the unknown guest-第23节

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〃What's　this；　Muhamed？　You've　made　a　mistake　again。　It's　an　F　you　want　at　the　end　of　the　word；　not　a　Z。　Just　correct　it　at　once；　please。〃

And　the　docile　Muhamed；　recognizing　his　blunder；　gives　the　three　blows　with　his　right　hoof；　followed　by　the　four　blows　with　his　left；　which　represent　the　most　unexceptionable　F　that　one　could　ask　for。

Observe；　by　the　way；　the　logic　of　his　phonetic　writing：　contrary　to　his　habit；　he　strikes　the　mute　E　after　the　W；　because　it　is　indispensable；　but；　finding　it　included　in　the　D；　he　considers　it　superfluous　and　suppresses　it　with　a　high　hand。

You　rub　your　eyes；　question　yourself；　ask　yourself　in　the　presence　of　what　humanized　phenomenon；　of　what　unknown　force；　of　what　new　creature　you　stand。　Was　all　this　what　they　hid　in　their　eyes；　those　silent　brothers　of　ours？　You　blush　at　arm's　long　injustice。　You　look　around　you　for　some　sort　of　trace；　obvious　or　subtle；　of　the　mystery。　You　feel　yourself　attacked　in　your　innermost　citadel；　where　you　held　yourself　most　certain　and　most　impregnable。　You　have　felt　a　breath　from　the　abyss　upon　your　face。　You　would　not　be　more　astonished　if　you　suddenly　heard　the　voice　of　the　dead。　But　the　most　astonishing　thing　is　that　you　are　not　astonished　for　long。　We　all；　unknown　to　ourselves；　live　in　the　expectation　of　the　extraordinary；　and；　when　it　comes；　it　moves　us　much　less　than　did　the　expectation。　It　is　as　though　a　sort　of　higher　instinct；　which　knows　everything　and　is　not　ignorant　of　the　miracles　that　hang　over　our　heads；　were　reassuring　us　in　advance　and　helping　us　to　make　an　easy　entrance　into　the　regions　of　the　supernatural。　There　is　nothing　to　which　we　grow　accustomed　more　readily　than　to　the　marvellous；　and　it　is　only　afterwards；　upon　reflection；　that　our　intelligence；　which　knows　hardly　anything；　appreciates　the　magnitude　of　certain　phenomena。

11

But　Muhamed　gives　unmistakable　signs　of　impatience　to　show　that　he　has　had　enough　of　spelling。　Thereupon；　as　a　diversion　and　a　reward；　his　kind　master　suggests　the　extraction　of　a　few　square　and　cubic　roots。　Muhamed　appears　delighted：　these　are　his　favourite　problems：　for　he　takes　less　interest　than　formerly　in　the　most　difficult　multiplications　and　divisions。　He　doubtless　thinks　them　beneath　him。

Krall　therefore　writes　on　the　blackboard　various　numbers　of　which　I　did　not　take　note。　Moreover；　as　nobody　now　contests　the　fact　that　the　horse　works　them　with　ease；　it　would　hardly　be　interesting　to　reproduce　here　several　rather　grim　problems　of　which　numerous　variants　will　be　found　in　the　accounts　and　reports　of　experiments　signed　by　Drs。　Mackenzie　and　Hartkopff；　by　Overbeck；　Clarapede　and　many　others。　What　strikes　one　particularly　is　the　facility；　the　quickness；　I　was　almost　saying　the　joyous　carelessness　with　which　the　strange　mathematician　gives　the　answers。　The　last　figure　is　hardly　chalked　upon　the　board　before　the　right　hoof　is　striking　off　the　units；　followed　immediately　by　the　left　hoof　marking　the　tens。　There　is　not　a　sign　of　attention　or　reflection；　one　is　not　even　aware　of　the　exact　moment　at　which　the　horse　looks　at　the　problem：　and　the　answer　seems　to　spring　automatically　from　an　invisible　intelligence。　Mistakes　are　rare　or　frequent　according　as　it　happens　to　be　a　good　or　bad　day　with　the　horse；　but；　when　he　is　told　of　them；　he　nearly　always　corrects　them。　Not　unseldom；　the　number　is　reversed：　47；　for　instance；　becomes　74；　but　he　puts　it　right　without　demur　when　asked。

I　am　manifestly　dumbfounded；　but　perhaps　these　problems　are　prepared　beforehand？　If　they　were；　it　would　be　very　extraordinary；　but　yet　less　surprising　than　their　actual　solution。　Krall　does　not　read　this　suspicion　in　my　eyes；　because　they　do　not　show　it；　nevertheless；　to　remove　the　least　shade　of　it；　he　asks　me　to　write　a　number　of　my　own　on　the　black…board　for　the　horse　to　find　the　root。

I　must　here　confess　the　humiliating　ignorance　that　is　the　disgrace　of　my　life。　I　have　not　the　faintest　idea　of　the　mysteries　concealed　within　these　recondite　and　complicated　operations。　I　did　my　humanities　like　everybody　else；　but；　after　crossing　the　useful　and　familiar　frontiers　of　multiplication　and　division　I　found　it　impossible　to　advance　any　farther　into　the　desolate　regions；　bristling　with　figures；　where　the　square　and　cubic　roots　hold　sway；　together　with　all　sorts　of　other　monstrous　powers；　without　shapes　or　faces；　which　inspired　me　with　invincible　terror。　All　the　persecutions　of　my　excellent　instructors　wore　themselves　out　against　a　dead　wall　of　stolidity。　Successively　disheartened；　they　left　me　to　my　dismal　ignorance；　prophesying　a　most　dreary　future　for　me；　haunted　with　bitter　regrets。　I　must　say　that；　until　now；　I　had　scarcely　experienced　the　effects　of　these　gloomy　predictions；　but　the　hour　has　come　for　me　to　expiate　the　sins　of　my　youth。　Nevertheless；　I　put　a　good　face　upon　it：　and；　taking　at　random　the　first　figures　that　suggest　themselves　to　my　mind；　I　boldly　write　on　the　black…board　an　enormous　and　most　daring　number。　Muhamed　remains　motionless。　Krall　speaks　to　him　sharply；　telling　him　to　hurry　up。　Muhamed　lifts　his　right　hoof；　but　does　not　let　it　fall。　Krall　loses　patience；　lavishes　prayers；　promises　and　threats；　the　hoof　remains　poised；　as　though　to　bear　witness　to　good　intentions　that　cannot　be　carried　out。　Then　my　host　turns　round；　looks　at　the　problem　and　asks　me：

