The Necromancers

s from the bed-clothes, sat up. He switched on the light by his bed, glanced at his watch

e reme

piece of furniture is brought into a room; all the rest of the furniture takes upon itself a different value. A picture that

ng else. The new sideboard, so to speak, had been brought into the room, but it had been put temporarily against the wall in a vacant space to be looked at; the owner of the room had not y

, but startlingly alert, he f

nally shifting a little, hearing the sound of one another's breathing or the faint rustle of one of the ladies' dresses, in sufficient light from the screened fi

he dark blot of his beard clearly discernible in the twilight. Now and then the boy's eyes had wandered to the other faces, to the young clergyman's opposite downcast and motionless

mpelled to make a little effort against the drowsiness that had begun to envelop him. He had had to do this altogether three or four times, and had even begun to wonder whether he should be

assing of a heavy van in the street; only there was no van. But it had increased, with spasms and recoils, till

erse motions, sinking at last into complete stillness, he was conscious of disappointment. A moment later, however, as he glanced u

e, the strong jutting nose, the lines from nostril to mouth, and the closed eyes. As he watched the light deepened in intensity, seeming to concentrate itself in the hidden corner at the top. Then, with a smooth, steady motion it emerged into full sight, in appearance like a softly luminous globe of a pale bluish color, undefined at

t about it.... And Laurie was unacquainted

t the close, with a long indrawing of breath, had looked once at Laurie, licked his dry lips with a motion that was audib

ad happened comp

d emerged almost immediately, diffused and misty like a nebula; had hung again before the cabinet,

it appeared in folds, dripping downwards to the ground, where it lost itself in vagueness. Then, as he still stared, conscious of nothing but t

ave and steady-as when he had seen it in the moonlight above the sluice-and behind, seen half through

ugh that the fact was there. Every power he possessed

of the clergyman, with his head turned back staring at the apparition, and one hand only on

the left, and he heard a

; sit down thi

relapsed again into blots and shadows, the drapery was absorbing itself upwards into the center from which it came. Once more the nebula trembl

clergyman. The medium had come out presently, dazed and confused. They had talked ... and so forth. Then Laurie had come home, still trying to assimilate

he following morning, tryin

the fact in-and that henceforth it was an established thing in his experience. He was not excited now, b

man walks by faith, by the acceptance of authority, human or Divine, there is always psychologically possible the assertion of self, the instinct that what one has not personally experienced may just conceivably be untrue. But when one has seen-so long as memory does not disappear-this agnostic instin

these innumerable acts and efforts of faith? It was not that his religion seemed necessarily untrue; it was certainly possible for a man to hold simultaneously Catholic and spiritualistic beliefs; there had not been a hint last night against Christianity, and yet, in the face of this evidence of the senses, Catholicism seemed a very shadowy thing. It might well be true, as any philosophy may be true,

ion fled away in the prese

hed about with the memory of sentiment. Now once more she sprang into vivid vital life as a person. She was not lost; his relations with her were not just incidents of the

ould be bridged far more securely yet. It was possible that the phantom he had seen could be brought yet more forward into the world of sense, that he could touch again with his very hand a tabernacle enclosi

get up; time to begin again this fascinating, absorbingly inter

that lie not a very long way from Charing Cross. There is a silence always here as of college life, and the place is frequented by the same curious s

in which he sat. From roof to floor the particular apartment in which he sat was lined with bookshelves filled with unprepossessing volumes and large

le and stout, with strongly marked features, a good loud voice, and the pleasant, brusque

served it, and was sufficiently in awe of him to pay attention to his directions in all matters connected with law. But they did not meet much on other plane

xcitement and his marked inattention to the books and papers which were his bus

e suddenly shot at him, wi

e back with a jump, an

mself down to his books again in silence, conscious of

hut his own book with a slap, leane

s very import

n spoken an hour previously, Lau

the other. "You haven't turne

nd leaned back too. Then he

is morning," he said. "Th

rton w

h! don't tell if me

looked

you'd say," h

ovement, pushed his books togethe

said. "Got to be in the

said Laurie. "I think

e." He stood, in

think of sp

r. Morton. "Anything

ow anythin

want to. Is

d Laurie.... "Oh! sit

events. The other during the course of it tilted his hat back, and half leaned, half sat against a side-table, watching the

of that?" ended Laur

now?" came after

ie n

at the begi

ha

," said Mr.

y, and affected to pu

said. "But I don't know what respect you c

in the world could make me believe that the ea

do you e

worth looking into. If you really saw that, you're either

e only one," cr

devil with nerves. Just drop it once and for all. I knew a chap once who we

said

ther briefly. "Nasty mess all ov

rom particulars to universals. Wa

r paused

w another chap-he's a solicitor.... Oh! by the

admitted Mr. Morton, with a grudging air. "B

hat's h

thc

d up at t

" he said,

he wa

to himself, that men should be so content with their limitations. But it was always the way, he reflected. To be a specialist in one point involved the pruning of all growth on every other. Here was Morton, almost in the front

nded unexpectedly soon. Laurie waited till the closing of the shutters offere

"I wish you'd com

her lo

E

yourself wha

n snorted

'd done with that. No, thank y

ighed el

ou won't face facts,

ys the very devil with nerves, as I told you. Why, you're as jumpy as a cat yourself. An

re talking about. Why ... why, I'm not a fool ... I know that. And do you think I'm ass enough to be taken in b

ld Cathcart. Know him...? Well, I'll introduce you any time. He'll tell you another tale. Of course, I don't believe all the rot he talks; but, at an

sneered

said. "Of course, I know well en

years. I'll acknowledge his stories are hair-r

his ad

d towards the directo

introduction if you want it. Though, mind y

does h

theory or other. But, at a

pursed

you some time," he

s sake, get on with that

competent, alert, merciless and kindly at the proper times, and, while at his business, thought of hardly anything else at all. And when he was not at his business, he threw himself

r delightful faculty of hero-worship. Mr. Morton himself, too, while possessing nothing even resembling a religion, was, like many other people, not altogether unattracted towards those who had, though he thought religiousness

e became aware that it was not merely superficial; and, indeed, Laurie's constant return to th

s work was suffering; and he heard from his lips the expression o

, as Laurie was putting his books together, Mr. Morto

town," said t

cottage. Care to come? Afraid t

ie s

r me," he said. "I'

es

Laurie. "No-thanks awfully,

aura's

es

old

e sat

w you don't mean anything; b

el

shed with sudden n

quite aware that you think it all the most utter bunkum; but, you see, I know it's true. And the whole thing is just like heaven opening.... Look

t were you up t

uieted a

't understa

any more of t

busi

w her-All right, seei

shook

n Ireland. We've been

swear I wo

re if you do.... Well,

t's

e hes

nto trance, y

ord, wh

h my hand," said Laurie deliberat

ned young fool," sa

all rot, as

stant-" He broke off. "And so's a nervous breakdown all ro

ed in a sup

ng yourself absor

im with a sudden f

it's all the world to me. A

ome Salvation Army..

the least wish

d half a dozen papers into a black tin box, locked that

he turned on

coming back from

onth yet. We're going to hav

What

," said Laurie.

know what the f

oking hard at the b

I repeat it.... Lock up wh