Happyinthehopethatthenewswas\"exclusive\"，theDespatchhadthrownthenameofStephenHallowell，hisportrait，apictureofhishouse，andthewords，\"AtPointofDeath!\"acrossthreecolumns。Theannouncementwasheavy，lachrymose，bristlingwiththemelancholyself-importanceofthemanwho\"sawthedeceased，justtwominutesbeforethetrainhithim。\"
Buttheeffectofthenewsfellshortoftheeffort。Savethatcityeditorswereirritatedthatthepresidentsofcertainrailroadsfiguredhastilyonslipsofpaper，thefactthatanoldmanandhismillionswouldsoonbeparted，leftNewYorkundisturbed。
Intheearly80\'sthiswouldnothavebeenso。Then，intheupliftingofthefarWest，StephenHallowellwasanationalfigure，inthemanoeuvresoftheEasternstockmarketanactive，alertpower。Inthosedays，whenamanwithafewmillionswasstilllistedasrich，hisfortunewasconsideredcolossal。
Apatentcoupling-pin，theinventionofhisbrother-in-law，hadgivenhimhisstart，and，inintroducingit，andinhiseffortstoforceituponthenewrailroadsoftheWest，hehadobtainedaknowledgeoftheiraffairs。Fromthatknowledgecamehiswealth。Thatwastwentyyearsago。Sincethengiantshadarisenintheland；menwhosewealthmadethefortuneofStephenHallowellappearacomfortablecompetence，hisschemesandstratagems，which，intheirday，hadbewilderedWallStreet，assimpleasthetradingacrossthecounterofacross-roadsstore。
Foryearshehadbeenoutofit。Hehadlostcount。Disuseandillhealthhadrenderedhismindfeeble，madehimattimessuspicious，attimeschildishlycredulous。Withoutfriends，alongwithhisphysicianandthebutler，whowasalsohisnurse，helivedinthehousethatin76，inaburstofvanity，hehadbuiltonFifthAvenue。Thenthehousewasa\"mansion，\"anditsfrontofbrownsandstonetheoutwardsignofwealthandfashion。
Now，ononeside，itrubbedshoulderswiththeshopofamanmilliner，andacrossthestreetthehouseshadbeentorndownandreplacedbyadepartmentstore。Now，insteadofasombrejail-likefacade，hisoutlookwasarowofwaxenladies，who，beforeeachchangeofseason，appearedinnewandgorgeousraiment，and，acrosstheavenue，forhisapproval，smiledcontinually。
\"Itistimeyoumoved，Stephen，\"urgedhisfriendandlawyer，JudgeHenryGaylor。\"Icangetyoutwiceasmuchforthislotasyoupaidforbothitandthehouse。\"
ButMr。Hallowellalwaysshookhishead。\"WherewouldIgo，Henry？\"hewouldask。\"WhatwouldIdowiththemoney？No，I
willliveinthishouseuntilIamcarriedoutofit。\"
Withdistaste，theirritatedcityeditors\"followedup\"thethree-columnstoryoftheDespatch。
\"Findoutifthere\'sanytruthinthat，\"theycommanded。\"Theoldmanwon\'tseeyou，butgetatalkoutofRainey。AndseeJudgeGaylor。He\'sclosetoHallowell。Findoutfromhimifthatstorydidn\'tstartasabearyarninWallStreet。\"
So，whenWalshoftheDespatchwasconductedbyGarrett，thebutlerofMr。Hallowell，upstairstothatgentlemen\'slibrary，hefoundagroupofreportersalreadyentrenched。Atthedoorthatopenedfromthelibrarytothebedroom，thebutlerpaused。
\"WhatpapershallIsay？\"heasked。
\"TheDespatch，\"Walshtoldhim。
TheservantturnedquicklyandstaredatWalsh。
Heappearedthetypicalbutler，anEnglishmanofoverforty，heavilybuilt，soft-moving，withruddy，smooth-shavencheeksandprematurelygrayhair。Butnowfromhisfacethelookofperfunctorypolitenesshadfallen；thesubduedvoicehadchangedtoasnarlthatcarriedwithittheaccentsoftheTenderloin。
\"So，you\'retheone，areyou？\"themanmuttered。
Foramomenthestoodscowling；insolent，almostthreatening，andthen，oncemore，theservantopenedthedoorandnoiselesslycloseditbehindhim。
Thetransitionhadbeensoabrupt，therevelationsounexpected，thatthemenlaughed。
\"Idon\'tblamehim!\"saidyoungIrving。\"Icouldn\'tfindasinglefactinthewholestory。How\'dyourpeoplegetit——
prettystraight？\"
\"Seemedstraighttous，\"saidWalsh。
\"Well，youdidn\'thandleitthatway，\"returnedtheother。\"Whydidn\'tyouquoteRaineyorGaylor？Itseemstomeifaman\'sonthepointofdeath\"——heloweredhisvoiceandglancedtowardthecloseddoor——\"thathisprivatedoctorandhislawyermightknowsomethingaboutit。\"
Standingalonewithhisbacktothewindowwasareporterwhohadgreetednooneandtowhomnoonehadspoken。
Hadheheldhimselferecthewouldhavebeentall，buthestoodslouchinglazily，hisshouldersbent，hishandsinhispockets。
Whenhespokehisvoicewasinkeepingwiththeindolenceofhisbearing。Itwassoft，hesitating，carryingwithitthecourteousdeferenceoftheSouth。Onlyhiseyesshowedthattowhatwasgoingforwardhewasalertandattentive。
\"IsDr。RaineyMr。Hallowell\'sfamilydoctor？\"heasked。
Irvingsurveyedhiminamusedsuperiority。
\"Heis!\"heanswered。YoubeenlonginNewYork？\"heasked。
Uponthestrangerthesarcasmwaslost，orhechosetoignoreit，forheansweredsimply，\"No，I\'maNewOrleansboy。I\'vejustbeentakenontheRepublic。\"
\"Welcometoourcity，\"saidIrving。\"WhatdoyouthinkofourMainStreet？\"
Fromthehallatallportlymanenteredtheroomwiththeassuranceofonemuchathomehereand，withanexclamation，Irvingfelluponhim。
\"Goodmorning，Judge，\"hecalled。HewavedathimtheclippingfromtheDespatch。\"Haveyouseenthis？\"
JudgeGayloracceptedtheslipofpapergingerly，andinturnmovedhisfineheadpompouslytowardeachoftheyoungmen。Mostofthemwereknowntohim，butforthemomenthepreferredtoappeartoodeeplyconcernedtogreetthem。Withanexpressionofshockedindignation，herecognizedonlyWalsh。
\"Yes，Ihaveseenit，\"hesaid，\"andthereisnotawordoftruthinit!Mr。Walsh，Iamsurprised!You，ofallpeople!\"
\"Wegotitonverygoodauthority，\"saidthereporter。
\"Butwhynotcallmeupandgetthefacts？\"demandedtheJudge。
\"Iwashereuntiltwelveo\'clock，and——\"
\"Here!\"interruptedIrving。\"Thenhedidhaveacollapse？\"
JudgeGaylorswunguponhisheel。
\"Certainlynot，\"heretortedangrily。\"Iwashereonbusiness，andIhaveneverknownhismindmorecapable，morealert。\"Heliftedhishandswithanenthusiasticgesture。\"Iwishyoucouldhaveseenhim!\"
