首页 >出版文学> Vera, The Medium>第4章
  "Yes,butyouwon'tbringthemupstairs,please,"saidWinthrop,"untilyouhearfromme。"
  Gaylorflushedwithangerandforamomentappeareduponthepointofmutiny。Then,asthoughrefusingtoconsiderhimselfresponsibleforthemannersoftheyoungerman,heshruggedhisshouldersandlefttheroom。
  WithevenlessofconsiderationthanhehadshowntoJudgeGaylor,WinthropturneduponRainey。
  "How'syourpatient?"heaskedshortly。RaineywassufficientlyinfluencedbytheliquorhehadtakentodaretoresentWinthrop'speremptorytone。Hisowninreplywasdesignedlyoffensive。
  "Mypatient?"heinquired。
  "Mr。Hallowell,"snappedWinthrop,"he'ssick,isn'the?"
  "Oh,Idon'tknow,"returnedtheDoctor。
  "Youdon'tknow?"demandedWinthrop。"Well,Iknow。Iknowifhegoesthroughthisthingtonight,he'llhaveanothercollapse。I
  sawonethismorning。Whydon'tyouforbidit?You'rehismedicaladviser,aren'tyou?"
  Raineyremainedsullenlysilent。
  "Answerme!"insistedtheDistrictAttorney。"Youare,aren'tyou?"
  "Iam,"atlastdeclaredRainey。
  "Well,then,"commandedWinthrop,"tellhimtostopthis。TellhimIadviseit。"
  ThroughhisglassesRaineyblinkedviolentlyattheDistrictAttorney,andlaughed。"Ididn'tknow,"hesaid,"thatyouwereamedicalman。"
  WinthroplookedattheDoctorsosteadily,andforsolongatime,thattheeyesoftheyoungmansoughtthefloorandtheceiling;andhissneerchangedtoanexpressionofdiscomfort。
  "Iamnot,"saidWinthrop。"IamtheDistrictAttorneyofNewYork。"Histoneswerecold,precise;theyfelluponthesuperheatedbrainofDr。Raineylikedropsfromanicicle。
  "WhenItookoverthatoffice,"continuedWinthrop,"Ifoundacomplaintagainsttwomedicalstudents,afailuretoreportthedeathofanoldmaninaprivatesanitarium。"
  Winthroploweredhiseyes,andbecamedeeplyabsorbedinthetoeofhisboot。"Ihaven'tlookedintothepapers,yet,"hesaid。
  Rainey,swayingslightly,jerkedopenthedoorofthebedroom。
  "I'lltellhim,"hepantedthickly。"I'lltellhimtodoasyousay。"
  "Thankyou,Iwishyouwould,"saidWinthrop。
  Atthesamemoment,fromthehall,Garrettannounced,"Mrs。
  Vance,sir。"AndMabelVance,tremulousandfrightened,enteredtheroom。
  Winthropapproachedhereagerly。
  "Ah!Mrs。Vance,"heexclaimed,"canIseeMissVera?"
  Embarrassedandunhappy,Mrs。Vancemovedrestlesslyfromfoottofoot,andshookherhead。
  "Please,Mr。DistrictAttorney,"shebegged。"I'mafraidnot。
  Thisafternoonupsetherso。Andshe'ssonervousandqueerthattheProfessorthinkssheshouldn'tseenobody。"
  "TheProfessor?"hecommented。Hisvoicewasconsiderate,conciliatory。"Now,Mrs。Vance,"hesaid,"I'veknownMissVeraeversinceshewasalittlegirl,knownherlongerthanyouhave,and,I'mherfriend,andyou'reherfriend,and——"
  "Iam,"protestedMabelVancetearfully。"IndeedIam!"
  "Iknowyouare,"Winthropinterruptedhastily。
  "You'vebeenmorethanafriendtoher,you'vebeenasister,mother,andyoudon'twantanytroubletocometoher,doyou?"
  "Idon't,"criedthewoman。"Oh!"sheexclaimedmiserably,"I
  toldthemthere'dbetrouble!"
  Winthroplaughedreassuringly。
  "Well,therewon'tbeanytrouble,"hedeclared,"ifIcanhelpit。Andifyouwanttohelpher,helpme。Persuadehertoletmetalktoher。Don'tmindwhattheProfessorsays。"
  "Iwill,"declaredMrs。Vancewithdetermination,"Iwill。"
  Shestartedeagerlytowardthehall,andthenpausedandreturned。Herhandswereclasped;herround,babyeyes,wetwithtears,werefixeduponWinthropappealingly。
  "Oh,please,"shepleaded,"you'renotgoingtohurthim,areyou?Paul,myhusband,"sheexplained,"he'sbeensuchagoodhusbandtome。"
  Winthroplaugheduneasily。
  "Why,that'llbeallright,"heprotested。
  "Hedoesn'tmeananyharm,insistedMrs。"Vance,"he'sonthelevel;true,heis!"
  "Why,ofcourse,ofcourse,"Winthropassented。
  Unsatisfied,Mrs。Vanceburstintotears。"It'sthisspiritbusinessthatmakesthetrouble!"shecried。"Itellthemtocutitout。Now,themindreadingatthetheatre,"shesobbed,"there'snoharminthat,isthere?Andthere'stwicethemoneyinit。Butthisghostraising"——sheraisedhereyesappealingly,asthoughbeggingtobecontradicted——"it'ssuretogethimintotrouble,isn'tit?"
  Winthropshookhishead,andsmiled。
  "Itmay,"hesaid。Mrs。Vancebrokeintoafreshoutburstoftears。"Iknewit,"shecried,"Iknewit。"Winthropplacedhishanduponherarmandturnedherinthedirectionofthedoor。
  "Don'tworry,:"hesaidsoothingly。"GosendMissVerahere。And,"hecalledafterher,"don'tworry。"
  AsMabeldeparteduponhiserrand,Raineyreenteredfromthebedroom。Hecarefullyclosedthedoorandhaltedwithhishandupontheknob,andshookhishead。
  "It'snouse,"hesaid,"hewillgoonwithit。It'snotmyfault,"hewhined,"Itoldhimitwouldkillhim。Icouldn'tmakeitanystrongerthanthat,couldI?"