〃Does　it　give　an　exact　root？〃

Exact？　What　does　he　mean？　Are　there　roots　which。　。　。？　But　I　dare　not　go　on：　my　shameful　ignorance　suddenly　flashes　before　my　eyes。　Krall　smiles　indulgently　and；　without　making　any　attempt　to　supplement　an　education　which　is　too　much　in　arrears　to　allow　of　the　slightest　hope；　laboriously　works　out　the　problem　and　declares　that　the　horse　was　right　in　refusing　to　give　an　impossible　solution。

12

Muhamed　receives　our　thanks　in　the　form　of　a　lordly　portion　of　carrots；　and　a　pupil　is　introduced　whose　attainments　do　not　tower　so　high　above　mine：　Hanschen；　the　little　pony；　quick　and　lively　as　a　big　rat。　Like　me；　he　has　never　gone　beyond　elementary　arithmetic：　and　so　we　shall　understand　each　other　better　and　meet　on　equal　terms。

Krall　asks　me　for　two　numbers　to　multiply。　I　give　him　63　X　7。　He　does　the　sum　and　writes　the　product　on　the　board；　followed　by　the　sign　of　division：　441　/　7。　Instantly　Hanschen；　with　a　celerity　difficult　to　follow；　gives　three　blows；　or　rather　three　violent　scrapes　with　his　right　hoof　and　six　with　his　left；　which　makes　63；　for　we　must　not　forget　that　in　German　they　say　not　sixty…three；　but　three…and…sixty。　We　congratulate　him；　and；　to　evince　his　satisfaction；　he　nimbly　reverses　the　number　by　marking　36　and　then　puts　it　right　again　by　scraping　63。　He　is　evidently　enjoying　himself　and　juggling　with　the　figures。　And　additions；　subtractions；　multiplications　and　divisions　follow　one　after　the　other；　with　figures　supplied　by　myself；　so　as　to　remove　any　idea　of　collusion。　Hanschen　seldom　blunders；　and；　when　he　does；　we　receive　a　very　clear　impression　that　his　mistake　is　voluntary：　he　is　like　a　mischievous　schoolboy　playing　a　practical　joke　upon　his　master。　The　solutions　fall　thick　as　hail　upon　the　little　spring…board；　the　correct　answer　is　released　by　the　question　as　though　you　were　pressing　the　button　of　an　electric　push。　The　pony's　flippancy　is　as　surprising　as　his　skill。　But　in　this　unruly　flippancy；　in　this　hastiness　which　seems　inattentive　there　is　nevertheless　a　fixed　and　permanent　idea。　Hanschen　paws　the　ground；　kicks；　prances；　tosses　his　head；　looks　as　if　he　cannot　keep　still；　but　never　leaves　his　spring…board。　Is　he　interested　in　the　problems；　does　he　enjoy　them？　It　is　impossible　to　say；　but　he　certainly　has　the　appearance　of　one　accomplishing　a　duty　or　a　piece　of　work　which　we　do　not　discuss；　which　is　important；　necessary　and　inevitable。

But　the　lesson　suddenly　ends　with　a　joke　carried　rather　too　far　by　the　pupil；　who　catches　his　good　master　by　the　seat　of　his　trousers；　into　which　he　plants　disrespectful　teeth。　He　is　severely　reprimanded；　deprived　of　his　carrots　and　sent　back　in　disgrace　to　his　private　apartments。

13

Next　comes　Bette；　who　is　like　a　big；　sleek　Norman　horse。　He　makes　the　calm；　dignified；　peaceful　entrance　of　a　blind　giant。　His　large；　dark；　brilliant　eyes　are　quite　dead；　deprived　of　any　reflex　power。　He　feels　about　with　his　hoof　for　the　board　on　which　he　is　to　rap　his　answers。　He　has　not　yet　gone　beyond　the　rudiments　of　mathematics；　and　the　early　part　of　his　education　was　particularly　difficult。　They　managed　to　make　him　understand　the　value　and　meaning　of　the　numbers　and　of　the　addition…　and　multiplication…signs　by　means　of　little　taps　on　his　sides。　Krall　speaks　to　him　as　a　father　might　speak　to　the　youngest　of　his　sons。　He　explains　to　him　fondly　the　easy　sums　which　I　suggest　his　doing：　two　plus　three；　eight　minus　four；　four　times　three；　he　says：

〃Mind！　It's　not　plus　three　or　minus　three　this　time；　but　four　multiplied　by　three！〃

Berto　hardly　ever　makes　a　mistake。　When　he　does　not　understand　the　question；　he　waits　for　it　to　be　written　with　the　finger　on　his　side；　and　the　careful　way　in　which　he　works　it　out　like　some　backward　and　afflicted　child　is　an　infinitely　pathetic　sight。　He　is　much　more　zealous　and　conscientious　than　his　fellow…pupils；　and　we　feel　that；　in　the　darkness