WHAT THE DOCTOR PROVED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11685, 21 June 1901, Page 3

WHAT THE DOCTOR PROVED.

T. "I don't think I should be a very difficult subject for you, doctor." John Staniforth lifted his lazy eyes to Dr. Nansen's face as he spoke. Tho three of us sat chatting by the cosy fire at the club. Outside the sleet was sprinkling the windowpanes, and the streets were covered with sloppy snow. We were the only members who had faced tho weather that evening', and, after bewailing tho incompleteness of threebanded whist, fell to talking- to pass the time. "Those persons v. ho are not susceptible io hypnosis," answered Nansen, '"are remarkably few; and my own experience has taught me that, even when ono lias failed in four or five consecutive attempts to produce the hypnotic sleep in some refractory subject, cue may succeed in the fifth or sixth." Tho doctor's eyes, as he was concluding his remarks, flashed a keen glanco in my direction. It was a sore point with him "that on several occasions he had failed in his powers with me. "You writing chaps," he went on, with a vapid smile, "are, as a rule, most amusing in your descriptions of hypnosis, and of those who practise it as a si iencc. You never succeed hi lifting it, for instance, from the more' vulgar, and therefore more popular, practices of Mcsmer." "Whoso follower"," put in Staniforth, "prefixing their names with the title 'professor.' have pulled the science down to a more exhibition of buffoonery. Come, now, doctor, the fault isn't entirely with the writers." " Perhaps not. But how absurd it seems that an author, we will say, can't picture a professor of hypnosis to his readers without giving him an impressive, powerful countenance, and deep-set eyes of intense and piercing black. Rubbish ! Hypnosis is bused on the imperfection, not the strength, of the human intellect. Look at me! There's nothing very terrible about see, is there?'' Perhaps not : but more cunning and danger might bo lurking in {We watery, blue eves which bliuked and b'inked into ours than in some eyes I have seen of much more impressive appearance. Staniforth laughed heartily. "My only aunt!" he gasped at length, wiping the tears from his eyes. " But yon illustrate your arguments with crushing force to-night, doe—that is. if you really arc a powerful exponent of the science, you" know." The glance Nansen gave him'was not a healthy one. Ho fixed his eyes on the tiro for a time in silence. "Your remarks, Stans'ferth," he said, at length, "are approaching the unparliamentary. Yet 1 think yon are too fair to have given lip to them if yen were not prepared to give me a chance'of proving my ! power.-,." "Don't pet huffed, old fellow! It's only my way, you know. Of course, 1 shall bo at i your sm'ioo. if you want to experiment. And." he added slyly, "you can have another go at U. at the same time. : ' " With pleasure." i said. "But look here. Nansen," continued Stani- ' forth. ramming tobacco into his pipe em- | phatically, "you don't really mean 'that von I can make us fee things that don't exist, I and do things we don't want to, and ad that I stuff?" I " It is simply a matter of suggestion. Onco I in the hypnotic sloop, you have, so to say. i no mind of your our-. You see what an- ! other mind pictures to you; yon do what! another mint! suggests, that is all. You j know how a child's mint! is influenced by the : thoughts of others'.' That is suggestion. Your mind, when in the hypnotic- state, is far ' more susceptible to external suggestion than "it of a child. For a time it loses is ii ; dividuality, and becomes a more mass of impressionable mutter, upon which, is faithfully photographed the opinions and scenes suggested to it. I will .-.how you what i mean." I The doctor arose and switched off the elec- I trie light. The room was then lighted only I by the flickering fire. ! "Now," .