  RaineywasnotlookingatWinthrop,but,asthoughfearfulofinterruption,towardthedoor。Hiseyeswereharassed,furtive,filledwithmiserableindecision。ManytimesbeforeWinthrophadseenmeninsuchastate。Heknewthatforthesuffereritforetoldaphysicalbreakdown,orthathewouldseekreliefinfullconfession。Togivethemanconfidence,heabandonedhisattitudeofsuspicion。
  "Thatcertainlywouldbestrongenoughforme,"hesaidcheerfully。"DidyoutellhimwhatIadvised?"
  "Yes,yes,"mutteredRaineyimpatiently。"Hesaidyouwereinvitedheretogiveadvicetohisniece,nottohim。"ForthefirsttimehiseyesmetthoseofWinthropboldly。TheDistrictAttorneyrecognizedthatthemanhadtakenhisfearsbythethroat,andhadarrivedathisdecision。"
  "Seehere,"exclaimedRainey,"couldIgiveyousomeinformation?"
  "I'msureyoucould,"returnedWinthropbriskly。"Giveittomenow。"
  ButRainey,glancingtowardthedoor,shrankback。Winthrop,followingthedirectionofhiseyes,sawVera。ImpatientlyhewavedRaineyaway。
  "Attheoffice,tomorrowmorning,"hecommanded。Withasighofreliefatthereprieve,Raineyslippedbackintothebedroom。
  WinthrophadpersuadedhimselfthatinseekingtospeakwithVera,hewasmakingonlyanaturalchoicebetweenpreventingthegirlfromperpetratingafraud,or,later,forthatfraud,holdinghertoaccount。Butwhensheactuallystoodbeforehim,herecognizedhowabsurdlyhehaddeceivedhimself。Atthemerephysicalsightofher,therecametohimaswiftrelief,athrillofpeaceanddeepcontent;andwithdelightedcertaintyheknewthatwhatVeramightdoormightnotdoconcernedhimnotatall,thatforhimallthatcountedwasthegirlherself。
  Withsomethingofthisshowinginhisface,hecameeagerlytowardher。
  "Vera!"heexclaimed。Inthewordtherewasdelight,wonder,tenderness;butifthegirlrecognizedthissheconcealedherknowledge。Instead,hereyeslookedintohisfrankly;hermannerwasthatofopenfriendliness。
  "Mabeltellsmeyouwanttotalktome,"shesaidevenly"butI
  don'twantyouto。IhavesomethingIwanttosaytoyou。I
  couldhavewrittenit,butthis"——foraninstantthegirlpausedwithherlipspressedtogether;whenshespoke,hervoicecarriedthefirmnessandfinalityofonedeliveringaverdict——
  "butthis,"sherepeated,"isthelasttimeyoushallhearfromme,orseemeagain。"
  Winthropgaveanexclamationofimpatience,ofindignation。
  "No,"returnedthegirl,"itisquitefinal。Maybeyouwillnotwanttoseeme,but——"
  Winthropagainsharplyinterruptedher。Hisvoicewasfilledwithreproach。
  "Vera!"heprotested。
  "Well,"saidthegirlmoregently,"I'mgladtothinkyoudo,butthisisthelast,andbeforeIgo,I——"。
  "Go!"demandedWinthroproughly。"Where?"
  "BeforeIgo,"continuedthegirl,"Iwanttotellyouhowmuchyouhavehelpedme——Iwanttothankyou——"。
  "Youhaven'tletmethankyou,"brokeinWinthrop,"and,now,youpretendthisisourlastmeeting。It'sabsurd!"。
  "Itisourlastmeeting,"repliedthegirl。Ofthetwo,forthemoment,shewastheolder,themorecontained。"Onthecontrary,"contradictedtheman。Hespokesharply,inatonehetriedtomakeasdeterminedasherown。"Ournextmeetingwillbeintenminutes——atmysister's。Ihavetoldheraboutthisafternoon,andaboutyou;andshewantsverymuchtomeetyou。
  Shehassenthercarforyou。It'swaitinginfrontofthehouse。Now,"hecommandedmasterfully,"youcomewithme,andgetinit,andleaveallthis"——hegaveanangry,contemptuouswaveofthehandtowardthecabinet——"behindyou,as,"headdedearnestly,"youpromisedmeyouwould。"
  Asthoughclosingfromsightthepossibilityhesuggested,thegirlshuthereyesquickly,andthenopenedthemagaintomeethis。
  "Ican'tleavethesethingsbehindme,"shesaidquietly。
  "Itoldyousothisafternoon。Foramoment,youmademethinkI
  could,andIdidpromise。Ididn'tneedtopromise。It'swhatI'veprayedfor。Then,yousawwhathappened,yousawIwasright。Withinfiveminutesthatwomancame——"
  "Thatwomanhadamotive,"protestedWinthrop。
  "Thatwoman,"continuedthegirlpatiently,"orsomeotherwoman。Whatdoesitmatter?Infiveminutes,orfivedays,someonewouldhavetold。"Sheleanedtowardhimanxiously。"I'mnotcomplaining,"shesaid;"it'smyownfault。It'sthelifeI'vechosen。"Shehesitatedandthenasthoughdeterminedtocarryoutaprogrammeshehadalreadylaiddownforherself,continuedrapidly:"AndwhatIwanttotellyou,is,thatwhat'sbestinthatlifeIowetoyou。"
  "Vera!"criedthemansharply。
  "Listen!"saidthegirl。Hereyeswerealight,eager。Shespokefrankly,proudly,withoutembarrassment,withoutfearofbeingmisconstrued,asamanmightspeaktoaman。
  "I'dbeungrateful,I'dbeacoward,"saidthegirl,"ifIwentawayanddidn'ttellyou。FortenyearsI'vebeencountingonyou。Imadeyouasortofstandard。Isaid,aslongashekeepstohisideals,I'mgoingtokeeptomine。Maybeyouthinkmyidealshavenotbeenveryhigh,butanywayyou'vemadeiteasyforme。BecauseI'minthisbusiness,becauseI'mgood-lookingenough,certainmen"——thevoiceofthegirlgrewhardandcool——"havedonemethehonortoinsultme,anditwasknowingyou,andthatthereareotherslikeyou,thathelpedmenottocare。"
  Thegirlpaused。Sheraisedhereyestohisfrankly。Thelookinthemwasoneofprideinhim,ofloyalty,ofaffection。"Andnow,sinceI'vemetyou,"shewenton,"Ifindyou'rejustasI
  imaginedyou'dbe,justasI'dhopedyou'dbe。"Shereachedoutherhandwarningly,appealingly。"AndIdon'twantyoutochange,toletdown,togrowdiscouraged。Youcan'ttellhowmanymorepeoplearecountingonyou。"Shehesitatedand,asthoughatlastconsciousofherownboldness,flusheddeprecatingly,likeoneaskingpardon。"Youmeninhighplaces,"
  shestammered,"you'relikelighthousesshowingtheway。Youdon'tknowhowmanypeopleyouarehelping。Youcan'tseethem。
  Youcan'ttellhowmanyboatsarefollowingyourlight,butifyourlightgoesout,theyarewrecked。"Shegaveasighofrelief。"That'swhatIwantedtotellyou,"shesaid,"and,sothankyou。"Sheheldoutherhand。"And,goodby。"
  Winthrop'sanswerwastoclaspherhandquicklyinbothofhis,anddrawhertowardhim。
  "Vera,"hebegged,"comewithmenow!"
