第章

OnthenexteveningIagainrepairedtothepublichalltowitnessand，ifpossible，fathomthisperformance。Thistime，however，I

foundthatanentirelydifferentmethodwasemployed。Envelopesandslipsofpaperweredistributed；andafterthequestionswerewrittenandsealedthemanagerwentabouttheroom，gatheringthemupinasmallblackbagwithadrawstringarounditstop。Ashegatheredupeachone，andwhilethewriterstillheldit，hegavetothatpersonanumberwhichwastoserveasthatparticularperson’snumberduringthetests。Atthesametimethemanagermarkedthenumberonthesubject’senvelope，whilethesubjectheldit，drawingacirclearoundthefigure，afterwhichthesubjectdroppedtheenvelopeintothesack。

Whenallwerecollected，theoperatortookthesackinthetipsofhisfingers，andholdingitaloft，walkeduptherunwaytothestagewhereacordhungfromascrew-eyefastenedintheceilingabove。Theotherendofthecordwasattachedtoapieceoffurnitureonthestage。Themanagernowattachedtheblackbagcontainingtheenvelopestotheendofthisstring，andthentakingtheotherend，drewthebaguptotheceilingnearthescrew-eye，whereitremainedinfullviewduringthetests。

Whilethemanagerwasdoingallthis，theghost-likemediumhadbeenwalkingaboutthestage，readinginalargeBible。HenowlaidtheBibleonatableandadvancedtothefrontofthestage，whilethemanagerdeliveredalectureonspiritualphilosophyandalsoonthestrangepowerofthemedium。AfterthisthemanagerannouncedthatthemediumwouldholdaBibleservice，duringwhichtimehewouldgivethetests。

ThemediumnowtookhisBible，andseatinghimselfinachairfacingtheaudience，beganbyreadingaverse。Afterthisheclosedhiseyesforatime，andthengavethefirsttest。Hebegan：“Iwillgivethesetestsintheorderinwhichthemanagergaveyouyournumbers，commencingwithnumberone。Now，Mrs。ClaraS——，Iseestandingnearyouanelderlylady，somewhatstooped；

butIcannotseeherfaceplainly。Sheseemstobeyourmother。

Shesaystotellyouthatyoursonisdoingwellwhereheis，andforyounottoworry，forhewillreturntoyouintime。Areyousatisfied？“Aladyintheaudiencewasvisiblyaffected，andacknowledgedthatthemediumhadansweredherquestioncorrectly。

ThemediumreadanotherverseintheBible，afterwhichhegavethesecondtestinamannersimilartothewayinwhichhehadgiventhefirstone。Afterthishereadanotherverse，andsocontinueduntilallthequestionsinthesackwereanswered。Themanagernowloweredthesack，andemptyingtheenvelopesintoasmallbasketdistributedthemunopenedtotheirwriters。

Theeffectofthisexhibitionwasfullyasgreataswasthatoftheformerone，andthemediumcontinuedtobethewonderofthetown。

OnthenexteveningIagainattendedthemeeting。Onthisoccasionquestionswerewrittenandsealedasontheformeroccasions。Thistimethemediumwasdressedasa“Mahatma，“wearingalargeturban。

Assoonasthequestionswerewritten，themanagercollectedtheminasmallwickerbasket，andemptiedthemonatableonthestage。

Heonlytalkedforamoment，describingwhatthemediumwoulddo。

Duringallthistimethemediumwasseatednearthefrontofthestage。Themediumnowtappedalittlebellheheldinhishand，asifsummoningthespirits，andbegangivingthetestsinthemostmarvelousmanner。Heseemedsomewhatnervous，andfinallyaroseandwalkedacrossthestage，stoppedamomentandthencontinuedhiswalk。Meanwhilehekeptgivingthetests。Occasionallyhewouldwalkaboutnervously，andsometimeshewouldseathimselfinthechairforatime；buthekeptrightongivingtestaftertest，withperfectaccuracy，whilethesealedenvelopesremainedinfullviewonthetable。Duringthistime，andinfactduringthetimetheaudiencewaswritingthequestions，neitherthemediumnorthemanagerhadeverleftthesightofthespectatorsforevenaninstant。

Afterallthetestsweregiven，themedium，verymuchexhausted，fellonacouchonthestage；whilethemanagerscoopedtheenvelopesbackintothebasket，andthendistributedthemtotheirwritersinanunopenedcondition。

Iwillnowexplainhowthis“occultist“gavethesevariousbillettests。

Wewillfirstrefertothetestsgiventhefirstevening。Aboyfromtheaudiencegatheredupthesealedenvelopesinahat，andbroughtthemtothestage，sittingwiththeminhislap；whilehedeliveredoneatatimetothemanager，whohelditaloft，duringwhichtimetheblindfoldedmediuminthereargavethetest。

Therewasasimplelittlemovethatescapedtheeyesofthespectatorsinthisinstance。Thespectatorsdidnotknowwhatwastohappen，neitherdidtheboy。Themovewasexecutedasfollows：

Justastheboycameonthesta