his refractory visitors.
From the room beneath, in which I sat with Mrs. D'Odd, I could hear
that after sitting for some time he rose up, and paced about the hall
with quick, impatient steps. We then heard him try the lock of the
door, and afterward drag some heavy article of furniture in the
direction of the window, on which, apparently, he mounted, for I heard
the creaking of the rusty hinges as the diamond-paned casement folded
backward, and I knew it to be situated several feet above the little
man's reach. Mrs. D'Odd says that she could distinguish his voice
speaking in low and rapid whispers after this, but that may have been
her imagination. I confess that I began to feel more impressed than I
had deemed it possible to be. There was something awesome in the
thought of the solitary mortal standing by the open window and
summoning in from the gloom outside the spirits of the nether world.
It was with a trepidation which I could hardly disguise from Matilda
that I observed that the clock was pointing to half-past twelve, and
that the time had come for me to share the vigil of my visitor.

He was sitting in his old position when I entered, and there were no
signs of the mysterious movements which I had overheard, though his
chubby face was flushed as with recent exertion.

"Are you succeeding all right?" I asked as I came in, putting on as
careless an air as possible, but glancing involuntarily round to see if
we were alone.

"Only your help is needed to complete the matter," said Mr. Abrahams,
in a solemn voice. "You shall sit by me and partake of the essence of
Lucoptolycus, which removes the scales from our earthly eyes. Whatever
you may chance to see, speak not and make no movement, lest you break
the spell." His manner was subdued, and his usual cockney vulgarity
had entirely disappeared. I took the chair which he indicated, and
awaited the result.

My companion cleared the rushes from the floor in our neighborhood, and
going down upon his hands and knees, described a half circle with
chalk, which inclosed the fireplace and ourselves. Round the edge of
this half circle he drew several hieroglyphics, not unlike the signs of
the zodiac. He then stood up and uttered a long invocation, delivered
so rapidly that it sounded like a single gigantic word in some uncouth
guttural language. Having finished this prayer, if prayer it was, he
pulled out the small bottle which he had produced before, and poured