\"Well，\"urgedIrving，\"howaboutourseeinghimnow？\"
ForamomentJudgeGaylorpermittedhisannoyancetoappear，butheatoncerecoveredand，murmuringcheerfully，\"Certainly，certainly；I\'lltrytoarrangeit，\"turnedtothebutlerwhohadre-enteredtheroom。
\"Garett，\"heinquired，\"isMr。Hallowellawakeyet？\"Asheaskedthequestionhiseyebrowsrose；withanalmostimperceptibleshakeoftheheadhesignaledforananswerinthenegative。
\"Well，thereyouare!\"theJudgeexclaimedheartily。\"Ican\'twakehim，eventoobligeyou。Inaword，gentlemen，StephenHallowellhasneverbeeninbetterhealth，mentallyandbodily。
Youcansaythatfromme——andthat\'sallthereistosay。\"
\"Then，wecansay，\"persistedIrving，\"thatyousay，thatWalsh\'sstoryisafake？\"
\"Youcansayitisnottrue，\"correctedGaylor。\"That\'sall，gentlemen。\"Theaudiencewasatanend。TheyoungmenmovedtowardthehallandJudgeGaylorturnedtothebedroom。Ashedidso，hefoundthatthenewmanontheRepublicstillheldhisground。
\"CouldIhaveawordwithyou，sir？\"thestrangerasked。Thereportershaltedjealously。AgainGaylorshowedhisimpatience。
\"AboutMr。Hallowell\'shealth？\"hedemanded。\"There\'snothingmoretosay。\"
\"No，it\'snotabouthishealth，\"venturedthereporter。
\"Well，notnow。Iamverylatethismorning。\"TheJudgeagainmovedtothebedroomandthereporter，asthoughacceptingtheverdict，startedtofollowtheothers。Ashedidso，asthoughinexplanationorasawarningheadded:\"Yousaidtoalwayscometoyouforthefacts。\"Thelawyerhalted，hesitated。\"Whatfactsdoyouwant？\"heasked。Thereporterbowed，andwavedhisbroadfelthattowardthelisteningmen。Inpoliteembarrassmentheexplainedwhathehadtosaycouldnotbespokenintheirpresence。
SomethinginthemannerofthestrangerledJudgeGaylortopause。HedirectedGarretttoaccompanythereportersfromtheroom。Then，withmockpoliteness，heturnedtotheonewhoremained。\"Itakeit，youareanewcomerinNewYorkjournalism。Whatisyourname？\"heasked。
\"MynameisHomerLee，\"saidtheSoutherner。\"IamaNewOrleansboy。I\'vebeenonlyamonthinyourcity。Judge，\"hebeganearnestly，butinavoicewhichstillheldthedrawloftheSouth，\"ImetamanfromhomelastweekonBroadway。HebelongedtothatspiritualisticschoolonCarondeletStreet。Heknowsallthat\'sgoingoninthespookworld，andhetellsmetheghostraisershavegottheirhooksintotheoldmanprettydeep。Isthatso？\"
ThebewildermentofJudgeGaylorwascompleteand，withoutquestion，genuine。
\"Idon\'tknowwhatyoumean，\"hesaid。
\"Myinformanttellsme，\"continuedthereporter，\"thatMr。
Hallowellhasembraced——ifthat\'swhatyoucallit——
spiritualism。\"
Gaylorstartedforward。
\"What!\"heroared。
Unmoved，theotherregardedtheJudgekeenly。
\"Spiritualism，\"herepeated，\"andthatabunchofthesemediumshavegothimsohypnotizedhecan\'tcallhissoulhisown，orhismoney，either。Isthattrue？\"
JudgeGaylor\'soutburstwasoverwhelming。ThatitwasgenuineMr。Lee，observinghimclosely，wasconvinced。
\"Ofalltheoutrageous，ridiculous\"——thejudgehalted，gaspingforwords——\"andlibelousstatements!\"hewenton。\"Ifyouprintthat，\"hethundered，\"Mr。Hallowellwillsueyourpaperforhalfamilliondollars。Can\'tyouseethedamageyouwoulddo？Can\'tyourpeopleseethatiftheideagotaboutthathewasunabletodirecthisownaffairs，thathewasinthehandsofmediums，itwouldinvalidateeverythinghedoes？Afterhisdeath，everyactofhisatthistime，everypaperhehadsigned，wouldbesuspected，and——and\"——stammeredtheJudgeashisimaginationpicturedwhatmightfollow——\"theymightevenattackhiswill!\"Headvancedtruculently。\"Doyoumeantopublishthislibel？\"
Leemovedhisshouldersindeprecation。\"I\'mafraidwemust，\"hesaid。
\"Youmust!\"demandedGaylor。\"AfterwhatI\'vetoldyou？DoyouthinkI\'mlyingtoyou？\"
\"No，\"saidthereporter；\"Idon\'tthinkyouare。Looksmorelikeyoudidn\'tknow。\"
\"Notknow？I？\"Gaylorlaughedhysterically。\"Iamhislawyer。I
amhisbestfriend!Whowillyoubelieve？\"Hesteppedtothetableandpressedanelectricbutton，andGarrettappearedinthehall。\"TellDr。RaineyIwanttoseehim，\"Gaylorcommanded，\"andreturnwithhim。\"
Astheywaited，JudgeGaylorpacedquicklytoandfro。\"I\'vehadtodenysomeprettysillystoriesaboutMr。Hallowell，\"hesaid，\"butofalltheabsurd，malicious——There\'ssomeenemybackofthis；someoneinWallStreetisdoingthis。ButI\'llfindhim——I\'ll——\"hewasinterruptedbytheentranceofthebutlerandDr。Rainey，Mr。Hallowell\'spersonalphysician。
Raineywasayoungmanwithaweakface，andknowing，shiftingeyesthatblinkedbehindapairofeyeglasses。Toconcealanindecisionofcharacterofwhichhewasquiteconscious，heassumedamannerthat，accordingtowhomheaddressed，wasfamiliarorcondescending。Atoneofthebighospitalshehadbeenanambulancesurgeonandresidentphysician，laterhehadstarteduponasomewhatdoubtfulcareerasamedical\"expert。\"
OnlytwoyearshadpassedsincethepoliceandthereportersoftheTenderloinhadceasedcallinghim\"Doc。\"InacelebratedcriminalcaseinwhichGaylorhadactedaschiefcounsel，hehadfoundRaineycomplaisantandapparentlytotallywithoutthemoralsense。AndwheninGarretthehaddiscoveredforMr。
Hallowellamodelservant，hehadalsourgeduponhisfriend，forhisresidentphysician，hisprotegeRainey。
Stillatwhiteheat，theoldermanbeganabruptly:\"ThisgentlemanisfromtheRepublic。HeisgoingtopublishastorythatMr。Hallowellhasfallenundertheinfluenceofmediums，clairvoyants；thateverythinghedoesisonadvicefromthespiritworld——\"heturnedsharplyuponLee。\"Isthatright？\"
Thereporternodded。
\"Youcanseetheeffectofsuchastory。ItwouldinvalidateeveryactofMr。Hallowell\'s!\"
Dr。Raineylaughedoffensively。
\"Itmight，\"hesaid，\"butwho\'dbelieveit？\"
\"Hebelievesit!\"criedGaylor，\"orhepretendstobelieveit。
Tellhim!\"hecommanded。\"Hewon\'tbelieveme。DoesMr。
Hallowellassociatewithmediums，andspirits——andspooks？\"
Againtheyoungdoctorlaughed。
\"Ofcoursenot!\"heexclaimed。\"It\'snotworthanswering，Judge。
