She remained out much longer than most of the forms had done, when I noticed that she appeared to be growing weaker, and, in spite of her efforts to sustain herself, was sinking downward. Bidding her Good-night, I let go her hand. As I did so, she went down directly in front of me, within a foot of where I stood, her head and shoulders being the last part visible. On the carpet, where she disappeared, there was a glow of phosphorescent light, which gradually faded away.
For the first and only time during my investigations, I was unduly excited. It came so suddenly and unexpectedly upon me that I was confused. I brushed my hand across my forehead and eyes to make sure of my bearings, and slowly returned to my seat, fully conscious of the importance of what had passed before me. If real,—if the form had thus dematerialized,—then the reality of materialization followed as a matter of course.
While turning these thoughts over in my mind, the séance closed; and as I stepped out into the full light of the autumnal moon, everything seemed changed. The sound of feet on the brick pavement grated harshly on my ears; before me rose the tall spire of the stone church, throwing its ghostly shadow across the way; behind me was the séance-room, and a dreamy consciousness of the strange phenomena I had witnessed surged through my brain. Was it possible that I had stood face to face and been in communication with one from another life?
As I pondered over this, a reaction came, and before I reached my home the probability, or the possibility even, that I had been deceived, vexed and annoyed me, and aroused a determination to know whether or not there was truth in materialization. I was not over-pleased with what I had seen, and, but for this last incident, my investigations might have ended here. Materialization was either a great truth or a stupendous humbug. Thousands of intelligent persons believed in it, on what appeared to me uncertain evidence. Was it not a disgrace to science that this had been allowed to go on so long without any honest attempt to investigate it? If I could only get the inside track, how easy it would be to expose it! The whole thing lay in a nutshell: either the forms appearing were confederates, or personations by the medium; perhaps both. I would if possible adopt a system of investigation so thorough that nothing should escape me.
To go to séances as an ordinary visitor was, to me, to throw time away. If the manifestations were genuine, and my personal relations with the medium not objectionable, I saw no reason why I should not obtain privileges without which, to my skeptical mind, it would be useless to pursue the subject.
I therefore continued my visits, having this object constantly in view. Otherwise I remained perfectly passive, neither demanding nor asking anything.
Several times I was surprised by finding thoughts to which I had given no outward expression anticipated by what claimed to be "the control," that is, the spirit alleged to hold possession of the entranced medium. I had not asked, although greatly desirous, to be taken into the cabinet during the séance. While thinking this, "Auntie," Mrs. Fay's "control," said, "You shall come in."
The forms were coming quite freely to me, and one said, "You may go in with me." As I entered, the control greeted me in a friendly way, saying that she liked me; that I was a skeptic, but an honest one.
While talking with her, I had my left arm around the waist of the form that took me into the cabinet. With my right hand I reached out and satisfied myself that the medium was sitting in her chair, entranced. There could be no mistake; there were four of us in the cabinet,—the two forms that appeared to be materialized, the medium, and myself!
I know how two got in, but where did the other two come from?