the unknown guest-第26节

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l　strive　presentlyand　no　doubt　vainlyto　dispel　the　grosser　darkness。　But；　whatever　interpretation　we　adopt；　we　are　bound　to　recognize　that　it　plunges　us　into　a　mystery　which　is　equally　profound　and　equally　astonishing　on　either　side；　one　directly　related　to　the　greatest　mysteries　that　overwhelm　us；　and　it　is　open　to　us　to　accept　it　with　resignation　or　rejoicing；　according　as　we　prefer　to　live　in　a　world　wherein　everything　is　within　the　reach　of　our　intelligence　or　a　world　wherein　everything　is　incomprehensible。

As　for　Krall；　he　does　not　doubt　for　an　instant　that　his　horses　solve　for　themselves；　without　any　assistance；　without　any　outside　influence；　simply　by　their　own　mental　powers；　the　most　arduous　problems　set　them。　He　is　persuaded　that　they　understand　what　is　said　to　them　and　what　they　say；　in　short；　that　their　brain　and　their　will　perform　exactly　the　same　functions　as　a　human　brain　and　will。　It　is　certain　that　the　facts　seem　to　prove　him　right　and　that　his　opinion　carries　way　great　weight；　for；　after　all；　he　knows　his　horses　better　than　any　one　does；　he　has　beheld　the　birth　or　rather　the　awakening　of　that　dormant　intelligence；　even　as　a　mother　beholds　the　birth　or　the　awakening　of　intelligence　in　her　child；　he　has　perceived　its　first　gropings；　known　its　first　resistance　and　its　first　triumphs；　he　has　watched　it　taking　shape；　breaking　away　and　gradually　rising　to　the　point　at　which　it　stands　to…day；　in　a　word；　he　is　the　father　and　the　principal　and　sole　perpetual　witness　of　the　miracle。

19　

Yes；　but　the　miracle　comes　as　such　a　surprise　that；　the　moment　we　set　foot　in　it；　a　sort　of　instinctive　aberration　seizes　us；　refusing　to　accept　the　evidence　and　compelling　us　to　search　in　every　direction　to　see　if　there　is　not　another　outlet。　Even　in　the　presence　of　those　astounding　horses　and　while　they　are　working　before　our　eyes；　we　do　not　yet　sincerely　believe　that　which　fills　and　subdues　our　gaze。　We　accept　the　facts；　because　there　is　no　means　of　escaping　them；　but　we　accept　them　only　provisionally　and　with　all　reserve；　putting　off　till　later　the　comfortable　explanation　which　will　give　us　back　our　familiar；　shallow　certainties。　But　the　explanation　does　not　come；　there　is　none　in　the　homely　and　not　very　lofty　regions　wherein　we　hoped　to　find　one；　there　is　neither　fault　nor　flaw　in　the　mighty　evidence；　and　nothing　delivers　us　from　the　mystery。

It　must　be　confessed　that　this　mystery；　springing　from　a　point　where　we　least　expected　to　come　upon　the　unknown；　bears　enough　within　itself　to　scatter　all　our　convictions。　Remember　that；　since　man　appeared　upon　this　earth；　he　has　lived　among　creatures　which；　from　immemorial　experience；　he　thought　that　he　knew　as　perfectly　as　he　knows　an　object　fashioned　by　his　hands。　Out　of　these　creatures　he　chose　the　most　docile　and；　as　he　called　them；　the　most　intelligent；　attaching　in　this　case　to　the　word　intelligence　a　sense　so　narrow　as　to　be　almost　ridiculous。　He　observed　them；　scrutinized　them；　tried　them；　analyzed　them　and　dissected　them　in　every　imaginable　way；　and　whole　lives　were　devoted　to　nothing　but　the　study　of　their　habits；　their　faculties；　their　nervous　system；　their　pathology；　their　psychology；　their　instincts。　All　this　led　to　certainties　which；　among　those　supported　by　our　unexplained　little　existence　on　an　inexplicable　planet；　would　seem　to　be　the　least　doubtful；　the　least　subject　to　revision。　There　is　no　disputing；　for　instance；　that　the　horse　is　gifted　with　an　extraordinary　memory；　that　he　possesses　the　sense　of　direction；　that　he　understands　a　few　signs　and　even　a　few　words　and　that　he　obeys　them。　It　is　equally　undeniable　that　the　anthropoid　apes　are　capable　of　imitating　a　great　number　of　our　actions　and　of　our　attitudes：　but　it　is　also　manifest　that　their　bewildered　and　feverish　imagination　perceives　neither　their　object　nor　their　scope。　As　for　the　dog；　the　one　of　all　these　privileged　animals　who　lives　closest　to　us；　who　for　thousands　and　thousands　of　years　has　eaten　at　our　table　and　worked　with　us　and　been　our　friend；　it　is　manifest　that；　now　and　then；　we　catch　a　rather　uncanny　gleam　in　his　deep；　watchful　eyes。　It　is　certain　that　he　sometimes　wanders　in　a　curious　fashion　along　the　mysterious　border　that　separates　our　own　intelligence　from　that　which　we　grant　to　the　other　creatures　inhabiting　this　earth　with　us。　But　it　is　no　less　certain　that　he　has　never　definitely　passed　it。　We　know　exactly　how　far　he　can　go；　and　we　have　invariably　found　that　our　efforts；　our　patience；　our　encouragement；　our　passionate　appeals；　have　hitherto　failed　to　draw　him　out　of　the　somewhat　narrow；　darkly　enchanted　circle　wherein　nature　seems　to　have　imprisoned　him　once　and　for　all。