  Thegirlwithdrewherhandandmovedawayfromhim,frowning。
  "No,"shesaid,"no,youdonotwanttounderstand。Ihavemyworktodotonight。"
  Winthropgaveanexclamationofanger。
  "Youdon'tmeantotellme,"hecried,"thatyou'regoingonwiththis?"
  "Yes,"shesaid,Andtheninsuddenalarmcried:"Butnotifyou'rehere!I'llfailifyou'rehere。Promiseme,youwillnotbehere。"
  "Indeed,"criedthemanindignantly,"Iwillnot!ButI'llbedownstairswhenyouneedme。And,"headdedwarningly,"you'llneedme。""No,"saidthegirl。"Nomatterwhathappens,Itellyou,betweenus,thisistheend。"
  "Then,"beggedtheman,"ifthisistheend,forGod'ssake,Vera,asmylastrequest,donotdoit!"
  Thegirlshookherhead。"No,"sherepeatedfirmly。"I'vetriedtogetawayfromit,andeachtimethey'veforcedmeback。Now,I'llgoonwithit。I'vepromisedPaul,andtheothers。Andyouheardmepromisethatwoman。"
  "Butyoudidn'tmeanthat!"protestedtheman。"Sheinsultedyou;youwereangry。You'reangrynow,piqued——"
  "Mr。Winthrop,"interruptedthegirl,"todayyoutoldmeIwasnotplayingthegame。Youtoldthetruth。Whenyousaidthiswasameanbusiness,youwereright。But"——forthefirsttimesinceshehadspokenhertoneswereshaken,uncertain——"I'vebeendrivenoutofeveryotherbusiness。"Shewaiteduntilhervoicewasagainundercontrol,andthensaidslowly,definitely,"and,tonight,IamgoingtoshowMr。Hallowellthespiritofhissister。"
  IntheeyesofWinthropthelookofpain,ofdisappointment,ofreproach,wassokeen,thatthegirlturnedherownaway。
  "No,"saidthemangently,"youwillnotdothat。"
  "Youcanstopmydoingittonight,"returnedthegirl,"butatsomeothertime,atsomeotherplace,Iwilldoit。"
  "Youyourselfwillstopit,"saidWinthrop。"Youaretoohonest,toofine,toactsuchalie。Whynotbeyourself?"hebegged。
  "Whynotdisappointtheseotherpeoplewhodonotknowyou?Whydisappointthemanwhoknowsyoubest,whotrustsyou,whobelievesinyou——"。
  "Youaretheveryone,"interruptedthegirl,"whodoesn'tknowme。Iamnotfine;Iamnothonest。Iamacharlatanandacheat;Iamallthatwomancalledme。Andthatiswhyyoucan'tknowme。That'swhy。Itoldyou,ifyoudid,youwouldbesorry。"
  "Iamnotsorry,"saidWinthrop。
  "Youwillbe,"returnedthegirl,"beforethenightisover。"
  "Onthecontrary,"answeredthemanquietly,"Ishallwaitheretocongratulateyou——onyourfailure。"
  "Ishallnotfail,"saidthegirl。Avoidinghiseyes,sheturnedfromhimand,foramoment,stoodgazingbeforehermiserably。
  Herlipsweretrembling,hereyesmoistwithrisingtears。Thenshefacedhim,herheadraiseddefiantly。
  "Ihavebeenhoundedoutofeverydecentwayofliving,"sheprotestedhysterically。"Icanmakethousandsofdollarstonight,"shecried,"outofthisone。"
  Winthroplookedstraightintohereyes。Hisownwerepleading,fulloftendernessandpity;soeloquentwithmeaningthatthoseofthegirlfellbeforethem。
  "Thatisnoanswer,"saidtheman。"Youknowit'snot。Itellyou——youwillfail。"
  FromthehallJudgeGaylorenterednoisily。Instinctivelythemanandgirlmovednearertogether,andupontheintruderWinthropturnedangrily。
  "Well?"hedemandedsharply。"Ithoughtyouhadfinishedyourtalk,"protestedtheJudge。"Mr。Hallowellisanxioustobegin。"
  WinthropturnedandlookedatVerasteadily。Foraninstanttheeyesofthegirlfaltered,andthenshereturnedhisglancewithoneasresoluteashisown。Asthoughacceptingherverdictasfinal,Winthropwalkedquicklytothedoor。"Ishallbedownstairs,"hesaid,"whenthisisover,letmeknow。"
  Gaylorstruggledtoconcealhissurpriseandsatisfaction。"Youwon'tbeherefortheseance?"heexclaimed。
  "Certainlynot,"criedWinthrop。"I——"Hebrokeoffsuddenly。
  WithoutagainlookingtowardVera,ortryingtohidehisdispleasure,helefttheroom。
  Gaylorturnedtothegirl。Hewassmilingwithrelief。
  "Excellent!"hemuttered。"Excellent!Whatwashesayingtoyou,:"heaskedeagerly,"asIcamein——thatyouwouldfail?"
