Her manner was half patronizing, half domineering. "What did I tell you? You feel as if, well, you don’t quite know _what_ to do, and you’re saying to yourself all the time, ’Now, what _shall_ I do?’ That’s just the condition I get." "Do you think you could help me?" "I don’t know; I’ll try. I ain’t feeling very receptive to spirit influence to-day; I guess I overeat myself some; but then, again, I might be very successful; there’s no telling. You just let me hold your hands a few minutes and I can see right off whether conditions are favorable or not." He did so. Suddenly she turned her head to one side and spoke as if to an invisible person beside her. "Oh, she’s here, is she? What is it? She says she can’t find him? Well, what about him? What? Shall I tell him that?" She opened her eyes and drew a long breath. "Luella is here and she says to tell you that Felicia wants to give you a message. Do you understand who I mean?" "Yes, I know. She’s the lady you spoke to me about before, with the white hair." "Would her name be Felicia Grant?" He assented timidly, as if fearing to acknowledge it. "Well, Felicia says she has found the child—child, the one that was lost. Do you understand?" "Yes, yes. Go on!" "Really, I don’t like to tell you this, Mr. Payson—" "Tell anything." Madam Spoll dropped her voice, as if fearful of being overheard. "You was in love with her. "Yes." He eyed her glassily. "And you was the father of the child?" He nodded, still staring. Madam Spoll smiled complacently. "Well, Felicia says she has found the boy, and she’s going to bring him to you as soon as conditions are favorable. She can’t do it yet; the time ain’t come for it. That’s all I can get from her. But Luella says you’re worried about a book, and she wants to help you." "How can she help?" "Wait a minute." Madam Spoll smoothed her forehead with both hands for a while, then went on: "It seems that she can’t work through me so well, it being what you might call a business affair, and she recommends that you try some one else, while I’ll try to get the boy. I think a physical medium could help you more. There’s Professor Vixley; he’s something wonderful in a business way. I confess I can’t comprehend it. Are you selling books?" "Not exactly." "Well, whatever it is, Vixley’s the one to go to. He’ll do well by you and you can trust him. I’ll just write down his address; you go to see him and tell him I sent you, and I guarantee he’ll give satisfaction. About the child, now, we’ll have to wait. I shouldn’t wonder if you could be developed so you could handle the thing alone. You’ve got strong mediumistic powers, only they’re what you might call asleep and dormant. If you could come to me oftener we might be able to produce phenomena, for you’re sensitive, only you don’t know how to put your powers to the right use. You could join a circle, I suppose, but the quickest way is to have sittings with me, private."