Page 37 (1/2)

There was a gentle and inviting irony in Hanaud's tone M Ricardo

was disappointed Hanaud had after all not overlooked the

tambourine Without Ricardo's reason to notice it, he had none the

less observed it and borne it in his memory

"Well?" he asked

"Oh,on the table!"

cried Helene "That was nothing--oh, but nothing at all

Mademoiselle Celie would make spirits appear and speak!"

"Really! And she was never caught out! But Mlle Celie irl"

"Oh, she was of an address which was surprising Sometimes madame

and I were alone Sometimes there were others, whom madame in her

pride had invited For she was very proud, monsieur, that her

companion could introduce her to the spirits of dead people But

never was Mlle Celie caught out She told me that for many years,

even when quite a child, she had travelled through England giving

these exhibitions"

"Oho!" said Hanaud, and he turned to Wetherlish

"I did not," he said "I do not now"

Hanaud shook his head

"To me this story does not seeain in French to Helene Vauquier "Well, continue,

mademoiselle! Assume that the company is assembled for our

seance"

"Then Mlle Celie, dressed in a long gown of black velvet, which

set off her white aret those little trifles," Helene Vauquier interrupted her

story, with a return of her bitterness, to interpolate--

"mademoiselle would sail into the roo behind her, and perhaps for a little while she would say

there was a force working against her, and she would sit silent in

a chair while aped at her with open eyes At last

mademoiselle would say that the poere favourable and the

spirits would ht Then she would be

placed in a cabinet, perhaps with a string tied across the door

outside--you will understand it was hts would be turned down, or perhaps out

altogether Or at other ti hands round a