She had not been informed of Peter's identity, but she knew him to be acquainted with the man whom she still considered dead, and she knew that Mr. Bartram was to impersonate Peter Crane.
She asked the eight people present to sit in a circle and join hands, allowing herself to make one of them.
Weston flatly refused to do this, saying he preferred to sit alone at the back of the room. He did so, and took his place near the door of the small library of Mr. Crane's, the session being held in the large living room.
The medium requested that the lights be shut entirely off, saying that sufficient illumination would come in from the street to prevent total darkness.
This proved to be true, and the dim light was just enough for them to distinguish one another's forms but not faces.
"Poppycock," whispered Shelby to Carlotta, as he held her hand.
Zizi, who sat on Shelby's other side, heard it and answered, "Absolutely."
Then the usual things happened. The medium went into a trance state, and the regular proceedings took place.
She gave messages to Mr. Crane, purporting to be from his dead son. She gave messages to Julie and to Peter's mother, all vapid and meaningless and mentally scoffed at by all present, except the two elderly listeners.
At last the medium said, "I am weary,—weary,—I would sleep. The spirit of Peter Crane himself would speak to you."