Yououghttotreatitwithsilentcontempt。\"Frombehindhisglasseshewinkedatthereporterwithajocular，intimatesmile。Hewasadaptinghimselftowhatheimaginedwashiscompany。\"Wheredidyoupickupthatpipedream？\"heasked。
Withoutanswering，theSouthernerregardedhimsteadilywithinquiring，interestedeyes。ThedoctorcoughednervouslyandturnedtoJudgeGaylor。Inthemannerofacross-examinationGaylorcalleduphisnextwitness。
\"Garrett，doesanyonevisitMr。Hallowellwithoutyourknowledge？\"heasked。Youmaynotopenthedoorforhim，butyouknoweveryonewhogetsintoseeMr。Hallowell，doyounot？\"
\"Everyone，sir。\"
\"Doyouadmitanymediums，palm-readers，orpeopleofthatsort？\"
\"Certainlynot，\"returnedthebutler。
\"Dr。Rainey，\"headded，\"wouldnotpermitit，sir。\"
Gaylorstampedhisfootwithimpatience。
\"Doyouadmitanyone，\"hedemanded，\"withoutDr。Rainey\'spermission？\"
\"No，sir!\"Thereplycouldnothaverungwithgreateremphasis。
Triumphantly，Gaylor，withawaveofthehand，asthoughsaying，\"Takethewitness，\"turnedtoLee。\"Thereyouare，\"hecried。
\"Now，areyousatisfied？\"
Thereportermovedslowlytowardthedoor。\"Iamsatisfied，\"hesaid，\"thatthemandoesn\'tadmitanyonewithoutDr。Rainey\'spermission。\"
Indignantly，asthoughtointercepthim，JudgeGaylorsteppedforward。BothRaineyandhimselfspoketogether。
\"Whatdoyoumeanbythat？\"Raineydemanded。
\"Areyoutryingtobeinsolent，sir？\"criedtheJudge。
Leesmiledpleasantly。\"Ihadnointentionofbeinginsolent，\"
hesaid。\"Wehavethefacts——Ionlycametogiveyouachancetoexplainthem。\"
Gaylorlostallpatience。
\"Whatfacts？\"heshouted。\"Whatfacts？Thatmediumscomehere？\"
\"Yes，\"saidLee。
\"When？\"Gaylorcried。\"Tellmethat!When？\"
Leeregardedtheoldermanthoughtfully。
\"Well，todayisThursday，\"hesaid。\"TheywerehereMondaymorning，andTuesdaymorning——and——theonetheycallVera——
willbehereinhalfanhour。\"
Raineyranacrosstheroom，stretchingouteager，detaininghands。
\"Seehere!\"hebegged。\"Wecanfixthis!\"
\"Fixit？\"saidthereporter。\"Notwithme，youcan\'t。\"HeturnedtothedoorandfoundGarrettbarringhisexit。Hehalted，fellbackonhisheels，andstraightenedhisshoulders。Forthefirsttimetheysawhowtallhewas。
\"Getoutofmyway，\"hesaid。Thebutlerhesitatedandfellback。Leewalkedintothehall。
\"I\'llleaveyougentlementofightitoutamongyou，\"hesaid。
\"It\'sabetterstorythanIthought。\"
Ashedescendedtothefloorbelow，themenremainedmotionless。
ThefaceofJudgeGaylorseemedtohavegrownolder。Whenthefrontdoorclosed，heturnedandsearchedthecountenanceofeachofhiscompanions。Thebutlerhaddroppedintoachairmutteringandbeatinghisfistintohisopenpalm。
Gaylor\'svoicewashardlylouderthanawhisper。\"Isthistrue？\"
heasked。
Likeacurdogpinnedinacornerandforcedtofight，Raineysnarledathimevilly。\"Ofcourseit\'strue，\"hesaid。
\"You\'veletthesepeopleseehim!\"criedGaylor。\"AfterI
forbadeit？AfterItoldyouwhatwouldhappen？\"
\"Hewouldseethem，\"Raineyansweredhotly。\"TwasbetterI
chosethemthan——\"
Gaylorraisedhisclenchedhandsandtookasuddenstepforward。
TheDoctorbackedhastilyagainstthelibrarytable。\"Don\'tyoucomenearme!\"hestammered。\"Don\'tyoutouchme。\"
\"Andyou\'veliedtome!\"criedGaylor。\"You\'vedeceivedme。You——youjailbirds——youidiots。\"Hisvoicerosehysterically。
\"Anddoyouthink，\"hedemandedfiercely，\"I\'llhelpyounow？\"
\"No!\"saidthebutler。
ThewordcaughttheJudgeinthefullrushofhisanger。Heturnedstupidlyasthoughhehadnotheardaright。\"What？\"heasked。Fromtheeasychairthebutlerregardedhimwithsullen，hostileeyes。
\"No!\"herepeated。\"Wedon\'tthinkyou\'llhelpus。Younevermeanttohelpus。You\'veneverthoughtofanyonebutyourself。\"
Thefaceoftheoldermanwasfilledwithreproach。
\"Jim!\"heprotested。
\"Don\'tdothat!\"commandedthebutlersharply。\"I\'vetoldyounottodothat。\"
TheJudgemovedhisheadslowlyinamazement。Thetoneofreproachwasstillinhisvoice。
\"Ithoughtyoucouldunderstand，\"hesaid。\"Itdoesn\'tmatterabouthim。Butyou!YoushouldhaveseenwhatIwasdoing!\"
\"Isawwhatyouweredoing，\"thebutlerreplied。\"Buyingstocks，buyingacountryplace。Youdidn\'twaitforhimtodie。Whatwerewegetting？\"
Withreturningcourage，Raineynoddedvigorously。
\"That\'sright，allright，\"heprotested。\"Whatwerewegetting？\"
\"Whatwereyougetting？\"demandedGaylor，eagerly。\"Ifyou\'donlylefthimtome，tillhesignedthenewwill，you\'dhavehadeverything。Itonlyneedshissignature。\"
\"Yes，\"interruptedGarrettcontemptuously；that\'sallitneeds。\"
\"Oh，he\'dhavesignedit!\"criedGaylor。\"Butwhat\'sitworthnow!Nothing!Thankstoyoutwo——nothing!They\'llclaimundueinfluence，they\'llclaimhesigneditundertheinfluenceofmediums——ofghosts。\"Hisvoiceshookwithangeranddistress。
\"You\'veruinedme!\"hecried。\"You\'veruinedme。\"
Heturnedandpacedfromthem，hisfingersinterlacing，histeethbitinguponhislowerlip。Thetwoothermenglancedateachotheruncomfortably；theirsilenceseemedtoassureGaylorthatalreadytheyregrettedwhattheyhaddone。HestoodoverGarrett，andforaninstantlaidhishanduponhisshoulder。Hisvoicenowwassaneandcold。
\"I\'veworkedthreeyearsforthis，\"hesaid。\"Andforyou，too，Jim。Youknowthat。I\'veworkedonhisvanity，onhisfearofdeath，onhisdamnsuperstition。Whenhetalkedofrestitution，ofgivingthemoneytohisniece，IaskedWhy？\'Isaid，Leaveitforagreatmonumenttoyourmemory。Isn\'titbetterthattenmilliondollarsshouldbespentingoodworksinyournamethanthatitshouldgotoachitofachildtobewastedbysomefortunehunter？And——then——IevolvedtheHallowellInstitute，university，hospital，library，allunderoneroof，allunderonedirection；andIwouldhavebeenthedirector。Weshouldhavehandledtenmillionsofdollars!I\'dhavemadeyoubothsorich，\"hecriedsavagely，\"thatintwoyearsyou\'dhavedrunkyourselvesintoamad-house。Andyoucouldn\'ttrustme!
