the unknown guest-第24节

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tious　than　his　fellow…pupils；　and　we　feel　that；　in　the　darkness　wherein　he　dwells；　this　work　is；　next　to　his　meals；　the　only　spark　of　light　and　interest　in　his　existence。　He　will　certainly　never　rival　Muhamed；　for　instance；　who　is　the　arithmetical　prodigy；　the　Inaudi；　of　horses；　but　he　is　a　valuable　and　living　proof　that　the　theory　of　unconscious　and　imperceptible　signs；　the　only　one　which　the　German　theorists　have　hitherto　seriously　considered；　is　now　clearly　untenable。

I　have　not　yet　spoken　of　Zarif。　He　is　not　in　the　best　of　tempers；　and　besides；　in　arithmetic；　he　is　only　a　less　learned　and　more　capricious　Muhamed。　He　answers　most　of　the　questions　at　random；　stubbornly　raising　his　foot　and　declining　to　lower　it；　so　as　clearly　to　mark　his　disapproval；　but　he　solves　the　last　problem　correctly　when　he　is　promised　a　panful　of　carrots　and　no　more　lessons　for　that　morning。　The　groom　enters　to　lead　him　away　and　makes　some　movement　or　other　at　which　the　horse　starts；　rears　and　shies。

〃That's　his　bad　conscience；〃　says　Krall；　gravely。

And　the　expression　assumes　a　singular　meaning　and　importance　in　this　hybrid　atmosphere；　steeped　in　an　indefinable　something　from　another　world。

But　it　is　half…past　one；　the　sacred　German　dinner…hour。　The　horses　are　taken　back　to　their　racks　and　the　men　separate；　wishing　one　another　the　inevitable　Mahlzeit。

As　he　walks　with　me　along　the　quays　of　the　black　and　muddy　Wupper；　Krall　says：

〃It　is　a　pity　that　you　did　not　see　Zarif　in　one　of　his　better　moods。　He　is　sometimes　more　startling　than　Muhamed　and　has　given　me　two　or　three　surprises　that　seem　incredible。　One　morning；　for　instance；　I　came　to　the　stable　and　was　preparing　to　give　him　his　lesson　in　arithmetic。　He　was　no　sooner　in　front　of　the　spring…board　than　he　began　to　stamp　with　his　foot。　I　left　him　alone　and　was　astounded　to　hear　a　whole　sentence；　an　absolutely　human　sentence；　come　letter　by　letter　from　his　hoof：　'Albert　has　beaten　Hanschen；'　was　what　he　said　to　me　that　day。　Another　time；　I　wrote　down　from　his　dictation；　'Hanschen　has　bitten　Kama。'　Like　a　child　seeing　its　father　after　an　absence；　he　felt　the　need　to　inform　me　of　the　little　doings　of　the　stable；　he　provided　me　with　the　artless　chronicle　of　a　humble　and　uneventful　life。〃

Krall；　for　that　matter；　living　in　the　midst　of　his　miracle；　seems　to　think　this　quite　natural　and　almost　inevitable。　I；　who　have　been　immersed　in　it　for　only　a　few　hours；　accept　it　almost　as　calmly　as　he　does。　I　believe　without　hesitation　what　he　tells　me；　and；　in　the　presence　of　this　phenomenon　which；　for　the　first　time　in　man's　existence；　gives　us　a　sentence　that　has　not　sprung　from　a　human　brain；　I　ask　myself　whither　we　are　tending；　where　we　stand　and　what　lies　ahead　of　us。。　。　。

14

After　dinner；　the　experiments　begin　again；　for　my　host　is　untiring。　First　of　all；　pointing　to　me；　he　asks　Muhamed　if　he　remembers　what　his　uncle's　name　is。　The　horse　raps　out　an　H。　Krall　is　astonished　and　utters　fatherly　reprimands：

〃Come；　take　care！　You　know　it's　not　an　H。〃

The　horse　raps　out　an　E。　Krall　becomes　a　little　impatient：　he　threatens；　he　implores；　he　promises　in　turn；　carrots　and　the　direst　punishments；　such　as　sending　for　Albert；　the　groom；　who；　on　special　occasions；　recalls　idle　and　inattentive　pupils　to　a　sense　of　duty　and　decorum；　for　Krall　himself　never　chastises　his　horses；　lest　he　should　lose　their　friendship　or　their　confidence。　So　he　continues　his　reproaches：

〃Come　now；　are　you　going　to　be　more　careful　and　not　rap　out　your　letters　anyhow？〃

Muhamed　obstinately　goes　his　own　way　and　strikes　an　R。　Then　Krall's　open　face　lights　up：

〃He's　right；〃　he　says。　〃You　understand：　H　E　R；　standing　for　Herr。　He　wanted　to　give　you　the　title　to　which　every　man　wearing　a　top　hat　or　a　bowler　has　the　right。　He　does　it　only　very　rarely　and　I　had　forgotten　all　about　it。　He　probably　heard　me　call　you　Herr　Maeterlinck　and　wanted　to　get　it　perfectly。　This　special　politeness　and　this　excess　of　zeal　augur　a　particularly　good　lesson。　You've　done　very　well；　Mohammed；　my　child；　you've　done　very　well　and　I　beg　your　pardon。　Now　kiss　me　and　go　on。〃

