e's come," said the other. "Come upstairs, Mr. Baxter. Please don't
say a word of what I've said."

She hurried out, and he after her, as the footman came up from the
lower regions.

* * * * *

The drawing-room presented an unusual appearance to Laurie as he came
in. All the small furniture had been moved away to the side where the
windows looked into the street, and formed there what looked like an
amateur barricade. In the center of the room, immediately below the
electric light, stood a solid small round table with four chairs set
round it as if for Bridge. There was on the side further from the
street a kind of ante-room communicating with the main room by a high,
wide archway nearly as large as the room to which it gave access; and
within this, full in sight, stood a curious erection, not unlike a
confessional, seated within for one, roofed, walled, and floored with
thin wood. The front of this was open, but screened partly by two
curtains that seemed to hang from a rod within. The rest of the little
extra room was entirely empty except for the piano that stood closed
in the corner.

There were two persons standing rather disconsolately on the vacant
hearthrug--Mrs. Stapleton and the clergyman whom Laurie had met on his
last visit here. Mr. Jamieson wore an expression usually associated
with funerals, and Mrs. Stapleton's face was full of suppressed
excitement.

"Dearest, what a time you've been! Was that Mr. Vincent?"

"I think so," said Lady Laura.

The two men nodded to one another, and an instant later the medium
came in.

He was in evening clothes; and, more than ever, Laurie thought how
average and conventional he looked. His manner was not in the least
pontifical, and he shook hands cordially and naturally, but gave one
quick glance of approval at Laurie.

"It struck me as extraordinarily cold," he said. "I see you have an
excellent fire." And he stooped, rubbing his hands together to warm
them.

"We must screen that presently," he said.

Then he stood up again.

"There's no use in wasting time. May I say a word first, Lady Laura?"

She nodded, looking at him almost apprehensively.

"First, I must ask you gentlemen to give me your word on a certain
point. I have not an idea how things will go, or whether we shall get
any results; but we are going to attempt materialization. Probably, in
any case, this will not go very far; we may not be able to do more
than