As for the idea that this medium could show her the spirit of her former self, or any other real spirit, it was simply imbecile to entertain it for a moment.
If, however, Miss Ludington was relieved by Mrs.Slater's letter, Paul was keenly disappointed.

His prejudice against spiritualism was by no means so deeply rooted as hers.

In a general way he had always believed mediums to be frauds, and their shows mere shams, but he had been ready to allow with Mrs.Slater, that, mixed up in all this fraud, there might be a very little truth.
His mind admitted a bare possibility that this Mrs.Legrand might be able to show him the living face and form of his spirit-love.

That possibility once admitted had completely dominated his imagination, and it made little difference whether it was one chance in a thousand or one in a million.

He was like the victim of the lottery mania, whose absorption in contemplating the possibility of drawing the prize renders him quite oblivious of the nine hundred and ninety-nine blank tickets.
Previous to Mrs.Slater's visit he had been quite content in his devotion to an ideal mistress, for the reason that any nearer approach to her had not occurred to him as a possibility.