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II
"Youunderstand,"saidI,"thatitisnotoutofcuriosityIask,butinthehopethatImayfindsomescientificexplanationforthefactswithwhichyoufurnishme.""Frankly,ProfessorGilroy,"saidshe,"Iamnotatallinterestedinscience,nordoIcarewhetheritcanorcannotclassifythesepowers.""ButIwashoping——""Ah,thatisquiteanotherthing.Ifyoumakeitapersonalmatter,"saidshe,withthepleasantestofsmiles,"Ishallbeonlytoohappytotellyouanythingyouwishtoknow.Letmesee;whatwasityouaskedme?Oh,aboutthefurtherpowers.ProfessorWilsonwon’tbelieveinthem,buttheyarequitetrueallthesame.Forexample,itispossibleforanoperatortogaincompletecommandoverhissubject—presumingthatthelatterisagoodone.Withoutanyprevioussuggestionhemaymakehimdowhateverhelikes.""Withoutthesubject’sknowledge?""Thatdepends.Iftheforcewerestronglyexerted,hewouldknownomoreaboutitthanMissMardendidwhenshecameroundandfrightenedyouso.Or,iftheinfluencewaslesspowerful,hemightbeconsciousofwhathewasdoing,butbequiteunabletopreventhimselffromdoingit.""Wouldhehavelosthisownwillpower,then?""Itwouldbeover-riddenbyanotherstrongerone.""Haveyoueverexercisedthispoweryourself?""Severaltimes.""Isyourownwillsostrong,then?""Well,itdoesnotentirelydependuponthat.Manyhavestrongwillswhicharenotdetachablefromthemselves.Thethingistohavethegiftofprojectingitintoanotherpersonandsupersedinghisown.Ifindthatthepowervarieswithmyownstrengthandhealth.