But　Mohammed；　after　giving　his　master　a　hearty　kiss；　still　seems　to　be　hesitating。　Then　Krall；　to　put　him　on　the　right　track　observes　that　the　first　letter　of　my　name　is　the　same　as　the　first　letter　of　his　own。　Mohammed　strikes　a　K；　evidently　thinking　of　his　master's　name。　At　last；　Krall　draws　a　big　M　on　the　black…board；　whereupon　the　horse；　like　one　suddenly　remembering　a　word　which　he　could　not　think　of；　raps　out；　one　after　the　other　and　without　stopping；　the　letters　M　A　Z　R　L　K；　which；　stripped　of　useless　vowels；　represent　the　curious　corruption　which　my　name　has　undergone；　since　the　morning；　in　a　brain　that　is　not　a　human　brain。　He　is　told　that　this　is　not　correct。　He　seems　to　agree；　gropes　about　a　little　and　writes；　M　A　R　Z　L　E　G　K。　Krall　repeats　my　name　and　asks　which　is　the　first　letter　to　be　altered。　The　stallion　marks　an　R。

〃Good；　but　what　letter　will　you　put　instead？〃

Mohammed　strikes　an　N。

〃No；　do　be　careful！〃

He　strikes　a　T。

〃Very　good；　but　in　what　place　will　the　T　come？〃

〃In　the　third；〃　replies　the　horse；　and　the　corrections　continue　until　my　patronomic　comes　out　of　its　strange　adventure　almost　unscathed。

And　the　spelling；　the　questioning；　the　sums；　the　problems　are　resumed　and　follow　upon　one　another；　as　wonderful；　as　bewildering　as　before；　but　already　a　little　dimmed　by　familiarity；　like　any　other　prolonged　miracle。　It　is　important；　besides；　to　notice　that　the　instances　which　I　have　given　are　not　to　be　classed　among　the　most　remarkable　feats　of　our　magic　horses。　Today's　is　a　good　ordinary　lesson；　a　respectable　lesson；　not　illumined　by　flashes　of　genius。　But　in　the　presence　of　other　witnesses　the　horses　performed　more　startling　exploits　which　broke　down　even　more　decisively　the　barrier；　which　is　undoubtedly　an　imaginary　one；　between　animal　and　human　nature。　One　day；　for　instance；　Zarif；　the　scamp　of　the　party；　suddenly　stopped　in　the　middle　of　his　lesson。　They　asked　him　the　reason。

〃Because　I　am　tired。〃

Another　time；　he　answered：

〃Pain　in　my　leg。〃

They　recognize　and　identify　pictures　shown　to　them；　distinguish　colours　and　scents。　I　have　made　a　point　of　stating　only　what　I　saw　with　my　own　eyes　and　heard　with　my　own　ears；　and　I　declare　that　I　have　done　so　with　the　same　scrupulous　accuracy　as　though　I　were　reporting　a　criminal　trial　in　which　a　man's　life　depended　on　my　evidence。

But　I　was　practically　convinced　of　the　truth　of　the　incidents　before　going　to　Elberfeld；　and　it　was　not　to　check　them　that　I　made　the　journey。　I　was　anxious　to　make　certain　if　the　telepathic　theory；　which　was　the　only　one　that　I　considered　admissible；　would　withstand　the　tests　which　I　intended　to　apply　to　it。　I　opened　my　mind　on　the　subject　to　Krall；　who　at　first　did　not　quite　grasp　what　I　was　asking。　Like　most　men　who　have　not　made　a　special　study　of　the　questions；　he　imagined　that　telepathy　meant　above　all　a　deliberate　and　conscious　transmission　of　thought；　and　he　assured　me　that　he　never　made　any　effort　to　transmit　his　and　that；　for　the　most　part；　the　horses　gave　a　reply　which　was　the　exact　opposite　of　what　he　was　expecting。　I　did　not　doubt　this　for　a　moment；　in　fact；　direct　and　deliberate　transmission　of　thought　is；　even　among　men；　a　very　rare；　difficult　and　uncertain；　phenomenon；　whereas　involuntary；　unpremeditated　and　unsuspected　communications　between　one　subconsciousness　and　another　can　no　longer　be　denied　except　by　those　who　of　set　purpose　ignore　studies　and　experiments　that　are　within　the　reach　of　any　one　who　will　take　the　trouble　to　engage　in　them。　I　was　persuaded　therefore　that　the　horses　acted　exactly　like　the　〃tipping…tables〃　which　simply　translate　the　subliminal　ideas　of　one　or　another　of　those　present　by　the　aid　of　conventional　little　taps。　When　all　is　said；　it　is　much　less　surprising　to　see　a　horse　than　a　table　lift　its　foot　and　much　more　natural　that　the　living　substance　of　an　animal　rather　than　the　inert　matter　of　a　thing　should　be　sensitive　and　susceptible　to　the　mysterious　influence　of　a　medium。　I　knew　quite　well　that　experiments　had　been　made　in　order　to　eliminate　this　theory。　People；　for　instance；　prepared　a　certain　number　of　questions　and　put　them　in　sealed　envelopes。　Then；　on　entering　the　presence　of　the　horse；　they　would　take　one　of　the　envelopes　at　random；　open　it　and　write　down　the　problem　on　the　black…board；　and　Mohammed　or　Zarif　would　answer　with　the　same　facility　and　the　same　readiness　as　though　the　solution　had　been　known　to　all　the　onlookers。　But　was　it　really　unknown　to　their　subconsciousness？　Who　could　say　for　certain？　Tests　of　this　kind　require　extraordinary　precautions　and　a　special　dexterity；　for　the　action　of　the　subconsciousness　is　so　subtle；　takes　such　unexpected　turns；　delves　in　the　museum　of　so　many　forgotten　treasures　and　operates　at　such　distances　that　one　is　never　sure　of　escaping　it。　Were　those　precautions　taken？　I　was　not　convinced　that　they　were；　and；　without　pretending　to　decide　the　question；　I　said　to　myself　that　my　blissful　ignorance　of　mathematics　might　perhaps　be　of　service　in　shedding　light　upon　some　part　of　it。

For　this　ignorance；　however　deplorable　from　other　points　of　view；　gave　me　a　rare　advantag