“It is not exactly new.  She has always had one delusion more serious than the others.  She believes that she has enemies somewhere who would do her harm if they got the chance.  She is quite vague as to who or what they are.  She refers to them as ‘They.’  Once, when she came to us first, she was frightened of poison and, although my father, who had great influence over her, seemed to cure her of any active fear, for years she has persisted in a curious habit of drinking her coffee without setting down the cup.  The idea seemed to be that if she let it out of her hands ‘They,’ the mysterious persecutors, might avail themselves of the opportunity to drug it.  Does it sound too fantastic?”

“No.  It is not unusual—­a fairly common delusion, in fact.  There is a distinct type of brain trouble, one of whose symptoms is a conviction of persecution.  The results are fantastic to a degree.”

Well, the day before yesterday Aunt Amy was drinking her coffee as usual, when she heard Jane scream in the garden.  She is very fond of Jane, and it startled her so that she jumped up at once, forgetting all about the coffee, and ran out to see what was the matter.  Jane had cut her finger and the tiniest scratch upsets poor Auntie terribly.  She is terrified of blood.  When she came back she felt faint and at once picked up the cup and drank the remaining coffee.  I hoped she had not noticed the slip but she must have done so, subconsciously, for when I was helping her with the dishes she turned suddenly white—­ghastly.  She had just remembered!

‘They’ve got me at last, Esther!’ she said with a kind of proud despair.  ‘I’ve been pretty smart, but not quite smart enough.’

I pretended not to understand and she explained quite seriously that while she had been absent in the garden ‘They’ had seen her half-filled cup and seized their opportunity.  It was quite useless to point out that there was no one in the house but ourselves.  She only said, ’Oh, “They” would not let me see them “They” are too smart for that.’  Overwhelming smartness is one of the attributes of the mysterious ‘They.’

“I hoped that the idea would wear away but it didn’t; it strengthened.  In vain I pointed out that she was perfectly well, with no symptom of poisoning.  She merely answered that naturally ‘They’ would be too smart to use ordinary poisons with symptoms.  ’I shall just grow weaker and weaker,’ she said, ‘and in a week or a month I shall die!’ I tried to laugh but I was frightened.  Mother advised taking no notice at all and I have tried not to, but I can’t keep it up.  She is certainly weaker and so strange and hopeless.  I am terrified.  Can mind really affect matter, Doctor Callandar?”

“No.  As a scientific fact, it cannot.  But it is true that certain states of mind and certain conditions of matter always correspond.  Why this is so, no one knows, when we do know we shall hold the key to many mysteries.  The understanding, even partial, of this correspondence will be a long step in a long new road.  Meanwhile we speak loosely of mind influencing matter, ignoring the impossibility.  And, however it happens, it is undoubtedly true that if we can, by mental suggestion, influence your Aunt’s mind into a more healthy attitude the corresponding change will take place physically.”