"Oh! wasn't it really Samuel who appeared?"

"Mr. Rymer thinks that things were permitted then that are not
permitted now."

Laurie drank up his cup of tea. It is a humiliating fact that extreme
grief often renders the mourner rather cross. There was a distinct air
of crossness about Laurie at this moment. His nerves were very near
the top.

"Well, that's very convenient," he said. "Maggie, do you know if
there's any book on Spiritualism in the house?"

The girl glanced uneasily near the fire-place.

"I don't know," she said. "Yes; I think there's something up there. I
believe I saw it the other day."

Laurie rose and stood opposite the shelves.

"What color is it? (No, no more tea, thanks.)"

"Er ... black and red, I think," said the girl. "I forget."

She looked up at him, faintly uneasy, as he very deliberately drew
down a book from the shelf and turned the pages.

"Yes ... this is it," he said. "Thanks very much.... No, really no
more tea, thanks, mother."