the unknown guest-第19节

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ce　of　the　future；　we　are　really　only　wrangling　over　words：　in　the　one　case；　we　give　the　name　of　〃present；〃　from　the　point　of　view　of　a　perfect　intelligence；　to　that　which　to　us　is　the　future；　in　the　other；　we　give　the　name　of　〃future〃　to　that　which；　from　the　point　of　view　of　a　perfect　intelligence；　is　the　present。　But；　after　all；　it　is　incontestable　in　both　cases　that；　at　least　from　our　point　of　view；　the　future　preexists；　since　preexistence　is　the　only　name　by　which　we　can　describe　and　the　only　form　under　which　we　can　conceive　that　which　we　do　not　yet　see　in　the　present。

28

Attempts　have　been　made　to　shed　light　on　the　riddle　by　transferring　it　to　space。　It　is　true　that　it　there　loses　the　greater　part　of　its　obscurity；　but　this　apparently　is　because；　in　changing　its　environment；　it　has　completely　changed　its　nature　and　no　longer　bears　any　relation　to　what　it　was　when　it　was　placed　in　time。　We　are　told；　for　instance；　that　innumerable　cities　distributed　over　the　surface　of　the　earth　are　to　us　as　if　they　were　not；　so　long　as　we　have　not　seen　them；　and　only　begin　to　exist　on　the　day　when　we　visit　them。　That　is　true；　but　space；　outside　all　metaphysical　speculations；　has　realities　for　us　which　time　does　not　possess。　Space；　although　very　mysterious　and　incomprehensible　once　we　pass　certain　limits；　is　nevertheless　not；　like　time；　incomprehensible　and　illusory　in　all　its　parts。　We　are　certainly　quite　able　to　conceive　that　those　towns　which　we　have　never　seen　and　doubtless　never　will　see　indubitably　exist；　whereas　we　find　it　much　more　difficult　to　imagine　that　the　catastrophe　which；　fifty　years　hence；　will　annihilate　one　of　them　already　exists　as　really　as　the　town　itself。　We　are　capable　of　picturing　a　spot　whence；　with　keener　eyes　than　these　which　we　boast　to…day；　we　should　see　in　one　glance　all　the　cities　of　the　earth　and　even　those　of　other　worlds；　but　it　is　much　less　easy　for　us　to　imagine　a　point　in　the　ages　whence　we　should　simultaneously　discover　the　past；　the　present　and　the　future　because　the　past；　the　present　and　the　future　are　three　orders　of　duration　which　cannot　find　room　at　the　same　time　in　our　intelligence　and　which　inevitably　devour　one　other。　How　can　we　picture　to　ourselves；　for　instance；　a　point　in　eternity　at　which　our　little　procession　already　exists；　while　it　is　not　yet　and　although　it　is　no　more？　Add　to　this　the　thought　that　it　is　necessary　and　inevitable；　from　the　millenaries　which　had　no　beginning；　that；　at　a　given　moment；　at　a　given　place；　the　little　procession　should　leave　the　little　church　in　a　given　manner　and　that　no　known　or　imaginable　will　can　change　anything　in　it；　in　the　future　any　more　than　in　the　past；　and　we　begin　to　understand　that　there　is　no　hope　of　understanding。

29

We　find　among　the　cases　collected　by　M。　Bozzano　a　singular　premonition　wherein　the　unknown　factors　of　space　and　time　are　continued　in　a　very　curious　fashion。　In　August；　1910；　Cavalliere　Giovanni　de　Figueroa；　one　of　the　most　famous　fencing　masters　at　Palermo；　dreamt　that　he　was　in　the　country；　going　along　a　road　white　with　dust；　which　brought　him　to　a　broad　ploughed　field。　In　the　middle　of　the　field　stood　a　rustic　building；　with　a　ground…floor　used　for　store…rooms　and　cow…sheds　and　on　the　right　a　rough　hut　made　of　branches　and　a　cart　with　some　harness　lying　in　it。

A　peasant　wearing　dark　trousers；　with　a　black　felt　hat　on　his　head；　came　forward　to　meet　him；　asked　him　to　follow　him　and　took　him　round　behind　the　house。　Through　a　low；　narrow　door　they　entered　a　little　stable　with　a　short；　winding　stone　staircase　leading　to　a　loft　over　the　entrance　to　the　house。　A　mule　fastened　to　a　swinging　manger　was　blocking　the　bottom　step；　and　the　chevalier　had　to　push　it　aside　before　climbing　the　staircase。　On　reaching　the　loft；　he　noticed　that　from　the　ceiling　were　suspended　strings　of　melons；　tomatoes；　onions　and　Indian　corn。　In　this　room　were　two　women　and　a　little　girl；　and　through　a　door　leading　to　another　room　he　caught　sight　of　an　extremely　high　bed；　unlike　any　that　he　had　ever　seen　before。　Here　the　dream　broke　off。　It　seemed　to　him　so　strange　that　he　spoke　of　it　to　several　of　his　friends；　whom　he　mentions　by　name　and　who　are　ready　to　confirm　his　statements。

On　the　12th　of　October　in　the　same　year；　in　order　to　support　a　fellow…townsman　in　a　duel；　he　accompanied　the　seconds；　by　motorcar；　from　Naples　to　Marano；　a　place　which　he　had　never　visited　nor　even　heard　of。　As　soon　as　they　were　some　way　in　the　country；　he　was　curiously　impressed　by　the　white　and　dusty　road。　The　car　pulled　up　at　the　side　of　a　field　which　he　at　once　recognized。　They　lighted；　and　he　remarked　to　one　of　the　seconds：　〃This　is　not　the　first　time　that　I　have　been　here。　There　should　be　a　house　at　the　end　of　this　path　and　on　the　right　a　hut　and　a　cart　with　some　harness　in　it。〃

