“Yes; to put it crudely the effect he has upon them is a kind of hypnotism of the imagination. For instance, a truly remarkable case is that of a man who might once have done great things in music. Another German by the way. But for years he has been mentally deranged. Yet in his case John Smith seems to have performed a miracle. By his power of sympathy he has hypnotized the man into composing some quite wonderful music. From time to time he plays it to us. The other day I got a friend of mine who really understands the subject to come and hear it. He says it had such a quality that he can only compare it to Beethoven.” “Indeed!” said Brandon. Dr. Thorp laughed. “And the oddest part of the whole matter is that the music only came to be written because John Smith was able to persuade our poor friend that he really was Beethoven.” “Again the power of suggestion?” “Undoubtedly. And one that deserves to become a classical instance of the power of sympathetic imagination rightly applied. I am not sure that John Smith is not a great thinker who has discovered a profound truth.” “I am inclined to believe that he has discovered more than one.” A glow of excitement had begun to course in Brandon’s veins. “At any rate,” said the doctor, “I defy anyone to see him here in the midst of our patients--very obscure and baffling mental cases, some of them are--without a feeling that he wields a quite remarkable power over certain types of his fellow creatures.” “One is immensely interested to know that.” “It is hardly too much to say that the atmosphere of the whole place has changed. Six months ago we could hope for nothing better than the sullen bickerings of Bedlam; today certain of our best cases are rising to a kind of high intellectuality which, I frankly confess, is amazing.” “And this you attribute to the direct influence of John Smith?” “It is the only way to account for it.” “Can you put into words the precise form it takes?” “In a few minutes I hope you will be able to judge for yourself. In the meantime perhaps you will join me in a cup of tea.” And in deference to the sudden arrival of a well-filled tray, Dr. Thorp suspended for a moment further consideration of the subject. XXIX TEA was Brandon’s favorite beverage. And this afternoon it seemed to work a wonder upon him. It caused his veins to thrill and burn with an exhilaration he had never expected to feel again. “I learn from our amazing friend,” said Dr. Thorp, pointing a finger at the tray, “that one of the most powerful deities of the astral world is in that teapot.” “He seems,” said Brandon, “to have taken all imagination for his province.” “He lives upon the theory, nothing is but thinking makes it so. He says if one can only grasp it truly, it covers all the phenomena in the universe.” “In other words,” said Brandon with a smile, “you are not ashamed to sit at the feet of the prophet who has come into your midst.”