"A very neat little touch," remarked Miller.

"We worked for a long time over this music, directed by the voice, both
in the notation and in the execution of it. The lines were drawn for
both bass and treble lengthwise of the slate, and Blake found the little
piece difficult to play, partly because the staves were on different
leaves of the slate and partly because the notes, especially some of
those put in at the beginning by the composer, were becoming blurred. It
was marvellous to see how exactly these dim notes were touched up by the
mysterious pencil beneath the table. But our progress was slow. 'E. A.'
was very patient, though now and then he plumply opposed his will to
Blake's. Once, especially, Blake exclaimed: 'That can't be right!'

"'_Yes, it is right!_' insisted 'E. A.'

"'But it is very unusual to construct a measure in that way.' For there
was a seeming confusion of three-four time with six-eight time.

"'_It is a liberty I permit myself_,' was the swift reply.

"In the last bar, which did not appear to be filled satisfactorily, the
composer directed the insertion of a figure 2. This meant, as became
clear through a subsequent reference to his printed scores, the playing
of two quarter-notes in the time of three eighth notes, but was not
understood at the moment by Blake.

"'_Never mind_,' said 'E. A.,' pleasantly, '_I will write it
differently_.' The figure '2' was cancelled, and the measure was
completed by a rest. This is only one of many astonishing passages in
this dialogue.

"In all this work 'E. A.' carried himself like the creative master. He
held to a plane apparently far above the psychic's musical knowledge,
and often above that of his amanuensis. He was highly technical
throughout in both the composition and the playing, and Blake followed
his will, for the most part, as if the whispers came from Alexander
himself. And yet I repeat the music and all may have come from a union
of Blake's mind with that of the psychic, with now and then a mixture of
my own subconscious self."

"What was the psychic doing all this time?" asked Miller.

"She was listening to the voice and repeating the words which Blake
could not hear. She seemed merely the somewhat bored interpreter of
words which she did not fully understand. It was precisely as if she
were catching by wireless telephone the whispered instructions of my
friend 'E. A.' I can't believe she consciously deceived us, but it is
possible that