As　a　matter　of　fact；　everything　was　as　he　described　it。　An　instant　later；　at　the　exact　moment　foreseen　by　the　dream；　the　peasant　in　the　dark　trousers　and　the　black　felt　hat　came　up　and　asked　him　to　follow　him。　But；　instead　of　walking　behind　him；　the　chevalier　went　in　front；　for　he　already　knew　the　way。　He　found　the　stable　and；　exactly　at　the　place　which　it　occupied　two　months　before；　near　its　swinging　manger；　the　mule　blocking　the　way　to　the　staircase。　The　fencing　master　went　up　the　steps　and　once　more　saw　the　loft；　with　the　ceiling　hung　with　melons；　onions　and　tomatoes；　and；　in　a　corner　on　the　right；　the　two　silent　women　and　the　child；　identical　with　the　figures　in　his　dream；　while　in　the　next　room　he　recognized　the　bed　whose　extraordinary　height　had　so　much　impressed　him。

It　really　looks　as　if　the　facts　themselves；　the　extramundane　realities；　the　eternal　verities；　or　whatever　we　may　be　pleased　to　call　them；　have　tried　to　show　us　here　that　time　and　space　are　one　and　the　same　illusion；　one　and　the　same　convention　and　have　no　existence　outside　our　little　day…spanned　understanding；　that　〃everywhere〃　and　〃always〃　are　exactly　synonymous　terms　and　reign　alone　as　soon　as　we　cross　the　narrow　boundaries　of　the　obscure　consciousness　in　which　we　live。　We　are　quite　ready　to　admit　that　Cavaliere　de　Figueroa　may　have　had　by　clairvoyance　an　exact　and　detailed　vision　of　places　which　he　was　not　to　visit　until　later：　this　is　a　pretty　frequent　and　almost　classical　phenomenon；　which；　as　it　affects　the　realities　of　space；　does　not　astonish　us　beyond　measure　and；　in　any　case；　does　not　take　us　out　of　the　world　which　our　senses　perceive。　The　field；　the　house；　the　hut；　the　loft　do　not　move；　and　it　is　no　miracle　that　they　should　be　found　in　the　same　place。　But；　suddenly；　quitting　this　domain　where　all　is　stationary；　the　phenomenon　is　transferred　to　time　and；　in　those　unknown　places；　at　the　foretold　second；　brings　together　all　the　moving　actors　of　that　little　drama　in　two　acts；　of　which　the　first　was　performed　some　two　and　a　half　months　before；　in　the　depths　of　some　mysterious　other　life　where　it　seemed　to　be　motionlessly　and　irrevocably　awaiting　its　terrestrial　realization。　Any　explanation　would　but　condense　this　vapour　of　petty　mysteries　into　a　few　drops　in　the　ocean　of　mysteries。　Let　us　note　here　again；　in　passing；　the　strange　freakishness　of　the　premonitions。　They　accumulate　the　most　precise　and　circumstantial　details　as　long　as　the　scene　remains　insignificant；　but　come　to　a　sudden　stop　before　the　one　tragic　and　interesting　scene　of　the　drama：　the　duel　and　its　issue。　Here　again　we　recognize　the　inconsistent；　impotent；　ironical　or　humorous　habits　of　our　unknown　guest。

30

But　we　will　not　prolong　these　somewhat　vain　speculations　concerning　space　and　time。　We　are　merely　playing　with　words　that　represent　very　badly　ideas　which　we　do　not　put　into　form　at　all。　To　sum　up；　if　it　is　difficult　for　us　to　conceive　that　the　future　preexists；　perhaps　it　is　even　more　difficult　for　us　to　understand　that　it　does　not　exist；　moreover；　a　certain　number　of　facts　tend　to　prove　that　it　is　as　real　and　definite　and　has；　both　in　time　and　in　eternity；　the　same　permanence　and　the　same　vividness　as　the　past。　Now；　from　the　moment　that　it　preexists；　it　is　not　surprising　that　we　should　be　able　to　know　it；　it　is　even　astonishing；　granted　that　it　overhangs　us　on　every　side；　that　we　should　not　discover　it　oftener　and　more　easily。　It　remains　to　be　learnt　what　would　become　of　our　life　if　everything　were　foreseen　in　it；　if　we　saw　it　unfolding　beforehand；　in　its　entirety；　with　its　events　which　would　have　to　be　inevitable；　because；　if　it　were　possible　for　us　to　avoid　them；　they　would　not　exist　and　we　could　not　perceive　them。　Suppose　that；　instead　of　being　abnormal；　uncertain；　obscure；　debatable　and　very　unusual；　prediction　became；　so　to　speak；　scientific；　habitual；　clear　and　infallible：　in　a　short　time；　having　nothing　more　to　foretell；　it　would　die　of　inanition。　If；　for　instance；　it　was　prophesied　to　me　that　I　must　die　in　the　course　of　a　journey　in　Italy；　I　should　naturally　abandon　the　journey；　therefore　it　could　not　have　been　predicted　to　me；　and　thus　all　life　would　soon　be　nothing　but　inaction；　pause　and　abstention；　a　soft　of　vast　desert　where　the　embryos　of　still…born　events　would　be　gathered　in　heaps　and　where　nothing　would　grow　save　perhaps　one　or　two　more　or　less　fortunate　enterprises　and　the　little　insignificant　incidents　which　no　one　would　trouble