You\'vefilledthishousewithfakesandpalm-readers。And，now，everyonewillknowjustwhatheis——asenile，half-wittedoldmanwhowasclayinmyhands，clayinmyhands——andyou\'verobbedmeofhim，you\'verobbedmeofhim!\"Hisvoice，brokenwithangeranddisappointment，roseinanhystericalwail。Asthoughtomeetitabellrangshrilly。Gaylorstartedandstoodwitheyesfixedonthedoorofthebedroom。Thethreemeneyedeachotherguiltily。
Thebutlerwasthefirsttorecover。Withmask-likefacehehastenednoiselesslyacrosstheroom。Inhistonesofusualauthority，Gaylorstoppedhim。
\"TellMr。Hallowell，\"hedirected，\"thathisnieceandDistrictAttorneyWinthropwillbehereanymoment。Askhimifhewishesmetoseethem，orifhewilltalktothemhimself？\"
WhenthefaithfulservanthadenteredthebedroomGaylorturnedtoRainey。
\"Whendothesemediumscometoday？\"heasked。
Raineystaredsulkilyatthefloor。
\"Ithinkthey\'reherenow——downstairs，\"heanswered。Garrettgenerallyhidesthemtheretillyou\'reoutofthehouse。\"
\"Indeed，\"commentedGaylordryly。\"AfterWinthropandMissCoateshavegone，Iwanttotalkwithyourfriends。\"
\"Now，seehere，Judge，\"whinedRainey；\"don\'tmaketrouble。Itisn\'tasbadasyouthink。Theoldman\'sonlyinvestigating——\"
\"Hush!\"commandedtheJudge。
Fromthebedroom，leaningonthebutler\'sarm，StephenHallowellcamestumblingtowardthemand，withasigh，sankintoaninvalid\'schairthatwasplacedforhimbetweenthefireandthelonglibrarytable……Hewasaveryfeeble，veryoldman，withawhiteface，andthin，whitehair，butwithamouthandlowerjawashardanduncompromisingasthoseofaskull。Hiseyes，whichwerestrangelybrilliantandyoung-looking，peeredsuspiciouslyfromunderraggedwhiteeyebrows。Butwhentheyfelluponthedoctor，theeyesbecamesuddenlycredulous，pleading，filledwithself-pity。
\"I\'maverysickman，Doctor，\"saidMr。Hallowell。
JudgeGaylorbustledforwardcheerily。\"Nonsense，Stephen，nonsense，\"hecried；\"youlookadifferentmanthismorning。
Doesn\'the，Doctor？\"
\"Surehedoes!\"assentedRainey。\"Littlesleepwasallheneeded。\"Mr。Hallowellshookhisheadpetulantly。\"Notatall!\"
heprotested。\"Thatwasaveryseriousattack。Thismorningmyheadhurts——hurtsmetothink——\"
\"Perhaps，\"saidGaylor，\"you\'dpreferthatItalkedtoyourniece。\"
\"No!\"exclaimedtheinvalidexcitedly。\"Iwanttoseehermyself。Iwanttotellher，onceandforall——\"HecheckedhimselfandfrownedattheDoctor。\"Youneedn\'twait，\"hesaid。
\"AndDoctor，\"headdedmeaningly，\"afterthesepeoplego，youcomeback。\"
WithaconsciousglanceattheJudge，Raineynoddedandleftthem。
\"No，\"continuedtheoldman；\"Iwanttotalktomyniecemyself。
ButIdon\'twanttotalktoWinthrop。He\'stoocleverayoungman，Winthrop。Inthemergercase，youremember——hadmeonthestandforthreehours。Mademetalktoo。\"Themindoftheoldmansuddenlyveeredatatangent。\"HowthedevilcanHelenretainhim？\"hedemandedpeevishly。\"Shecan\'tretainhim。Shehasn\'tanymoney。Andhe\'sDistrictAttorneytoo。It\'sagainstthelaw。Ishedoingitasaspeculation？Doeshewanttomarryher？\"
JudgeGaylorlaughedsoothingly。
\"Heavens，no!\"hesaid。\"She\'sinhisoffice，that\'sall。Whenshetookthiscrazetobeindependentofyou，hegaveherapositionassecretary，orasstenographer，orsomething。She\'sprobablytoldhimherstory，hersideofit，andhe\'shelpingheroutofcharity。:\"TheJudgesmiledtolerantly。\"Hedoesthatsortofthing，Ibelieve。\"
Theoldmanstruckthelibrarytablewithhispalm。\"Iwishhe\'dmindhisownbusiness，\"hecried。\"It\'smymoney。Shehasnoclaimtoit，neverhadanyclaim——\"
TheJudgeinterruptedquickly。
\"That\'sallright，Stephen；that\'sallright，\"hesaid。\"Don\'texciteyourself。Justgetwhatyou\'retosaystraightinyourmindandsticktoit。Remember，\"hewenton，asthoughcoachingachildinataskalreadylearned，\"thereneverwasawrittenagreement。
\"No!\"mutteredHallowell。\"Neverwas!\"
\"Repeatthistoyourself，\"commandedtheJudge。\"Theunderstandingbetweenyouandyourbrother-in-lawwasthatifyouplacedhispatentonthemarket，forthefirstfiveyearsyouwouldsharetheprofitsequally。Afterthefiveyears，allrightsinthepatentbecameyours。Itwasunfortunate，\"
commentedtheJudgedryly，\"thatyourbrother-in-lawandyoursisterdiedbeforethefiveyearswereup，especiallyasthepatentdidnotbegintomakemoneyuntilafterfiveyears。
Remember——untilafterfiveyears。\"
\"Untilafterfiveyears，\"echoedMr。Hallowell。\"Itwasoversixyears，\"hewentonexcitedly，\"beforeitmadeacent。And，then，itwasmymoney——andanythingIgivemynieceischarity。
She\'snotentitled——\"
Garrettappearedatthedoor。\"MissCoates，\"heannounced，\"andMr。Winthrop。\"JudgeGaylorraisedahandforsilence，andasMr。Hallowellsankbackinhischair，HelenCoates，theonlychildofCatherineCoates，hissister，andtheyoungDistrictAttorneyofNewYorkcameintothelibrary。MissCoateswasawomanofbetweentwenty-fiveandthirty，capable，andself-
reliant。Shehadacertainbeautyofaseveretype，butanharassedexpressionabouthereyesmadeherappeartobealwaysfrowning。Attimes，inahardeningofthelowerpartofherface，sheshowedalikenesstoheruncle。Likehim，inspeaking，also，hermannerwaspositiveanddecided。
Inagetheyoungmanwhoaccompaniedherwastenyearshersenior，butwhereherdifficultieshadmadeherappearolderthanshereallywas，theenthusiasmwithwhichhehadthrownhimselfagainstthoseofhisownlife，hadlefthimyoung。
TheriseofWinthrophadbeenswiftandspectacular。Almostassoonashegraduatedfromthecollegeinthelittle\"up-state\"
