"Well, then, don't quarrel with me the moment you arrive home," retorted Theodore, and Patricia, drying her wet face with her handkerchief, saw the latent animosity between these two ill-matched brothers leap to life. To throw oil on the troubled waters of fraternal strife, she began to laugh--somewhat artificially, it is true, but still sufficiently naturally to show that she was now entirely herself and not hysterical. "It was silly of me to faint," she said in a matter-of-fact way. "Don't trouble about me, Mr. Dane"--she spoke to Basil. "I am all right. It was my fault, not Mr. Theodore's, that I lost my senses. He was trying no experiments." "There, you see," said Theodore, with a triumphant glance at his brother. "You shouldn't burn these strong perfumes," said Basil angrily, and walked away without looking at Patricia. He evidently was annoyed that the girl should champion Theodore's doings in this pronounced way. "One moment, Miss Carrol," said Theodore, when Patricia was about to depart also, for it was close upon the dinner-hour and she had to dress. "You called my brother Mr. Dane. That is wrong. I am the eldest, and _my_ name is Mr. Dane, whereas he is called simply Mr. Basil." Patricia heard the venomous tone of his voice and saw the angry look he darted at Basil, as that young gentleman stepped into the house. Her first inclination was to make an angry retort, but when she considered swiftly how wrong it would be to increase the enmity between these brethren, she curbed her temper, and replied deliberately: "You must excuse my mistake. I shall not make it again. When did Mr. Basil arrive?" "He rushed into the room just when you fainted. Mara told him and he took you up in his arms and carried you out here into the fresh air." "I did not faint," said Patricia, looking at him searchingly. "And although I defended you to smooth things over, you really did try and experiment on me. Is that not so?" "You are such a sensible girl that I can admit as much," said Theodore, with an ironical bow. "Yes, I did use the perfume to put you into a trance. I wished you to--to----" He hesitated. "To look for the danger which Mara said threatened you," she finished. "Yes. How do you know?" "Because when I was miles and miles away, bathed in a flood of light, I heard your voice very clearly, telling me to search." Theodore gazed at her eagerly. "So you can bring back consciously what you see on the other plane. Did you learn what this danger was?" "No. Some force drew me back." "Basil." Theodore clenched his hand and his face grew black. "If he had not interfered, you might have found out." "I doubt it; and, moreover, if I had found out, I should not have told you." "Why not?" he asked, astonished. "Because I don't like these experiments." "But you ought to. Many people's souls depart and see things and can explain them when in a trance. But few like yourself can bring back consciously what they see. Tell me what you----"