20

There　remains；　it　is　true；　the　insect…world；　in　which　marvellous　things　happen。　It　includes　architects；　geometricians；　mechanicians；　engineers；　weavers；　physicists；　chemists　and　surgeons　who　have　forestalled　most　of　our　human　inventions。　I　need　not　here　remind　the　reader　of　the　wasps'　and　bees'　genius　for　building；　the　social　and　economic　organization　of　the　hive　and　the　ant…hill；　the　spider's　snares；　the　eumenes'　nest　and　hanging　egg；　the　odynerus'　cell　with　its　neat　stacks　of　game；　the　sacred　beetle's　filthy　but　ingenius　ball；　the　leafcutter's　faultless　disks；　the　brick…laying　of　the　mason…bee；　the　three　dagger…thrusts　which　the　aphex　administers　to　the　three　nerve…centres　of　the　cricket；　the　lancet　of　the　cerceris；　who　paralyses　her　victims　without　killing　them　and　preserves　them　for　an　indefinite　period　as　fresh　meat；　nor　a　thousand　other　features　which　it　would　be　impossible　to　enumerate　without　recapitulating　the　whole　of　Henri　Fabre's　work　and　completely　altering　the　proportions　of　the　present　essay。　But　here　such　silence　and　such　darkness　reign　that　we　have　nothing　to　hope　for。　There　exists；　so　to　speak；　no　bench…mark；　no　means　of　communication　between　the　world　of　insects　and　our　own；　and　we　are　perhaps　less　far　from　grasping　and　fathoming　what　takes　place　in　Saturn　or　Jupiter　than　what　is　enacted　in　the　ant…hill　or　the　hive。　We　know　absolutely　nothing　of　the　quality；　the　number；　the　extent　or　even　the　nature　of　their　senses。　Many　of　the　great　laws　on　which　our　life　is　based　do　not　exist　for　them：　those；　for　instance；　which　govern　fluids　are　completely　reversed。　They　seem　to　inhabit　our　planet；　but　in　reality　move　in　an　entirely　different　world。　Understanding　nothing　of　their　intelligence　pierced　with　disconcerting　gaps；　in　which　the　blindest　stupidity　suddenly　comes　and　destroys　the　ablest　and　most　inspired　schemes；　we　have　given　the　name　of　instinct　to　that　which　we　could　not　apprehend；　postponing　our　interpretation　of　a　word　that　touches　upon　life's　most　insoluble　riddles。　There　is；　therefore；　from　the　point　of　view　of　the　intellectual　faculties；　nothing　to　be　gathered　from　those　extraordinary　creatures　who　are　not；　like　the　other　animals；　our　〃lesser　brothers；〃　but　strangers；　aliens　from　we　know　not　where；　survivors　or　percursors　of　another　world。

21

We　were　at　this　stage；　slumbering　peacefully　in　our　long…established　convictions；　when　a　man　entered　upon　the　scene　and　suddenly　showed　us　that　we　were　wrong　and　that；　for　long　centuries；　we　had　over　looked　a　truth　which　was　scarcely　even　covered　with　a　very　thin　veil。　And　the　strangest　thing　is　that　this　astonishing　discovery；　is　in　no　wise　the　natural　consequence　of　a　new　invention；　of　processes　or　methods　hitherto　unknown。　It　owes　nothing　to　the　latest　acquirements　of　our　knowledge。　It　springs　from　the　humblest　idea　which　the　most　primitive　man　might　have　conceived　in　the　first　days　of　the　earth's　existence。　It　is　simply　a　matter　of　having　a　little　more　patience；　confidence　and　respect　for　all　that　which　shares　our　lot　in　a　world　whereof　we　know　none　of　the　purposes。　It　is　simply　a　matter　of　having　a　little　less　pride　and　of　looking　a　little　more　fraternally　upon　existences　that　are　much　more　fraternal　than　we　believed。　There　is　no　secret　about　the　almost　puerile　ingenuousness　of　Von　Osten's　methods　and　Krall's。　They　start　with　the　principle　that　the　horse　is　an　ignorant　but　intelligent　child；　and　they　treat　him　as　such。　They　speak；　explain；　demonstrate；　argue　and　mete　out　rewards　or　punishments　like　a　schoolmaster　addressing　little　boys　of　five　or　six。　They　begin　by　placing　a　few　skittle…pins　in　front　of　their　strange　pupil。　They　count　them　and　make　him　count　them　by　alternately　lifting　and　lowering　the　horse's　hoof。　He　thus　obtains　his　first　notion　of　numbers。　They　next　add　one　or　two　more　skittles　and　say；　for　instance：

〃Three　skittles　and　two　skittles　are　five　skittles。〃

In　this　way；　they　explain　and　teach　addition；　next；　by　the　reverse　process；　subtraction；　which　is　followed　by　multiplication；　division　and　all　the　rest。

At　the　beginning；　the　lessons　are　extremely　laborious　and　demand　an　untiring　and　loving　patience；　which　is　the　whole　secret　of　the　miracle。　But；　as　soon　as　the　first　barrier　of　darkness　is　passed；　the　progress　becomes　bewilderingly　rapid。

All　this　is　incontestable；　and　the　facts　are　there；　before　which　we　must　need　bow。　But　what　upsets　all　our　convictions　or；　more　correctly；　all　the　prejudices　which　thousands　of　years　have　made　as　invincible　as　axioms；　what　we　do　not　succeed　in　understanding　is　that　the　horse　at　once　unders