Mr Scarletti's Ghost (25 page)

Mina laughed until she was breathless. ‘Oh I
wish
I had been there to see it! So Miss Eustace is no more?'

‘We may hope,' said Dr Hamid, more cheerfully, despite his other concerns, ‘that we have seen the last of that lady, at least in Brighton. I imagine that Professor and Mrs Gaskin are now very disappointed in her and will retreat back to London, sadder and wiser for their experience.'

‘Of course there is nothing to prevent Miss Eustace going to another town and promoting herself under another name and finding more dupes, but that is not something I am able to concern myself with,' said Mina, regretfully.

‘You cannot be everywhere and be a guardian to the world,' said Dr Hamid. ‘We must do all we can to protect our loved ones, keep a careful watch for our friends, and help those in need of charity, but that is all that can be expected of us.'

Mina was obliged to agree. She knew that her mother had not been at the previous night's interrupted séance, but had a ticket for that very evening. It was now, she thought, certain that the planned event would not take place. She decided not to mention to her mother that she knew of Miss Eustace's downfall. She was curious to know whether the news had spread to the faithful who had not witnessed it, and if so, what the town gossips were saying. Her mother, on learning the truth, would no doubt inform her that she had always had her suspicions, and deride the idea that she had been taken in. Mina, who did not want to cause an upset, but simply hoped to lay the unhealthy fashion to rest, determined to use her mother's reaction as the cue for her own response.

Mina returned home to spend half an hour in her room with a new purchase, a pair of dumb-bells. There was as yet no visible difference in her shoulders, but she was confident that that would come as she gained in strength. She emerged to find her mother locked in close enclave with the two widowed sisters, Mrs Mowbray and Mrs Peasgood, who had in all probability arrived carrying the awful news. When Mina joined them, she was greeted with calm politeness and all the conversation was of the weather. The ladies soon departed to make another call, and Mina's mother said that she was tired and took a short nap.

To Mina's increasing surprise nothing was said on the subject of Miss Eustace either at luncheon or at tea. She surmised that her mother did not wish to admit that she had been made a fool of, and, under the impression that Mina knew nothing about it, had therefore decided to drop the subject entirely. Any discomfort would soon pass, and Mina looked forward to daily life returning to something resembling normality. Later that day however, Mina was surprised to see her mother preparing to go out and found that she, together with Mrs Bettinson, Miss Whinstone and Mrs Parchment were all going to a séance at the Gaskins' apartments.

‘Is that still to happen?' Mina asked cautiously. ‘When I went to the baths this morning I overheard someone say that all future séances had been cancelled. In fact one person advised me that Miss Eustace and Professor and Mrs Gaskin were to leave Brighton. Are you to see another spirit medium?'

‘You would do well not to listen to ignorant talk,' said her mother, tying her bonnet. ‘They will not be leaving and Miss Eustace will be conducting a séance this very night. We are promised something extraordinary, but the conditions must be exactly right. It is open only to a select few. If you had been more co-operative you might have been of that number, but I am afraid there is no hope for you.'

‘Then the rumour about the incident provoked by Mr Jordan is false?' asked Mina. ‘It was such a curious story that I could not give it any credit.'

‘There was an incident of sorts, although it might better be termed an outrage,' said her mother, angrily.

‘Surely not!' said Mina. ‘Were Mrs Mowbray and Mrs Peasgood there? What did they say?'

Louisa favoured the hall mirror with an admiring glance. ‘If you
must
know, Mr Jordan, who is a highly unpleasant person, obtained entry to the séance by giving a false name. He then nearly killed Miss Eustace by committing a grievous assault on her spirit guide Phoebe. Everyone there was most disgusted by his behaviour and of course he was made to leave. It also seems, and I find this astonishing, that Mr Conroy, who has always appeared to be such a sensible gentleman, actually abetted him in this. Professor Gaskin said that Mr Jordan, who may not be in his right mind, suffers from a hatred of all things spiritual. Such is his intolerance that he is unable to see or even refuses to see what is obvious to others.'

