who had died at sixteen, and of a lingering disease. The latter were
faint, and almost inaudible to an unpractised ear, while those of his
father were firm and distinct. There was never any power of knowing
from what part of the room the raps would come, and as answer after
answer appeared to come so readily to his questions, it is not to be
wondered at that Francis felt excited and awed at the mysterious
intercourse.

"Advise me, my father; tell me what to do if you see more and know than
more I can do. Should I assist my mother, as she asks me to do?"

The single impatient rap, meaning "No," was the immediate reply.

"Is she not in poverty and want?"

Again the answer was "No."

"Should not I write to her?"

"No; have nothing to do with her," was the answer.

"Can I ever have what I most desire in the world? You promise
improvement--I want happiness," said Francis, passionately, startled
out of himself by the extraordinary pertinence of the answers to his
questions, and careless in the company of absolute strangers as to what
they thought of him.

"Patience! I watch over you," was the reply.

"What do you do in the spiritual world?"

"I am learning," answered the spirit, "from one who loves me."

"What is her name?" asked Francis.

The alphabet was in his hands; he was anxious not to let any sign of
his give any clue in case of its being all imposture and extraordinary
quickness of sight. He purposely passed over the letters, but was
rapped back by the recognised signal till the name "Marguerite" was
spelled out.

"Yes," said he to himself, "you think all is well in the end; you have
met Marguerite in the spirit world, after being separated for a
lifetime in this, and this is very sweet to you; but I want Jane now to
help me to live worthily. Can I win her in this life?"

"After a time," said the spirit, rapping by the alphabet this answer to
his inaudible question.

"You then can answer mental questions," thought Francis. "What
connection can Mr. Phillips possibly have with Mrs. Peck, or rather
Elizabeth Hogarth?" But to this inaudible question the spirit made no
reply, and told him, through the medium, that he was disinclined for
any further communication. Certainly it was a question which he felt
conscious he had no right to put, after what Mr. Phillips had said to
him. The spirit was in the right not to answer it.

"Are you convinced?" said Mr. Dempster, who had seen the surprise with
which