n table, which had been procured
specially for the sitting. On this I stood the tin horn, upright on its
larger end; beside it I laid a pad, a pencil, and a small slate.

"Mrs. Smiley, you are to sit here," I said, drawing an arm-chair to the
end of the table nearest the wall. She took her seat submissively; and
looking around upon my fellow-members with a full knowledge of what was
in their minds, I remarked: "If all goes well to-night, this little
woman, alone and unaided, except by this megaphone, will utterly
confound you. We have had many sittings. We understand each other
perfectly. I am going to treat her as if she were an unconscious
trickster. I am going to use every effort to discover how she
accomplishes these mysterious results, and Miller is to be notably
remorseless. We are going to concede (for the present) the dim light
required. I don't like this, but Mrs. Smiley is giving us every other
condition, and as this is but a trial sitting, we grant it." I turned to
Miller. "The theory is that light acts in direct opposition to the
psychic force, weakening it unaccountably. Nevertheless, darkness is not
absolutely essential. Maxwell secured many convincing movements in the
light, and no doubt we shall be able to do so later."

"Who is Maxwell?" asked Miss Brush.

"Dr. Joseph Maxwell, Deputy Attorney-General of the Court of Appeals at
Bordeaux and Doctor of Medicine. He is a noted experimenter with psychic
forces. Indeed, he has the power himself. Now, Mrs. Smiley, I wish to
begin my tests by tying your wrists to the arms of your chair. May I do
so?"

"Certainly," she cheerfully answered. "You may padlock me, or put me in
an iron cage, if you please. I leave it all to you."

"Well, there is a certain virtue in knotting a silk thread, for the
reason that it is almost impossible to untie, even in the light, and to
break it, we will agree, invalidates the sitting. For to-night we will
use the thread. Miller, will you watch me?"

"With the greatest pleasure in the world," he answered, "and as a
scientist I am going to treat you as a possible confederate."

"Very good. Let each watch the other."

Beneath the gaze of the smiling company, I took from my pocket a spool
of strong silk twist, and proceeded to fasten the psychic's wrists. Each
arm was tied separately in such wise that she was unable to bring her
hands together, and could not raise her wrists an inch from the chair.
Next, with the aid of Mrs. Came