  Thegirlmovedpasthimtothedoor。"Yes,"sheanswereddully。
  "Butyouwillnot!"criedtheman。"We'reallcountingonyou,youknow。Destroytheoldwill。Signthenewwill,"hequoted。
  Hecameclosetoherandwhispered。"ThatmeansthousandsofdollarstoyouandVance,"heurged。
  Thegirlturnedandregardedhimwithunhappy,angryeyes。
  "Youneednotbefrightened,:"sheanswered。Forthemanbeforeherandforherself,hervoicewasbitterwithcontemptandself-accusation。"Mr。Winthropismistaken。Hedoesnotknowme,"shesaidmiserably。"Ishallnotfail。"
  Foramoment,aftershehadlefthim,Gaylorstoodmotionless,hiseyesfilledwithconcern,andthen,withashrug,asthoughacceptingeithergoodorevilfortune,hecalledfromthebedroomMr。Hallowell,and,fromthefloorbelow,theguestsofHallowellandofVance。
  AsHallowell,supportedbyRainey,sankintotheinvalid'schairinthecentreofthesemicircle,Gaylormadehisfinalappeal。
  "Stephen,"hebegged,"areyousureyou'refeelingstrongenough?Won'tsomeothernight——"Theoldmaninterruptedhimquerulously。
  "No,now!"Iwantitover,"hecommanded。"Whoknows,"hecomplained,"howsoonitmaybebefore——"
  ThesightofMannieenteringtheroomwithVancecausedhimtointerrupthimselfabruptly。Hegreetedtheshowmanwithacurtnod。
  "Andwhoisthis?"hedemanded。Mannie,towhomalivingmillionairewasmuchmoreofadisturbingspectaclethantheghostofAlexandertheGreat,retreatedhastilybehindVance。
  "Heismyassistant,"Vanceexplained。"Hefurnishesthemusic。"
  HepushedMannietowardtheorgan。
  "Music!"growledHallowell。"Musttherebemusic?"
  "Itisindispensable,"protestedVance。"Music,sir,isoneofthestrongestpsychicinfluences。It"
  "Nonsense!"criedHallowell。
  "Tricks,"hemuttered,"tricks!"
  Vanceshruggedhisshoulders,andsmiledindeprecation。"Iamsorrytofindyouinaskepticalmood,Mr。Hallowell,"hemurmuredreprovingly"Itwillhardlyhelptoproducegoodresults。Allowme,"hebegged,"topresenttwotruebelievers。"
  Withawaveofthehandhebeckonedforwardastout,gray-hairedwomanwithbulging,near-sightedeyesthatrolledmeaninglesslybehindheavygoldspectacles。
  "Mrs。MarshofLynn,Massachusetts,"proclaimedVance,"ofwhomyouhaveheard。Mrs。Marsh,"headded,"isprobablythefirstmediuminAmerica。Theresultsshehasobtainedarequitewonderful。ShealoneforetoldtheSanFranciscoearthquake,andtherunontheLongAcreSquareBank。"
  "Iamgladtoknowyou,"saidMr。Hallowell。"Pardonmynotrising。"
  Theoldladycurtsiedobsequiously。
  "Oh,certainly,Mr。Hallowell,"sheprotested。"Mr。Hallowell,"
  shewenton,rollingthenamedelightedlyonhertongue,"Ineednottellyouhowgreatlywespiritualistsrejoiceoveryourjoiningtheranksofthebelievers。"
  Hallowellnodded。Hewasnotaltogetherunimpressed。"Thanks,"
  hecommenteddryly。"ButIamnotquitethereyet,madam。"
  "Wehope,"saidVancesententiously,"toconvinceMr。Hallowelltonight。"
  "AndIamsure,Mr。Hallowell,"criedtheoldlady,"ifanyonecandoit,littleMissVeracan。Hersisawonderfulgift,sir,awonderfulgift!"
  "Iamgladtohearyousayso,"returnedHallowell。
  Henoddedtoherindismissal,andturnedtothenextvisitor。
  "Andthisgentleman?"heasked。
  "ProfessorStrombergk,"announcedVance,"thedistinguishedwriteronpsychicandoccultsubjects,editorofTheWorldBeyond。"
  Atall,full-beardedGerman,inatoo-shortfrockcoat,bowedawkwardly。Uponhim,asuponMannie,hadfallenthespelloftheHallowellfortune。He,whochattedfamiliarlywithdepartedpopesandemperors,whodailywasincommunicationwithGoethe,Caesar,andEpictetus,thrilledwithembarrassmentbeforethemanwhohadmademillionsfromacouplingpin。
  "AndHelen!"Mr。Hallowellcried,asMissCoatesfollowedtheProfessor。"Thatisall,isitnot?"heasked。
  MissCoatesmovedasidetodisclosethepersonofthereporterfromtheRepublic,HomerLee。
  "Ihavetakenyouatyourword,uncle,"shesaid。,"andhavebroughtafriendwithme。"Insometrepidationsheadded;"HeisMr。Lee,areporterfromtheRepublic。"
  "Areporter!"exclaimedMr。Hallowell。Disturbedandyetamusedattheaudacityofhisniece,heshookhisheadreprovingly。"I
  don'tthinkImeantreporters,"heremonstrated。
  "Yousaidinyournote,"returnedhisniece,"thatasIhadsomuchatstake,IcouldbringanyoneIpleased,andthelesshebelievedinspiritualism,thebetter。Mr。Lee,"sheaddeddryly,"believesevenlessthanIdo。"
  "Thenitwillbeallthemoreofatriumph,ifweconvincehim,"
  declaredHallowell。"Understand,youngman,"heproclaimedloudly,"Iamnotaspiritualist。Iammerelyconductinganinvestigation。Iwantthetruth。Ifyou,ormyniece,detectanyfraudtonight,Iwanttoknowit。"Includinginhisspeechtheothersintheroom,heglaredsuspiciouslyinturnateach。
  "Keepyoureyesopen,"heordered,"youwillbeservingmequiteasmuchasyouwillMissCoates。"
  MissCoatesandLeethankedhimand,recognizingthemselvesastheoppositionandintheminority,withdrewforconsultationintoacornerofthebaywindow。
  VanceapproachedMr。Hallowell。
  "Ifyouareready,"hesaid,"wewillexaminethecabinet。ShallIwheelitoverhere,orwillyoulookatitwhereitis?"
