"And now, Sir Joseph, could you oblige me with the name of the physician
who attended your last sickness?"
But no sooner had I propounded this final query than Mr. Stellato
declared his consciousness of a skeptical influence in the company which
would go far to impede other manifestations. Where people were not
harmonial, he explained, the Detached Vitalized Electricity being unable
to unite with the Imponderable Magnetic Fluid given off by mediums,
satisfactory results could not be obtained.
"But we have at least obtained this satisfaction," said I, addressing
Colonel Prowley: "Sir Joseph has committed himself about the day and
place of his decease. You must soon hear from some member of his family.
If these particulars have been correctly given, there will be, at least,
the beginning of evidence upon which to establish his identity."
Mrs. Colfodder was so shocked with the perversity of unbelief which she
detected in this harmless remark, that, nudging Miss Branly, she
solemnly arose and moved to break up the circle for the night. And as it
was already past nine o'clock, no violent objection was made to the
proposition.
"The circle will meet in this place to-morrow morning at eight o'clock,
for the pursuance of further investigations," proclaimed Miss Turligood,
in sonorous accents.
"Fast-Day, Madam," mildly suggested Colonel Prowley.
"The spirits do not recognize Fast-Day. Tomorrow at eight o'clock. In
this place. Let every medium be punctual. It is to be _hoped_ that the
_conditions_ will _then_ be _favorable_!"
This latter aspiration, with its feminine redundancy of emphasis, was
cast in my direction, as Miss Turligood swept haughtily from the room.
Her final exit, however, was neither curt nor in any way effective. For
it was no easy matter to gather up the bags, parcels, shawls, and other
devices which the good lady had brought with her and scattered about the
entry. One India-rubber shoe in particular eluded our search, till I was
ready to admit the supposition that the spirits had carried it off, as
entirely reasonable and satisfactory. A good-natured Irishman, servant
to Miss Turligood, who had come with a lantern to see her home, at
length discovered this missing bit of apparel upon Miss Branly's
foot,--that medium, as it appeared, having in a fit of abstraction
appropriated three. Finally the lantern glimmered down the gravel-walk,
and Mr. Stellato, with a lady upon each arm, was persuaded to follow it.
It was waking from a nightmare to get rid of them.
"Over at last!" exclaimed Miss Prowley, when we returned to the
drawing-room. She had been sitting in silence in an obscure corner, and
I had scarcely realized her presence. "Over at last! and of all
fatiguing and unprofitable employments that the folly of man ever
devised, this trifling with spirits is certainly the chief."
"Nay, my dear," urged the brother, in his placid way, "these good people
who have fastened themselves upon us seem so anxious to continue the
investigation that I cannot find it in my heart to refuse them. I _did_
wish, to be sure, that we might have our Fast-Day in quiet; but Miss
Turligood, who knows much more about the matter than we do, thinks the
spirits would not like it, if we did, and so--although we will absent
ourselves from the sitting long enough to go to church--we must really
make the best of it, and receive the circle."
"You speak like a believer, Colonel Prowley," I said.
"No, not quite that," replied the old gentleman,--"yet, truly, I
sometimes hardly know why I am not. The knockings alone are quite
inexplicable; and when it comes to a fiery hand ringing the dinner-bell,
which Stellato can show in the dark----Besides, there are the
communications from distinguished characters, many of them so very
important and interesting. To be sure, my poor cousin Barley did not do
himself justice this evening, though some of his ideas were very
poetical; but, really, the other night, when he told us how much the
Royal Sextons were thought of in the spheres, and repeated that very
high compliment which Thomas Herne paid to my family-history, it all
seemed so marvellous, and yet so natural, that I could not help
subscribing pretty handsomely to the cause."
"And one of the privileges that your subscription has gone to purchase I
am yet to enjoy. Dr. Burge wished me to visit, in his company, your
former pastor, Mr. Clifton,--and we must look for him, as I see, at the
Spiritualists' Festival in the Town Hall."
"Sad! sad!" cried Colonel Prowley, thoughtfully chewing upon my remark.
"It is an abiding shame for a minister of the gospel to meddle with
these things, except, possibly, in the way of exorcism. Truly, a deep
humiliation has fallen upon the town."
And the chagrin of this respected gentleman was wholly sincere. The
Puritanical distinction between clergy and laity had scarcely faded in
his mind. The pastor of the First Church had belonged to a cherished
class,--a class whose moral and intellectual consequence must be
maintained by avoidance of all dangerous inquiries, common interests,
and secular amusements. A minister attending a Jenny-Lind
Charity-Concert in a play-house, or leading armed men in the most sacred
cause for which human blood might be shed,--what offences would these
have been to this titular Colonel of Foxden, who had won his honors by a
six-months' finery and dining as aide-de-camp to some forgotten
Governor!
"I fear I shall not be back before you wish to close the house."
"Never mind, you remember the old arrangement: door-key under the
scraper,--light burning in the drawing-room."
With hearty thanks I went forth to keep my appointment with Dr. Burge.