age girl,
and understood. But she perceived that she must not attempt intimacy
just yet with this young man: he would resent it. Besides, she was
shrewd enough to see by his manner that he did not altogether like
her.

She nodded pensively once or twice. Then she turned to him with a
bright smile. "I understand entirely," she said. "May I too speak
quite freely? Yes? Well, I am so glad you have spoken out. Of course,
we are quite accustomed to being distrusted and feared. After all, it
is the privilege of all truth-seekers to suffer, is it not? Well, I
will say what is in my heart.

"First, you are quite right about some of our workers being dishonest
sometimes. They are, Mr. Baxter, I have seen more than one, myself,
exposed. But that is natural, is it not? Why, there have been bad
Catholics, too, have there not? And, after all, we are only human; and
there is a great temptation sometimes not to send people away
disappointed. You have heard those stories, I expect, Mr. Baxter?"

"I have heard of Mr. Eglinton."

"Ah! Poor Willie.... Yes. But he had great powers, for all that....
Well, but the point you want to get at is this, is it not? Is it
really true, underneath it all? Is that it?"

Laurie nodded, looking at her steadily. She leaned forward.

"Mr. Baxter, by all that I hold most sacred, I assure you that it is,
that I myself have seen and touched ... _touched_ ... my own father,
who crossed over twenty years ago. I have received messages from his
own lips ... and communications in other ways too, concerning matters
only known to him and to myself. Is that sufficient? No"; (she held up
a delicate silencing hand) "... no, I will not ask you to take my
word. I will ask you to test it for yourself."

Laurie too leaned forward now in his low chair, his hands clasped
between his knees.

"You will--you will let me test it?" he said in a low voice.

She sat back easily, pushing her draperies straight. She was in some
fine silk that fell straight from her high slender waist to her
copper-colored shoes.

"Listen, Mr. Baxter. Tomorrow there is coming to this house certainly
the greatest medium in London, if not in Europe. (Of course we cannot
compete with the East. We are only children beside them.) Well, this
man, Mr. Vincent--I think I spoke of him to you last week--he is
coming here just for a talk to one or two friends. There shall be no
difficulty if you wish it. I will speak to Lady Laura before you go."