and consequently, into everybody's mouth; and was
creating a great sensation, as Lyon was known to the whole city as one
of its richest citizens, "though a little off on Spiritualism lately,"
as the talk went; and Mrs. Winslow had also become quite notorious from
her magnificent figure and winning manner, her equally notorious
mediumistic powers, and through her prominent connection with the more
_material_ believers in spiritual phenomena; or, to be plain, that vast
majority of so-called spiritualists whose only visible means of support
are in excellently humbugging their brethren or sisters, or any other
portion of the gullible world with whom they come in contact.

Nearly every Rochester paper contained the advertisement of Mrs.
Winslow, trance medium, and I concluded that either the lady had been
unusually successful in her trance business, or that her levies upon
Lyon had been remunerative--perhaps both--to pay for such extensive
advertising.

After dinner I took a stroll and found that the lady occupied very
luxurious apartments on South St. Paul street, near Meech's Opera-house,
a location well adapted for her business. I also ordered a carriage and
drove out to Port Charlotte--a magnificent drive through a lovely
country dotted with fine farm-houses and the splendid suburban
residences of wealthy Rochester citizens--and, as a casual stranger,
inspected Lyon's warehouses and elevators, the largest and most
expensive at the Port, returning to the Brackett House in time to eat a
hearty supper.

After supper, without any effort, and without disclosing my identity, I
got into conversation with the genial landlord of the house, who gave
me--as a part of my entertainment, I presume--a rich account of Lyon's
business relations, and particularly of his personal habits, painted in
entirely different colors than by the blarneying tongue of Harcout; and
also spoke of the latter as "a d----d barnacle," who had in some
unexplainable way fastened himself upon Lyon and was living like a
prince off the "old fool," as he called him. He also told me
confidentially that he believed Mrs. Winslow to be a woman of
questionable character; as, when she first came to the city, she had
stopped at his hotel, and had advertised her mediumistic powers so
largely that it had brought a class of men there whom he thought, from
his personal knowledge of their habits, to be more interested in
inquiries into the mysteries of the _present_ than