‘I was told,' said Mina, ‘that Mr Jordan actually claimed that Phoebe was simply Miss Eustace in disguise.'

‘Well, that is exactly what such a man would say! I am sure it was nothing of the sort!' said her mother. The carriage arrived with the other ladies and she departed.

M
ina was consumed with curiosity about what would transpire at the séance, but had to wait until the following morning to find out. She saw now that she had been excluded from discussion of the event because her mother, imagining that it might be a day or two before Mina heard of it, wanted to learn everything she could, so as to be prepared to offer a complete refutation.

The next morning Mina did not need to prompt her mother to tell the tale, for she was regaled at great length across the breakfast table with an account of Miss Eustace's wonderful triumph. The lady had been surrounded with sympathetic well-wishers, who had applauded her and pressed her with many gifts, and Phoebe had later appeared wearing gorgeous robes and a glowing crown studded with jewels. The spirit had spoken to them all, and even kissed Professor Gaskin's hand. Their host, said Louisa, had offered a full explanation for the events of the previous night, which showed that Mr Jordan had been labouring under a delusion as to what had really occurred. Not only had Professor Gaskin written to all the Brighton newspapers with a detailed account of the incident, but he had also composed a small pamphlet, which was being printed as he spoke and would enlighten anyone who had heard the false accusations.

That afternoon, the professor's pamphlet, its ink barely dry, appeared in newsagents, libraries and reading rooms all over Brighton. The title was ‘Miss Eustace, vindicated; an explanation of spirit phenomena.'

It was with considerable curiosity and a heavy heart that Mina obtained a copy and took it home to study.

Professor Gaskin commenced his address to the denizens of Brighton by stating that a certain intolerant hostile and ignorant person, whom he declined to name, but whose character was perfectly described by the fact that he did not hesitate to use violence to endanger the life of a virtuous lady, had suggested that Miss Eustace had been exposed as a fraud. Nothing, he declared, could be further from the truth. Jealous persons, persons who perhaps were interested in promoting rivals to Miss Eustace and hoped thereby to make their fortunes, had tried to destroy her reputation by spreading a false rumour to the effect that the materialised form of Phoebe had been found to be Miss Eustace clad in glowing robes. This was not at all what had occurred, and in the interests of scientific enquiry and progress he felt obliged to set the record straight.

Miss Eustace, he advised his readers, had but recently recovered from a severe cold, which had greatly decreased her available energy, but such was her selfless devotion to the world of the spirit, she had, in order to please her many admirers, recommenced her séances a little before her full powers had returned to her.

It had been determined to secure her to a chair before she entered the trance state, a duty that was always carried out by independent volunteers, and had this been properly done, nothing untoward would have occurred, but it now appeared that the men who had tied her had not carried out their task as well as they should have done. Indeed one of the men in question was the same man who later created the horrid disturbance, and Professor Gaskin suspected that the failure to tie the medium properly was not due to ineptitude at all, but was actually deliberate. His studies had led him to the conclusion that it was always best to tie the medium when a materialisation was to take place, not as a test of her veracity but for her own protection, in case she started to wander about the room while in a semi-conscious state.

When Phoebe's form had been produced on previous occasions it had been made wholly out of etheric matter drawn from Miss Eustace's body to create a complete materialisation. On the night in question, however, because of Miss Eustace's fragile state of health, there had been insufficient matter to create the whole figure. It was his belief, although he had never previously witnessed it, that in order to arrive at a full materialisation, the process had to pass through a stage of transition, which was not usually seen by sitters, since it took place in a cabinet or behind a curtain. Miss Eustace, although in a semi-trance, and therefore hardly responsible for or even aware of what she was doing, was anxious to meet the expectations of her circle, and rather than disappoint them, the process had commenced, but due to her weakness, it had paused during the transition stage and never achieved full materialisation. At this point, she had produced only sufficient substance to produce the outward appearance of Phoebe and had used it to drape her own form. This amazing material can usually be instantly moulded to adopt any shape; however, on that occasion, the shape that it adopted most easily, as causing the least distress to Miss Eustace, was that of the medium herself. The knots about her wrists failing, Miss Eustace had in her unconscious condition emerged from behind the curtains, only to be attacked with great savagery and almost killed.

