"But the portrait?"
"It won't affect the portrait in the least--I-can go on painting and you will be free from pain."
The squire hated pain, and was moreover very curious to test Beaumont's knowledge, so he consented to the idea.
"Go on, sir," he said grimly. "I don't object."
Beaumont nodded carelessly, delighted thus to have gained his end, and producing from his pocket a facetted piece of glass, he arose from his seat and walked over to the old man.
Taking up his position at one side of the chair he held the glittering object just above the squire's forehead.
"Look steadily at this," he said in a quiet tone, and on Garsworth doing so he waited silently for the result, which soon took place. The eyes became humid and brilliant, the gaze fixed and the pupils dilated, until the old man fell into a cataleptic state. As the glass facet was still held in front of his eyes he soon passed into a lethargic condition and fell backward in his chair with a sigh.
Beaumont took the glass away with a feeling of relief, as he doubted being able to produce the hypnotic sleep so easily. He had now at his command a will-less automaton who would do what ever he was told. But this was not what Beaumont desired, as he was unable to suggest the secret to the helpless man before him, and without suggestion the automaton would not do anything. He wanted to change this lethargic sleep into a somnambulistic state, so that he could have the memory, the intelligence, and the imagination of the squire at his command. This he achieved by slightly rubbing his hand to and fro for a few minutes across the top of the head, and in obedience to the feeling produced by this Garsworth rapidly passed into a state of active somnambulism.
He arose from his chair, looked quickly from right to left, while Beaumont spoke to him, and during the conversation that followed, was in a state of perpetual movement. All that Beaumont had now to do was to suggest things to the somnambulist which would engender trains of thought, and these trains of thought would be speedily acted upon by volition.
The tall figure in black swayed rapidly to and fro while Beaumont spoke in a clear, deliberate manner, suggesting the questions he wanted to be answered.