the unknown guest-第15节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　morning　sleep　and；　as　she　is　putting　it　into　the　cradle；　she　hears　the　usual　mysterious　voice　whisper　in　her　ear：

〃Turn　the　mattress。〃

But；　being　in　a　great　hurry；　she　simply　says　that　she　will　turn　the　mattress　after　the　child　has　taken　its　nap。　She　then　goes　downstairs　to　work。　After　a　while；　she　hears　the　child　cry　and；　hurrying　up　to　the　room；　finds　the　crib　and　its　bedding　on　fire　and　the　child　so　badly　burnt　that　it　dies　in　three　hours。

14

Before　going　further　and　theorizing　about　this　case；　let　us　once　more　state　the　matter　precisely。　I　know　that　the　reader　may　straightway　and　quite　legitimately　deny　the　value　of　anecdotes　of　this　kind。　He　will　say　that　we　have　to　do　with　a　neurotic　who　has　drawn　upon　her　imagination　for　all　the　elements　that　give　a　dramatic　setting　to　the　story　and　surround　with　a　halo　of　mystery　a　sad　but　commonplace　domestic　accident。　This　is　quite　possible；　and　it　is　perfectly　allowable　to　dismiss　the　case。　But　it　is　none　the　less　true　that；　by　thus　deliberately　rejecting　everything　that　does　not　bear　the　stamp　of　mathematical　or　judicial　certainty；　we　risk　losing　as　we　go　along　most　of　the　opportunities　or　clues　which　the　great　riddle　of　this　world　offers　us　in　its　moments　of　inattention　or　graciousness。　At　the　beginning　of　an　enquiry　we　must　know　how　to　content　ourselves　with　little。　For　the　incident　in　question　to　be　convincing；　previous　evidence　in　writing；　more　or　less　official　statements　would　be　required；　whereas　we　have　only　the　declarations　of　the　husband；　a　neighbour　and　a　sister。　This　is　insufficient；　I　agree；　but　we　must　at　the　same　time　confess　that　the　circumstances　are　hardly　favourable　to　obtaining　the　proofs　which　we　demand。　Those　who　receive　warnings　of　this　kind　either　believe　in　them　or　do　not　believe　in　them。　If　they　believe　in　them；　it　is　quite　natural　that　they　should　not　think　first　of　all　of　the　scientific　interest　of　their　trouble；　or　of　putting　down　in　writing　and　thus　authenticating　its　premonitory　symptoms　and　gradual　evolution。　If　they　do　not　believe　in　them；　it　is　no　less　natural　that　they　should　not　proceed　to　speak　or　take　notice　of　inanities　of　which　they　do　not　recognize　the　value　until　after　they　have　lost　the　opportunity　of　supplying　convincing　proofs　of　them。　Also；　do　not　forget　that　the　little　story　in　question　is　selected　from　among　a　hundred　others；　which　in　their　turn　are　equally　indecisive；　but　which；　repeating　the　same　facts　and　the　same　tendencies　with　a　strange　persistency；　and　by　weakening　the　most　inveterate　distrust。＇1＇

＇1＇　See；　in　particular；　Bozzano's　cases　xlix。　and　lxvii。　These　two；　especially　case　xlix。；　which　tells　of　a　personal　experience　of　the　late　W。　T。　Stead；　are　supported　by　more　substantial　proofs。　I　have　quoted　Professor　Hyslop's　case；　because　the　reticence　is　more　striking。


15

Having　said　this　much；　in　order　to　conciliate　or　part　company　with　those　who　have　no　intention　of　leaving　the　terra　firma　of　science；　let　us　return　to　the　case　before　us；　which　is　all　the　more　disquieting　inasmuch　as　we　may　consider　it　a　sort　of　prototype　of　the　tragic　and　almost　diabolical　reticence　which　we　find　in　most　premonitions。　It　is　probable　that　under　the　mattress　there　was　a　stray　match　which　the　child　discovered　and　struck；　this　is　the　only　possible　explanation　of　the　catastrophe；　for　there　was　no　fire　burning　on　that　floor　of　the　house。　If　the　mother　had　turned　the　mattress；　she　would　have　seen　the　match；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　she　would　certainly　have　turned　the　mattress　if　she　had　been　told　that　there　was　a　match　underneath　it。　Why　did　the　voice　that　urged　her　to　perform　the　necessary　action　not　add　the　one　word　that　was　capable　of　ensuring　that　action？　The　problem　moreover　is　equally　perturbing　and　perhaps　equally　insoluble　whether　it　concerns　our　own　subconscious　faculties；　or　spirits；　or　strange　intelligences。　Those　who　give　these　warnings　must　know　that　they　will　be　useless；　because　they　manifestly　foresee　the　event　as　a　whole；　but　they　must　also　know　that　one　last　word；　which　they　do　not　pronounce；　would　be　enough　to　prevent　the　misfortune　that　is　already　consummated　in　their　prevision。　They　know　it　so　well　that　they　bring　this　word　to　the　very　edge　of　the　abyss；　hold　it　suspended　there；　almost　let　it　fall　and　recapture　it　suddenly　at　the　moment　when　its　weight　would　have　caused　happiness　and　life　to　rise　once　more；　to　the　surface　of　the　mighty　gulf。　What　then　is　this　mystery？　Is　it　incapacity　or　hostility？　If　they　are　incapable；　what　is　the　unexpected　and　sovereign　force　that　interposes　between　them　and　us？　And；　if　they　are　hostile；　on　what；　on　whom　are　they　revenging　themselves？　What　can　be　the　secret　of　those　inhuman　games；　of　those　uncanny　and　cruel　diversions　on　the　most　slippery　and　dangerous　peaks　of　fate？　Why　warn；　if　they　know　that　the　warning　will　be　in　vain？　Of　whom　are　they　making　sport？　Is　there　really　an　inflexible　fatality　by　virtue　of　which　that　which　has　to　be　accomplished　is　accomplished　from　all　eternity？　But　then　why　not　respect　silence；　since　all　speech　is　useless？　Or　do　they；　in　spite　of　all；　perceive　a　gleam；　a　crevice　in　the　inexorable　wall？　What　hope　do　they　find　in　it？　Have　they　not　seen　more　clearly　than　ourselves　that　no　deliverance　can　come　through　that　crevice？　One　could　understand　this　fluttering　and　wavering；　all　these　efforts　of　theirs；　if　they　did　not　know；　but　here　it　is　proved　that　they　know　everything；　since　they　foretell　exactly　that　which　they　might　prevent。　If　we　press　them　with　questions；　they　answer　that　there　is　nothing　to　be　done；　that　no　human　power　could　avert　or　thwart　the　issue。　Are　they　mad；　bored；　irritable；　or　accessory　to　a　hideous　pleasantry？　Does　our　fate　depend　on　the　happy　solution　of　some　petty　enigma　or　childish　conundrum；　even　as　our　salvation；　in　most　of　the　so…called　revealed　religious；　is　settled　by　a　blind　and　stupid　cast　of　the　die？　Is　all　the　liberty　that　we　are　granted　reduced　to　the　reading　of　a　more　or　less　ingenious　riddle？　Can　the　great　soul　of　the　universe　be　the　soul　of　a　great　baby？