-aid he, "you see that door—the i one beyond the billiardrocm, I mean'.' it ! leads to the reatiingroom. Can you see it I through the faint ilvl.t:'' ' i We could both see ii. 1 "Observe it closely. In that room is a ! very fine history of Kagiand. You have : both often gazed upon the- beautiful portrait of Queen Lllizalvth which it contain.;." His voice fell to a drawling monotone. "Seel Tile handle of the door is mating softly. It opens. You see the dim form gliding slowly to moot us. You recognise that stately presence, those pensive features, tho robe of silk thai rustics gentiy towards us, the hideous frill around tho white and slender nock. It is -he who approaches—■ the virgin Queen." For a time there was deep si'--':ce in the room. " What infernal rot!" exclaimed Staniforth, in a tone of disgust. Nanson went to tho switch and turned on the light. "Just so," he said, with a queer siaile. "That is because you were not hypnotised. Had you been, you would have seen her. Will you come down to my house to-morrow evening, and I'll illustrate the fact to vou?" "Yes." "If you go, I go," I said. "Then I shall expect you both at eight," said the doctor. 11. Wo found the doctor seated by a cheerful fire in his apartments. On a card-table he had placed a bottle of wine and a box of cigarettes. "Xo need to hurry into the occult." ho remarked, after greeting us. " Time enough for that when we've taken a spell of—other things." His face, usually somewhat pale, was pallid, and tho hand pouring out the wine far from steady. "Gently, old fellow!" cried Staaiforth. "You'll have it over on the liaise. Touch of nerves'.'" " Late hours in the study. Young doctors have but short time for rest." 1 knew by his shifty eyes that ho was lying, and found it. impossible to shake oil' tho feeling that for some reason the man hated Staniforth. The game of whist we played was a wretched failure. Nation, usually a clever player, made the most absurd mistakes, whilst Staniforth took no pains to conceal his anxiety to get dene with it. "What the ilk-kins is that noise'.'" said the latter, when we were well into the third game of rubber. "Like a steam engine at •i distance! There's no station about here?" '•Steam'.' Station? Oh, 1 see! 'that's Polly, you know. Poll, Poll—pretty Poll! The gentle hissing noise grow suddenly louder, and filled the room. It appeared to come from a small wooden box standing camera- like on a three-legged stand at tho far end of the room. ."Staniforth laid down his cards. "Look here, Nansen, no foolery! I dan t like snakes!" "Pshaw! Who's got the nerves now.' Jack drank up his '.vine, to cover the angry flush lliai rose to his face. "They're my pet aversion, that s all, he said, quietly. "Very good. That gives me an idea. Last night von doubted my hypnotic powers. If I hvonotise you, afterwards suggesting- to you'that Poll is escaping from her raigc, that she will not harm you. and thai you-will be safe in taking her up and recaging— "Wait a bit," I interrupted. " What s the breed?" ~ "She's a cobra-di-capcllo. "What!" Staniforth cried, with tightenin <» lips. "The deadliest snake on earth!" "My dear fellow." said Nansen petulantly "she lias no more power to harm you while in that box than if she were hi her native India. 1 shall simply sugge-l that she is escaping. if you, acting uniler my influence, unci contrary to your natural inclinations, advance to handle the imagi naiy snake you see, will you admit my hypnotic powers ?" '"All right ! Go ahead ! Don be too sure of success, though. I don't think all I the hypnotism in the world could make me touch a snake—imaginary or otherwise." The doctor arose, and went towards tinbox, Stainforth watching him intensely. _ I had read somewhere of hypnotise™ using narcotics to make their tick easier, and, acting on a sudden impulse, 1 emptied my tintasted wine back into the open bottle. "I will turn down the gas," said Nan sen. approaching us again. "The firelight will be sufficient. For a time, iuowever, we will sit by the fire and chat. You are both a little too wide awake and eager at i present. Keep your eyes on the fire; I'll do the talking." Was it fancy, or did 1 really (see him flash a rapid glance at my empty glajis '! He sat and talked to us of his art in a low, drowsy voice, and Staniforth began to yawn frequently. Suddenly Nansen arose, and crept up to him like a cat. 1 saw him make soft, gentle [notions with his hauls close to Staniforth's eyes for five minutes or so; then he came and repeated them to me—soft, dreary movements they were, inviting sleep and forgetfulncss. i quietly foughi against their dreary inihience, with my teeth set and my brain alert. After a time I closed my eye.-, and allowed m.v head to fall back, -is tttanifortli'6 that! dene. "Now, then. Leek towards the box. Poll—pretty Poll. Are you there, Polly mine '!"

