Up to within a few weeks ago she had been all ardor. It had seemed to
her, as has been said, that the apparent results of spiritualism were
all to the good, that they were in no point contrary to the religion
she happened to believe--in fact, that they made real, as does an
actual tree in the foreground of a panorama, the rather misty sky and
hills of Christianity. She had even called them very "teaching."
It was about eighteen months since she had first taken this up under
the onslaught of Mrs. Stapleton's enthusiasm; but things had not been
as satisfactory as she wished, until Mr. Vincent had appeared. Then
indeed matters had moved forward; she had seen extraordinary things,
and the effect of them had been doubled by the medium's obvious
honesty and his strong personality. He was to her as a resolute priest
to a timid penitent; he had led her forward, supported by his own
conviction and his extremely steady will, until she had begun to feel
at home in this amazing new world, and eager to make proselytes.
Then Laurie had appeared, and almost immediately a dread had seized
her that she could neither explain nor understand. She had attempted a
little tentative conversation on the point with dearest Maud, but
dearest Maud had appeared so entirely incapable of understanding her
scruples that she had said no more.
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