“Yes, Sir! and other things as well--shadders and the like, as come round me of nights, and woices as talk to me. I ’ates them woices more than anythink, for Mrs. Brushwood (that’s Joe’s mother, please, Sir), it was all along of ’er ’earing one, one day, as made the rumpus between us. And then mother said I must go to service and shake it off. But they’ve been just as bad here as in Settlefield.” “Well, Hannah, will you take my advice?” said the Professor, “trust yourself to the Doctor and me and we’ll cure you of this nonsense. It’s all due to your health, you know!” “Thank ye, Sir, but I can’t take no pills, please! Mother, she’s tried ’em with me scores of times but they always sticks in my throat till I retches ’em up again. Nor I can’t swaller jalap. It goes against my stummick. But anything else, gentlemen----” “Be easy, Hannah, we will not ask you to take either pills, or jalap. All we want is an hour or two of your time now and then! But I will arrange all that with Mrs. Battleby.” CHAPTER IV. As the girl left the room, scrambling sideways, much after the manner of a crab, and glancing behind her the while, as if she feared the table might take a fancy to follow her downstairs, the two men looked to each other and smiled. “I fancy you have lit on a gold mine there, Ricardo,” said the Doctor, “there is something very marvellous about that girl. She must be a well of magnetism. I never saw such an effect produced upon inanimate objects before. Do you think there can be any trickery about it? These brainless creatures are sometimes uncommonly cunning.” The Professor was leaning back in his chair thoughtfully, supporting his chin on his hand. “I don’t know _what_ to think about it,” he said at length, “but I am determined to see more of her powers. Now, the question is, what excuse can we make to Mrs. Battleby for asking this girl to give us a few hours of her time, every now and then.” “The landlady has seen something of it already, I think you told me, and does not approve of the proceedings.” “Very strongly disapproves of them! Declares that Hannah must go back to her people in the country--that she is a fool, or a cunning trickster, or the Devil is in the whole concern.” “And I am much of Mrs. Battleby’s opinion,” remarked Steinberg. “What! that it is done by agency of the Devil? Nonsense! man, nonsense! If the Devil was all that was required to produce such marvels, we should all do the same. No! no! the girl is a medium--but of what kind, I am as yet unable to determine.”