Mr Scarletti's Ghost

by Linda Stratmann

  Miss Whinstone moaned, and Mr Clee, who was placed directly opposite Miss Eustace, looked on aghast. He had jumped to his feet, and was holding his hands over the table as if trying to feel the power that was making it rise. Everyone had now taken his or her hands from the tabletop. Mina, still in the circle, could see the table rising before her, but with no idea of how it had been achieved. She was small enough to glance underneath but this only confirmed that all four legs of the table had risen from the floor and there was neither a secret mechanism nor a hidden confederate. The table began to vibrate, and then quite abruptly, it fell back to the floor with a loud crash.

  Miss Eustace sat down again. Breathlessly, she took a linen kerchief from her sleeve and dabbed her forehead.

  ‘I don’t know what to say!’ exclaimed the formerly sceptical Mr Clee. ‘I confess that I came here with the express design of proving fraud but now I see that I was wrong – very wrong.’ He hurried to the medium’s side. ‘Miss Eustace, please accept my sincerest apologies.’

  She bowed her head. ‘Of course.’

  ‘I suggest,’ said Professor Gaskin, ‘that we all rest for a short while. Miss Eustace, will you be able to continue?’

  ‘I will,’ she said. ‘I feel a strong connection with my guide this evening, but I need to gather my strength again.’

  Miss Eustace was brought a glass of water from which she sipped, then she rose and went to the hidden corner, drew the curtains aside and sat upon the chair leaning forward a little, as one who prayed. There she remained motionless.

  Mina and the others left the table and gathered into little knots of eager whisperers to talk of what they had seen. She would have liked to make a close examination of the table, but since she was affecting the manner of an uncritical believer, dared not do anything that might suggest prying. She was able, however, to see with a quick glance that the table was not on casters and its legs were very slender. The amount of force required to move it was no longer an especially relevant question, however, since it had clearly risen while Miss Eustace was not in contact with it.

  Mr Clee was in any case doing Mina’s work for her, since he started busily examining the table, running his hands over its surface, feeling about its edges, and even getting down on his hands and knees and looking underneath. At last he stood and shook his head. ‘I am astonished,’ he said at last. ‘I had thought I might witness a simple sleight of hand, but I cannot explain it at all, apart that is, from the operation of some supernatural agency.’ Mina thought that the gentleman was too easily convinced.

  Miss Whinstone was swaying in an alarming fashion, but Mrs Bettinson made sure that she tottered into a seat, and having been prepared for such an emergency, produced a fan, which she used with some energy. ‘Dear Archibald!’ exclaimed Miss Whinstone. ‘I do so hope I didn’t offend him!’

  ‘Well, he was a mild enough creature when he was alive so I shouldn’t think he’d be easily offended now he’s dead,’ said Mrs Bettinson.

  Mrs Gaskin came and took the suffering Miss Whinstone by the hand. ‘Please do not distress yourself,’ she said. ‘I do not think your brother’s spirit was offended at all, rather he was showing a commendable sense of delicacy by not replying to a question of a personal nature while in the company of others.’

  ‘Then – will he answer me while I am alone?’ exclaimed Miss Whinstone. ‘I have so prayed to hear from him!’

  Mrs Gaskin patted her hand. ‘His spirit will be directed by Miss Eustace. If you so wish, I will recommend that she make an appointment to call on you. You will be assured then of a result.’

  Miss Whinstone burst into tears of gratitude, and even had the strength to wave away Mrs Bettinson’s intrusive fan. And now, thought Mina, it was certain; Miss Eustace was offering private consultations, much as Mr Home had done, and the unhappy Miss Whinstone was her dupe. It was useless, of course, to say anything to the lady. Mina could only watch and hope that the comfort of conversation with a deceased brother was not bought too dearly.

  After a short while, Professor Gaskin suggested that the next exhibition was about to commence. He could not promise what might occur, perhaps nothing, perhaps a great wonder. He asked Mr Clee to assist him in ensuring that Miss Eustace was securely tied to her chair, and the young man agreed with some enthusiasm. As the knots were tied Mr Clee gazed up into the lady’s face with an expression of very pronounced admiration, although her features remained serenely unmoved.

