“Well, there are two Acts, each more putrid than the other, and both passed long before Spiritualism was ever heard of. There is the Witchcraft Act dating from George the Second. That has become too absurd, so they only use it as a second string. Then there is the Vagrancy Act of 1824. It was passed to control the wandering gipsy folk on the roadside, and was never intended, of course, to be used like this.” He hunted among his papers. “Here is the beastly thing. ‘Every person professing to tell fortunes or using any subtle craft, means or device to deceive and impose on any of His Majesty’s subjects shall be deemed a rogue and a vagabond,’ and so on and so forth. The two Acts together would have roped in the whole Early Christian movement just as surely as the Roman persecution did.” “Lucky there are no lions now,” said Malone. “Jackasses!” cried Mailey. “That’s the modern substitute. But what are we to do?” “I’m damned if I know!” said the solicitor, scratching his head. “It’s perfectly hopeless!” “Oh, dash it all!” cried Malone, “we can’t give it up so easily. We know the man is an honest man.” Mailey turned and grasped Malone’s hand. “I don’t know if you call yourself a Spiritualist yet,” he said, “but you are the kind of chap we want. There are too many white-livered folk in our movement who fawn on a medium when all is well, and desert him at the first breath of an accusation. But, thank God! there are a few stalwarts. There is Brookes and Rodwin and Sir James Smith. We can put up a hundred or two among us.” “Right-o!” said the solicitor, cheerily. “If you feel like that we will give you a run for your money.” “How about a K.C.?” “Well, they don’t plead in police courts. If you’ll leave it in my hands I fancy I can do as well as anyone, for I’ve had a lot of these cases. It will keep the costs down, too.” “Well, we are with you. And we will have a few good men at our back.” “If we do nothing else we shall ventilate it,” said Malone. “I believe in the good old British public. Slow and stupid, but sound at the core. They will not stand for injustice if you can get the truth into their heads.” “They damned well need trepanning before you can get it there,” said the solicitor. “Well, you do your bit and I’ll do mine and we will see what comes to it.” * * * * *