Then, placing the image he had made in front of him, and
repeating the prayer he had learned from the Unknown, through the
medium of Mrs. Anderson-Waite's table, he had concentrated body, soul,
and spirit on plaguing Gladys with the insect, which the image
represented. When his concentration reached the highest degree,
insects in their actual physical bodies were transported from the
tropics;[23] but when he was unable to concentrate to the utmost, only
the ethereal projections of the insects were obtainable; hence the
hybrid--partly scorpion and partly beetle, that appeared and
disappeared in Gladys's bed and bedroom.
To produce the rappings on the walls of Gladys's room, he had made a
wax representation of a wall, and whilst concentrating to the very
utmost, had struck it with his knuckles.
The plaguing of the servants Hamar had also accomplished by means of
images and concentration.
But in order to bewitch milk, he had been obliged to resort to other
means. He had converted the mumia of an idiot into a magnes
microcosmi; and bribing the man who delivered the milk, he gave him
instructions to soak the magnes microcosmi, for a few minutes, in
every portion that he left at the Cottage.[24]
At length Hamar having failed to gain his object by plaguing Gladys
and the servants, set about tormenting John Martin. He made a wax
image of the latter, and after pronouncing the necessary prayer, stuck
the image full of pins, crying out as he did so "John Martin, I hate
you.
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