tic, so much the woman, so little the sibyl, that he forgot all
his hesitations and doubts, filled for an instant with an irrational
impulse to seize her, claiming her as his own, in defiance of the
mandates of her world and the conventions of his own. But she dropped
his hand and turned away, and he went out in a maze of conflicting
desires, his judgment sadly clouded by the youthful riot in his blood.

At the moment he was in love with her and single-minded in his desire
to aid her, to defend her, but the door had hardly closed behind him
when his questionings, his suspicions began to file back, stealthily,
silently, along the underways of his brain. Her distress began to seem
a little too theatric, her troubles self-induced--all but one--madness
did in very truth seem to hover over her, a baleful, imminent shadow.

Clarke, looming darkly, confronted him in the lower hall. "Well met,
Dr. Serviss. I'd like a word with you."

"I have a request to make of you," responded Serviss. "Miss Lambert
has expressed to me her great distress of mind as concerns the public
tests you are planning and has asked me to intercede for her. She
profoundly objects to the use of her name, and I ask--"

Clarke's voice was harsh and sullen as he interrupted: "I have
considered her objections and find them insufficient."

Serviss's voice rose slightly. "Her lightest objection should be
insuperable. I don't understand your point of view. I can't see by
what right you ignore the wish of the human soul most vitally
concerned in your crusade. You treat her as if she were a rabbit
dedicated to the use of a biologic laboratory. I am better informed
now than when we met in your church-study, Mr. Clarke. I know, not
merely Miss Lambert's secret, but your own. It may be that you
honestly think this challenge will confer great distinction upon her,
but, let me assure you, it will put an ineffaceable stain upon her.
Furthermore, your tests will end in disaster to yourself and to your
cause."

"What do you mean by that?" interposed Pratt, who had come up and
stood listening. "Do you doubt her powers?"

"I do. She will fail, and the failure will be crushing. The thing you
claim is preposterous. Every time science has taken one of your
mediums in hand he or she has suffered extinguishment. It is the
grossest outrage to ask this girl to face certain exposure. A
challenge of this blatant kind will rouse the most violent antagonism
among scientists, an