Page:Marsh--The seen and the unseen.djvu/43

Rh "I see—a sort of shadow. Well?"

"You will notice that that shadow looks very much like a veiled figure—as though a veiled figure was standing at the back of the man Solly."

"Exactly! It does bear some resemblance to a veiled figure. What then?"

"This, sir: that no one was standing behind Solly. No one, and nothing."

"I don't quite see what you are aiming at, Mr. Dodsworth."

"I am aiming at obtaining your permission to take another negative of the man."

"Another negative! Why? Isn't this a sufficiently good likeness?"

"The likeness is not exactly a bad one, though it is not a very good one, either. But will you allow me to explain, sir? The day on which I took that plate was, for photographic purposes, a very fair day. Solly sat, where the men generally do sit, about fourteen or fifteen feet from the wall. There was nothing between the wall and him. I ought to have had nothing on the plate but Solly. What I want to know is, how came that veiled figure there?"

"Veiled figure! You call the shadow a veiled figure? Don't you think that the resemblance is somewhat fanciful?"

"No, sir, I don't. The focus is not quite right, so hat it comes out a little dim; but I have not the lightest doubt that a veiled figure has been introduced into my plate, as standing behind George Solly's chain I should very much like to take the man again."