He asked Miss Ludington
to occupy the middle chair, and, trembling in every limb, she did so.
Paul took the chair by her side, the other being apparently for Dr. Hull.
The elfish little girl, whom they called Alta, and who appeared to be the
daughter of Mrs. Legrand, meanwhile took her place at a piano standing in
the front parlour.
All being now ready, Dr. Hull proceeded to turn the gas in the two
parlours very low. The jets in both rooms were controlled by a stop-cock
in the wall by the side of the doorway between them. There were two jets
in the back parlour, fastened to the wall dividing it from the front
parlour, one on each side of the door, so as to throw light on any figure
coming out of the cabinet. The light they diffused, after being turned
down; was enough to render forms and faces sufficiently visible for the
recognition of acquaintances, though a close study of features would have
been difficult.
It now appeared that the glass shades of the jets in the back parlour
were of a bluish tint, which lent a peculiarly weird effect to the
illumination.
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