The Necromancers

two women walked beneath the yews that morni

had stopped to destroy a youthful plantain that had established himself with infinite pains on the slope of the path. She attacked f

anything to Mrs. Stapleton

n't, auntie," sai

hey passed up and down, but Maggie only a

find Laurie already in church; they had walked back together, and, to he

but a sentence or two of his as they

. It was his manner, his air, that troubled her. What strange people these converts were! There was so much ardor at one time, so

w Thought kind of perso

arian last year. And I believe she was a sort of Buddhist five or six years

ie s

she'll talk a

went on the old lady. "And you think

e'll tell him about Deep Breathing, or saying O

slender woman, hooded and veiled, who walked up the little path, observed by Maggie from her bedroom, with a kind of

drawing-room a minute or two later, "to let me come over like this. I've heard s

, Miss Deronnais," o

riangular in shape, with small red lips,

the guest presently, looking about her,

so forth-all exquisitely made, and hung upon a slender chain of some green enamel-like material. Certainly she was true to type. As the full light fell upon her

rse, played out, and that a Higher Light had dawned. Mrs. Stapleton did not quite say this outright, but it amounted to as much. Even before Laurie came downstairs it appeared that the lady did not go to church, yet that, such was her broad-mindedn

ore mundane subjects, but it was useless. When even the

aurie

h the lady without a word. Then they moved across presently to the green-hung dini

ouses was of a yellow tint, but that this one emanated a brown-gold radiance which was very peculiar and exceptional. Indeed, it was this singularity that had caused Mrs. Stapleton to apply for an invitation to the house. More t

"there is something very unique about this p

e," observed the mistress plaintively. "We hav

Maggie had an irrepressible burst of internal laughter, which, however, gave no hint of its pre

him that any place where great emotions have been felt is colored and stained by them as objectively as old walls are weather-beaten. I had such an interestin

ilence. Mrs. Baxter's

she said faintly. "C

but to us of the Higher Thought all these things are quite familiar. Of course, I n

ed archly

ggie genially. "You were sa

, are you sure you w

receive new light,"

tfully; but there was no hin

is exactly untrue. Oh no; they tell us that if we cannot welcome the New Light, then the old lights will do very well fo

n accent?" asked Maggie gravely. The other

the medium affects the vehicle through which the communications come

rupted. She could

mean that Cardinal Newma

Vincent does much more than that. It is quite a common experience not only to hear him, but to s

e to the rescue once more. "This sounds rather advanced t

and began to discourse. When a little later her plate was

ed, enjoying herself enormously. The others ate food or

meet those who have not.... Dear Mrs. Baxter, think how all this enlarges life. There is no longer any death to those who understand. All those limitations are removed; it is no more than going i

helpfulness round the faces, lingering fo

llowed a

iant patient smile, and swept out. Maggie crossed herself and looked at Laurie. The boy had an expression, half o

rolled back up the garden path, after seeing Mrs. Stapleton wave a delicat

nks she believes i

eve anything. I hope poor Lauri

Laurie took i

eath and the rest.... Why, here comes Laur

tossing away the fragment of his cigarette. He was still in

out yet, dear boy?"

id, and hesitate

xter no

e said. "The carriage will

e two moved out toge

hat woman?" demanded Lau

. His tone was a litt

adful," she said frankly

t a cigarette and lighted it. "You know a lot o

wh

itual

ay," sai

mpletely, that she could hardly have put it into words. Nine-tenths of it she believed to be fraud-a matter of wigs and Indian muslin and cross-lights-and the other tenth,

el like that-"

rned o

able. I acknowledge I don't know much about it;

in a faintly p

, "if you think that, it's

said Maggie, with h

ounds of stamping and whoaing in the stable-y

xter knew perfectly well that every soul when it left this world went either to what she called Paradise, or in extremely exceptional cases, to a place she did not name; and that these places, each in its own way, entirely absorbed the atte

Newman therefore were extr

m of Mr. Vincent in order to exchange impressions with Mrs. Stapleton; but she was more elementary in her answer. For her the t

s. Baxter presently. "I didn't unde

ere very favorable, and the medium a very good one, the soul that wanted to communicate could mak

ur bodies are

I think they are. But

plain. I want to un

rowned a

dium who is in a trance, and speak through him, or write with his hand. Then, if things are favorable, they begin to draw out this matter, and make it into a kind of body for themselves, very thin and ethereal, so that you can pass your hand through

s the good

souls from the other world, and that they can tell us all

don't bel

the old lady; and a spark of h

I don't,"

do you e

d. But I really don't know. It do

t should

d her eyebro

out of your head. How

lips in as much se

e said. "We might stop at t

ference between the Hall and the Parsonage. She envied sometimes, secretly, the Romanist idea of celibacy: it was so much easier to get on with your spiritual adviser if you did not have to consider his wife. But here, was a mat

