multiple of the two sides. Yet this man tolerated these women, and, indeed, seemed very kind and friendly towards them.
He seemed to possess that sort of competence which rises from the fact of having well-arranged ideas and complete cert.i.tude about them.
And at last a pause came. Mr. Vincent set down his cup for the second time, refused b.u.t.tered bun, and waited.
"Yes, do smoke, Mr. Vincent."
The man drew out his cigarette-case, smiling, offering it to the two men. Laurie took one; the clergyman refused.
"And now, Mr. Vincent."
Again he smiled, in a half-embarra.s.sed way.
"But no speeches, I think you said," he remarked.
"Oh! well, you know what I mean; just like friends, you know. Treat us all like that."
Mrs. Stapleton rose, came nearer the circle, rustled down again, and sank into an elaborate silence.
"Well, what is it these gentlemen wish to hear?"
"Everything--everything," cried Lady Laura. "They claim to know nothing at all."
Laurie thought it time to explain himself a little. He felt he would not like to take this man at an unfair advantage.
"I should just like to say this," he said. "I have told Mrs. Stapleton already. It is this. I must confess that so far as I am concerned I am not a believer. But neither am I a skeptic. I am just a real agnostic in this matter. I have read several books; and I have been impressed.
But there"s a great deal in them that seems to me nonsense; perhaps I had better say which I don"t understand. This materializing business, for instance.... I can understand that the minds of the dead can affect ours; but I don"t see how they can affect matter--in table-rapping, for instance, and still more in appearing, and our being able to touch and see them.... I think that"s my position," he ended rather lamely.
The fact was that he was a little disconcerted by the other"s eyes.
They were, as I have said, kind and shrewd eyes, but they had a good deal of power as well. Mr. Vincent sat motionless during this little speech, just looking at him, not at all offensively, yet with the effect of making the young man feel rather like a defiant and naughty little boy who is trying to explain.
Laurie sat back and drew on his cigarette rather hard.
"I understand perfectly," said the steady voice. "You are in a very reasonable position. I wish all were as open-minded. May I say a word or two?"
"Please."
"Well, it is materialization that puzzles you, is it?"
"Exactly," said Laurie. "Our theologians tell us--by the way, I am a Catholic." (The other bowed a little.) "Our theologians, I believe, tell us that such a thing cannot be, except under peculiar circ.u.mstances, as in the lives of the saints, and so on."
"Are you bound to believe all that your theologians say?" asked the other quietly.
"Well, it would be very rash indeed--" began Laurie.
"Exactly, I see. But what if you approach it from the other side, and try to find out instead whether these things actually do happen. I do not wish to be rude, Mr. Baxter; but you remember that your theologians--I am not so foolish as to say the Church, for I know that that was not so--but your theologians, you know, made a mistake about Galileo."
Laurie winced a little. Mr. Jamieson cleared his throat in gentle approval.
"Now I don"t ask you to accept anything contrary to your faith," went on the other gently; "but if you really wish to look into this matter, you must set aside for the present all other presuppositions. You must not begin by a.s.suming that the theologians are always right, nor even in asking how or why these things should happen. The one point is, _Do they happen?_"
His last words had a curious little effect as of a sudden flame. He had spoken smoothly and quietly; then he had suddenly put an unexpected emphasis into the little sentence at the end. Laurie jumped, internally. Yes, that was the point, he a.s.sented internally.
"Now," went on the other, again in that slow, rea.s.suring voice, flicking off the ash of his cigarette, "is it possible for you to doubt that these things happen? May I ask you what books you have read?"
Laurie named three or four.
"And they have not convinced you?"
"Not altogether."