CONJURER. Thank you. I suppose you mean it was the only one you didn't see through. SMITH. Something of the kind, I confess. Your last trick was the best trick I have ever seen. It is so good that I wish you had not done it. CONJURER. And so do I. SMITH. How do you mean? Do you wish you had never been a conjurer? CONJURER. I wish I had never been born. [_Exit_ CONJURER. [_A silence. The_ DOCTOR _enters, very grave._ DOCTOR. It is all right so far. We have brought him back. SMITH. [_Drawing near to him._] You told me there was mental trouble with the girl. DOCTOR. [_Looking at him steadily._] No. I told you there was mental trouble in the family. SMITH. [_After a silence._] Where is Mr. Morris Carleon? DOCTOR. I have got him into bed in the next room. His sister is looking after him. SMITH. His sister! Oh, then do you believe in fairies? DOCTOR. Believe in fairies? What do you mean? SMITH. At least you put the person who does believe in them in charge of the person who doesn't. DOCTOR. Well, I suppose I do. SMITH. You don't think she'll keep him awake all night with fairy tales? DOCTOR. Certainly not. SMITH. You don't think she'll throw the medicine-bottle out of window and administer--er--a dewdrop, or anything of that sort? Or a four-leaved clover, say? DOCTOR. No; of course not. SMITH. I only ask because you scientific men are a little hard on us clergymen. You don't believe in a priesthood; but you'll admit I'm more really a priest than this Conjurer is really a magician. You've been talking a lot about the Bible and the Higher Criticism. But even by the Higher Criticism the Bible is older than the language of the elves--which was, as far as I can make out, invented this afternoon. But Miss Carleon believed in the wizard. Miss Carleon believed in the language of the elves. And you put her in charge of an invalid without a flicker of doubt: because you trust women. DOCTOR. [_Very seriously._] Yes, I trust women. SMITH. You trust a woman with the practical issues of life and death, through sleepless hours when a shaking hand or an extra grain would kill. DOCTOR. Yes. SMITH. But if the woman gets up to go to early service at my church, you call her weak-minded and say that nobody but women can believe in religion. DOCTOR. I should never call this woman weak-minded--no, by God, not even if she went to church. SMITH. Yet there are many as strong-minded who believe passionately in going to church. DOCTOR. Weren't there as many who believed passionately in Apollo? SMITH. And what harm came of believing in Apollo? And what a mass of harm may have come of not believing in Apollo? Does it never strike you that doubt can be a madness, as well be faith? That asking questions may be a disease, as well as proclaiming doctrines? You talk of religious mania! Is there no such thing as irreligious mania? Is there no such thing in the house at this moment? DOCTOR. Then you think no one should question at all.