the unknown guest-第13节

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There　are　psychometers；　however；　and　notably　Mme。　M；　Dr。　Osty's　favorite　medium；　who　never　confuse　the　future　and　the　past。　Mme。　M　places　her　visions　in　time　according　to　the　position　which　they　occupy　in　space。　Thus　she　sees　the　future　in　front　of　her；　the　past　behind　her　and　the　present　beside　her。　But；　notwithstanding　these　distinctly…graded　visions；　she　also　is　incapable　of　naming　her　dates　exactly；　in　fact；　her　mistakes　in　this　respect　are　so　general　that　Dr。　Osty　looks　upon　it　as　a　pure　chronological　coincidence　when　a　prediction　is　realized　at　the　moment　foretold。

We　should　also　observe　that；　in　psychometry；　only　those　events　can　be　perceived　which　relate　directly　to　the　individual　communicating　with　the　percipient；　for　it　is　not　so　much　the　percipient　that　sees　into　us　as　we　that　read　in　our　own　subconsciousness；　which　is　momentarily　lighted　by　his　presence。　We　must　not　therefore　ask　him　for　predictions　of　a　general　character；　whether；　for　instance；　there　will　be　a　war　in　the　spring；　an　epidemic　in　the　summer　or　an　earthquake　in　the　autumn。　The　moment　the　question　concerns　events；　however　important；　with　which　we　are　not　intimately　connected；　he　is　bound　to　answer；　as　do　all　the　genuine　mediums；　that　he　sees　nothing。

The　area　of　his　vision　being　thus　limited；　does　he　really　discover　the　future　in　it？　After　three　years　of　numerous；　cautious　and　systematic　experiments　with　some　twenty　mediums；　Dr。　Osty　categorically　declares　that　he　does：

〃All　the　incidents；〃　he　says；　〃which　filled　these　three　years　of　my　life；　whether　wished　for　by　me　or　not；　or　even　absolutely　contrary　to　the　ordinary　routine　of　my　life；　had　always　been　foretold　to　me；　not　all　by　each　of　the　clairvoyant　subjects；　but　all　by　one　or　other　of　them。　As　I　have　been　practising　these　tests　continually；　it　seems　to　me　that　the　experience　of　three　years　wholly　devoted　to　this　object　should　give　some　weight　to　my　opinion　on　the　subject　of　predictions。〃

This　is　incontestable；　and　the　sincerity；　scientific　conscientiousness　and　high　intellectual　value　of　Dr。　Osty's　fine　work　inspire　one　with　the　most　entire　confidence。　Unfortunately；　he　contents　himself　with　quoting　too　summarily　a　few　facts　and　does　not；　as　he　ought；　give　us　in　extenso　the　details　of　his　experiments；　controls　and　tests。　I　am　well　aware　that　this　would　be　a　thankless　and　wearisome　task；　necessitating　a　large　volume　which　a　mass　of　puerile　incidents　and　inevitable　repetitions　would　make　almost　readable。　Moreover；　it　could　scarcely　help　taking　the　form　of　an　intimate　and　indiscreet　autobiography；　and　it　is　not　easy　to　bring　one's　self　to　make　this　sort　of　public　confession。　But　it　has　to　be　done。　In　a　science　which　is　only　in　its　early　stages；　it　is　not　enough　to　show　the　object　attained　and　to　state　one's　conviction；　it　is　necessary　above　all　to　describe　every　path　that　has　been　taken　and；　by　an　incessant　and　infinite　accumulation　of　investigated　and　attested　facts；　to　enable　every　one　to　draw　his　own　conclusions。　This　has　been　the　cumbrous　and　laborious　method　of　the　Proceedings　for　over　thirty　years；　and　it　is　the　only　right　one。　Discussion　is　possible　and　fruitful　only　at　that　price。　In　all　these　extraconscious　matters；　we　have　not　yet　reached　the　stage　of　definite　deduction；　we　are　still　bringing　up　materials　to　the　scene　of　operations。

Once　more；　I　know　that；　in　these　cases；　as　I　have　seen　for　myself；　the　really　convincing　facts　are　necessarily　very　rare；　indeed；　nowhere　else　do　we　meet　with　the　same　difficulty。　If　the　medium　tells　you；　for　instance；　as　Mme。　M。　seems　easily　to　do；　how　you　will　employ　your　day　from　the　morning　onwards；　if　she　sees　you　in　a　certain　house　in　a　certain　street　meeting　this　or　that　person；　it　is　impossible　to　say　that；　on　the　one　hand；　she　is　not　already　reading　your　as　yet　unconscious　plans　or　intentions；　or　that；　on　the　other　hand；　by　doing　what　she　has　foreseen；　you　are　not　obeying　a　suggestion　against　which　you　could　not　fight　except　by　violently　doing　the　opposite　to　what　it　demands　of　you；　which　again　would　be　a　case　of　inverted　suggestion。　None　therefore　would　have　any　value　save　predictions　of　unlikely　happenings；　clearly　defined　and　outside　the　sphere　of　the　person　interested。　As　Dr。　Osty　says：

〃The　ideal　prognostication　would　obviously　be　that　of　an　event　so　rare；　so　sudden　and　unexpected；　implying　such　a　change　in　one's　mode　of　life　that　the　theory　of　coincidence　could　not　decently　be　put　forward。　But；　as　everybody　is　not；　in　the　peaceful　course　of　his　threatened　by　such　an　absolutely　convincing　event；　the　clairvoyant　cannot　always　reveal　to　the　person　experimentingand　reveal　it　for　a　more　or　less　approximate　dateone　of　those　incidents　whose　accomplishment　would　carry　irresistible　conviction。〃

