"Nothing, my little man. How are you feeling now?"
"Better. I wish I could go riding out of doors."
"You may. There are your crutches. Go ahead of me, and ask Merle and Alice to join us. They will feel relieved to know that you are well enough to come to them; they were very anxious."
"Father, I would not want mamma and Dinah to know that I was afraid."
"All right, boy. You go and ask Merle and Alice to go with us, and I will go and get a carriage."
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
After the members of his household had retired that night, William sat thinking as he had never thought before. He believed he had solved the cause of various phenomena through the use of mesmeric influence. He was able to demonstrate their basic principles to his friends or indeed to strangers, by the application of his knowledge, without relying upon theories or conjectures, and to perform marvelous feats by the aid of his powers, yet he was completely non-plussed by two members of his own family, who, although they did not doubt the efficacy of his powers, exhibited the very opposite traits to what he desired when he endeavored to work upon them.
While he sat there, deep in thought, he felt a hand upon his shoulder, and, looking up, saw Clarissa standing before him.