“I call that power, all right” Drake persisted. “If it’s a trick, it’s one you newspaper fellows don’t know.”

“It’s a trick, all right.”

“What’s the harm calling it a miracle?”

“In this age?”

“What has the age to do with it?”

The same question Barnes had put to Carter. “It’s an age of science and progress, not of superstition and fairy tales.”

“And yet, in an age of science and progress, not a single newspaper has yet got a scientific, photographic picture of this Person you call a faker.”

“It’s a trick, I tell you!” said Carter angrily.

“Well, as long as you can’t explain it, it’s as good as the thing they call a miracle, isn’t it? But I’ll tell you what. We will get a closer look at this Person. All mysteries vanish at ten feet. I’ll invite him to dinner and we’ll try to find him out. We’ll test him.”

“He won’t come,” Carter said after a silence.

“Won’t come! They say he goes wherever he’s invited. And I reckon after dining with his Jews in the ghetto and the Italians in San Rafael court, he won’t object to a good dinner at the Plaza.”

“How can you invite him? You don’t even know him.”

“I don’t have to. Besides, I can say in my note that a man he met in Raymond is here and is anxious to meet him. Oh, he will come all right.”

“I’d rather you did not mention my name.”

“Too modest, eh? All right. Mrs. Drake and I will invite him on the ground of our having read so much about him and wishing to make his better acquaintance, and so forth. Of course, we want you here.”

“I’ll be here, but I doubt he’ll come. And if he does, you never can tell what he may do or say. I had a talk with him once and he—”

“What did you discuss? Miracles?”

“No matter. You can be prepared for most anything. It will not be impossible for him to insult you.”

“Insult me? At my table!” Roswald Drake straightened up, took the cigar from his mouth, and exhibited real anger. “I know mighty well what to do if he descends to any such act with me.”

“What will you do?” Carter asked in real curiosity.

Drake said curtly, “I admire his power, all right, but I won’t stand for any foolishness such as he handed to Clay Ross the other day. Why, he all but told Clay that he was a thief and a murderer.”

“Power, that’s all,” said Carter sarcastically.

“Power nothing! Just sheer interference in another man’s business. No man living can interfere with my business as he interfered with Clay’s.”