He saw her bending over the hallstand, and guessing her intention, struck a match.

She took it from him in silence, lit the hall gas, and shut the front door carefully.

Then she struck another match from a box on the hallstand, and preceding him into a room on the right, lit the gas there.
It was a small sitting-room, simply and almost shabbily furnished, remarkable for some strange articles which were heaped at random on various small tables.

There was a planchette, a tambourine, and other more mysterious appliances which suggested that the inmate spent much time with the trappings and rappings of spiritualism.

Papers and journals devoted to spiritualism were scattered about the room, and framed "spirit photographs" hung on the walls.
Charles was not thinking of the interior of the room.