  "Ifitistobeinthatcornerduringtheseance,"declaredMr。
  Hallowell,"I'lllookatitwhereitis。"
  Ashestruggledfromhischair,heturnedtoMrs。Marsh,andnoddedhisheadknowingly。"Yousee,Mrs。Marsh,"hesaid,"Iamtakingnochances。"
  "Thatisquiteright,Mr。Hallowell,"purredtheoldlady。"Iftherebeanydoubtinyourmind,youmustgetridofit,orwewillhavenoresults。"
  Withadramaticgesture,Vancesweptasidefromtheopeninginthecabinettheblackvelvetcurtain。"It'sasimpleaffair,"hesaidindifferently。"Asyousee,it'sopenatthetopandbottom。Themediumsitsinsideonthatchair,boundhandandfoot。"
  Inturn,Mr。Hallowell,Mrs。Marsh,Gaylor,Rainey,ProfessorStrombergkenteredthecabinet。Withtheirknucklestheybeatuponitssides。Theymovedittoandfro。Theydroppedtotheirknees,andwiththeirfingerstuggedatthecarpetuponwhichitstood。
  Undercoveroftheirquestions,inthecornerofthebaywindow,MissCoateswhisperedtoLee;"Don'tlooknow,"shewarned,"butlater,youwillseeontheleftofthatdoortheswitchthatthrowsonthelights。WhenIamsuresheisoutsidethecabinet,whenshehastoldhimnottogivethemoneytome,I'llcrynow!'andwhicheveroneofusisseatednearertheswitchwillturnonallthelights。Ithink,"MissCoatesaddedwith,inhervoice,athrilloftriumphnotaltogetherfreefromatouchofvindictiveness,"whenmyuncleseeshercaughtinthemiddleoftheroom,disguisedashissister——wewillhavecuredhim。"
  "Itmaybe,"saidtheman。
  ThepossibilityofsuccessasMissCoatespointeditoutdidnotappeartostirinhimanygreatdelight。Heglancedunwillinglyoverhisshoulder。"Iseetheswitch,"hesaid。
  LeaningonthearmofGaylor,Mr。Hallowellreturnedfromthecabinettohischair。Whathehadseenapparentlystrengthenedhisfaithand,inlikedegree,inspiredhimtogreaterenthusiasm。
  "Well,"heexclaimed,"therearenotrapdoorsorfalsebottomsaboutthat!Iftheycanprojectaspiritfromthatsentrybox,itwillbeamiracle。Forwhomarewewaiting?"heaskedimpatiently。"WhereisWinthrop?"
  JudgeGaylorexplainedthatWinthroppreferredtowaitdownstairs,andthathehadsaidhewouldremainthereuntiltheseancewasfinished。
  "Afraidofcompromisinghisposition,"commentedtheoldman。
  "I'msorry。I'dliketohavehimhere。"HemotionedGaylortobendnearer。Inavoicethattrembledwitheagernessandexcitement,hewhispered:"Henry,Ihaveafeelingthatwearegoingtowitnessaremarkablephenomenon。"
  Gaylor'scountenancegrewpreternaturallygrave。Henoddedheavily。
  "Ihavethesamefeeling,Stephen,"hereturned。
  Vanceraisedhishandtocommandsilence。
  "Everyone,"hecalled,"exceptthecommittee,whoaretobindandtiethemedium,willtaketheplaceIgivehim,andremaininit。Mr。DaywillpleaseacquaintMissVeraandMrs。Vancewiththefactthatweareready。"
  UptothispointVancehadappearedonlyasastagemanager。Hehadbeenconcernedwithhisgroupings,hislights,inassigningtohisconfederatesthepartstheyweretoplay。Nowthatthecurtainwastorise,asanactorputsonawigandgreasepaint,Vanceassumedacertainvoiceandmanner。Onthestagethecriticswouldhavecalledhimaconvincingactor。Hemadehisaudiencebelievewhathebelieved。Heknewtheeloquenceofapause,thevalueofasurprised,unintelligibleexclamation。Onemomenthewasasprofessionallysolemnasa"funeraldirector;"
  thenext,hisvoice,hiswholeframe,wouldshakewithexcitement,inanoutburstoffanaticfervor。AsitpleasedhimhecouldplayHamlet,tenderlyshockedatthesightofhisdeadfather,orMacbeth,retreatinginhorrorbeforetheghostofBanquo。Forthemomenthismannerwasthatoftheundertaker。
  "Now,Mr。Hallowell,"hesaidhoarsely,"pleasetonamethoseyouwishtoserveonthecommittee。"
  Mr。Hallowellwavedhisarmtoincludeeveryoneintheroom。
  "Everybodywillserveonthecommittee,"hedeclared。
  "Everythingistobeopenandabove-board。Thewholecityiswelcomeonthecommittee。Iwantthistobeabovesuspicion。"
  "Thatismywish,also,sir,"saidVancestiffly。"Butacommitteeofmorethanthreeisunwieldy。SupposeyounametwogentlemenandIone?Or,"heshruggedhisshoulders,"youcannameallthree。"
  AfteramomentofconsiderationMr。HallowellpointedatLee。"I
  chooseMr——thatyoungman,"heannounced,"andJudgeGaylor。"
  "Iwouldmuchrathernot,Stephen,"JudgeGaylorwhispered。
  "Iknow,Henry,"answeredtheother。"ButIaskitofyou。Itwillgivemeconfidence。"HeturnedtoVance。"Youselectsomeone,"hecommanded。
  Withabow,VancedesignatedthetallGerman。
  "WillProfessorStrombergkbeacceptable?"heasked。Mr。
  Hallowellnodded。
  "Then,thethreegentlemenchosenwillpleasecometothecabinet。"
  Vance,hismannernowthatofamasterofceremonies,assignedtoeachpersontheseatheorshewastooccupy。MissCoateswithsatisfactionnotedthatonlyMrs。VanceseparatedLeefromtheelectricswitch。
  "Imustaskyou,"saidVance,"tokeepthesearsIhaveassignedtoyou。Withustonightarebothfavorableandunfavorableinfluences。AndwhatIhavetriedtodoinplacingyou,istoobtainthebestpsychicresults。"Hemovedtothedoorandlookedintothehall,thenturned,andwithupliftedarmsilentlydemandedattention。
  "MissVera,"heannounced。Followedclosely,likerespectfulcourtiers,byMannieandMrs。Vance,Veraappearedinthedoorway,walkedafewfeetintotheroom,andstoodmotionless。
