Hours ago Morris had gone though his rites, the ritual that he had invented or discovered--in its essence, simple and pathetic enough--whereby he strove to bring himself to the notice of the dead, and to fit himself to see or hear the dead.

Such tentative mysticism as served his turn need not be written down, but its substance can be imagined by many.

Then, through an exercise of his will, he had invoked the strange, trance-like state which has been described.

The soft waves flowing from an unknown source had beat upon his brain, and with them came the accustomed phenomena; the sense of some presence near, impending, yet impotent; suggesting by analogy and effect the misdirected efforts of a blind person seeking something in a room, or the painful attempt of one almost deaf, striving to sift out words from a confused murmur of sounds.

The personality of Stella seemed to pervade him, yet he could see nothing, could hear nothing.