"I am ready to be convinced."

The medium paused an instant, looking intently at the fire. Then he
tossed the stump of his cigarette away and lighted another. The two
ladies sat motionless.

"You seem fond of _a priori_ arguments, Mr. Baxter," he began, with a
kindly smile. "Let us have one or two, then.

"Consider first the relation of your soul to your body. That is
infinitely mysterious, is it not? An emotion rises in your soul, and a
flush of blood marks it. That is the subconscious mechanism of your
body. But to say that, does not explain it. It is only a label. You
follow me? Yes? Or still more mysterious is your conscious power. You
will to raise your hand, and it obeys. Muscular action? Oh yes; but
that is but another label." He turned his eyes, suddenly somber, upon
the staring, listening young man, and his voice rose a little. "Go
right behind all that, Mr. Baxter, down to the mysteries. What is that
link between soul and body? You do not know! Nor does the wisest
scientist in the world. Nor ever will. Yet there the link is!"

Again he paused.

Laurie was aware of a rising half-excited interest far beyond the
power of the words he heard. Yet the manner of these too was striking.
It was not the sham mysticism he had expected. There was a certain
reverence in them, an admitting of mysteries, that seemed hard to
reconcile with the ideas he had formed of the dogmatism of these folk.

"Now begin again," continued the quiet, virile voice. "You believe, as