  Professor Gaskin asked for volunteers to assure themselves that the knots were securely tied and that it was impossible for Miss Eustace to rise from her chair. Dr Hamid came forward for this duty and Mrs Mowbray almost elbowed her sister aside in her eagerness to assist him. This done, the curtains were drawn, concealing Miss Eustace from view, the candle lit, and the gas turned down, and everyone repaired to the now motionless table, and held hands in a circle. Professor Gaskin blew out the candle, and they were all plunged into the dark.

  There was another round of hymn singing, and another silence, but barely a minute later the bell and the tambourine sounded from behind the curtains. Mina kept her eyes on the shrouded corner, looking for the emergence of stuffed gloves or bearded mops, but to her surprise there was a faint whisper of sound as the curtains parted, and a figure, enveloped in a pearlescent glow, was revealed.

  There was an intake of breath from all around her. The figure was quite still, like a statue, or a life-size doll. Mina, who thought it might be a doll, although she could not explain where it had come from, was expecting that after it had attracted the admiration of the onlookers, the curtains would simply close and hide it from view, but then the apparition raised its arm towards the company, very slowly and gracefully, and extended its fingers. Mina was still not convinced that the thing before her was anything more than a manufactured object that would have been better employed in a booth on the West Pier, but then it began to come forward, and emerged completely from behind the curtains. It was covered from head to foot in a fine filmy drapery, which shone with its own luminescence. Its form was female, that much was apparent, but it was rather taller than Miss Eustace. The features were indistinct, as if seen through a cloud, and the arms and hands were bare although covered from shoulder to fingertips in a soft mist of light. It was not clad as a lady might decently be clad, but it was a thing of nature, having hardly more than a layer or two of glowing veils covering its form. Even the shape of its lower limbs could be seen as if through a fine gauze. If it resembled anything it was like a marble statue of a Greek goddess, except that it had every appearance of being alive. It walked forward very slowly. It was not, thought Mina, the usual walk of a living creature, and its feet, assuming it had them, made no sound as they traversed the carpeted floor.

  ‘Do not be afraid!’ whispered Professor Gaskin. ‘But above all I beg you not to touch the apparition unless it touches you. It is Miss Eustace’s spirit guide, assembled into a form that we can see using energy drawn from the medium’s own body. Any attempt to take hold of it would result in Miss Eustace’s death, for it would melt the substance of the form in an instant, and it would not then be able to flow back into her.’

  ‘But where is Miss Eustace!’ exclaimed Mr Clee.

  ‘She is still behind the curtain, but she must not be disturbed.’

  ‘I must see!’ He leapt to his feet.

  ‘Please, no, that would be very dangerous!’ cried Professor Gaskin, but before he could do anything, the apparition approached Mr Clee and extended a hand in a soft fluid movement, laying a light touch upon his arm.

  ‘Oh!’ exclaimed Clee. ‘It is a wondrous thing!’ To his astonishment, the apparition took him by the hand and began drawing him towards the curtained corner, and he, as if mesmerised, followed.

  ‘She approves,’ said Professor Gaskin. ‘Do not be afraid, but go with her. You may look behind the curtain but you must be very careful and above all, do not disturb the body of the medium.’

  Mr Clee approached the recess
and cautiously drew back the curtain. The most powerful source of light in the room was the glow of the apparition’s garments. It did not re-enter the recess but stood to one side and with a gesture indicated that Mr Clee should go in. Everyone craned forward, and it was just possible to see the form of Miss Eustace, her shawl drawn over her head, slumped in her chair. Mr Clee hesitated, then passed through the curtains, which closed behind him. A few moments elapsed, during which Mina wondered if he would ever return, then the curtains parted once again and he emerged and faced the company, his face, bathed in the glow of spirit light, pale with awe.

  ‘It is she,’ he said, in a voice that trembled with emotion, ‘undoubtedly she, living and breathing, but in a trance.’

  Gaskin rose and took the astonished and visibly shaken young man by the elbow and led him back to his chair. ‘The apparition before us is Phoebe,’ he said, ‘the creature of radiant light, whose brilliance casts out doubt and ignorance. All who see her must believe.’