townwherehehadbeeneducated，andhisfamilyhadalwayslived，hebecametheprosecutingattorneyofthattown，andlater，atAlbany，representedthedistrictintheAssembly。FromAlbanyheenteredalawofficeinNewYorkCity，andinthecauseofreformhadfoughtsomanygoodfightsthatonanindependentticket，muchtohissurprise，hehadbeenliftedtothehighpositionhenowheld。NomoreinhismannerthaninhisappearancedidWinthropsuggestthepopularconceptionofhisrole。Hewasnotprofessional，notmysterious。Instead，hewassane，cheerful，tolerant。Itwashisphilosophytobelievethattheworldwasinnocentuntilitwasprovedguilty。
Hewasabachelorand，exceptfortwosisterswhohadmarriedmenofprominenceinNewYorkandwhomovedinaworldoffashionintowhichhehadnotpenetrated，hewasalone。
Whenthevisitorsentered，Mr。Hallowell，withoutrising，greetedhisniececordially。
\"Ah，Helen!Iamgladtoseeyou，\"hecalled，andaddedreproachfully，\"atlast。\"
\"Howdoyoudo，sir？\"returnedMissHelenstiffly。WithmarkeddisapprovalshebowedtoJudgeGaylor。
\"AndourDistrictAttorney，\"criedMr。Hallowell。\"Pardonmynotrising，won\'tyou？Ihaven\'tseenyou，sir，sinceyoutriedtogettheGrandJurytoindictme。\"Hechuckeddelightedly。\"Youdidn\'tsucceed，\"hetaunted。
Winthropshookhandswithhim，smiling，\"Don\'tblameme，\"hesaid，\"Ididmybest。I\'mgladtoseeyouinsuchgoodspirits，Mr。Hallowell。Ifeared，bytheDespatch——\"
\"Lies，lies，\"interruptedHallowellcurtly。\"YouknowJudgeGaylor？\"
Asheshookhands，WinthropansweredthattheJudgeandhewereoldfriends；thattheykneweachotherwell。
\"Knoweachothersowell!\"returnedtheJudge，\"thatweoughttobeoldenemies。\"
Theyoungermannoddedappreciatively。\"That\'strue!\"helaughed，\"onlyIdidn\'tthinkyou\'dadmitit。\"
WithlightsarcasmMr。HallowellinquiredwhetherWinthropwaswiththeminhisofficialcapacity。
\"Oh，don\'tsuggestthat!\"beggedWinthrop；\"you\'llbehavingmeindictednext。Nosir，Iamherewithoutanyexcusewhatsoever。
Iamjustinterferingasafriendofthisyounglady。\"
\"Good，\"commentedHallowell。\"I\'dbesorrytohavemyniecearraycounselagainstme——especiallysuchdistinguishedcounsel。Sitdown，Helen。\"
MissCoatesbalancedherselfontheedgeofachairandspokeincool，business-liketones，\"Mr。Hallowell，\"shebegan，\"Icame。\"
\"Mr。Hallowell？\"objectedheruncle。
\"UncleStephen，\"MissCoatesagainbegan，\"Iwishtobeasbriefaspossible。IaskedyoutoseemetodaybecauseIhopedthatbytalkingthingsoverwemightavoidlawsuitsandlitigation。\"
Mr。Hallowellnoddedhisapproval。\"Yes，\"hesaidencouragingly。
\"IhavetoldMr。Winthropwhatthetroubleis，\"MissCoateswenton，\"andheagreeswithmethatIhavebeenveryunjustlytreated——\"
\"Bywhom？\"interruptedHallowell。
\"Byyou，\"saidhisniece。
\"Wait，Helen，\"commandedtheoldman。\"HaveyoualsotoldMr。
Winthrop，\"hedemanded，\"thatIhavemadeawillinyourfavor？
That，wereItodietonight，youwouldinherittenmillionsofdollars？Isthattheinjusticeofwhichyoucomplain？\"
JudgeGaylorgaveanexclamationofpleasure。
\"Good!\"heapplauded。\"Excellent!\"
HallowellturnedindignantlytoWinthrop。\"Anddidshetellyoualso，\"hedemanded，\"thatforthreeyearsIhaveurgedhertomakeahomeinthishouse？ThatIhaveofferedheranincomeaslargeasIwouldgivemyowndaughter，andthatshehasrefusedbothoffers。Andwhat\'smore\"——inhisexcitementhisvoicerosehysterically——\"byworkingpubliclyforherlivingshehasmademeappearmeananduncharitable，and——\"
\"That\'sjustit，\"interruptedMissCoates。\"Itisn\'taquestionofcharity。\"
\"Willyouallowme？\"saidWinthropsoothingly。\"Yourniececontends，sir，\"heexplained，\"thatthismoneyyouofferedherisnotyourstooffer。Sheclaimsitbelongstoher。Thatit\'swhatshouldhavebeenherfather\'sshareoftheprofitsontheCoates-Hallowellcouplingpin。But，asyouhavewilledyourniecesomuchmoney，althoughhalfofitishersalready，I
advisedhernottofight。Goingtolawisanexpensivebusiness。
Butshehasfoundout——andthat\'swhatbringsmeuptownthismorning——thatyouintendtomakeanewwill，andleaveallhermoneyandyourowntoestablishtheHallowellInstitute。Now，\"
Winthropcontinued，withapropitiatingsmile，\"MissCoatesalsowouldliketobeaphilanthropist，inherownway，withherownmoney。Andshewishestowarnyouthat，unlessyoudeliverupwhatisdueher，shewillproceedagainstyou。\"
JudgeGaylorwasthefirsttoanswer。
\"Mr。Winthrop，\"hesaidimpressively，\"Igiveyoumyword，thereisnotonedollardueMissCoates，exceptwhatMr。Hallowellpleasestogiveher。\"
MissCoatescontradictedhimsharply。\"Thatisnotso，\"shesaid。Sheturnedtoheruncle，\"Youandmyfather，\"shedeclared，\"agreedinwritingyouwouldsharetheprofitsalways。\"Mr。Hallowelllookedfromhisniecetohislawyer。Thelawyer，eyeinghimapprehensively，nodded。Withthepatientvoiceofonewhotriedtoreasonwithanunreasonablechild，Mr。
Hallowellbegan。\"Helen，\"hesaid，\"Ihavetoldyoumanytimesthereneverwassuchanagreement。Therewasaverbal——\"
\"AndIrepeat，Isawit，\"saidMissCoates。
\"When？\"askedHallowell。
\"IsawitfirstwhenIwasfifteen，\"answeredtheyoungwomansteadily，\"andtwoyearslater，beforemotherdied，sheshowedittomeagain。Itwaswithfather\'spapers。\"
\"MissCoates，\"askedtheJudge，\"whereisthisagreementnow？\"
ForamomentMissCoateshesitated。HerdislikeforGaylorwassoevidentthat，tomakeitlessapparent，sheloweredhereyes。
\"Myuncleshouldbeabletotellyou，\"shesaidevenly。\"Hewasmyfather\'sexecutor。But，whenhereturnedmyfather\'spapers\"——
shepausedandthen，althoughhervoicefelltoalmostawhisper，continueddefiantly，\"theagreementwasnotwiththem。\"
Therewasamoment\'ssilence。Toassurehimselftheothershadheardashedid，Mr。HallowellglancedquicklyfromWinthroptoGaylor。Hehalfrosefromhischairandleanedacrossthetable。
