Sophy of Kravonia by Antonio Hope

Sophy's enemies were at work -- and Sophy was careless. Such is the history of the next twelve months. Mantis was installed medium now -- and the revelations came. But they came slow, vague, fitful, tantalizing. Something was wrong, Pharos confessed ruefully -- what could it be? For surely Lady Meg by her faith (and, it may be added, her liberality) deserved well of the Unseen Powers? He hinted at that Evil Eve again, but without express accusation. Under "the influence" Mantis would speak of "the malign one"; but Mantis, when awake, thought Mademoiselle de Gruche a charming young lady! It was odd and mysterious. Pharos could make nothing of it; he, too, thought Mademoiselle Sophie -- he advanced to that pleasant informality of description -- quite ravishing and entirely devoted to Lady Meg, only, unhappily, so irresponsive to the Unseen -- a trifle unsympathetic, it might be. But what would you? The young had no need to think of death or the dead. Was it to be expected, then, that Mademoiselle Sophie would be a good subject, or take much interest in the work, great and wonderful though it might be?

The pair of rogues did their work well and quietly -- so quietly that nothing of it would be known were it not that they quarrelled later on over the spoils of this and other transactions, and Madame Mantis, in the witness-box at Lille, used her memory and her tongue freely. "The plan now was to get rid of the young lady," she said, plainly. "Pharos feared her power over my lady, and that my lady might leave her all the money. Pharos hated the young lady because she would have nothing to say to him, and told him plainly that she thought him a charlatan. She had courage, yes! But if she would have joined in with him -- why, then into the streets with me! I knew that well enough, and Pharos knew I knew it. So I hated her, too, fearing that some day she and he would make up their differences, and I -- that for me! Yes, that was how we were, Monsieur le President." Her lucid exposition elicited a polite compliment from Monsieur le President -- and we also are obliged to her.