“That is not surprising or unusual,” answered Potter. “In cases of animal magnetism the subject is awake; has returned to what may be called her normal state, is able to reflect, reason, and direct her conduct; and yet under these conditions, she is influenced by the auto-suggestion. The real thief is the person who hypnotized Janet.” “I tell you she was alone in this room,” declared Kathryn stubbornly. “I am not denying it,” the physician spoke with quiet force. “At the will of the hypnotist the act of stealing may be accomplished several hours, or even two days after the date of auto-suggestion. Such suggestion can only be realized at the given hour, and cannot be realized until that hour arrives.” “All very fine,” scoffed Kathryn. “But if Janet Fordyce was a poor girl she would be in jail by now. Do you think you’d put up such a bluff for--Miss Langdon, for instance?” A light broke on Duncan and he stepped toward Marjorie. “Have you known Janet stole?” “Yes,” she answered huskily. “I feared it was kleptomania. I first saw her take a diamond sunburst from Mrs. Walbridge’s dressing-table on Christmas Eve.” “And you never told?” Both voice and gesture showed Duncan’s unbounded admiration and love as he addressed Marjorie. “You let others think you the thief!” His look repaid her for the suffering she had endured. “I watched Janet,” she confessed. “And whenever I found anything in her possession which I knew did not belong to her, I returned it to the rightful owner.” “How about my wife’s pearl necklace?” broke in Calhoun-Cooper. “Did Miss Fordyce take that also?” “I fear so,” faltered Marjorie. “But I have never seen the necklace in her possession.” “Have you any objection to sending for your daughter, Fordyce, and asking her to return the necklace to me?” Before Fordyce could reply to Calhoun-Cooper’s question, Potter interrupted him. “It will do little good,” he began. “Janet is herself again, and all is forgotten; the crime, the impulse, and the instigator.” “Do you mean to say we cannot learn the name of the fiend who has used my daughter as a puppet to accomplish his villany?” cried Fordyce unbelievingly. “Not unless we hypnotize Janet anew, when her loss of memory will return. She can then probably tell us the author of the suggestion, the time, the place, and the manner.” “A witness cannot be constrained to undergo hypnotism,” put in Pauline, breaking her long silence. “It is against the law.” “And how do you know that?” asked Potter.