"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 spiritualism. Is it--is it really all nonsense? Is there
nothing 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. Rymer said to Mrs. Baxter; and it's what
I've always thought myself."
The priest's face became theological.
"Let's see what Sabetti says," he said. "I fancy--"
He turned in his chair and fetched out a volume behind him.
"Here we are...."
He ran his finger down the heavy paragraphs, turned a page or two, and
began a running comment and translation: "'_Necromantia ex_'....
'Necromancy arising from invocation of the dead'.... Let's see ...
yes, 'Spiritism, or the consulting of spirits in order to know hidden
things, especially that pertain to the future life, certainly is
divination properly so called, and is .
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