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"Now then," he said

"It's not about an rather hurriedly "It's about Laurie Baxter May I begin at the beginning?"

He nodded He was not sorry to hear so about this boy, whom he didn't like at all, but for wholish were bad enough, but English converts were indescribably trying; and Laurie had been on his an at the beginning, and told the whole thing, from Amy's death down to Mr Morton's letter He put a question or two to her during her story, looking at her with pressed lips, and finally put out his hand for the letter itself

"Mrs Baxter doesn't knohat I've coive her a hint, will you, father?"

He nodded reassuringly to her, absorbed in the letter, and presently handed it back, with a large smile

"He seems a sensible fellow," he said

"Ah! that's what I wanted to ask you, father I don't know anything at all about spiritualis in it at all?"

He laughed aloud

"I don't think you need be afraid," he said "Of course we know that souls don't come back like that They're somewhere else"

"Then it's all fraud?"

"It's practically all fraud," he said, "but it's very superstitious, and is forbidden by the Church"

This was straight enough It was at least a clear issue to begin to attack Laurie upon

"Then--then that's the evil of it?" she said "There's no real power underneath? That's what Mr Ryht ical

"Let's see what Sabetti says," he said "I fancy--"

He turned in his chair and fetched out a voluer down the heavy paragraphs, turned a page or two, and began a running comment and translation: "'Necro from invocation of the dead' Let's seeyes, 'Spiritiss, especially that pertain to the future life, certainly is divination properly so called, and isis full of eventables The reason is, as the Baltie must necessarily be ascribed to Satanic intervention, since in no other manner can it be explained'"