Page:Doughty--Mirrikh or A woman from Mars.djvu/78

 make us believe that we saw him on top of that tower when actually he was not there.”

“Weak! Weak as water! Does that explain his disappearance in the Panompin alley? ”

“I am constrained to admit, Wylde, that it does not.”

“Then, as I understand it,” said Maurice, who had until now maintained silence, “you claim the existence of a natural force, a mental magnetic current, which is capable of producing all the so-called spiritualistic phenomena with which the history of the world teems?”

“That’s it! That’s it! I firmly believe that just such a force exists and is as controlable as the electric current by those who understand its nature,”

“And understood by the Buddhist adepts?”

“I believe it.”

“Is it not just as easy to believe that they possess the secret of some natural force which can overcome the attraction of gravatation?”

“Scarcely.”

“It seems so to me. I have great difficulty in following your reasoning, but I understand the point toward which you are aiming, and was amazed at the labor you were at to get there. Just admit the existence of a spiritual world surrounding the natural world, and you have the easiest sort of solution of the whole matter.”

“But I won’t.”

“But the Buddhists do.”

“I know it.”

“They do wonderful things, Doctor.”

“I admit it.”

“Many of our modern Spiritualists do similar things.”

“I know that.”

“As I said before, history teems with the relations of such occurences [sic]. You cannot name a nation where there are not individuals who claim free intercourse with the spirits of the dead.”

“True again, but their claims are yet to be proved.”

“I don’t know,” said Maurice dreamily. “I have puzzled my brains over the problem until I can think no more. Like you, Philpot, I demand proof; but this much I will say:. I have reached the firm conclusion that there exist laws in nature, call them physical, or call them spiritual, understood only by certain persons, or exercised