inced,
and that should be enough. In this matter I am far from satisfied that
all has yet been done, within the Almighty's purpose and direction, to
discover the mystery of our terrible loss. But He helps those who help
themselves, remember, and I owe it to my son, Sir Walter, and you owe it
to your daughter Mary first, and the community also, to take such steps
as Heaven, through me, has now directed."

They were for a moment struck dumb by this extraordinary assertion and
demand. A thousand objections leaped to the lips of the elder men,
and Mr. Prodgers, a devout young Christian of poor physique but great
spiritual courage, found himself as interested by this fearless demand
of faith as the others were alarmed by it.

Sir Walter spoke.

"We know it is so, May. None recognizes our obligations, both to the
living and the dead, more acutely than I do. A very famous man of
European reputation will be here to-morrow, and if you, too, desire a
representative, you have only got to say so."

"I desire no representative armed with material craft or knowledge of
criminal procedure. I am my own representative, and I come armed with
greater power than any you can command on earth, Sir Walter. I mean my
Maker's response to my prayer. I must spend the night in that room,
and cannot leave Chadlands until I have done so. I trust to no human
expedient or precaution, for such things would actually disarm me; but
my faith is in the God I have served to the best of my power from my
youth up. I entertain not the least shadow of fear or doubt. To fear or
doubt would be to fail. I rely absolutely on the Supreme Being who
has permitted this unspeakable sorrow to fall upon us, and there is
no living man less likely than myself to fall a victim to the unknown
spirit hidden here and permitted to exercise such awful control over us.
The time has come to challenge that spirit in the name of its Maker, and
to cleanse your house once and for all of something which, potent for
evil though it is allowed to be, must yield to the forces of the Most
High, even in the feeble hand of His minister."

The doctor spoke.

"Is it possible, sir, that you attribute your son's death to anything
but natural physical forces?" he asked.

"Is it possible to do otherwise? How can you, of all men, ask? Science
has spoken--or, rather, science has been struck dumb. No natural,
physical force is responsible for his end. He died without any cause
that you could d