the unknown guest-第21节

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or　whom　the　most　repellent　fractions　and　roots　possess　hardly　any　secrets：　they　distinguish　sounds；　colours；　and　scents；　read　the　time　on　the　face　of　a　watch；　recognize　certain　geometrical　figures；　likenesses　and　photographs。

Following　on　these　more　and　more　conclusive　experiments　and　especially　after　the　publication　of　Krall's　great　work；　Denkende　Tiere；　a　model　of　precision　and　arrangement；　men's　minds　were　faced　with　clear　and　definite　problem　which；　this　time；　could　not　be　challenged。　Scientific　committees　followed　one　another　at　Elberfeld；　and　their　reports　became　legion。　Learned　men　of　every　countryincluding　Dr。　Edinger；　the　eminent　Frankfort　neurologist；　Professors　Dr。　H。　Kraemer　and　H。　E。　Ziegler；　of　Stuttgart；　Dr。　Paul　Saresin；　of　Bale；　Professor　Ostwald；　of　Berlin；　Professor　A。　Beredka；　of　the　Pasteur　Institute；　Dr。　E。　Clarapede；　of　the　university　of　Geneva；　Professor　Schoeller　and　Professor　Gehrke；　the　natural　philosopher；　of　Berlin；　Professor　Goldstein；　of　Darmstadt；　Professor　von　Buttel…Reepen；　of　Oldenburg；　Professor　William　Mackenzie；　of　Genoa；　Professor　R。　Assagioli；　of　Florence；　Dr。　Hartkopf；　of　Cologne；　Dr。　Freudenberg；　of　Brussels；　Dr。　Ferrari；　of　Bologna；　etc。；　etc。；　for　the　list　is　lengthening　dailycame　to　study　on　the　spot　the　inexplicable　phenomenon　which　Dr。　Clarapede　proclaims　to　be　〃the　most　sensational　event　that　has　ever　happened　in　the　psychological　world。〃

With　the　exception　of　two　or　three　sceptics　or　convinced　misoneists　and　of　those　who　made　too　short　a　stay　at　Elberfeld；　all　were　unanimous　in　recognizing　that　the　facts　were　as　stated　and　that　the　experiments　were　conducted　with　absolute　fairness。　Disagreement　begins　only　when　it　becomes　a　matter　of　commenting　on　them；　interpreting　them　and　explaining　them。

4

To　complete　this　short　preamble；　it　is　right　to　add　that；　for　some　time　past；　the　case　of　the　Elberfeld　horses　no　longer　stands　quite　alone。　There　exists　at　Mannheim　a　dog　of　a　rather　doubtful　breed　who　performs　almost　the　same　feats　as　his　equine　rivals。　He　is　less　advanced　than　they　in　arithmetic；　but　does　little　additions；　subtractions　and　multiplications　of　one　or　two　figures　correctly。　He　reads　and　writes　by　tapping　with　his　paw；　in　accordance　with　an　alphabet　which；　it　appears；　he　has　thought　out　for　himself；　and　his　spelling　also　is　simplified　and　phoneticized　to　the　utmost。　He　distinguishes　the　colour　in　a　bunch　of　flowers；　counts　the　money　in　a　purse　and　separates　the　marks　from　the　pfennigs。　He　knows　how　to　seek　and　find　words　to　define　the　object　or　the　picture　placed　before　him。　You　show　him；　for　instance；　a　bouquet　in　a　vase　and　ask　him　what　it　is。

〃A　glass　with　little　flowers；〃　he　replies。

And　his　answers　are　often　curiously　spontaneous　and　original。　In　the　course　of　a　reading…exercise　in　which　the　word　Herbst；　autumn；　chanced　to　attract　attention；　Professor　William　Mackenzie　asked　him　if　he　could　explain　what　autumn　was。

〃It　is　the　time　when　there　are　apples；〃　Rolf　replied。

On　the　same　occasion；　the　same　professor；　without　knowing　what　it　represented；　held　out　to　him　a　card　marked　with　red　and　blue　squares：

〃What's　this？〃

〃Blue；　red；　lots　of　cubes；〃　replied　the　dog。

Sometimes　his　repartees　are　not　lacking　in　humour。

〃Is　there　anything　you　would　like　me　to　do　for　you？〃　a　lady　of　his　acquaintance　asked；　one　day。

And　Master　Rolf　gravely　answered：

〃Wedelen；〃　which　means；　〃Wag　your　tail！〃

Rolf；　whose　fame　is　comparatively　young；　has　not　yet；　like　his　illustrious　rivals　of　the　Rhine　Province；　been　the　object　of　minute　enquiries　and　copious　and　innumerable　reports。　But　the　incidents　which　I　have　just　mentioned　and　which　are　vouched　for　by　such　men　as　Professor　Mackenzie　and　M。　Duchatel；　the　learned　and　clear…sighted　vice…president　of　the　Societe　Universelle　d'Etudes　Psychiques；＇1＇　who　went　to　Mannheim　for　the　express　purpose　of　studying　them；　appear　to　be　no　more　controvertible　than　the　Elbenfeld　occurrences；　of　which　they　are　a　sort　of　replica　or　echo。　It　is　not　unusual　to　find　these　coincidences　amongst　abnormal　phenomena。　They　spring　up　simultaneously　in　different　quarters　of　the　globe；　correspond　with　one　another　and　multiply　as　though　in　obedience　to　a　word　of　command。　It　is　probable　therefore　that　we　shall　see　still　more　manifestations　of　the　same　class。　One　might　almost　say　that　a　new　spirit　is　passing　over　the　world　and；　after　awakening　in　man　forces　whereof　he　was　not　aware；　is　now　reaching　other　creatures　who　with　us　inhabit　this　mysterious　earth；　on　which　they　live；　suffer　and　die；　as　we　do；　without　knowing　why。

