"And you will go to the police and tell them this?" "I certainly will, the first thing to-morrow morning. To-night, if you prefer." "No, wait till morning. Stay here a little longer. I feel lonely to-night." "Dear heart, can't you learn to look to me to cheer that loneliness?" "Don't--you promised you wouldn't. But let's chat a bit. Tell me, do you believe at all in spiritism?" "Spiritualism?" "No; spiritism. They're quite different. Spiritualism is the old-fashioned table-tipping, rapping performance. Spiritism is the scientific consideration of life after death." "Of course, I believe in life after death----" "But do you think the dead can return and communicate with us?" "By rapping and tipping tables?" "No, not at all. By silent communion, or by a restless haunting of places they used to occupy? There! didn't you hear a faint sound then? A soft rustle, as of wings?" "No, I didn't, and neither did you. That Orienta person has you all unnerved. I won't stand it. I insist on your leaving this house. If I see to it, that the police are fully informed of my evidence regarding Courtenay, will you get away at once?" "I'd be glad to, if Joyce is willing I should go. Natalie is fond of me, too. But Barry will look after her. Yes, if Mr. Courtenay is freed of all suspicion, I will go away at once." Roger Wadsworth's story carried weight with the police, who were already rather sceptical of testimony obtained from a clairvoyant. And as Courtenay himself said to Captain Steele, "Your precious detective, Roberts, forced that woman to describe me. Even granting she had an hallucination, or whatever those people have, she didn't say anything about a pointed beard, or evening clothes and no hat, until he suggested it. Then she said 'yes.' If he'd said, 'hasn't he red hair and freckles?' she would have said 'yes,' also! It's auto-suggestion. Her mind was a blank, and any hint took form of a picture which she thought she saw. But since you've put me on the rack, I'm going into this thing myself. For reasons of my own, I'm going to hunt down the murderer of Eric Stannard. There's nobody on the job that has any push or perseverance. Young Stannard doesn't want the truth known. Why, I can't say. Nobody suspects him. But from now on, count on my untiring efforts. I'm ready to work with you, Captain Steele, or with Roberts, or any one you say. Or I'll work alone. But solve the mystery I'm bound to!" Courtenay's manner went far to convince all who heard him of his own innocence, though Bobsy Roberts afterward growled something about "protesting too much." But when Courtenay said he would be at their bidding if they learned anything against him, they agreed to let him go in peace to pursue his own inquiries. And he went first to Lawyer Stiles, to look into the matter of Stannard's will. "The first motive to consider," Courtenay said to the surprised lawyer, "is always a money motive. Who benefits by this will, aside from the principals?"