"I have just had a psychic communication from Q," he said in answer
to my inquiries, "which I can hardly fathom. As far as I can judge,
Q has formed some plan for interesting other phantasms in the kind
of work that we are doing. He proposes to form, on his side of the
gulf, an association that is to work in harmony with us, for
monetary dealings on a large scale, between the two worlds."

My reader may well imagine that my eyes almost blazed with excitement
at the magnitude of the prospect opened up.

"Q wishes us to gather together all the capital that we can, and to
send it across to him, in order that he may be able to organise with
him a corporate association of phanograms, or perhaps in this case,
one would more correctly call them phantoids."

I had no sooner grasped Annerly's meaning than I became enthusiastic
over it.

We decided to try the great experiment that night.

My own worldly capital was, unfortunately, no great amount. I had,
however, some 500 pounds in bank stock left to me at my father's
decease, which I could, of course, realise within a few hours.
I was fearful, however, lest it might prove too small to enable Q
to organise his fellow phantoids with it.

I carried the money in notes and sovereigns to Annerly's room,
where it was laid on the table. Annerly was fortunately able to
contribute a larger sum, which, however, he was not to place beside
mine until after I had withdrawn, in order that conjunction of our