f Ida had lacked the
passionate intensity of Paul's, she had, notwithstanding, longed for it
very ardently, and when at nine o'clock the next night the carriage drew
up before Mrs. Legrand's door, she was in a transport of sweet
anticipation.

As for Paul he had dressed himself with extreme care for the occasion,
and looked to his best advantage. He had said to himself, "Shall I not
show her as much observance as I would pay to a living woman?" And who
can say--for very odd, sometimes, are the inarticulate processes of the
mind--that there was not at the bottom of his thoughts something of the
universal lover's willingness to let his mistress see him at his best?

They found the front parlour occupied as before by Mrs. Legrand and Dr.
Hull, when Alta showed them in. The medium was, as previously, the
picture of ill-health, and if she did not look noticeably worse than
before her sickness, it was merely because she had looked as badly as
possible then. In response to inquiries about her health she admitted
that she did not really feel equal to resuming her seances quite so soon,
and but for disliking to disappoint them would have postponed this
evening's appointment. Dr. Hull had, indeed, urged her to do so.

"You must not think of giving a seance if there is any risk of injury to
your health," said Miss Ludington, though not without being sensible of a
pang of disappointment. "We could not think of letting you do that, could
we, Paul?"

Paul's reply to this humane suggestion was not so prompt as it should
have been. In his heart he felt at that moment that he was as bad as a
murderer. He knew that he was willing this woman should risk not only her
health, but even her life, rather than that he should fail to see Ida. He
was striving to repress this feeling, so far at least as to say that he
would not insist upon going on with the seance, when Mrs. Legrand, with a
glance through her half-shut eyelids, intimating that she perfectly
understood his thoughts, said, in a tone which put an end to the
discussion, "Excuse me, but I shall certainly give the seance. I am much
obliged for your interest in me; but I am rather notional about keeping
my promises, and it is a peculiarity in which my friends have to indulge
in. I daresay I shall be none the worse for the exertion."

"Doctor," she added, "will you allow our friends to inspect the cabinet?"

"That is quite needless," said Paul.

"Our friends are often willing to wa