WALES.  We’re expecting great things from you to-night, Madame la Grange.

ROSALIE.  Bien!  I hope you will not be disappointed.

CROSBY (above table R., coming C. a step).  I suppose there are a lot of tricks that—­

ROSALIE (interrupting him).  I suppose mine is the only trade in the world in which there are tricks, eh, monsieur?

MISS EASTWOOD (coming to ROSALIE C.).  Why shouldn’t I meet Jimmy at the Ritz to-morrow?

ROSALIE.  If you do, something awful may ’appen to ’im.

MISS EASTWOOD.  What?

ROSALIE.  If you keep meeting Jimmy ’e may marry you.

(MISS EASTWOOD moves up stage a step.)

CROSBY (upper end of table R.).  Would you mind telling me how you know this young lady was going to meet Jimmy at the Ritz to-morrow afternoon?

ROSALIE.  She did leave ’is letter in ’er bag in the ’all, and while I wait I ’ave read it.

MISS EASTWOOD (C.).  How did you know it was my bag?

ROSALIE.  The stuff of the bag matches the stuff of your dress.

MRS. CROSBY (seated below table R.).  Then it is all trickery?

ROSALIE.  It is, madame, and it is not.  I tell you, madame, most of the time it is tricks, with even the best of us.  But there ’ave been times in my life when it was not tricks.  There ’ave been things I could not understand myself, messages from them that ’ave passed on, madame.  There is a power—­a wonderful power—­that come to us.  But you never can tell when it is coming.  And if you waited for it you would starve to death.  So when it is not there we use tricks.

MRS. CROSBY (seated at lower end of table at R.).  I think I understand.

ROSALIE.  Do you, madame?  I thought you would.

(She moves to and puts her hand-bag on the table R. MRS. TRENT, seated below door down L., is joined by WALES.  MASON is standing in front of the fireplace.)

MISS EASTWOOD (coming to R.C.).  Don’t you think all this is dishonest!

ROSALIE (in front of table R., turning to her).  What is dishonest in it?

MISS EASTWOOD.  Tricking a lot of poor ignorant people.

ROSALIE.  It is all in the way you look at it.  A widow woman came to me this mornin’ with a breaking ’eart for the man that was gone.  I went into a trance and Laughing Eyes, my spirit control, came with a message from ’im.  She said ’e was in heaven with the angels, and there was no cold nor ’unger; and the streets were paved with gold, and there was music and ’appiness everywhere.  She told ’er he was thinking of ’er every day and every hour and watching and waiting for the day she would come to ’im.  Now wasn’t that worth fifty cents of any woman’s money?  And the man may be in ’ell for all I know!

TRENT (L.C. by arm-chair).  What I can’t understand is why you are telling us all this.