f because I
thought it would pay and it was easy to fool the dames. They fell for
it fast enough, and I made good money. But I'm no yogi. I'm no miracle
man. I couldn't bring a man back to life in his own form or any other
form, could I?"

"Undoubtedly hardly so," said Mr. Gubb.

"Glad to hear you say it," said Mr. Guffins with relief. "A man gets
so interested in his work--and there is a lot you can learn in books
about this Hindoo mumbo-jumbo business--but of course I couldn't bring
Mr. Lippett back. I'm no spiritualistic medium. I couldn't materialize
the spirit of a pig."

As he said the word, Mr. Guffins shuddered. It had come out
unintentionally, but it seemed to jar him to the depth of his being.
He had evidently not meant to say _pig_.

"Mr. Gubb, I will be frank with you. I need your help," he continued.
"Mrs. Lippett attended my lecture, and she became interested. She
formed a class to study yogi philosophy. We went deep into it. I had
to read up one week what I taught them the next. The lights turned low
and my Hindoo costume helped, of course. Air of mystery, strange
perfumes, and all that. You said you never knew Henry K. Lippett?"

"Never at all," said Mr. Gubb.

"Fat man," said Mr. Guffins. "He must have been a very fat man. And a
hearty eater. Rather--rather an over-hearty eater. He must have lived
to eat."

Mr. Guffins sighed again.

"Of course there was remuneration," Mr. Guffins went on. "For me, I
mean. To pay for my time. Mrs. Lippett was most generous. I _told_
her," he said angrily, "I couldn't guarantee to materialize her dead
husband. I said to her: 'Mrs. Lippett, we had better not try it. My
power may be too weak. And think of the risk. He _may_ be pure spirit,
floating in Nirvana, and come to us as a pure spirit, but what if his
life was not all it should have been on earth? What if his spirit has
passed into a lower form as a punishment for misdeeds? You will pardon
me for speaking so of him, but men are weak,' I said, 'and he may now
be a--a bird of the air. It would be a shock,' I said, 'to see him
changed into a bird of the air.'"

Mr. Guffins paused and groaned.

"But she would have it," he went on. "She would have me make the
attempt. So--"

Mr. Guffins looked at Mr. Gubb appealingly.

"You _don't_ believe I could do it, do you?" he pleaded.

"Not in any manner of means," said Mr. Gubb.

"That's what I want you to prove to her," said Mr. Guffins. "That's
why I came to