“I am hardly prepared to answer you,” replied Steinberg. “Certainly, the Voice we heard to-night was very marvellous. I am persuaded that, in normal circumstances, such a gruff, bass voice could not proceed from the chest of a woman. But there have been abnormal cases of the kind, therefore it is not impossible!” “Good Heavens! Do you mean to suggest that this girl is tricking us?” “Not exactly. We have had no proofs of it, still, in an investigation of this sort, one needs to be very careful. We must try and think of some test by which we should render it impossible for Hannah to speak whilst under trance.” “That will be difficult!” said Ricardo. “But feasible,” replied his companion, “if necessary, we must apply a gag whilst she is unconscious. Nothing short of that, or something equally efficacious, will make me give undoubted testimony to the honesty of her mediumship.” “My books tell me that such stringent tests are very apt to prevent all spiritual manifestations whatever,” said the Professor, with a sigh. “Then I should not believe in the manifestations, Ricardo! True spirit intercourse could not possibly be prevented by earthly means. Have we not heard of a heavy table with people seated on it, being lifted by invisible force, and transported to another part of the room? If spirits can accomplish that, they can speak through a gag. Did not ‘James’ tell us that, when we first heard him, he was speaking with a materialised gullet and thorax? If he will speak through them again if only a couple of words, whilst Hannah is gagged, I will not doubt her honesty. But in any circumstances, it is wonderful--wonderful!” The two men were so anxious to pursue their researches, that they would have gladly asked for Hannah’s services on the following day, but were afraid of raising Mrs. Battleby’s suspicions by displaying too much eagerness to effect her cure. On the third evening, however, the landlady was all smiles and assurances that the girl was ready to wait upon them, but when the time came for her appearance Hannah Stubbs was nowhere to be found. Mrs. Battleby screamed her name from basement to attic, but neither sight nor sound rewarded her assiduity. The Professor and the Doctor had begun to fear lest their medium should have run away from them altogether, when Mrs. Battleby discovered her in her own bedroom, which was next the cellar, with her head wrapped up in the bedclothes, lest she should hear them calling for her. “Well, of all the ungrateful, bad-natured ’ussies as ever I see, if you’re not the wust,” cried the landlady, as she seized hold of her arm and wrenched her from under the bedclothes. “Wot right ’ave you, I should like to know, to go to bed at this time of day, and not a single cup nor saucer washed up yet? Do you think I keep you to look at, you ugly, squab-faced creetur? Get up do, at once, and don’t keep the gentlemen waiting a minute longer!”