The Argosy — page 234: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

176 The Mystery of Allan Grale. like it to be at my own house. Mary Anne said something about your ladyship’s ; but we will not so far trouble you.” “ At your own house certainly, dear Mr. Grale. You must let the medium see and touch that walking-stick,” she said, dropping her voice to a whisper. ‘A rapport is of great assistance to them.” Mr. Grale listened and nodded, probably the more impressed the less he understood. ‘‘ There is another walking-stick concerned ; at least, that may have been concerned,” he said. ‘ Ought that one to be present also, Lady Laura.” “Yes,” she answered, “and also any other articles at hand. Sometimes things are strangely asked for after the medium has passed into the trance. I will write to Miss Tempest to come here the day after to-morrow, and will drive her over to Moorland House the following afternoon. That will be Saturday: shall we say Saturday evening for the séance p—the soft summer twilight is always pro- pitious to these meetings.” ‘They sometimes take place in pitch darkness, don’t they ?” Lady Laura laughed lightly. ‘‘ Darkness is sometimes necessary, I believe, but very seldom. I do hope, dear Mr. Grale, that you will be satisfied in all ways. There will be a handsome cheque to pay to Miss Tempest, if successful,” she added with deprecation. ‘She is coming from a distance to oblige us, you see. “Of course, of course ; I quite understand that,” readily responded Mr. Grale in a hearty tone. Declining the offer of refreshment, Mr. Grale rose to leave. Lady Laura accompanied him across the hall, and shook hands with him at the door, all in a homely comfortable fashion—which quite impressed the homely man. She stepped outside and stood there talking with him for a minute or two. His mail phaeton—for Mr. Grale kept one, -and had driven over in it—was pacing about, waiting for him. At that moment the dreadful butcher was leaving a joint at the side-gate. He and the grocer were both dunning her ladyship for money. The sight of her intimacy with the rich and respected manufacturer would | not make them more impatient to be settled with. That evening Mr. Grale called at Dr. Palmers. He explained to | him what was in contemplation, and asked the Doctor to be present. ‘‘T have always had my doubts—nay, more than doubts,” observed Mr. Grale. ‘I don’t fully believe now, though Lady Laura has done her best to convince me. What is your opinion, my friend 2?” But Dr. Palmer did not give one. He had heard curious things _ stated, but he had not followed them himself. ‘It is hard to believe that these wonders, revelations as they call them, can be pumped up at a given hour of a given day, at a given place by a given person,” he said. I am more inclined to believe in the little intuitions which flash in and out of daily life, and come on the very lines which would discredit them with many people—the lines of strong feeling—of love, or hate, or hope, or fear.” COMIC OoOOkKS.con