\"What!\"hedemanded。Hisniecelookedathimsteadily。
\"YouheardwhatIsaid，\"sheanswered。
Theoldmanleanedfartherforward。
\"So!\"hecried；\"so!Iamnotonlydoingyouaninjustice，butI
amathief!Mr。Winthrop，\"hecriedappealingly，\"doyouappreciatetheseriousnessofthis？\"
Winthropnoddedcheerfully。\"It\'scertainlyprettyserious，\"heassented。
\"Itissoserious，\"criedMr。Hallowell，\"thatIwelcomeyouintothismatter。Now，wewillsettleitonceandforever。\"Heturnedtohisniece。\"Ihavetriedtobegenerous，\"hecried；\"I
havetriedtobekind，andyouinsultmeinmyownhouse。\"Hepressedthebuttonthatsummonedthebutlerfromthefloorbelow。\"Gentlemen，thisinterviewisatanend。Fromnowonthismatterisinthehandsofmylawyer。Wewillsettlethisinthecourts。\"
Withanexclamationofpleasurethatwasanacceptanceofhischallenge，MissCoatesrose。
\"Thatissatisfactorytome，\"shesaid。WinthropturnedtoMr。
Hallowell。
\"CouldIhaveafewminutestalkwithJudgeGaylornow？\"heasked。\"Notasanybody\'scounsel，\"heexplained；\"justasanoldenemyofhis？\"
\"Well，nothere，\"protestedtheoldmanquerulously。\"I\'m——I\'mexpectingsomefriendshere。Judge，takeMr。Winthroptothedrawingroomdownstairs。\"HeturnedtoGarrett，whohadappearedinanswertohissummons，andtoldhimtobringDr。Raineytothelibrary。Thebutlerlefttheroomand，asGaylorandWinthropfollowed，thelatteraskedMissCoatesifhemightexpecttoseeheratthe\"Office。\"Shetoldhimthatshewasnowonherwaythere。Withoutacknowledgingthepresenceofheruncle，shehadstartedtofollowtheothers，whenMr。Hallowellstoppedher。
Aftertheywerealone，foramomenthesatstaringather，hiseyesfilledwithdislikeandwithasuggestionofchildishspite。\"Imightaswelltellyou，\"hebegan，\"thatafterwhatyousaidthismorning，Iwillnevergiveyouasingledollarofmymoney。\"
Thetoneinwhichhisniecerepliedtohimwasnomoreconciliatorythanhisown。\"Youcannotgiveittome，\"sheanswered，\"becauseitisnotyourstogive。\"Asthoughtoaddimpressivenesstowhatshewasabouttosay，ortopreventhisinterruptingher，sheraisedherhand。SointerestedineachotherweretheoldmanandthegirlthatneithernoticedtheappearanceinthedoorofDr。Raineyandthebutler，whohalted，hesitating，waitingpermissiontoenter。
\"Thatmoneybelongstome，\"saidMissCoatesslowly，\"andassureasmymotherisinHeavenandherspiritisguidingme，thatmoneywillbegivenme。\"
Inthepausethatfollowed，aswiftandsingularchangecameoverthefaceofMr。Hallowell。Hestaredathisnieceasthoughfascinated。Hislowerlipdroppedinawe。Thelookofhostilitygavewaytooneofintenseinterest。Hisvoicewashardlylouderthanawhisper。
\"Whatdoyoumean？\"hedemanded。
Thegirllookedathim，uncomprehending。\"WhatdoImean？\"sherepeated。
\"Whenyousaid，\"hestammeredeagerly，\"thatthespiritofyourmotherwasguidingyou，whatdidyoumean？\"
Inthedoorway，Raineyandthebutlerstarted。Eachthrewtheotheraquickglanceofconcern。
\"Why，\"exclaimedthegirlimpatiently，\"herinfluence，herexample，whatshetaughtme。\"
\"Oh!\"exclaimedtheoldman。Heleanedbackwithanairalmostofdisappointment。
\"Whenshewasalive？\"hesaid。
\"Ofcourse，\"answeredthegirl。
\"Ofcourse，\"repeatedtheuncle。\"Ithoughtyoumeant——\"Helookedsuspiciouslyatherandshookhishead。\"Nevermind，\"headded。\"Well，\"hewentoncynically，strivingtocoveruptheembarrassmentofthemoment，\"yourmother\'sspiritwillprobablyfeelasdeepaninterestinherbrotherasinherdaughter。Weshallsee，weshallseewhichofustwosheisgoingtohelp。\"
HeturnedtoGarrettandRaineyinthehall。\"Takemyniecetothedoor，Garrett，\"hedirected。
AssoonasMissCoateshaddisappeared，HallowellturnedtoRainey，hisfacelitwithpleasedandchildishanticipation。
\"Well，\"hewhisperedeagerly，\"isshehere？\"
RaineynoddedandglancedinthedirectionoppositetotheoneMissCoateshadtaken。\"She\'sbeenwaitinghalfanhour。AndtheProfessortoo。\"
\"Bringthematonce，\"commandedMr。Hallowellexcitedly。\"Andthenshutthedoor——and——andtelltheJudgeIcan\'tseehim——tellhimI\'mtootiredtoseehim。Understand？\"
Raineypeeredcautiouslyovertherailingofthestairstothefirstfloor，andthenbeckonedtosomeonewhoapparentlywaswaitingattheendofthehall。
\"MissVera，sir，\"heannounced，\"andProfessorVance。\"
AlthoughbutlatelyestablishedinNewYork，thepersonsDr。
Raineyintroducedhadalreadymadethemselvescomparativelywell-known。Forthelastsixweeksas\"headliners\"atoneofthevaudevilletheatres，andasentertainersatprivatehouses，underthefirmnameof\"TheVances，\"theyhadbeengivinganexhibitionofcodeandciphersignaling。Theycalleditmindreading。Duringtheday，atthehouseofVanceandhiswife，thegirl，as\"Vera，theMedium，\"furnishedtoallcomersmemoriesofthepastornewsofthefuture。Intheirprofession，inallofitsbranches，themanandthegirlwerepastmasters。TheyknewitfromtheA，B，Cofthedreambooktothepost-graduateworkofprojectingfromacabinetthespiritsofthedead。Astheoccasionofferedandpaidbest，theyweremindreaders，clairvoyants，materializingmediums，testmediums。Fromthem，apackofcards，acrystalglobe，thelinesofthehumanhand，heldnosecrets。Theyfoundlostarticles，casthoroscopes，gaveadviceinaffairsoftheheart，ofbusinessandspeculation，utteredwarningsofjourneysoverseasandagainstasmooth-
shavenstranger。Theyevenstoopedtoforetellearthquakes，orcausedtodropflutteringfromtheceilingaletterstraightfromtheHimalayas。Amongthosewhoarethegypsiesofthecities，theywerethearistocratsoftheircalling，andtothemthatcallingwasaslegitimateabusinessasis，totheroadsidegypsy，theswappingofhorses。Thefore-parentsofeachhadfollowedthatsamecalling，andtothechildrenitwascommonplaceandmatter-of-fact。Itheldnoadventure，nomoralobloquy。
