They all agreed with her, but no one wanted to begin. The General seated himself mettlesomely at the table, and spread out his hands on the top of it. With simulated unconcern, one after another followed him. At last, Johannes also was invited to take part. "Is the young gentleman a novice in psychical fields?" asked the Privy Counselor, condescendingly. "My friend Johannes ought to have strong mediumistic powers. I hope that those present will not object...." said the countess. "Not at all, not at all," said the General. "In this research we are all as ignorant as children." "I do not in the least agree with you, there, General," blustered Bommeldoos. "Have you read all the writings of Phillipus Aureolus Paracelsus Theophrastus Bombastus ab Hohenheim, born in 1493, died in 1541?" "I have not, Professor," replied the warrior, meekly. "Well, I have, and it was not child's work. Magic is a subdivision--and only a small subdivision--of philosophy. In my library I have a hundred and seventy-five volumes, all that subdivision--all of them on magical subjects, from Apollonius Tyannæus to Swedenborg, Hellenbach, and Du Prell. Do you call that childish ignorance?" "'Suffer the little children to come unto me,'" said the fat Honorable Lady, improving the opportunity to make a quotation, also. "I am not going to drive them away," said Bommeldoos, "if only they do not imagine they know as much as I do." Johannes did not at all imagine that, and, hands upon the marble top of the table, he waited very patiently for the manifestations. They sat a considerable time, however, without anything unusual having happened. Van Lieverlee said to the countess, softly yet quite distinctly: "Neither are those magical powers of Johannes very unusual." Then came the medium--a demure young woman of the middle class, who made deep courtesies to right and left, and appeared not to feel quite at home in this dignified society. She had scarcely seated herself at the table, before the wife of the Privy Counselor cried out in a shrill voice: "I feel it already. There it goes!" "Yes, a genuine shock," declared the Honorable Lady, in an excited tone. "Be calm," commanded the General.