Professor Gaskin took upon himself the entire responsibility for the unfortunate outcome of the sitting. He had allowed Miss Eustace to conduct a séance when not in full health, had inadvertently admitted to the circle a person of dubious reputation and harmful influence, and had then failed to ensure that the medium was properly secured and protected. The one person who should bear no blame at all for the incident was Miss Eustace herself.

Mina's mother had also obtained a copy of the pamphlet, which she studied with considerable satisfaction. Mr Jordan, so her friends had informed her, was beside himself at this development. Not only had he failed in what was practically an attempt to assassinate Miss Eustace, but the gossip about the incident and the circulation of the pamphlet had only increased that lady's fame, and demand for tickets was more intense than ever.

Mina, in despair over her quarry's triumph, retired to her room to consider what to do next. It was very apparent now that adherents of Miss Eustace and perhaps of all mediums could, in face of the most blatant exposure, explain everything away in terms that would serve to maintain and even reinforce their belief. There was no hope for them, and she could do nothing for them; indeed Dr Hamid was quite right, she had no real obligation to anyone but her own intimate circle as well as the helpless and the needy. It was not her place to save strangers from the consequences of their own foolishness and vanity. She tried to write, but unusually the words would not come. She had thought of composing a new tale, about a medium who turned out to be a thief, but what good would that do? It was after all a story, and anything might happen in a story.

Mina briefly considered asking for a private sitting with Miss Eustace, but even if she could bring herself to part with two guineas to the medium she was sure that any application would be refused, or if accepted, the sitting would have an inconclusive result. It was hardly possible for her to attend a séance in disguise.

Although she had heard nothing from Richard, she soon learned that he had been busy with his new pursuits. An advertisement had been placed in the
Gazette
, in the form of a letter from a satisfied customer of the new and sensational Miss Foxton, who had recently, so it was claimed, concluded a successful tour of all the major cities in the land where she had astounded everyone with her supernatural demonstrations. Miss Foxton was shortly to astonish Brighton, and tickets could be procured at very reasonable cost. A box number was given for enquiries. Mina thought that when she finally caught up with Richard she should at least be permitted to see the demonstration as a guest.

Richard soon swept back into her life like a burst of intoxication. He had the ability to both raise her mood and drive her to despair, often at the same time. He laughed heartily at the discomfiture of Mr Jordan, whom he did not see as a danger to himself. ‘Let him come and welcome!' he said. ‘Let him do his worst! In fact I shall send complimentary tickets to him and his friend Mr Conroy to ensure their attendance.'

‘So you feel that you have nothing to conceal?' asked Mina with some surprise.

‘Oh my dear girl, we have
everything
to conceal, but we will make a better job of it than Miss Eustace.'

‘I have heard a rumour the truth of which I have been unable to establish, that the lady has been in prison, though under another name,' said Mina.

He laughed again. ‘That would not surprise me in the least.'

‘But I am afraid I don't know that name,' said Mina seriously.

He made an airy gesture. ‘A woman such as she probably has a dozen.'

‘I only wish I could find out some way of discovering that name and if the story of her being in prison is true. Do you have any idea as to how it might be done? You always seem to be full of ideas.'

He gave the question a few moments' thought. ‘Well, you might waste your money employing a detective, but even if he found out the whole story and bellowed it from the cliff top, what would be the result? Miss Eustace's tribe of followers would refuse to believe it, or see her as a martyr to the cause of truth and a victim of persecution by the ignorant, and they would cling to her even closer. Those who do not as yet follow her would flock to see her and she would be more famous than ever. Those who want to believe will believe. Those who do not will not.'