"In the evening?" Celia said. "Not for worlds! I might summon up enough courage to sit in daylight, but not after dark, thank you!"
"I doubt very much whether we should get any results by day," Mrs. Bosanquet said dubiously. "I know that for some reason or other which I never fathomed spirits seem to find it easier to manifest themselves in the dark."
"Look here!" said Peter, "are we expected to sit round in the dark like a lot of lunatics with our hands on that board?"
"Not, I trust, like a lot of lunatics," Mrs. Bosanquet said coldly.
"I won't do it," Celia announced. "I know what it'll be. Either Chas or Peter will start pushing just to frighten us."
"What I was really thinking of," said Charles meditatively, "was appearing in a false nose and some luminous paint. But I won't if you don't care for the idea."
"Charles," said Celia quite seriously, "unless you swear to me you won't play the fool I'll walk out of this house here and now."
"My dear child," Mrs. Bosanquet said reassuringly, "if you feel any alarm it would be much better if you didn't attempt to sit at all. And of course Charles is only making fun of you."
"But if you're all going to sit I shall have to," Celia said. "I couldn't stay by myself while you conjured up ghosts. I should die of fright."
"I have been told," remarked Mrs. Bosanquet, "though I must say I never experienced anything of the sort myself, that sometimes the spirits actually lift tables off their legs, and give one quite hard knocks to manifest their presence."