下载辰思小说免费APP
Therewasnodoubtthathedidnotexchangeenvelopesandthatheburneditbeforemyveryeyes。Henowtooktheashesandemptiedthemintothebowlofwateronthesidetable。Alittleblueflameappearedonthesurfaceofthewaterafterthatforamoment，andthendisappeared。
Henowbroughtfromadraweranumberofslates——abouteightortensmallslateswithpaddededges。Theywerethesmallestsizeofslates，Ishouldjudge；andwiththemhebroughtanotherslate，atriflelarger，probablytwoinchesbothlongerandwider。Herequestedmetoexaminethoroughlyortocleanthemalltomyownsatisfaction，andtostackthesmallonesonthetable，oneontopoftheother；andwhenallwerethusplaced，toplacethelargeslateontopofthestack。
WhileIwasdoingthishecalledtohisattendantforadrinkofwater，andincidentallysteppedintothehalltoreceiveit，sothathismenialwouldnotprofanethissanctuarywithhispresence。
Returningtothetablehetookaseatoppositemeandplacedoneofmyhandsandoneofhisontopoftheslates。Induetimehetookuptheslatesandwefoundnothing。Hereplacedthem，andwaitedforafewmoments；thenseemingdissatisfiedwithconditions，hetookupthetopslateinhislefthandandwithhisrighthandbeganwritingamessageforme。Hedidthislikemediumsdoautomaticwriting，witheyeshalfclosed；andwhilewritinghispersonwasconvulsedafewtimes。Hethenopenedhiseyesandreadaloudwhathehadwritten，askingmeifitansweredmyquestion。I
repliedthatitdidnot，asitwasentirelyforeigntothesubject。
Thenseemingdissatisfied，hemoistenedhisfingers，erasedthewriting，andreplacedthetopslateonthestackofslates。
Henowplacedhishandsonthisslateagain，andafteratimeexaminedit；butitwasstillfreefromwriting。Heliftedupsomeoftheotherslates；butastherewasnowriting，hescatteredtheslatesaroundonthetableandaskedmetospreadalargeclothoverthemwhichhehandedtome。ThisIdid，andunderhisdirectionplacedmyarmsandhandsoverthis。Hewalkedtothebowlofwateronthesidetable，andgazedintoit。Iwatchedhim；
andIsawaratherlargeflameappearonthesurfaceofthewater，danceabout，anddisappear。
HeimmediatelyinformedmethathewascertainthatInowhadamessage。HeremainedatadistancewhileIexaminedtheslatesonebyone。Finally，ononeofthemIfoundamessage，neatlywrittenandcoveringtheentireslate。Itread：
“Mrs。Piperisagenuinemedium。Shepossessespowersofaveryunusualnature。HertestsgivenHyslopandothersaregenuine。Donotbeaskeptic。Youaremakingamistake，dearfriend。Itisallplaintomenow，andspiritisallthereis——WILL。“
Now，thequestionIhadwrittenwasaddressedtoaverydearfriendwhoisnowdead，andreadasfollows：
“WILLJ——：Inregardtothemedium，Mrs。Piper，ofwhomweconversedonyourlastvisit，Iwouldaskifshebegenuine，andifthetestsshegaveProfessorHyslopandothersweregenuine。Givemeatest。“
Thiswasallnicelydone，andIamsurewouldhavegreatlyimpressednearlyeveryone。Beingaperformermyself，Icouldofcoursefollowtheperformanceinminutedetail，andIamthusenabledtogivetothereadersofthispaperadetailedaccountofthemethodusedbythedoctor。IwillstatethatsincethattimeI
haveverysuccessfullyoperatedthissametest，minusthebowlofwaterandflameoffire；andthatIcanassureallthatitisverypracticableandthatitisverydeceptive。
Whenthemediumpickeduptheenvelopeinwhichtoplacemypaper，therewaswithinitaduplicatepieceofpaperfoldedthesame，andofthesamesize(oneinchandaquarterbytwoinches)astheoneIhadfolded。HekeptthefaceofthisenvelopeoppositemesoI
couldnotseethatsideofit。Onthefaceofitwasahorizontalslitcutwithaknife。Thisslitwasabouttwoincheslongandwassituatedabouthalfwaydownthefaceoftheenvelope。Theduplicatefoldedpaperwasplacedverticallyintheenvelopeatitscenter，sothatitscenterwaslocatedagainsttheslit。Thispieceofpaperwasheldinpositionbyatouchofpasteatapointoppositetheslit，whichcausedittoadheretotheinsideofthebackoftheenvelope。
Whenhepickedupthispreparedenvelopewithhislefthand，hedidsowiththeslitsideorfaceinhispalmnexttothefingersofhislefthand。Thisenvelopelayslitsidedownbeforehepickeditup；sothatIdidnotseethefaceoftheenvelopeatall，andhekeptthatsideoftheenvelopefrommeduringtheentiretrick。
Thepaperwithintheenvelopehadbeenplacedfarenoughdownsothatitstoppartwasnotexposedtomyview。Theenvelopethusappearedperfectlynatural，asanordinaryonewithnothinginit。
Hethusheldtheenvelopeinhislefthand，flapopenwide，withthebacksideoftheenvelopelatertobesealed，facingme。Nowhereallyinsertedmypaperinthisenvelopewithhisrighthandashetookitfromme；butinfact，hepusheditdownjustbehindthehiddenslipofpaperwithintheenvelope。Imeanthatheinserteditbetweentheconcealedslipandthefaceorslitsideoftheenvelope；a
