vera, the medium-第5章
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challenge； Miss Coates rose。
〃That is satisfactory to me；〃 she said。 Winthrop turned to Mr。
Hallowell。
〃Could I have a few minutes talk with Judge Gaylor now？〃 he
asked。 〃Not as anybody's counsel；〃 he explained； 〃just as an old
enemy of his？〃
〃Well； not here；〃 protested the old man querulously。 〃I'm I'm
expecting some friends here。 Judge； take Mr。 Winthrop to the
drawing room downstairs。〃 He turned to Garrett； who had appeared
in answer to his summons； and told him to bring Dr。 Rainey to
the library。 The butler left the room and； as Gaylor and
Winthrop followed； the latter asked Miss Coates if he might
expect to see her at the 〃Office。〃 She told him that she was now
on her way there。 Without acknowledging the presence of her
uncle； she had started to follow the others； when Mr。 Hallowell
stopped her。
After they were alone； for a moment he sat staring at her； his
eyes filled with dislike and with a suggestion of childish
spite。 〃I might as well tell you；〃 he began； 〃that after what
you said this morning； I will never give you a single dollar of
my money。〃
The tone in which his niece replied to him was no more
conciliatory than his own。 〃You cannot give it to me；〃 she
answered； 〃because it is not yours to give。〃 As though to add
impressiveness to what she was about to say； or to prevent his
interrupting her； she raised her hand。 So interested in each
other were the old man and the girl that neither noticed the
appearance in the door of Dr。 Rainey and the butler； who halted；
hesitating； waiting permission to enter。
〃That money belongs to me；〃 said Miss Coates slowly； 〃and as
sure as my mother is in Heaven and her spirit is guiding me；
that money will be given me。〃
In the pause that followed； a swift and singular change came
over the face of Mr。 Hallowell。 He stared at his niece as though
fascinated。 His lower lip dropped in awe。 The look of hostility
gave way to one of intense interest。 His voice was hardly louder
than a whisper。
〃What do you mean？〃 he demanded。
The girl looked at him； uncomprehending。 〃What do I mean？〃 she
repeated。
〃When you said；〃 he stammered eagerly； 〃that the spirit of your
mother was guiding you； what did you mean？〃
In the doorway； Rainey and the butler started。 Each threw the
other a quick glance of concern。
〃Why；〃 exclaimed the girl impatiently； 〃her influence； her
example； what she taught me。〃
〃Oh！〃 exclaimed the old man。 He leaned back with an air almost
of disappointment。
〃When she was alive？〃 he said。
〃Of course；〃 answered the girl。
〃Of course；〃 repeated the uncle。 〃I thought you meant 〃 He
looked suspiciously at her and shook his head。 〃Never mind；〃 he
added。 〃Well；〃 he went on cynically； striving to cover up the
embarrassment of the moment； 〃your mother's spirit will probably
feel as deep an interest in her brother as in her daughter。 We
shall see； we shall see which of us two she is going to help。〃
He turned to Garrett and Rainey in the hall。 〃Take my niece to
the door； Garrett；〃 he directed。
As soon as Miss Coates had disappeared； Hallowell turned to
Rainey； his face lit with pleased and childish anticipation。
〃Well；〃 he whispered eagerly； 〃is she here？〃
Rainey nodded and glanced in the direction opposite to the one
Miss Coates had taken。 〃She's been waiting half an hour。 And the
Professor too。〃
〃Bring them at once；〃 commanded Mr。 Hallowell excitedly。 〃And
then shut the door and and tell the Judge I can't see him
tell him I'm too tired to see him。 Understand？〃
Rainey peered cautiously over the railing of the stairs to the
first floor； and then beckoned to some one who apparently was
waiting at the end of the hall。
〃Miss Vera； sir；〃 he announced； 〃and Professor Vance。〃
Although but lately established in New York； the persons Dr。
Rainey introduced had already made themselves comparatively
well…known。 For the last six weeks as 〃headliners〃 at one of the
vaudeville theatres； and as entertainers at private houses；
under the firm name of 〃The Vances；〃 they had been giving an
exhibition of code and cipher signaling。 They called it mind
reading。 During the day； at the house of Vance and his wife； the
girl； as 〃Vera； the Medium；〃 furnished to all comers memories of
the past or news of the future。 In their profession； in all of
its branches； the man and the girl were past masters。 They knew
it from the A； B； C of the dream book to the post…graduate work
of projecting from a cabinet the spirits of the dead。 As the
occasion offered and paid best； they were mind readers；
clairvoyants； materializing mediums； test mediums。 From them； a
pack of cards； a crystal globe； the lines of the human hand；
held no secrets。 They found lost articles； cast horoscopes； gave
advice in affairs of the heart； of business and speculation；
uttered warnings of journeys over seas and against a smooth…
shaven stranger。 They even stooped to foretell earthquakes； or
caused to drop fluttering from the ceiling a letter straight
from the Himalayas。 Among those who are the gypsies of the
cities； they were the aristocrats of their calling； and to them
that calling was as legitimate a business as is； to the roadside
gypsy； the swapping of horses。 The fore…parents of each had
followed that same calling； and to the children it was
commonplace and matter…of…fact。 It held no adventure； no moral
obloquy。
〃Prof。〃 Paul Vance was a young man of under forty years。 He
looked like a fox。 He had red eyes； alert and cunning； a long；
sharp…pointed nose； a pointed red beard； and red eyebrows that
slanted upward。 His hair； standing erect in a pompadour； and his
uplifted eyebrows gave him the watchful look of the fox when he
hears suddenly the hound baying in pursuit。 But no one had ever
successfully pursued Vance。 No one had ever driven him into a
corner from which； either pleasantly； or with raging
indignation； he was not able to free himself。 Seven years before
he had disloyally married out of the 〃profession〃 and for no
other reason than that he was in love with the woman he married。
She had come to seek advice from the spirit world in regard to
taking a second husband。 After several visits the spirit world
had advised Vance to advise her to marry Vance。
She did so； and though the man was still in love with his wife；
he had not found her； in his work； the assistance he had hoped
she might be。 She still was a 〃believer〃； in the technical
vernacular of her husband 〃a dope。〃 Not even the intimate
knowledge she had gained behind the scenes could persuade her
that Paul； her husband； was not in constant communication with
the spirit world； or that； if he wished； he could not read the
thoughts that moved slowly through her pretty head。
At the time of his marriage； the girl Vera； then a child of
fourteen； had written to Vance for help。 She was ill； without
money； and asked for work。 To him she was known as the last of a
long line of people who had always been professional mediums and
spiritualists； and； out of charity and from a sense of noblesse
oblige to one of the elect of the profession； Vance had made her
his assistant。 He had never regretted having done so。 The bread
cast upon the waters was returned a thousandfold。 From the
first； the girl brought in money。 And his wife； the older of the
two； had welcomed her as a companion。 After a fashion the Vances
had adopted her。 In the advertisements she was described as
their 〃ward。〃
Vera now was twenty…one； tall； wonderfully graceful； and of the
most enchanting loveliness。 Her education had been cosmopolitan。
In the largest cities of America she had met persons of every
class young women； old women； mothers with married sons and
daughters； women of society as it is exploited in the Sunday
supplements； school girls； shop girls； factory girls all had
told her their troubles； and men of every condition had come to
scoff and had remained to express； more or less offensively；
their admiration。 Some of the younger of these； after a first
visit； returned the day following； and each begged the beautiful
priestess of the occult to fly with him； to live with him； to
marry him。 When this happened Vera would touch a button； and
〃Man