  ‘I believe!’ exclaimed Miss Whinstone, and there was a general chorus of assent, in which Mina joined.

  Phoebe seemed to enjoy this approbation, for she showed no signs of wanting to depart. She was an accommodating spirit, and tripped lightly about the room turning her head this way and that so that all present were favoured with her filmy gaze.

  ‘Does she speak?’ asked Mrs Mowbray.

  ‘Yes, ask her to speak!’ exclaimed Mrs Bettinson.

  ‘She might at least nod or shake her head in answer to questions,’ said Mina’s mother. ‘Or why else has she come before us?’ she added tetchily.

  ‘Tell us, Phoebe,’ said Professor Gaskin, ‘does the spirit world you inhabit have houses and churches such as this one?’

  Phoebe slowly nodded her head.

  ‘And will all of the faithful have homes there?’

  Another nod.

  ‘Are all those who dwell there happy?’ asked Mrs Gaskin.

  Not unexpectedly there was an emphatic nod.

  ‘And do they love and worship the Lord God?’

  The graceful spirit held her arms open to them all and nodded again as if to demonstrate that they were all embraced by the great love of God. She moved about them once again, holding a hand over the head of each person present, as if imparting a blessing, then she turned and walked back towards the curtained recess.

  ‘She tires,’ said Professor Gaskin. ‘Ask no more of her, I beg you. This is the longest she has ever appeared and we are truly favoured today!’

  As Phoebe walked past Mina she felt a sudden impulse. She rose stiffly to her feet and sighed and groaned aloud as if in pain. She was easily able to slip her left hand from Dr Hamid’s clasp and such was the surprise of her movement that she was even able to escape her mother’s hand.

  ‘Mina? What is it? Sit down at once!’ urged Louisa, and Dr Hamid started up to assist, but Mina staggered, throwing out her arms, and her weight, such as it was, fell against the glowing apparition. She had been hoping to do no more than gain some sense of how solid or otherwise the thing might be, but to her amazement, while she was careful not to fall to the ground, the radiant Phoebe, unbalanced and surprised, toppled and fell to the floor with an audible thump.

  Mrs Gaskin cried out, Miss Whinstone screamed, and more importantly Phoebe gave a gasp that sounded very like ‘Ooof!’.

  ‘Oh, I am so very sorry,’ Mina exclaimed, ‘how clumsy I am! Please allow me to help.’ She reached out to the figure on the carpet and offered to assist Phoebe to her feet, but before she could do so, an enraged Mrs Gaskin had seized hold of her by both arms and pulled her roughly away.

  ‘Do not touch her!’ she cried. ‘Who knows what damage you have done!’

  Phoebe appeared unhurt; indeed in her fall she had acquired a new nimbleness to her movements and jumping up, she hurried into the recess before anyone else dared to try and help.

  The table had been abandoned and everyone was now on his or her feet. Someone turned up the gas, revealing a great many shocked, flustered and angry faces. ‘Please, everyone remain calm!’ said Professor Gaskin.

  Dr Hamid came forward. ‘With your permission, Professor, I would like to tend to Miss Eustace and ensure that she is well.’

  Professor Gaskin threw up his arms in despair. ‘I dare not permit it, sir, I dare not!’ he exclaimed. ‘No one must disturb her now, not by sight or touch. The form of Phoebe is made from Miss Eustace’s own body. While it appears, the lady is in a very fragile and weakened condition, hovering between this world and the next. It takes fully two minutes, sometimes more for the substance of Phoebe to be reabsorbed into Miss Eustace’s body. If that process is interrupted then Miss Eustace will surely die.’

  ‘Would it help if we all sang a hymn?’ asked Mr Clee. ‘Only the Lord can help her now.’

  ‘Yes!’ exclaimed the professor, seizing upon a straw of comfort. He addressed the company in a voice breaking with emotion. ‘Ladies and gentlemen all, we must sing, sing as loud as we can, as if our lives depended on it, as indeed Miss Eustace’s very well might.’ He began to bellow out, ‘Praise My Soul the King of Heaven,’ and everyone quickly joined him.

