Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Land Of Mis

make one feel that his words were from a human heart and might well go straight to a Divine one. Then the audience rose and sang their final farewell hymn a hymn with a haunting tune and a sad sweet refrain of God keep you safely till we meet once more. Enid was surprised to feel the tears running down her cheeks. These earnest simple folks with their direct methods had wrought upon her more than all the gorgeous service and rolling music of the cathedral.
  Mr. Bolsover the stout president was in the waitingroom and so was Mrs. Debbs.
  Well I expect you are going to let us have it he laughed. We are used to it Mr. Malone. We dont mind. But you will see the turn some day.
These articles may rise up in judgement.
  I will treat it fairly I assure you.
  Well we ask no more. The medium was leaning with her elbow on the mantel piece austere and aloof.
  I am afraid you are tired said Enid.
  No young lady I am never tired in doing the work of the spirit people. They see to that.
  May I ask Malone ventured whether you ever knew Professor Summerlee?
  The medium shook her head. No sir no. They always think I know them. I know none of them. They come and I describe them.
  How do you get the message?
  Clairaudient. I hear it. I hear them all the time. The poor things all want to come through and they pluck at me and pull me and pester me on the platform. Me next me me! Thats what I hear. I do my best but I cant handle them all.
  Can you tell me anything of that prophetic person? asked Malone of the chairman. Mr. Bolsover shrugged his shoulders with a deprecating smile.
  He is an Independent. We see him now and again as a sort of comet passing across us. By the way it comes back to me that he prophesied the war. Im a practical man myself. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.
We get plenty in ready cash without any bills for the future. Well good night! Treat us as well as you can.  Good night said Enid.
  Good night said Mrs. Debbs. By the way young lady you are a medium yourself. Good night!
  And so they found themselves in the street once more inhaling long draughts of the night air. It was sweet after that crowded hall. A minute later they were in the rush of the Edgware Road and Malone had hailed a cab to carry them back to Victoria Gardens.
3 In Which Professor Challenger Gives His Opinion
  ENID had stepped into the cab and Malone was following when his name was called and a man came running down the street. He was tall middleaged handsome and welldressed with the cleanshaven self confident face of the successful surgeon.
  Hullo Malone! Stop!
  Why its Atkinson! Enid let me introduce you. This is Mr. Atkinson of St. Marys about whom I spoke to your father. Can we give you a lift? We are going towards Victoria.
  Capital! The surgeon followed them into the cab. I was amazed to see you at a Spiritualist meeting.
  We were only there professionally. Miss Challenger and I are both on the Press.
  Oh really! The Daily Gazette I suppose as before. Well you will have one more subscriber for I shall want to see what you made of tonights show.
  Youll have to wait till next Sunday. It is one of a series.
  Oh I say I cant wait as long as that. What did you make of it?
  I really dont know. I shall have to read my notes carefully tomorrow and think it over and compare impressions with my colleague here.
She has the intuition you see which goes for so much in religious matters.
  And what is your intuition Miss Challenger?
  Good oh yes good! But dear me what an extraordinary mixture!
  Yes indeed. I have been several times and it always leaves the same mixed impression upon my own mind. Some of it is ludicrous and some of it might be dishonest and yet again some of it is clearly wonderful.
  But you are not on the Press. Why were you there?
  Because I am deeply interested. You see I am a student of psychic matters and have been for some years am not a convinced one but I am sympathetic and I have sufficient sense of proportion to realize that while I seem to be sitting in judgment upon the subject it may in truth be the
subject which is sitting in judgment upon me.  Malone nodded appreciation.
  It is enormous. You will realize that as you get to close grips with it. It is half a dozen great subjects in one. And it is all in the hands of these good humble folk who in the face of every discouragement and personal loss have carried it on for more than seventy years. It is really very like the rise of Christianity. It was run by slaves and underlings until it gradually extended upwards. There were three hundred years between Caesars slave and Caesar getting the light. 
  But the preacher! cried Enid in protest.
  Mr. Atkinson laughed.
  You mean our friend from Atlantis. What a terrible bore the fellow was! I confess I dont know what to make of performances like that. Selfdeception I think and the temporary emergence of some fresh strand of personality which dramatizes itself in this way. The only thing I am quite sure of is that it is not really an inhabitant of Atlantis who arrives from his long voyage with this awful cargo of platitudes. Well here we are!
  I have to deliver this young lady safe and sound to her father said Malone. Look here Atkinson dont leave us. The Professor would really like to see you.
  What at this hour! Why he would throw me down the stairs.
  Youve been hearing stories said Enid. Really it is not so bad as that. Some people annoy him but I am sure you are not one of them. Wont you chance it?
  With that encouragement certainly. And the three walked down the bright outer corridor to the lift. Challenger clad now in a brilliant blue dressinggown was eagerly awaiting them. He eyed Atkinson as a fighting bulldog eyes some canine stranger. The inspection seemed to satisfy him however for he growled that he was glad to meet him.
  Ive heard of your name sir and of your rising reputation. Your resection of the cord last year made some stir I understand. But have you been down among the lunatics also?
  Well if you call them so said Atkinson with a laugh.
  Good Heavens what else could I call them? I remember now that my young friend here Challenger had a way of alluding to Malone as if he were a promising boy of ten told me you were studying the subject. He roared with offensive laughter. The proper study of mankind is spooks eh Mr. Atkinson?
  Dad really knows nothing about it so dont be offended with him said Enid. But I assure you Dad you would have been interested. She proceeded to give a sketch of their adventures though interrupted by a running commentary of groans grunts and derisive jeers. It was only when the Summerlee episode was reached that Challengers indignation and contempt could no longer be restrained. The old volcano blew his head off and a torrent of redhot invective descended upon his listeners.
  The blasphemous rascals! he shouted. To think that they cant let poor old Summerlee rest in his grave. We had our differences in his time and I will admit that I was compelled to take a moderate view of his intelligence but if he came back from the grave he would certainly have something worth hearing to say to us. It is an absurdity a wicked indecent absurdity upon the face of it. I object to any friend of mine being made a puppet for the laughter of an audience of fools. They didnt laugh! They must have laughed when they heard an educated man a man whom I have met upon equal terms talking such nonsense. I say it was nonsense. Dont contradict me Malone. I wont have it! His message might have been the postscript of a schoolgirls letter. Isnt that nonsense coming from such a source? Are you not in agreement Mr. Atkinson? No! I had hoped better things from you.
  But the description?
  Good Heavens where are your brains? Have not the names of Summerlee and Malone been associated with my own in some peculiarly feeble fiction which attained some notoriety? Is it not also known that you two innocents were doing the Churches week by week? Was it not patent that sooner or later you would come to a Spiritualist gathering? Here was a