  Asthoughalreadyinatrance,shemovedslowly,withoutvolition,likeasomnambulist。Herheadwasheldhigh,buthereyesweredullandunseeing。Herarmshunglimply。Sheworeaneveninggownofsoftblackstuff,thatclungtoherlikealaceshawl,andwhichleftherthroatandarmsbare。Inspiteoftheclashofinterests,ofantagonism,ofmutualdistrust,therewasnoonepresenttowhomthesightoftheyounggirldidnotbringanuneasythrill。Thenatureofthethingsheproposedtodo,contrastedwiththelovelinessofherface,whichseemedtomockatthepossibilityofdeceit;somethinginherrapt,distantgaze,inthedignityofherupliftedhead,inherairofcompletedetachmentfromhersurroundings,causedeventhemostskepticaltoquestionifshemightnotpossessthepowersheclaimed,tofeelforamomenttheapproachofthesupernatural。
  Thevoicesofthecommittee,consultingtogether,droppedsuddenlytoawhisper;theotherswereinstantlysilent。
  InhisarmsManniecarriedsilkenscarfs,cords,andropes。Ineachhandheheldateacup。Onecontainedflour,theothershot。
  Vancetookthesefromhim,andManniehurriedlyslippedintohischairinfrontoftheorgan。
  "Gentlemen,"explainedVance,"youwillusetheseropesandscarfstotiethemedium。Also,asafurtherprecautionagainsttheleastsuspicionoffraud,wewillsubjecthertothemostseveretestknown。Inonehandshewillholdthisflour;theotherwillbefilledwithshot。Thiswillmakeitimpossibleforhertotamperwiththeropes。
  HegavethetwocupstoGaylor,andturnedtoVera。
  "Areyouready?"heasked。Afterapause,thegirlslightlyinclinedherhead。Lee,withoneofthescarfsinhishand,approachedherdiffidently。Helookedunhappilyattheslight,girlishfigure,atthefairwhitearms。InhisembarrassmentheappealedtoVance。
  "Howwouldyousuggest?"heasked。
  Vance,apparentlyshocked,hastilydrewaway。"Thatwouldbemostirregular,"heprotested。
  ApologeticallyLeeturnedtothegirl。
  "Wouldyoumindputtingyourarmsbehindyou?"heasked。Helacedthescarfaroundherarms,anddrewittightlytoherwrists。
  "TellmeifIhurtyou,"hemurmured,butthegirlmadenoanswer。Towhatwasgoingforwardsheappearedasunmindfulasthoughshewereanartist'smanikin。
  "Willyoutakethesenow?"askedGaylor,andintoheropenpalmshepouredtheflourandshot。"And,now,"continuedLee,"willyougointothecabinet?"Assheseatedherself,hekneltinfrontofherandboundherankles。FrombehindherStrombergkdeftlywoundtheropesaboutherbodyandthroughtherungsandbackofthechair。
  "Wouldyoumindseeingifyoucanwithdrawyourarms?"Leeasked。Thegirlraisedhershoulders,struggledtofreeherhands,andtriedtorise。Buttheeffortswerefutile。
  "Arethegentlemensatisfied?"demandedVance。Thethreemen,whohadshownbutlittleheartinthework,andwhowerenowredandembarrassed,hastilyansweredintheaffirmative。
  "Ifyouaresatisfiedtheropesaresecurelyfastened,"Vancecontinued,"youwilltakeyourseats。"ProfessorStrombergk,ashemovedtohischair,announcedindevout,solemntones;
  "Nothingbutspirithandscanmovethoseropesnow。"
  FromtheorganrosesoftlythepreludetoaMoodyandSankeyhymn,and,inkeepingwiththemusic,thevoiceofVancesanktoalowtone。
  "Wewillnow,"hesaid,"establishthemagneticchain。Eachpersonwilltakewithhisrighthandtheleftwristofthepersononhisorherright。"Hepausedwhilethisorderwasbeingcarriedintoeffect。
  "BeforeIturnoutthelights,"hecontinued,"Iwishtosayalastwordtoanyskepticwhomaybepresent。Iwarnhimthatanyattempttolayviolenthandsupontheapparition,orspirit,maycostthemediumherlife。Fromthecabinetthemediumprojectsthespiritintothecircle。Anattackuponthespirit,isanattackuponthemedium。Therearethreeorfourwell-authenticatedcaseswherethedisembodiedspiritwascutofffromthecabinet,andthemediumdied。"
  Hedrewthevelvetcurtainsacrossthecabinet,andshutVerafromview。"Areyouready,Mr。Hallowell?"heasked。Mr。
  Hallowell,hiseyesstaring,hislipsparted,noddedhishead。
  Themusicgrewlouder。Vanceswitchedoffthelights。
  Forsomeminutes,exceptforthecreakingofthepedalsoftheorganandthelowthrobofthemusic,therewasnosound。Then,fromhispositionattheopendoor,thevoiceofVancecommandedsternly:"Nowhispering,please。Themediumissusceptibletotheleastsound。"Therewasanotherlongerpause,untilinhushedexpectanttonesVancespokeagain。"Theairisveryheavilychargedwithelectricitytonight,"hesaid,"you,Mrs。
  Marsh,shouldfeelthat?"
  "Ido,Professor,"murmuredthemedium,"Ido。Weshallhavesomewonderfulresults!"
  Vanceagreedwithhersolemnly。"Ifeelinfluencesallaboutme,"hemurmured。
  Therecamesuddenlyfromthecabinetthreesharpraps。Thesewereinstantlyansweredbyotherquickrappingsuponthelibrarytable。"Theyarebeginning!"chantedthevoiceofVance。Themusicoftheorganceased。Itwasatoncefollowedbythenotesofaguitarthatseemedtofloatinspace,thestringsvibrating,notasthoughtouchedbyhumanhands,butinfitful,meaninglesschordslikethoseofanAeolianharp。
  "ThatisKiowa,yourcontrol,Mrs。Marsh,"announcedVanceeagerly。"Doyoudesiretospeaktohim?"
  "Nottonight,"Mrs。Marshanswered。Sheraisedhervoice。"Nottonight,Kiowa,"sherepeated。"Thankyouforcoming。Goodnight。"
  Indeep,gutturalaccents,aman'svoicecamefromtheceiling。
  "Goodnight,"itcalled。Withafinal,ringingwail,themusicoftheguitarsuddenlyceased。
  Againrosetheswellinglownotesoftheorgan。Aboveitcamethequickpatteringoffootsteps。
  ThevoiceofRainey,filledwithalarm,cried,"someonetouchedme!"
