He paused and picked up a volume from the table. "Crookes is explicit. He says he _saw_ the lath move without visible cause, he _saw_ Home thrust his hand into the hearth and stir the coals, he _saw_ the accordion play without any reason; and in all this he is sustained by other men testing each phenomenon by means of electrical registering devices. Now we must duplicate these. We must go into court armed with photographs, records, and witnesses. We will make this a _cause celebre_--doing our small part to forward this superb and fearless European movement. I intend to be both lawyer and physicist hereafter," he ended, with a smile. That the great lawyer was now completely engaged upon his mother's defense Victor exultantly perceived, and it gave him a feeling of pride and security, but this was followed by a sense of being uprooted. The sight of this man, inspired yet confounded by what had come to him in a single sitting, brought new and disturbing force to all that had happened to himself. Was it possible that thought could be precipitated like dew upon a sheet of paper? "Now," resumed Bartol, "I have made a further discovery. There is a brotherhood of what we may call true experimentalists--beginning with Marc, Thury, and the Count de Gasparin, and running to Flammarion and Richet, in Paris; the Dialectical Society, Sir William Crookes, Alfred Russell Wallace, Sir Oliver Lodge, in England; thence back to the Continent, to Zollner, Aksakof, Ochorowicz, De Rochas, Maxwell, Morselli, and Lombroso. I need a condensed record of these experiments, and a synopsis of each theory. Once within this group, you will learn by cross-reference the names of all those whom each of these experimentalists regard as reliable. You can work here or take the books to your room--perhaps, on the whole, Morselli's record is first in importance. Bring me a clear and full abstract of that as soon as you can." "I do not read Italian," confessed Victor; "but Leo--Miss Wood--does; perhaps she will help me." "Very good. Now as to the mechanical side of this matter. I have a nephew who is an expert photographer and a clever electrician. With your permission, I will send for him and see what he can do. He is a man of high standing in his profession, and a quiet personality--one that will not irritate or alarm your mother. Shall I bring him in and give her over to all?" "Certainly. I'm sure mother wants you to have full charge."