  Dr Hamid, seeing that he was not wanted to attend to Miss Eustace, extricated Mina from the infuriated and painful grasp of Mrs Gaskin and drew her to a seat.

  ‘Was that well done?’ he asked quietly when the singing had stopped and Professor Gaskin had sunk into a chair, panting with effort.

  ‘I believe so,’ said Mina, calmly. ‘Why, even Mrs Gaskin may in time find it in her heart to forgive a poor cripple. My mother will not forgive me, but then she never does. But I know now that Phoebe is as solid as I am, and speaks and breathes.’

  ‘You have taken a very great risk,’ he said.

  ‘The greatest risk was damage to myself,’ said Mina.

  He looked concerned. ‘Are you hurt?’

  She smiled. ‘Only from contact with Mrs Gaskin. I have had worse pain and greater bruises. I will recover without any attention.’

  ‘And what of Miss Eustace? You are not anxious for her?’

  ‘Oh, I am sure she is unharmed and will very soon emerge triumphant.’

  Mrs Mowbray hovered nearby. ‘That was a very fine thing to do!’ she exclaimed, sarcastically, ‘but I suppose poor thing, you could not help it. Now we must hope that Miss Eustace lives, but I daresay even if she does, you will not be invited here again.’

  ‘I fear that may be correct,’ said Dr Hamid. Mrs Mowbray tried very hard to place herself where he had no choice but to admire her, but on discovering that there was no position where that might be possible, she scowled at Mina and drifted away. She was soon in conversation with Mr Clee.

  Mina, resting under Dr Hamid’s watchful eye, saw her mother bearing down upon her, and was bracing herself for the consequences, when she was alerted by a great gasp from the other members of the company as Miss Eustace reappeared from behind the curtains. The medium seemed exhausted, and held her hand to her forehead, staggering as though she might fall. Dr Hamid rose to go to her, but Professor and Mrs Gaskin hurried to offer their support, and shunning all other help, quickly conducted their stricken protégée from the room.

  Mr Clee took it upon himself to fully pull back the curtains and reveal to the company that the recess was exactly as it had been before the séance, except for the fact that someone or something had written ‘Praise be to God’ on the paper.

  ‘Well,’ said Louisa, staring down on Mina with barely concealed fury, ‘you have not killed Miss Eustace, that is some comfort. You silly girl! I had intended to invite her to our house to conduct a séance there, but she will not come now! It would not even do to send you away, she will be sure to say you are a bad influence and that the spirits will not come.’

  ‘Miss Eustace is as we have seen a good and forgiving person,’ said Mr Clee, who had a bright and engaging smile when he was not scowling with suspicion. ‘Why, I now see that I was most insulting to her when I came here, and yet whe
n I repented she forgave me and granted me the blessing she gives to her most devoted admirers. Perhaps, Miss Scarletti, your sensation of faintness and your fall was only because you were overcome with the power exerted by Miss Eustace, something for which you can scarcely be blamed.’

  Louisa gave him a derisive look, but said no more on the subject.

  There was a little more desultory conversation, but Mina did not wish to discuss the event with Dr Hamid while others were present, and Mr Clee had taken some of the wind out of her mother’s sails. The maid arrived with tea, but the Gaskins did not reappear and shortly afterwards everyone departed.

  As they travelled home in the company of Miss Whinstone and Mrs Bettinson, Mina, with the mark of Mrs Gaskin’s fingertips still burning on her arms, was enveloped in the thundercloud of her mother’s displeasure. Since Louisa did not address Mina directly but spoke exclusively to her friends about her difficult daughter as if she was not there, Mina felt entitled to assume that she was not expected to join in the conversation. She still felt that she could not believe in the reality of what she had seen. It was not that she did not believe in the existence of the immortal soul, but she could not imagine that the souls of the dead would come to earth and play crude tricks. Perhaps there were genuine mediums who received messages from the dead, but Miss Eustace was not, she thought, of their number. Mina was unable to explain how the table had risen, although she thought it to be a trick within the abilities of a good conjurer. She was in no doubt, however, that the radiant Phoebe, as advised by Professor Gaskin, was indeed composed of material from the medium’s own body, though not in the manner he had implied.