  "Areyousureyourhandsareheld?"demandedVancereprovingly。
  "Yes,"pantedRainey,"bothofthem。Butsomethingputitshandonmyforehead。Itwascold。"
  Inanexcitedwhisper,avoiceinthecirclecried,"Look,look!"andbeforetheeyesofall,astarroseinthedarkness。
  ForamomentitwaveredoverthecabinetandthenflutteredswiftlyacrosstheroomandremainedstationaryabovetheheadoftheGermanProfessor。
  "Thereisyourstar,Professor,"criedVance。"WhentheProfessorisinthecircle,"heannouncedproudly,"thatstaralwaysappears。"
  HewasinterruptedbyastartledexclamationfromLee。
  "Somethingtouchedmyface,"explainedtheyoungmanapologetically,"andspoketome。"
  Themusicsanktoamurmur,andtheroombecamealivewithswift,rushingsoundsandsoftwhisperings。
  ThevoiceofMrs。Marsh,lowandeager,couldbeheardappealingtoaninvisiblepresence。
  "Theresultsaremarvelous,"chantedVance,"marvelous!Themediumisshowingwonderfulpower。Ifanyonedesirestoaskaquestion,heshoulddosonow。Theconditionswillneverbebetter。"Hepausedexpectantly。"Mr。Hallowell,"heprompted,"isityourwishtocommunicatewithanyoneinthespiritworld?"
  Therewasalongpause,andthenthevoiceofMr。Hallowell,harshandshaken,answered,"Yes。"
  "Withwhom?"demandedVance。
  Therewasagainanotherlongerpause,andthen,abovetheconfusionofsoftwhisperings,thevoiceoftheoldmanroseinsharpstaccato;"Mysister,CatherineCoates。"Histonehardened,becameobdurate,final。"But,Imustseeher,andhearherspeak!"
  NotforaninstantdidVancehesitate。Intense,sepulchraltones,hedemandedofthedarkness,"IsthespiritofCatherineCoatespresent?"
  Thewhisperingsandmurmursceased。Thesilenceoftheroomwasbrokensharplybythreequickraps。"Yes,"intonedVance,"sheispresent。"
  ThevoiceofHallowellprotestedfiercely。"Iwon'thavethat!I
  wanttoseeher!"
  Inthetoneofanincantation,Vancespokeagain。"Willthespiritshowherselftoherbrother?"Therapscamequickly,firmly。
  "Sheanswersshewillappearbeforeyou。"
  Therewasamomentthatseemedtostretchinterminably,andthen,theeyesofall,straininginthedarkness,sawagainsttheblackvelvetcurtainasplashofwhite。
  Abovethesobbingoftheorgan,thevoiceofMr。Hallowellrangoutinasharpexclamationofterror。"Whoisthat!"hedemanded。Hespokeasthoughhedreadedtheanswer。Hethrewhimselfforwardinhischair,peeringintothedarkness。
  "Isthatyou,Kate?,hewhispered。Hisvoicewasbothincredulousandpleading。
  Theanswercameinfeeble,tremblingtones。"Yes。"
  ThevoiceofHallowellshookwitheagerness。"Doyouknowme,yourbrother,Stephen?"
  "Yes。"
  Withacrytheoldmanfellback,gropingblindly。HefoundGaylor'sarmandclutcheditwithbothhands。
  "MyGod!It'sKate!"hegasped。"Itellyou,Henry,itisKate!"
  ThevoiceofVance,deepandhollowlikeabell,soundedanoteofwarning。"Speakquickly,"hecommanded。"Hertimeonearthisbrief。"Mr。Hallowell'sholduponthearmofhisfriendrelaxed。
  Fearfullyandslowly,hebentforward。
  "Kate!"hepleaded;"Imustaskyouaquestion。Nooneelsecantellme。"Asthoughgatheringcourage,hepaused,and,withafrightenedsigh,againbegan。"Iamanoldman,"hemurmured,"asickman。Iwillbejoiningyouverysoon。whatamItodowithmymoney?Ihavemadegreatplanstogiveittothepoor。Or,mustIgiveit,asIhavegivenitinmywill,toHelen?PerhapsIdidnotactfairlytoyouandHelen。YouknowwhatImean。Shewouldberich,butthenthepoorwouldbethatmuchthepoorer。"
  Theconfidenceofthespeakerwasincreasing;asthoughtoalivingbeing,hearguedandpleaded。"AndIwanttodosomegoodbeforeIgo。WhatshallIdo?Tellme。"
  Therewasapausethatlastedsolongthatthosewhohadheldtheirbreathtolisten,againbreatheddeeply。Whentheanswercame,itwasstrangelydeprecatory,uncertain,unassured。
  "You,"stammeredthevoice,"youmusthavecouragetodowhatyouknowtobejust!"
  Forabriefmoment,asthoughsurprised,Mr。Hallowellapparentlyconsideredthis,andthengaveanexclamationofdisappointmentanddistress。
  "ButIdon'tknow,"heprotested,"thatiswhyIcalledonyou。
  Iwanttogointothenextworld,Kate,"hepleaded,"withcleanhands!"
  "Youcannotbribeyourwayintothenextworld,"intonedthevoice。"Ifyoupitythepoor,youmusthelpthepoor,notthatyoumaycheatyourwayintoheaven,butthattheymaysufferless。Searchyourconscience。Havethecourageofyourconscience。"
  "Idon'twanttoconsultmyconscience,"criedtheoldman。"I
  wantyoutotellme。"Hepaused,hesitating。Eagertopresshisquestion,hisaweoftheapparitionstillrestrainedhim。
  "Whatdoyoumean,Kate?"hebegged。AmItogivethemoneywhereitwilldothemostgood——totheHallowellInstitute,oramItogiveittoHelen?WhichamItodo?"
  Therewasanotherlongsilence,andthenthevoicestammered;
  "If——ifyouhavewrongedme,ormydaughter,orthepoor,youmustmakerestitution。"
  Thehandoftheoldmanwasheardtofallheavilyuponthearmofhischair。Hisvoiceroseunhappily。
  "Thatisnoanswer,Kate!"hecried。"Didyoucomefromthedeadtopreachtome?Tellme——whatamItodo——leavemymoneytoHelen,ortotheInstitute?"