\"Prof。\"PaulVancewasayoungmanofunderfortyyears。Helookedlikeafox。Hehadredeyes，alertandcunning，along，sharp-pointednose，apointedredbeard，andredeyebrowsthatslantedupward。Hishair，standingerectinapompadour，andhisupliftedeyebrowsgavehimthewatchfullookofthefoxwhenhehearssuddenlythehoundbayinginpursuit。ButnoonehadeversuccessfullypursuedVance。Noonehadeverdrivenhimintoacornerfromwhich，eitherpleasantly，orwithragingindignation，hewasnotabletofreehimself。Sevenyearsbeforehehaddisloyallymarriedoutofthe\"profession\"andfornootherreasonthanthathewasinlovewiththewomanhemarried。
Shehadcometoseekadvicefromthespiritworldinregardtotakingasecondhusband。AfterseveralvisitsthespiritworldhadadvisedVancetoadvisehertomarryVance。
Shedidso，andthoughthemanwasstillinlovewithhiswife，hehadnotfoundher，inhiswork，theassistancehehadhopedshemightbe。Shestillwasa\"believer\"；inthetechnicalvernacularofherhusband——\"adope。\"NoteventheintimateknowledgeshehadgainedbehindthescenescouldpersuadeherthatPaul，herhusband，wasnotinconstantcommunicationwiththespiritworld，orthat，ifhewished，hecouldnotreadthethoughtsthatmovedslowlythroughherprettyhead。
Atthetimeofhismarriage，thegirlVera，thenachildoffourteen，hadwrittentoVanceforhelp。Shewasill，withoutmoney，andaskedforwork。Tohimshewasknownasthelastofalonglineofpeoplewhohadalwaysbeenprofessionalmediumsandspiritualists，and，outofcharityandfromasenseofnoblesseobligetooneoftheelectoftheprofession，Vancehadmadeherhisassistant。Hehadneverregrettedhavingdoneso。Thebreadcastuponthewaterswasreturnedathousandfold。Fromthefirst，thegirlbroughtinmoney。Andhiswife，theolderofthetwo，hadwelcomedherasacompanion。AfterafashiontheVanceshadadoptedher。Intheadvertisementsshewasdescribedastheir\"ward。\"
Veranowwastwenty-one，tall，wonderfullygraceful，andofthemostenchantingloveliness。Hereducationhadbeencosmopolitan。
InthelargestcitiesofAmericashehadmetpersonsofeveryclass——youngwomen，oldwomen，motherswithmarriedsonsanddaughters；womenofsocietyasitisexploitedintheSundaysupplements；schoolgirls，shopgirls，factorygirls——allhadtoldhertheirtroubles；andmenofeveryconditionhadcometoscoffandhadremainedtoexpress，moreorlessoffensively，theiradmiration。Someoftheyoungerofthese，afterafirstvisit，returnedthedayfollowing，andeachbeggedthebeautifulpriestessoftheocculttoflywithhim，tolivewithhim，tomarryhim。WhenthishappenedVerawouldtouchabutton，and\"Mannie\"Day，whoadmittedvisitors，andlater，inthehall，searchedtheirhatsandumbrellasforinitials，cameontherunandthrewtheinfatuatedoneoutuponacoldandunfeelingsidewalk。
SoVerahadseenboththeseamysideoflifeand，inthedrawingroomswhereVanceandsheexhibitedtheirmindreadingtricks，hadbeenmademuchofbygreatladiesand，foranhourasbriefasCinderella\'s，hadlookeduponaworldofkindandwell-bredpeople。Sinceshewasfourteen，forsevenyears，thishadbeenherlife——alifeasopentothepublicasthelifeofanactress，aseasyofaccessasthatofthestenographerinthehotellobby。Asaresult，thegirlhadencasedherselfinadefensivearmorofhardnessanddistrust，aprotectionwhichwasrenderedfutilebythelovelinessofherface，bythesoftnessofhervoice，bythedeep，broodingeyes，andthefineforeheadonwhich，likeacrown，restedtheblackwavesofherhair。
InherworkVeraaccepted，withoutquestion，thepartstowhichVanceassignedher。Whenintheirmummeriestheyweresuccessful，sheneitherenjoyedthecredulityofthosetheyhadtrickednorwassoberedwithremorse。IntheworldVancefoundacertainnumberofpeoplewithmoneywhodemandedtobefooled。
Itwashisbusinessandherstomeetthatdemand。Ifevertheconscienceofeitherstirredrestlessly，Vancesootheditbytheeasyanswerthatiftheydidnottakethemoneysomeoneelsewould。Itwasallintheday\'swork。Itwasherprofession。
AssheenteredthelibraryofMr。Hallowell，which，withVance，shealreadyhadvisitedseveraltimes，shelookedlikeachildmasqueradinginhermother\'sfinery。ShesuggestedaningenuewhohadbeensuddenlysentonintheroleoftheRussianadventuress。Herslightgirl\'sfigurewasdrapedinblacklace。
Herfacewasshadedbyalargepicturehat，heavywithdroopingostrichfeathers；aroundhershoulderswasanecklaceofjade，andonherwristsmanybraceletsofsilvergilt。Whenshemovedtheyrattled。Asthegirladvanced，smiling，togreetMr。
Hallowell，shesuddenlystopped，shiveredslightly，andthrewherrightarmacrosshereyes。Herleftarmshestretchedoverthetable。
\"Givemeyourhand!\"shecommanded。Dubiously，withawatchfulglanceatVance，Mr。Hallowellleanedforwardandtookherhand。
\"Youhavebeenill，\"criedthegirl；\"veryill——Iseeyou——I
seeyouinakindoffaint——verylately。\"Hervoiceroseexcitedly。\"Yes，lastnight。\"
Mr。Hallowellprotestedwithindignation。\"Youreadthatinthemorningpaper，\"hesaid。
Veraloweredherarmfromhereyesandturnedthemreproachfullyonhim。
\"Idon\'treadtheDespatch，\"sheanswered。
Mr。Hallowelldrewbacksuspiciously。\"Ididn\'tsayitwastheDespatch，\"hereturned。
Vancequicklyinterposed。\"Youdon\'thavetosayit，\"heexplainedwithglibness；\"youthoughtit。AndVerareadyourthoughts。YouwerethinkingoftheDespatch，weren\'tyou？Well，thereyouare!It\'swonderful!\"
\"Wonderful？Nonsense!\"mockedMr。Hallowell。\"ShedidreaditinthepaperorRaineytoldher。\"
