ughter rang through the room.

Seraphine advanced slowly, holding out her hands.

"I know your ways, creature of darkness. I command you to leave this
pure body that you would defile."

And fierce the answer came: "No! Damn you! You are not strong enough to
drive me out."

"Think of the tortures you are preparing for yourself."

"Don't you worry about my tortures."

"Have pity on Penelope. It will be counted in your favor."

There were snarling throat-sounds, then these menacing words: "No! I'm
going to put Penelope out of business."

"Where is Penelope now?"

"She is sleeping. Poor nut!"

"She knows nothing about Fauvette?"

"Nothing."

"She remembers nothing that Fauvette says?"

"Nothing."

There was a long silence in the darkened room while Seraphine prayed.

"You know very well that Dr. Leroy can drive you out," she said
presently.

"He can't do it. Let him try. Nobody can drive me out. Besides, you
won't get Dr. Leroy."

"Why not?"

"This other doctor won't have him."

"Dr. Owen?"

"Yes. I know damned well how to fix him. I'll tell him some things that
will make him sit up and take notice."

"How do you mean you will fix him?"

"Never mind. You'll see. If I can't have Herrick, Penelope is _never_
going to have him."

The medium closed her eyes and seemed to listen. "You mean Penelope will
never have him because of something you are going to tell Dr.
Owen--something about--about chemistry?" she groped for the word.

"Ye-es," unwillingly.

"Dr. Owen will not believe you."

"He _will_ believe me."

"No!" declared Seraphine dreamily. "There are greater powers than you
fighting for Penelope."

CHAPTER XII

X K C

We come now to what has been regarded by some authorities as the most
remarkable feature in the case of Penelope Wells, a development almost
without parallel in the records of abnormal psychology. All books on
this subject record instances of jealousy or hostility between two
recurring personalities in the same individual. A woman in one
personality writes a letter that humiliates her in another personality.
A little girl eats a certain article of food while in one personality
simply because she knows that her other personality hates that
particular food. And so on. It almost never occurs, however, that an
evil personality will commit an act or a crime that is abhorrent to the
individual's fundamental nature. Neither through hypnotism nor through
any manifest