As they were re-entering the house, he said: "Don't utter a word of what I've told you. I'm going to test whether my mother has the power to read my mind or not." "I understand," she returned, "and I'm glad you're going to share in our seance to-night." He frowned. "Don't say 'seance.' I hate that word." She laughed. "Aren't you fierce! But I'll respect your prejudices so far as an utterly unprejudiced person can." "Do you call yourself an unprejudiced person?" "I try to be." "But you're not. You have a prejudice against me," he insisted, forcing the personal note. "Oh, you're quite mistaken," she replied; "in fact I think you're rather nice--for a boy." And she went away, leaving him to fume under this indignity. Mrs. Joyce and Mrs. Ollnee came in soon afterward, and they all took tea together quite as casually as if they were not on the edge of something very thrilling and profoundly mysterious. Mrs. Joyce politely asked Victor what he had been doing, but his answers were evasive. He made no mention of Pettus, though he was burning with desire to warn her against him. Soon afterward they went to his mother's room, and once safely inside the door he turned upon her. "Mother, are you going to sit for Pettus to-night?" "I expect him, but I'm not sitting for him specially." "I won't have him in the circle! He is a slimy old beast. I hate him--and Mr. Carew warned us against him. He wasn't guessing, mother, he _knows_ that this old four-flusher is up to some deviltry. How did he find you?" "He called us up." "I simply will not have him sit with you again, and you must not advise any one to put a cent into his concern. Where are you going to have this performance?" "I thought of sitting here, but I need the old table. You mended it, didn't you?" "Yes, I mended it." "And you had a message from _Altair_?" "How did you learn that?" "I felt it," she answered, gravely. "She said danger threatened--did she tell you what the danger was?" "No; who is _Altair_ supposed to be?" "She is a very pure and high spirit--a girl of wonderful beauty--so they say. I have never seen her myself--she told me to-day that she would watch over you." At this moment a whisper was heard in the air just above her head. "_Lucy!_" "Yes, father." "_Take the boy--sit--the old place. Leave Pettus out._" "Yes, father." "_I will be there. Pettus is under investigation._" "Much obliged," said Victor; and then he heard close to his ear a faint whisper: "_Victor, you shall see me--Altair._" He was staring straight at his mother's lips at the moment, and yet he was unable to detect any visible part in the production of the voice. She explained the whisper. "Altair is smiling at you. She says she will be with us to-night."