Thegirlshruggedhershoulderspatiently。\"Ifyouwouldratherfindoutyouwereillfromthenewspapersthanfromthespiritworld，\"sheinquired，\"whydoyouaskmehere？\"
\"Iaskyouhere，youngwoman，\"exclaimedHallowell，sinkingbackinhischair，\"becauseIhopedyouwouldtellmesomethingI
can\'tlearnfromthenewspapers。Butyouhaven\'tbeenabletodoityet。Mydearyounglady，\"exclaimedtheoldmanwistfully，\"I
wanttobelieve，butImustbeconvinced。Notrickswithme!I
canexplainhowyoumighthavefoundouteverythingyouhavetoldme。Givemeasign!\"Hebeattheflatofhishanduponthetable。\"ShowmesomethingIcan\'texplain!\"
\"Mr。Hallowellisquiteright，Vera，\"saidVance。\"Heisenteringwhatistohimanewworld，fullofmysteries，andthatcautionwhichinthisworldhasmadehimsosuccessful——\"
Withanexclamation，Hallowellcutshortthepatteroftheshowman。
\"Yes，yes，\"heinterruptedpetulantly；\"Itellyou，Iwanttobelieve。Convinceme。\"
Consideringthesituationwithpursedlipsandthoughtfuleyes，Veragazedattheoldman，frowning。Finallysheasked，\"Haveyouwitnessedoutdemonstrationsofmindreading？\"
Mr。Hallowellsnorted。\"Certainlynot，\"hereplied；\"it\'satrick!\"
\"Atrick!\"criedthegirlindignantly，\"toreadaman\'smind——
toseerightthroughyourforehead，throughyourskull，intoyourbrain？Isthatatrick？\"SheturnedsharplytoVance。\"Showhim!\"shecommanded；\"showhim!\"Shecrossedrapidlytothewindowandstoodlookingdownintothestreet，withherbacktotheroom。
Vance，withhisbackturnedtoVera，stoodclosetothetable，ontheothersideofwhichHallowellwasreclininginhisarmchair。Vancepickedupapenholder。
\"ThinkofwhatIhaveinmyhand，please，\"hesaid。\"Whatisthis，Vera？\"heasked。Thegirl，gazingfromthewindowatthetrafficintheavenuebelowher，answeredwithindifference，\"A
penholder。\"
\"Yes，whataboutit？\"snappedVance。
\"Goldpenholder，\"Veraansweredmorerapidly。\"Muchengraving——initialsS。H——Mr。Hallowell\'sinitials——\"
\"Thereisadatetoo。Canyou——\"
\"December——\"Verahesitated。
\"Goon，\"commandedVance。
\"Twenty-five，one，eight，eight，six；onethousandeighthundredandeighty-six。\"Shemovedhershouldersimpatiently。
\"Oh，tellhimtothinkofsomethingdifficult，\"shesaid。
FrombehindMr。Hallowell\'schairRaineysignaledtoVancetotakefromthetableaphotographframeofsilverwhichheldthepictureofawoman。
Vancepickeditup，holdingitclosetohim。
\"WhathaveIhere，Vera？\"heasked。
Hallowell，seeingwhatVanceheldinhishand，leanedforward。
\"Putthatdown!\"hecommanded。ButVerahadalreadybeguntoanswer。
\"Apicture，apictureofayoungwoman。AskhimtothinkofwhoitisandIwilltellhim。\"
AtthewordsMr。Hallowellhesitated，frowned，andthennodded。
\"Itishissister，\"calledVera。\"Hernamewas——IseemtogetaCatherine——yes，that\'sit；CatherineCoates。Sheisnolongerwithus。Shepassedintothespiritworldthreeyearsago。\"Thegirlturnedsuddenlyandapproachedthetable，holdingherheadhigh，asthoughoffended。
\"Howdoyouexplainthattrick？\"shedemanded。
Mr。Hallowellmoveduneasilyinhischair。\"Oh，thepicture\'sbeenonmydeskeachtimeyou\'vebeenhere，\"heanswereddubiously。\"Raineycouldhavetoldyou。\"
\"Asamatteroffact，Ididn\'t，\"saidRainey。
Hallowell\'seyeslightenedwithinterest。\"Didn\'tyou？\"heasked。HeturnedtoVera。\"Ifyoucanreadmymind，\"hechallenged——\"you，\"headded，pointingatVance，\"keepoutofthisnow——tellmeofwhatIamthinking。\"AsVancedrewback，Raineyandhimselfexchangedaquickglanceofapprehension，butthegirlpromptlyclosedhereyes，andatonce，inadull，measuredtone，begantospeak。
\"Youwerethinkingyouwouldliketoaskaquestionofsomeoneinthespirit，\"sherecited。\"Butyouareafraid。Youdonottrustme。YouwillwaituntilIgiveyouasign；thenyouwillaskthatquestionofsomeonedeartoyou，whohaspassedbeyond，andshewillanswer，andyourtroubleswillbeatanend。\"SheopenedhereyesandstaredatMr。Hallowelllikeonecomingoutofadream。\"WhatdidIsay？\"sheasked。\"WasI
right？\"
Hallowellslankbackinhischair，shakinghishead。
\"Yes，\"hebegangrudgingly，\"but——\"
Withaneagernesshardlyconcealed，Vanceinterrupted。
\"Whatisthequestionyouwishtoask？\"hebegged。
Withafrownofsuspicion，HallowellturnedfromhimtoRainey。
\"Idon\'tthinkIoughttoletthemknow，\"hequestioned；\"doyou？\"Buthisattentionwassharplydiverted。
Vera，inahushedandsolemnvoice，calledforsilence。
\"Mycontrol，\"sheexplained——hertonewasdeepandawestruck——\"istryingtocommunicatewithme。\"
Vancegaveanexclamationofconcern。TheprospectofthephenomenaVerapromisedseemedtofillhimwithdelightfulexpectations。\"Beveryquiet，\"hecautioned，\"donotdisturbher。\"
Deeplyimpressed，Mr。Hallowellstruggledfromhischair。
Unaided，hemovedtobelowthetableandleaningagainstitlooked，withunwillingbutfascinatedinterest，atVera\'supliftedface。
\"Someoneinthespirit，\"Verachanted，inanunemotional，druggedvoice，\"wishestospeaktoMr。Hallowell。Givemeyourhand。\"
\"Quick!\"directedVance，\"giveheryourhand。Takeherhand。\"
\"Yes，heishere，\"Veracontinued。\"Awomanhasamessageforyou，sheisstandingclosebesideyou。Sheisholdingoutherarms。Andsheistrying，sohard，totellyousomething。Whatisit？\"thegirlquestioned。\"Oh，whatisit？Tellme，\"shebegged。
\"Can\'tyoutellme？\"
Hallowelleyedhergreedily，waitingalmostwithoutbreathingforherwords。Thehandwithwhichheheldherscrushedherringsintoherfingers。
\"Whatsort？\"——whisperedtheoldman。\"Whatsortofawoman？\"
Witheyesstillclosed，swayingslightlyandwithabruptshuddersrunningdownherbody，thegirlcontinuedindull，fatefultones。
