"Here, who's going to hold my arms up?" demanded Charles, having tried the effect of obeying these instructions.
"No one, my dear. You just sit with them extended. Now you must all of you try to make your minds a blank…'
"That oughtn't to be difficult for some of us," said Peter.
"True," agreed Charles, "but to think this was the one occasion when Flinders would have been really useful, and we weren't warned in time to call him in!"
"Shut up, Chas!" Margaret said severely. "All right, Aunt. Anything else?"
"No, dear. Only when the board begins to move you must on no account push it, or in any way seek to influence it. Think of something else, and just keep your hands perfectly steady. Have you all got your fingers on the board? Then we will be quite quiet now, and wait."
Dead silence fell. In the dim light they could just perceive one another, but Celia could not keep her eyes from peering fearfully into the darkness beyond. After perhaps three minutes, Charles said suddenly: "What happens if I sneeze?"
"Sh!" said Mrs. Bosanquet.
Another silence fell. This time it was Peter who broke it. "I say, are you sure this is right?" he asked. "Isn't it only one person who manipulates a planchette? Or am I thinking of a Ouija board?"
"Sh!" said Mrs. Bosanquet again.