I

strolling vaguely in the garden, heard the

there had been something in her extreme assurance that had affected him, as a man may smile sourly at a good story in bad taste. His attitude, in fact, was that of most Christians under the circumstances. He did not, for an instant, believe that such things real

second, Maggie's attitude. When a plainly sensible and controlled young woman takes up a position of superiority, she is apt, unless the young man in her company happens to be in love with her-

ost favorable of moods to re

y after Mrs. Baxter had received from

me it's all non

e loo

?" he

sense. He told me about someone called Egli

hink, auntie,"

he same. I felt sure it must be so." La

very much about it, d

e to think of it, how could Cardinal Newman possibly appear in a drawing-r

double interpretation; but Laurie decide

h of Endor?" he aske

nswered his mother rapidly. "Mr. R

really Samuel

ngs were permitted then th

ief often renders the mourner rather cross. There was a distinct air of

id. "Maggie, do you know if there's a

d uneasily near

think there's something up there.

d stood opposi

it? (No, no mor

ed, I think," said

as he very deliberately drew down a bo

"Thanks very much.... No, reall

long steps, and disappeared. They heard his step

dly poured herself o

g of that girl still. I'm glad he's

large open fire, and he had skillfully masked the fact that it was a bedroom by disposing his furniture

ting-table and chairs, a deep easy chair near the door, and a long, high bookcase covering the wall between the door an

she thought she would look in on him for a few minutes. She was still a little uncomfortable; she did not quite know why: it was too ridiculo

r showing him a little marked friendliness. Besides, she would lik

r came; and then it seemed a rat

a couple of candles at his side, and the book in his hands. T

w minutes? It's nearly

-certa

n the book with one finger, while she sat down. Then

not smoking

ill now, if yo

t his hand to a box of cigarettes at his side. Bu

p her questio

of that," she said,

s with smoke and e

xtraordinary,"

what

e answering. Then he

worth anything, those

t th

ead re

he end of his cigarette with elaborate attention, and his face had that white, rather determ

that?" she said, with a touch of

e said, "

el

vidence is worth

that this was not an occasion to force issues. She

l Newman comes to Mr. Vincent's

to touch with those whom we call dead. Each ins

rdinal

nce for Cardinal Newman," rem

at that book," said

d an illustration. Certainly the book seemed interestingly written, and she read an argument or two that appeared reasonably presented. Yet she was extrao

d; but she s

ast, still refraining

's horrible

ed a little tobacco prot

sonable?" he asked. "You'v

served it for occasions when he was determined to

is unreasonable. But that kind of thing does seem to me so disgus

you?" sa

was s

n't

. But I don't w

so that it m

say?" He glanced purposely at the

see how you we

mean? With

n ever

rrow was acute beneath all his attempts at superiority, his courteous frac

orry," she cried out.

nothing at all,"

l prudence to the winds. She had not realized how fond she

't know what to do, I'm so sorry. But don't spoil it

your

n. Don't spoil it, b

uietly, "you must let me

n't

must go my own way. Please don't

e. Then Maggie recovered and

ust say this. You'll remember I'll

he was

was heard in the hall, followed by the sound of locking doors. This was the signal. Mrs. Baxter laid

de

ten the game had been designed with an eye upon the clock, and hardly any delay followed. Mrs. Baxter kissed h

about when he had joined the others. He looked at a London evening paper for a little, paced about, vanished again, and only ret

nterrupted him half-way through the book, but he had read again steadily until five minutes before dinner

depths by his sorrow. Crossness, as I have said, had been the natural psychological result of his em

smoldered in the afternoon, had been fanned ever so slightly by two breezes-the sense of Maggie's superiority and the faint rebellious reaction which had come upon him with regard to his personal religion. Certainly he had had Mass said for Amy this morning; but it had been b

the one soul in whom his own had been wrapped up. Even this afternoon as yesterday, even this morning as he lay awake, he h

the book; and it is not to be wonde

f spirituality-of all of which he was largely aware-a glimmering avenue of a faintly possible hope of which h

d theories so apparently consonant with themselves and with other partly known facts-stories and theories, to

and reason, declared categorically and in detail, that on this and that date, in this place and the other, after having taken all possible precautions against fraud, they had received messages from the dead-messages of which the purport was understood by none

ound overhead, Laurie went to the French w

had dropped with the coming of the dark, and high overhead he could see the great masses of the leaves mot

t needles from the trees, and above him, as he looked out, still sunk in h

ouse, too, was still behind him. An illuminated window somewhere on the first floor went out as he looked at it, l

that against the other, his emotion rose up in an irresistible torrent, and

m that attitude of clenched hands and tensely strung

the will and the love of man are the mightiest forces in creation. Surely again and again it had happened; there must be somewhere in the world man after man who had so called back the dead-a husband sobbing silently in the dark, a child wailing for his mother; surely that force had be

blotted out the star on which he stared; no touch on his shoulder, no whisper in his ear. It had seemed as he strove there,

dder of fear had had in it a touch of delicious,

e in a long sigh, and once more remembered the book he had

, listening in her bed, heard