The mere thought that in this clever man's mind were two lines, equally strong and opposite, was in itself so consoling as to neutralise my anxiety as to a new attack.

As he began to speak, the Doctor's face wore an inscrutable smile; this, however, gave place to a stern gravity as he proceeded: "Two lines: Fact and--Fancy! In the first there is this whole thing; attacks, attempts at robbery and murder; stupefyings; organised catalepsy which points to either criminal hypnotism and thought suggestion, or some simple form of poisoning unclassified yet in our toxicology.

In the other there is some influence at work which is not classified in any book that I know--outside the pages of romance.

I never felt in my life so strongly the truth of Hamlet's words: 'There are more things in Heaven and earth...
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.' "Let us take the 'Fact' side first.

Here we have a man in his home; amidst his own household; plenty of servants of different classes in the house, which forbids the possibility of an organised attempt made from the servants" hall.