In　any　case；　the　question　of　psychometric　prognostications　calls　for　further　enquiry；　although　it　is　easy　even　at　the　present　day　to　forsee　the　results。

10

Let　us　now　return　to　our　spontaneous　premonitions；　in　which　the　future　comes　to　seek　us　of　its　own　accord　and；　so　to　speak；　to　challenge　us　at　home。　I　know　from　personal　experience　that；　when　we　embark　upon　these　disconcerting　matters；　the　first　impression　is　scarcely　favourable。　We　are　very　much　inclined　to　laugh；　to　treat　as　wearisome　tales；　as　hysterical　hallucinations；　as　ingenious　or　interested　fictions　most　or　those　incidents　which　give　too　violent　a　shock　to　the　narrow　and　limited　idea　which　we　have　of　our　human　life。　To　smile；　to　reject　everything　beforehand　and　to　pass　by　with　averted　head；　as　was　done；　I　remember；　in　the　time　of　Galvani；　and　in　the　early　days　of　hypnotism；　is　much　more　easy　and　seems　more　respectable　and　prudent　than　to　stop；　admit　and　examine。　Nevertheless　we　must　not　forget　that　it　is　to　some　who　did　not　smile　so　lightly　that　we　owe　the　best　part　of　the　marvels　from　whose　heights　we　are　preparing　to　smile　in　our　turn。　For　the　rest；　I　grant　that；　thus　presented；　hastily　and　summarily；　without　the　details　that　throw　light　upon　them　and　the　proofs　that　support　them；　the　incidents　in　question　do　not　show　to　advantage　and；　inasmuch　as　they　are　isolated　and　sparingly　chosen；　lose　all　the　weight　and　authority　derived　from　the　compact　and　imposing　mass　whence　they　are　arbitrarily　detached。　As　I　said　above；　nearly　a　thousand　cases　have　been　collected；　representing　probably　not　the　tenth　part　of　those　which　a　more　active　and　general　search　might　bring　together。　The　number　is　evidently　of　importance　and　denotes　the　enormous　pressure　of　the　mystery；　but；　if　there　were　only　half　a　dozen　genuine　casesand　Dr。　Maxwell's；　Professor　Flournoy's；　Mrs。　Verrall's；　the　Marmontel；　Jones　and　Hamilton　cases　and　some　others　are　undoubtedly　genuinethey　would　be　enough　to　show　that；　under　the　erroneous　idea　which　we　form　of　the　past　and　the　present；　a　new　verity　is　living　and　moving；　eager　to　come　to　light。

The　efforts　of　that　verity；　I　need　hardly　say；　display　a　very　different　sort　of　force　after　we　have　actually　and　attentively　read　those　hundreds　of　extraordinary　stories　which；　without　appearing　to　do　so；　strike　to　the　very　roots　of　history。　We　soon　lose　all　inclination　to　doubt。　We　penetrate　into　another　world　and　come　to　a　stop　all　out　of　countenance。　We　no　longer　know　where　we　stand；　before　and　after　overlap　and　mingle。　We　no　longer　distinguish　the　insidious　and　factitious　but　indispensable　line　which　separates　the　years　that　have　gone　by　from　the　years　that　are　to　come。　We　clutch　at　the　hours　and　days　of　the　past　and　present　to　reassure　ourselves；　to　fasten　on　to　some　certainty；　to　convince　ourselves　that　we　are　still　in　our　right　place　in　this　life　where　that　which　is　not　yet　seems　as　substantial；　as　real；　as　positive；　as　powerful　as　that　which　is　no　more。　We　discover　with　uneasiness　that　time；　on　which　we　based　our　whole　existence；　itself　no　longer　exists。　It　is　no　longer　the　swiftest　of　our　gods；　known　to　us　only　by　its　flight　across　all　things：　it　alters　its　position　no　more　than　space；　of　which　it　is　doubtless　but　the　incomprehensible　reflex。　It　reigns　in　the　centre　of　every　event；　and　every　event　is　fixed　in　its　centre；　and　all　that　comes　and　all　that　goes　passes　from　end　to　end　of　our　little　life　without　moving　by　a　hair's　breadth　around　its　motionless　pivot。　It　is　entitled　to　but　one　of　the　thousand　names　which　we　have　been　wont　to　lavish　upon　its　power；　a　power　that　seemed　to　us　manifold　and　innumerable：　yesterday；　recently；　formerly；　erewhile；　after；　before；　tomorrow；　soon；　never；　later　fall　like　childish　masks；　whereas　to…day　and　always　completely　cover　with　their　united　shadows　the　idea　which　we　form　in　the　end　of　a　duration　which　has　no　subdivisions；　no　breaks　and　no　stages；　which　is　pulseless；　motionless　and　boundless。

11

Many　are　the　theories　which　men　have　imagined　in　their　attempts　to　explain　the　working　of　the　strange　phenomenon；　and　many　others　might　be　imagined。

As　we　have　seen；　self…suggestion　and　telepathy　explain　certain　cases　which　concern　events　already　in　existence；　but　still　latent　and　perceived　before　the　knowledge　of　them　can　reach　us　by　the　normal　process　of　the　senses　or　the　intelligence。　But；　even　by　extending　these　two　theories　to　their　uttermost　point　and　positively　abusing　their　accommodating　elasticity；　we　do　not　succeed　in　illumining　by　thei