The physician folded up the patched letter carefully before he continued.  “Mr. Haswell, as you perhaps know, has for many years been a prominent figure in various curious speculations, or rather in loaning money to many curious speculators.  It is not necessary to go into the different schemes which he has helped to finance.  Even though most of them have been unknown to the public they have certainly given him such a reputation that he is much sought after by inventors.

“Not long ago Haswell became interested in the work of an obscure chemist over in Brooklyn, Morgan Prescott.  Prescott claims, as I understand, to be able to transmute copper into gold.  Whatever you think of it offhand, you should visit his laboratory yourselves, gentlemen.  I am told it is wonderful, though I have never seen it and can’t explain it.  I have met Prescott several times while he was trying to persuade Mr. Haswell to back him in his scheme, but he was never disposed to talk to me, for I had no money to invest.  So far as I know about it the thing sounds scientific and plausible enough.  I leave you to judge of that.  It is only an incident in my story and I will pass over it quickly.  Prescott, then, believes that the elements are merely progressive variations of an original substance or base called ‘protyle,’ from which everything is derived.  But this fellow Prescott goes much further than any of the former theorists.  He does not stop with matter.  He believes that he has the secret of life also, that he can make the transition from the inorganic to the organic, from inert matter to living protoplasm, and thence from living protoplasm to mind and what we call soul, whatever that may be.”

“And here is where the weird and uncanny part of it comes in,” commented Craig, turning from the doctor to me to call my attention particularly to what was about to follow.

“Having arrived at the point where he asserts that he can create and destroy matter, life, and mind,” continued the doctor, as if himself fascinated by the idea, “Prescott very naturally does not have to go far before he also claims a control over telepathy and even a communication with the dead.  He even calls the messages which he receives by a word which he has coined himself, ‘telepagrams.’  Thus he says he has unified the physical, the physiological, and the psychical—­a system of absolute scientific monism.”

The doctor paused again, then resumed.  “One afternoon, about a week ago, apparently, as far as I am able to piece together the story, Prescott was demonstrating his marvellous discovery of the unity of nature.  Suddenly he faced Mr. Haswell.

“‘Shall I tell you a fact, sir, about yourself?’ he asked quickly.  ’The truth as I see it by means of my wonderful invention?  If it is the truth, will you believe in me?  Will you put money into my invention?  Will you share in becoming fabulously rich?’

“Haswell made some noncommittal answer.  But Prescott seemed to look into the machine through a very thick plate-glass window, with Haswell placed directly before it.  He gave a cry.  ’Mr. Haswell,’ he exclaimed, ’I regret to tell you what I see.  You have disinherited your daughter; she has passed out of your life and at the present moment you do not know where she is.’