to occupy their minds, or,
what is more probable, have no minds to be thus occupied; and, while not
giving Spiritualism any public endorsement, secretly follow its, to
them, fascinating superstitions and mysteries, and practice, in an easy
way that prevents scandal or infamous notoriety, the sensualities which
inevitably result from its teachings or association with those
hangers-on of society professing its belief, all the time building a
hope that a lazy, sensuous heaven may be reached without effort or
struggle by merely cherishing a secret faith in what most satisfies
their animal nature, and yearning to live hereafter as they most desire
to live here--were it not for the voice of society--in a brutal freedom
from restraint, utterly devoid of moral and social purity, and without
the slightest semblance of that law, written and unwritten, which, from
the creation of man and woman, has built about the domestic relations a
protection and defence of sacred oneness and sanctified exclusiveness
which no vandal dare attack without eventually receiving some just and
certain punishment.

A conscientious detective will allow but little to escape his attention,
and my operative, who had already had considerable experience with these
illusionists, noticed a few arrangements which the spirits had evidently
insisted on being made to insure the success of Miss Gray's seances,
which were varied in their character, and "never comprised her entire
repertory," as the actors would say, so that she was able to continue an
attraction for some time to those persons who came to see her and
witness her manifestations out of mere curiosity.

The frescoing of the walls of the back parlor had been done in lines and
angles, which admitted of any number of apertures being cut and filled
with noiseless pantomime doors, so neatly as to almost defy detection.
The semi-circular platform was raised fully three feet, sloping
considerably to the front, and--whether it did or not--might have
contained a half-dozen "traps" such as are used for stage effects;
while, as is contrary to all rules for lighting places for public
entertainment, the front parlor was lighted very brilliantly, the back
parlor scarcely at all, while but a few glimmering rays fell from the
chandeliers over the platform, where the spirits, like certain "star"
actors, could not appear unless under certain conditions.

Shortly Mlle. Leveraux conducted Miss Gray through a side door t