＇1＇　See　the　interesting　lecture　by　M。　Edmond　Duchatel；　published　in　the　Annales　des　Sciences　Psychiques；　October　1913。　


5

I　have　not　been　to　Mannheim；　but　I　made　my　pilgrimage　to　Elberfeld　and　stayed　long　enough　in　the　town　to　carry　away　with　me　the　conviction　shared　by　all　those　who　have　undertaken　the　journey。

A　few　months　ago；　Herr　Krall；　whom　I　had　promised　the　year　before　that　I　would　come　and　see　his　wonderful　horses；　was　kind　enough　to　repeat　his　invitation　in　a　more　pressing　fashion；　adding　that　his　stable　would　perhaps　be　broken　up　after　the　15th　of　September　and　that；　in　any　case；　be　would　be　obliged；　by　his　doctor's　orders；　to　interrupt　for　an　indefinite　period　a　course　of　training　which　he　found　exceedingly　fatiguing。

I　at　once　left　for　Elberfeld；　which；　as　everybody　knows；　is　an　important　manufacturing…town　in　Rhenish　Prussia　and　is；　in　fact；　more　quaint；　pleasing　and　picturesque　than　one　might　expect。　I　had　long　since　read　everything　that　had　been　published　on　the　question；　and　I　was　wholly　persuaded　of　the　genuineness　of　the　incidents。　Indeed　it　would　be　difficult　to　have　any　doubts　after　the　repeated　and　unremitting　supervision　and　verification　to　which　the　experiments　are　subjected；　a　supervision　which　is　of　the　most　rigorous　type；　often　hostile　and　almost　ill…mannered。　As　for　their　interpretation；　I　was　convinced　that　telepathy；　that　is　to　say；　the　transmission　of　thought　from　one　subconsciousness　to　another；　remained；　however　strange　it　might　be　in　this　new　region；　the　only　acceptable　theory；　and　this　in　spite　of　certain　circumstances　that　seemed　plainly　to　exclude　it。　In　default　of　telepathy　proper；　I　inclined　toward　the　mediumistic　or　subliminal　theory；　which　was　very　ably　outlined　by　M。　de　Vesmes　in　a　remarkable　lecture　delivered；　on　the　22nd　of　December；　1912；　before　the　Societe　Universelle　d'Etudes　Psychiques。　It　is　true　that　telepathy；　especially　when　carried　to　its　extreme　limits；　appeals　above　all　to　the　subliminal　forces；　so　that　the　two　theories　overlap　at　more　than　one　point　and　it　is　often　difficult　to　make　out　where　the　first　ends　and　the　second　begins。　But　this　discussion　will　be　more　appropriate　a　little　later。

6

I　found　Herr　Krall　in　his　goldsmith's　shop；　a　sort　of　palace　of　Golconda；　streaming　and　glittering　with　the　most　precious　pearls　and　stones　on　earth。　Herr　Krall；　it　is　well　to　remember；　in　order　to　dispel　any　suspicion　of　pecuniary　interest；　is　a　rich　manufacturer　whose　family　for　three　generations；　from　father　to　son；　have　conducted　one　of　the　most　important　jewelry　businesses　in　Germany。　His　researches；　so　far　from　bringing　him　the　least　profit；　cost　him　a　great　deal　of　money；　take　up　all　his　leisure　and　some　part　of　the　time　which　he　would　otherwise　devote　to　his　business　and；　as　usually　happens；　procure　him　from　his　fellow　citizens　and　from　not　a　few　scientific　men　more　annoyance；　unfair　criticism　and　sarcasm　than　consideration　or　gratitude。　His　work　is　preeminently　the　disinterested　and　thankless　task　of　the　apostle　and　pioneer。

For　the　rest；　Herr　Kraft；　though　his　faith　is　active；　zealous　and　infectious；　has　nothing　in　common　with　the　visionaries　or　illuminati。　He　is　a　man　of　about　fifty；　vigorous；　alert　and　enthusiastic；　but　at　the　same　time　well…balanced；　accesible　to　every　idea　and　even　to　every　dream；　yet　practical　and　methodical；　with　a　ballast　of　the　most　invincible　common…sense。　He　inspires　from　the　outset　that　fine　confidence；　frank　and　unrestrained；　which　instantly　disperses　the　instinctive　doubt；　the　strange　uneasiness　and　the　veiled　suspicion　that　generally　separate　two　people　who　meet　for　the　first　time；　and　one　welcomes　in　him；　from　the　very　depths　of　one's　being；　the　honest　man；　the　staunch　friend　whom　one　can　trust　and　whom　one　is　sorry　not　to　have　known　earlier　in　life。

We　go　together　through　the　streets　and　along　the　bustling　quays　of　Elberfeld　to　the　stable；　situated　at　a　few　hundred　steps　from　the　shop。　The　horses　are　taking　the　air　outside　the　doors　of　their　boxes；　in　the　yard　shaded　by　a　lime…tree。　There　are　four　of　them：　Mohammed；　the　most　intelligent；　the　most　gifted　of　them　all；　the　great　mathematician　of　the　party；　his　double；　Zarif；　a　little　less　advanced；　less　tractable；　craftier；　but　at　the　same　time　more　fanciful；　more　spontaneous　and　capable　of　occasional　disconcerting　sallies；　next；　Hanschen；　a　little　Shetland　pony；　hardly　bigger　than　a　Newfoundland　dog；　the　street…urchin　of　the　band；　always　quivering　with　excitement；　roguish；　flighty；　uncertain　and　passionate；　but　ready　in　a　moment　to　work　you　out　the　most　difficult　addition　and　multiplication　sums　with　a　furious　scrape　of　the　hoof；　and　lastly　the　latest　arrival；　the　plump