“Look round you, lady. Is this your bedroom?”
Terbane looked round with a wild stare.
“It is a room I never saw in my life. Where am I? What is the meaning of it? You look like a kind lady. Tell me, for God’s sake, what is the meaning of it? Oh, I am so terrified, so terrified! Where are John and Janet?”
“What do you last remember?”
“I remember speaking severely to Janet. She is my maid, you know. She has become so very careless. Yes, I was very angry with her. I was so angry that I was ill. I went to bed feeling very ill. They told me that I should not get excited. How can one help getting excited? Yes, I remember being breathless. That was after the light was out. I tried to call Janet. But why should I be in another room?”
“You passed over in the night.”
“Passed over? Do you mean I died?”
“Yes, lady, you died.”
There was a long silence. Then there came a shrill scream. “No, no, no! It is a dream! A nightmare! Wake me! Wake me! How can I be dead? I was not ready to die? I never thought of such a thing. If I am dead, why am I not in heaven or hell? What is this room? This room is real room.”
“Yes, lady, you have been brought here and allowed to use this man’s body—”
“A man?” She convulsively felt the coat and passed her hand over the face. “Yes, it is a man. Oh, I am dead! I am dead! What shall I do?”
“You are here that we may explain to you. You have been, I judge, a worldly woman—a society woman. You have lived always for material things.”
“I went to church. I was at St. Saviour’s every Sunday.”
“That is nothing. It is the inner daily life that counts. You were material. Now you are held down to the world. When you leave this man’s body you will be in your own body once more and in your old surroundings. But no one will see you. You will remain there unable to show yourself. Your body of flesh will be buried. You will still persist, the same as ever.”
“What am I to do? Oh, what can I do?”
“You will take what comes in a good spirit and understand that it is for your cleansing. We only clear ourselves of matter by suffering. All will be well. We will pray for you.”
“Oh, do! I need it so! Oh my God!…” The voice trailed away.
“Bad case,” said the Chinaman, sitting up. “Selfish woman! Bad woman! Live for pleasure. Hard on those around her. She have much to suffer. But you put her feet on the path. Now my medium tired. Plenty waiting, but no more to-day.”
“Have we done good, Chang?”
“Plenty good. Plenty good.”
“Where are all these people, Chang?”
“I tell you before.”
“Yes, but I want these gentlemen to hear.”
“Seven spheres round the world, heaviest below, lightest above. First sphere is on the earth. These people belong to that sphere. Each sphere is separate from the other. Therefore it is easier for you to speak with these people than for those in any other sphere.”
“And easier for them to speak to us?”
“Yes. That why you should be plenty careful when you do not know to whom you talk. Try the spirits.”
“What sphere do you belong to, Chang?”
“I came from Number Four sphere.”
“Which is the first really happy sphere?”
“Number Three. Summerland. Bible book called it the third heaven. Plenty sense in Bible book, but people do not understand.”