16

But；　rather　than　pursue　this　subject；　let　us　be　just　and　admit　that　there　is　perhaps　no　way　out　of　the　maze　and　that　our　reproaches　are　as　incomprehensible　as　the　conduct　of　the　spirits。　Indeed；　what　would　you　have　them　do　in　the　circle　in　which　our　logic　imprisons　them？　Either　they　foretell　us　a　calamity　which　their　predictions　cannot　avert；　in　which　case　there　is　no　use　in　foretelling　it；　or；　if　they　announce　it　to　us　and　at　the　same　time　give　us　the　means　to　prevent　it；　they　do　not　really　see　the　future　and　are　foretelling　nothing；　since　the　calamity　is　not　to　take　place；　with　the　result　that　their　action　seems　equally　absurd　in　both　cases。

It　is　obvious：　to　whichever　side　we　turn；　we　find　nothing　but　the　incomprehensible。　On　the　one　hand；　the　preestablished；　unshakable；　unalterable　future　which　we　have　called　destiny；　fatality　or　what　you　will；　which　suppresses　man's　entire　independence　and　liberty　of　action　and　which　is　the　most　inconceivable　and　the　dreariest　of　mysteries；　on　the　other；　intelligences　apparently　superior　to　our　own；　since　they　know　what　we　do　not；　which；　while　aware　that　their　intervention　is　always　useless　and　very　often　cruel；　nevertheless　come　harassing　us　with　their　sinister　and　ridiculous　predictions。　Must　we　resign　ourselves　once　more　to　living　with　our　eyes　shut　and　our　reason　drowned　in　the　boundless　ocean　of　darkness；　and　is　there　no　outlet？

17

For　the　moment　we　will　not　linger　in　the　dark　regions　of　fatality；　which　is　the　supreme　mystery；　the　desolation　of　every　effort　and　every　thought　of　man。　What　is　clearest　amid　this　incomprehensibility　is　that　the　spiritualistic　theory；　at　first　sight　the　most　seductive；　declares　itself；　on　examination；　the　most　difficult　to　justify。　We　will　also　once　more　put　aside　the　theosophical　theory　or　any　other　which　assumes　a　divine　intention　and　which　might；　to　a　certain　extent；　explain　the　hesitations　and　anguish　of　the　prophetic　warnings；　at　the　cost；　however；　of　other　puzzles；　a　thousand　times　as　hard　to　solve；　which　nothing　authorizes　us　to　substitute　for　the　actual　puzzle；　formless　and　infinite；　presented　to　our　uninitiated　vision。

When　all　is　said；　it　is　perhaps　only　in　the　theory　which　attributes　those　premonitions　to　our　subconsciousness　that　we　are　able　to　find；　if　not　a　justification；　at　least　a　sort　of　explanation　of　that　formidable　reticence。　They　accord　fairly　well　with　the　strange；　inconsistent；　whimsical　and　disconcerting　character　of　the　unknown　entity　within　us　that　seems　to　live　on　nothing　but　nondescript　fare　borrowed　from　worlds　to　which　nor　intelligence　as　yet　has　no　access。　It　lives　under　our　reason；　in　a　sort　of　invisible　and　perhaps　eternal　palace；　like　a　casual　guest；　dropped　from　another　planet；　whose　interests；　ideas；　habits；　passions　have　naught　in　common　with　ours。　If　it　seems　to　have　notions　on　the　hereafter　that　are　infinitely　wider　and　more　precise　than　those　which　we　possess；　it　has　only　very　vague　notions　on　the　practical　needs　of　our　existence。　It　ignores　us　for　years；　absorbed　no　doubt　with　the　numberless　relations　which　it　maintains　with　all　the　mysteries　of　the　universe；　and；　when　suddenly　it　remembers　us；　thinking　apparently　to　please　us；　it　makes　an　enormous；