  Thecryoftheoldmanvibratedintheair。Novoicerosetoanswer。"Kate!"heentreated。Stilltherewassilence。"Speaktome!"hecommanded。Thesilencebecameeloquentwithmomentouspossibilities。Solongdiditendure,thatthepainofthesuspensewasactual。ThevoiceofRainey,chokedandhoarsewithfear,brokeitwithanexclamationthatheldthesoundofanoath。Hemutteredthickly,"Whatinthenameof——"
  Hewashushedbyaswiftchorusofhisses。ThevoiceofHallowellwasagainuplifted。
  "Whywon'tsheanswerme?"hebeggedhystericallyofVance。
  "Can'tyou——can'tthemediummakeherspeak?"
  Duringthelastfewmomentsthemusicfromtheorganhadcomebrokenly。Thehandsuponthekeysmovedunsteadily,drunkenly。
  Nowtheyhaltedaltogetherandinthemiddleofachordthemusicsankanddied。UponthenowabsolutesilencethevoiceofVance,whenhespoke,soundedstrangelyunfamiliar。Ithadlostthepriest-likeintonation。Itsconfidencehaddeparted。Itshowedbewildermentandalarm。
  "I——Idon'tunderstand,"stammeredtheshowman。"Askheragain。Putyourquestiondifferently。"
  Carefully,slowly,givingeachworditsvalue,Mr。Hallowellraisedhisvoiceinentreaty。
  "Kate,"hecried,"Ihavemadeanewwill,leavingthemoneytothepoor。TheoldwillgivesittoHelen。ShallIsignthenewwillornot?ShallIgivethemoneytoHelen,ortheInstitute?
  Answerme!Yesorno。"
  Beforetheeyesofall,theapparition,asthoughretreatingtothecabinet,swayedbackward,thenstaggeredforward。Therewasasob,human,heart-broken,acry,thrillingwithdistress;atumultofweeping,fierceanduncontrollable。
  Theysawthefiguretearawaythewhitekerchiefandcap,andtramplethemuponthefloor。Theysawthefigureholditselferect。Fromit,thevoiceofVeracriedaloud,indespair。
  "Ican't!Ican't!"shesobbed。"It'salie!Iamnotyoursister!Turnonthelights,"thegirlcried。"Turnonthelights!"
  Therewasacrashofupturnedchairs,thesoundofmenstruggling,andtheroomwassweptwithlight。InthedoorwayWinthropwasholdingapartVanceandthereporter。
  InthecentreoftheroomstoodVera,herheadbentinshame,herbodyshakenandtrembling,herhairstreamingtoherwaist。
  Asthoughtopunishherself,byputtingaclimaxtoherhumiliation,sheheldoutherarmstoHelenCoates。"Yousee,"
  shecried,"Iamacheat。Iamafraud!"ShesanksuddenlytoherkneesinfrontofMr。Hallowell。"Forgiveme,"shesobbed,"forgiveme!"
  Withacryofangryprotest,Winthroprantoherandliftedhertoherfeet。Hiseyeswerefilledwithpity。ButintheeyesofMr。Hallowelltherewasnopromiseofpardon。Withsuddenstrengthhestruggledtohisfeetandstoodswaying,challengingthosebeforehim。Hisfacewaswhitewithanger,hisjawclosedagainstmercy。
  "You'veliedtome!"hecried。"You'vetriedtorobme!"Heswepttheroomwithhiseyes。Withaflashofintuition,hesawthetraptheyhadlaidforhim。"Allofyou!"hescreamed。"It'saplot!"Heshookhisfistattheweepinggirl。"Andyou!"heshoutedhysterically,"thelawshallpunishyou!"
  Winthropdrewthegirltohimandputhisarmabouther。
  "I'lldothepunishinghere,"hesaid。
  Withaglad,welcomingcry,theoldmanturnedtohimappealingly,wildly。
  "Yes,you!"heshouted。"youpunishthem!Sheplottedtogetmymoney。"
  ThegirlatWinthrop'ssideshivered,andshrankfromhim。Hedrewherbackroughlyandheldherclose。Thesobsthatshookhertoreathisheart;thetouchofthesinking,tremblingbodyinhisarmsfilledhimwithfierce,jubilantthoughtsofkeepingthegirltherealways,ofgivingbattleforher,ofshelteringheragainsttheworld。Inwhatshehaddonehesawonlyasacrifice。Inherhebeheldonlyapenitent,whowasself-accusedandself-convicted。
  Heheardthevoiceoftheoldmanscreamingvindictively,"Sheplottedtogetmymoney!"
  Winthropturneduponhimsavagely。
  "Howdidsheplottogetit?"heretortedfiercely。"Youknow,andIknow。Iknowhowyourlawyer,yourdoctor,yourservantplottedtogetit!"Hisvoiceroseandrangwithindignation。
  "Youallplotted,andyouallschemed——andtowhatend——whatwastheresult?"——heheldbeforethemthefaintingfigureofthegirl——"Thatonepoorchildcouldproveshewashonest!"
  Withhisarmsstillabouther,andherhandsclingingtohim,hemovedwithherquicklytothedoor。Whentheyhadreachedthesilenceofthehall,hetookherhandsinhis,andlookedintohereyes。"Now,"hecommanded,"youshallcometomysisters!"
  Thewaitingcarcarriedthemswiftlyuptheavenue。Theirwaylaythroughthepark,andthewarm,mid-summerairwasheavywiththeodorofplantsandshrubs。Abovethemthetreesdroopeddeepwithleaves。Vera,crouchedinacorner,hadnotspoken。
  Hereyeswerehiddeninherhands。ButwhentheyhadenteredthesilentreachesoftheparksheloweredthemandthefacesheliftedtoWinthropwaspaleandwetwithtears。Themanthoughtneverbeforehadheseenitmorelovelyormorelovable。Verashookherheaddumblyandlookedupathimwithatroubledsmile。
  "Itoldyou,"shemurmuredremorsefully,"you'dbesorry。"
  Wedon'tknowthatyet,"saidWinthropgently,"we'llhavealltherestofourlivestofindthatout。"
  Startled,thegirldrewback。Inherfacewaswonder,amazement,adawninghappiness。
  Withoutspeaking,Winthroplookedather,entreatingly,pitifully,beseechingherwithhiseyes。
  Slowlythegirlbentforwardand,ashethrewouthisarms,withalittlesighofrestandcontentshecreptintothemandpressedherfacetohis。