Morton spoke with great earnestness. "Weissmann, that girl could not move a limb. She positively remained where we put her. So far as I am concerned, to-night's test eliminated her from the slightest complicity, and I confess it rejoices me greatly; but who was responsible for the prestidigitation?" Weissmann replied, slowly: "It is very puzzling," and fell into a muse which lasted for several minutes. At last he roused to say: "Well, we will see. Next time Clarke and the mother must be eliminated." "You don't think evil of her?" exclaimed Morton. "She is very anxious, you know--" Kate put in her word. "It's all very simple," she said; "the spirits did it. You needn't tell me that Clarke or Mrs. Lambert got up and skittered around the room doing those things. I held their hands--and know they didn't get away. Besides, how did that glass come there? and how could they make those voices sound so natural? What is the use of being stupidly stubborn? If you treat Viola fairly she will confound your science." "You base all this on one imperfect test?" "I don't know what you'd call a _perfect_ one. Anyhow, that child is absolutely honest." "I hope you are right, Kate; but there are some serious discrepancies--even in to-night's performances. Nothing took place which I could not do sitting in her chair with my hands free." "But her hands weren't free! If there is any virtue in cotton fibre or steel she remained precisely where we set her at the beginning." "But to admit that one book was moved from its place is to admit that a force exists unknown to science." "But what are you going to do? Did you do it? Or did I? Did Clarke reach from where he sat and manipulate the horn? Who brought the old wine-glass from the china-closet? No one entered from the outside--that is certain. And then the things 'Loggy' said?" "What do you think, Dr. Weissmann?" Weissmann looked up abstractedly. "If Clarke performed these feats to-night he is wasting his time in any profession but jugglery. You said the cone touched you?" he asked of Morton. "Several times." "To do that he must have left his seat." "I am perfectly sure he did not," replied Kate, firmly. Morton insisted. "He must have done so, Kate--there is no other explanation of what took place. It was very dark and the rug soft. There is another important point--all of the books came from within a radius of a few feet of the psychic, so that if she _were_ able to rise and free her hands--" "Which she did not do," answered Weissmann. "She remained precisely where we put her; but we should have nailed Clarke to the floor also." "How about the child who spoke German?" asked Kate. "Was she--" Weissmann replied slowly, with a little effort, "I had a little girl of the name Mina who died at eight years of age." Kate's voice expressed sympathy. "I didn't know that. She must have been a dear. The voice was very sweet. I could almost touch the little thing."