"What does it say? Read it aloud."
"After I've stared at you long enough----It doesn't sound civil, does it?"
"Never mind the civility; go on!"
"'After I've stared at you long enough, you begin to feel queer. Then'"--Mr. Pownceby read from the pamphlet, "'Place the thumb of your left hand on the subject's forehead'--you're the subject--'just above the nose, and level with the eyebrows.'" Mrs. Pratt placed her pretty little hand above her pretty little nose to point out the exact spot denoted. Mr. Pownceby read on. "'This is the locality of the Phrenological Organ of Individuality.'"
"Is it?" said Mrs. Pratt in an awe-struck whisper. The reader continued:
"'Rest the ends of your fingers on the top of the subject's head. At the same time take hold of the left hand with your right hand, applying the inside part of your thumb to the middle of the palm of the hand.' I'm punctuating this," interpolated Mr. Pownceby, "as I go on. The man who printed it seems to have had a fount of type containing no other stops but commas. 'The object of this is for the operator to get in contact with two very important nerves that pass in the palm of the hand which are called Ulnar and Median nerves'--I don't know if that's true, or what it means, but it says so here--'with your left hand, still keeping the thumb on the forehead between the eyes, and the fingers resting on the subject's head, which must be inclined slightly back. Say, "Look into my eyes." After gazing in his eyes intently for a few seconds, say in a loud, clear, firm tone of voice, "Close your eyes quite tight." Let him remain a few seconds like this,'--and the trick is done. There's a lot more nonsense to follow, but when you've remained for a few seconds like that you're supposed to be mesmerised, or hypnotised, or whatever they call the thing."
"Really! It sounds quite simple."
"It does--simple folly."
"Hush! You shouldn't speak like that. Perhaps, if you don't believe, you mayn't succeed."
"It says something to that effect in these precious pages."