' Again the hissing noise—soft and purring, rather than angry—filled the ream. 1 saw Staniforth's head jerk upright, nice the head of a wired puppet. His eyes were wide open, and they stared towards the box. "Do you see anything':'' No answer. . "Of course not. She is a prisoner. 1 will open her race and release her. Nansen went to (he box, and there was a sharp click. "Come forth, Polly. The gentlemen desire your acquaintance. Ah, you are coming ! They roe the lid of your cage slowly lifting. They are watching your flashing eye: and slender form rear upwards an I gentle, swaying undulations. You are coding upon your box to spring. Look out, there '." I saw nothing. 11 v. as the same sort of rubbish to me as Ids patter about Queen Elizabeth at the club had been. I heard a sharp cry of terror, and turned, to see Staniforth watching the box with a staring, horror-struck face. '•Kill it!'' lie cried. "For God's fake, kill it. !" '* No. .She will not harm yon. See, she is going back. Slowly ho 'sink*. I close the lid thus—eliek !" Staniforth sank into his chair, and I saw the sweat glisten like drops of water on he face. Nansen went to nim, and shook him violently, afterwards doing the same with me. My friend looked like a man waking for a bad dream. ' ! "Well," said Nnnsen, "did you see': Are you convinced '.'" Staniforth wiped his face with his handkerchief, lb; was breathing in sudden spasms. ' "Yes." he said. "And you. 11.?" " L saw quite enough for me,'' I said. "Ah: but (hat's only half the experiment. I simply wish to see if you were both under mv influence. Now for the great test." "Not to-night." said Staniforth. rising. "To-night !" hissed Nansen, turning on him as ono might a. refractory clog. "Was 1 dreaming ': or did f see Stanifortii cower down before thai insignificant figure, and .sink with a d 0,,;; sigh into his chair: The doctor went through his former ease, with both of us, '»en went to the box, end the sharp dirk rlu out again. lie then came forward a fJlv paces, ami stood facing us, with his back to tho cage, hut not directly between tbf venomous reptile and us. "StEniforth, lock .'wain towards the box. j J have, unlocked i( What, do you see '! You nee the lid rise s owly, and the small, flat I head of tiie coin- i protrudj. You see her rise inch by inch her scales glinting like metal in the firelight, and her eyes binding your gaze like jewels." My heart gave ;i great throb, for I saw it all vividly as he suggested. J was hypnotised, then, at last ! "Come forward, Staniforth. .She will not harm you." Staniforth advanced to the centre of the room with short, .jerky steps. His eve; were ! fixed and glassy, ids face deathly white. I "You nolo the beauty of the swelling,! : spotted throat, and the p«>.l«-V,r»-.vn colour ol ! her form, marked with black in graceful design. Is she not, humble though her rank ! in life's scale, tho daughter of lovo, who is ! the mother of all that is beautiful in animal ; life? Love, who lin.ed her child's graceful form in rare design, even as she has changed the snarl of the beast to a tender sarcle, rind. ! endued the mere body of a woman's eye with the soul that tempts to destruction. Love ! oh, God ! "How gently she sways her head, and flashes out her glittering tongue! Strange that death should lurk in such a guii.se!" My heart throbbed again. I had never before seen a cobra, and had always bought the hood was somewhere, at tho hack of the head. Yet in this one I had seen tho swelling of the throat, which is the true hood of the cobra di-capello, before Nansen suggested it. It was no hallucination, then. The thing was real. "She will not harm you. Stanwor'.h. Take her gently villi your hand just below tho hood. end. press her down into her cage ayain. Do you hear '.' 1 command you. Staniforth !" Staniforth straightened up, and walked ; directly to the box. i "For God's sake .lack," I cried, in my I agony of mind, "conic backcome hack!"' j I heard a sharp, a nary curse, and Xansen | stepped forward to intercept mo, for in my ! frigid I had seized tho poker. His foot' i caught ono of Jho legs which supported the box, and the thing came down with a crash. Nan-en was staggering to keep hi: balance, j rod i saw one foci; go down hcawiy on a glittering band of ine'sliic lieiit which war- ' tiiekering a>-oe: the floor in the gloom. A shriek of acw-v rose from the struggling heap, rod t-hft shining band flushed re,,idly to i, v feat, I si rue*; with the poker once, blindly and madly. Titers was « soft ilimh i followed by a louder I;-)), as something yield- ' ing si-uck the wall at the other cmi of the room. i wiped the damp from my face, and ! looked for Ktaniios'th. lie was in a e.'.air, j sound asleep. 1 !U:-peeled he had been ; drugged, for I could not wake him. So I | looked for Nanson. fie lay groaning • amongst the ruins of Polly's cage. I "She has bitten me in the leg," ho said, i in an awed whisper. "It's nil over with ' me !" I " Did you knew the snake was out ?" 1 I said, with my lingers itching for hi-, tliroat. ! "No !" ho replied doggedly. "It was an accident. I: initrht have been Staniforth, ' but it's f. I'm glad of it." | I earned him to tee sofa, and he unfasI icned his ■.',.':»> a! the breast. ' " hi;-' <■■ all." he -aid. burn this little I chamois I «--g. Then you had better fetch a ! doctor. It's no use, but it will look bet- ; tc:." I I burnt the bag, but not before I had j seen the eon-, ntx. i It contained a long letter in a woman's ; hand, together with the photograph of a 1 head.,--.,. , ; i,-j_ And the face was (hat of ' Si:siiiforfh's itiU-jiccd wife. ' I never told StnnifoHJi tho truth of the . matter. I slept upon it, and came to the I conclusion that thorn are some things it is | better for a. man he should never know.