"
"Is that crystal?"
"Oh no: common glass. Price three shillings and sixpence."
Laurie turned it over, letting the shining globe run on to his hand.
"And this is--" he began.
"And this," said the medium, setting a curious windmill-shaped affair,
its sails lined with looking-glass, on the little table by the fire,
"this is a French toy. Very elementary."
"What's that?"
"Look."
Mr. Vincent wound a small handle at the back of the windmill to a
sound of clockwork, set it down again, and released it. Instantly the
sails began to revolve, noiseless and swift, producing the effect of a
rapidly flashing circle of light across which span lines, waxing and
waning with extraordinary speed.
"What the--"
"It's a little machine for inducing sleep. Oh! I haven't used that for
months. But it's useful sometimes. The hypnotic subject just stares at
that steadily.... Why, you're looking dazed yourself, already,
Mr. Baxter," smiled the medium.
He stopped the mechanism and pushed it on one side.
"And what's the other?" asked Laurie, looking again at the shelf.
"Ah!"
The medium, with quite a different air, took down and set before him
an object resembling a tiny heart-shaped table on three wheeled legs,
perhaps four or five inches across.
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