"He might put you into a hypnotic trance," explained Cyril, who had described all that had taken place.
"I should not let him do that," said the girl decidedly.
Cyril shrugged his shoulders. "Durgo might not care if you liked it or not. He would hypnotize you, if he wished."
"No, Cyril, he could not do that unless I consented. My will is my own, and it is a strong one. I suppose," said Bella, after a pause, "that he made Granny feel those aches and pains by controlling her subjective mind."
Lister glanced sideways at her in surprise. "You seem to know all about it," he declared. "Where did you learn those terms?"
"At my school at Hampstead there was a girl who could hypnotise people. She read all manner of books about hypnotism, and talked about the subjective mind, although I don't know what it is. I can understand so much of Durgo's power over Granny. But that sending her spirit to the Manor is strange. I don't believe that he did."
"He must have done so," insisted Cyril, "as Durgo did not know that the Vands were leaving, and Granny distinctly stated that they were, in my hearing. Also, if we find that the jewels are in the small portmanteau, marked with the initials M. F., we can be certain that her spirit really did travel."
"'M. F.,'" repeated Bella, dreamily: "those are my father's initials."
"Maxwell Faith. So they are. Humph! There is something in this business after all, Bella."
"But do you really think anyone can separate the spirit from the body?"
Lister reflected. "I don't see why not. After all, as St. Paul says, we are composed of spirit, soul and body, so in certain cases the one may become detached from the other. I remember"--he looked thoughtfully up to the cloudy sky--"I remember reading in some magazine of a boat-load of people being saved, owing to one of them transferring his spirit to a passing ship, and leaving written instructions in the cabin where the ship was to steer to."
"My dear," he said drily, "you can see the log of that very ship, containing an account of the incident, at Somerset House. However, we have no time to discuss these matters further. Yonder is Durgo by the bridge. I want to know why he asked you to meet him here. Such a night, too"--Cyril shivered--"quite a change. I feel cold."