selected writings-第13节

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It　was　empty！　It　was　completely　empty！　At　first　I　could　not

understand　it　at　all；　then　suddenly　I　was　seized　by　such　a

terrible　feeling　that　I　had　to　sit　down；　or　rather　fall　into　a

chair！　Then　I　sprang　up　with　a　bound　to　look　about　me；　then　I　sat

down　again；　overcome　by　astonishment　and　fear；　in　front　of　the

transparent　crystal　bottle！　I　looked　at　it　with　fixed　eyes；

trying　to　solve　the　puzzle；　and　my　hands　trembled！　Some　body　had

drunk　the　water；　but　who？　I？　I　without　any　doubt。　It　could　surely

only　be　I？　In　that　case　I　was　a　somnambulistwas　living；　without

knowing　it；　that　double；　mysterious　life　which　makes　us　doubt

whether　there　are　not　two　beings　in　uswhether　a　strange；

unknowable；　and　invisible　being　does　not；　during　our　moments　of

mental　and　physical　torpor；　animate　the　inert　body；　forcing　it　to

a　more　willing　obedience　than　it　yields　to　ourselves。



Oh！　Who　will　understand　my　horrible　agony？　Who　will　understand

the　emotion　of　a　man　sound　in　mind；　wide…awake；　full　of　sense；

who　looks　in　horror　at　the　disappearance　of　a　little　water　while

he　was　asleep；　through　the　glass　of　a　water…bottle！　And　I

remained　sitting　until　it　was　daylight；　without　venturing　to　go

to　bed　again。



July　6。　I　am　going　mad。　Again　all　the　contents　of　my　water…bottle

have　been　drunk　during　the　night；　or　rather　I　have　drunk　it！



But　is　it　I？　Is　it　I？　Who　could　it　be？　Who？　Oh！　God！　Am　I　going

mad？　Who　will　save　me？



July　10。　I　have　just　been　through　some　surprising　ordeals。

Undoubtedly　I　must　be　mad！　And　yet！



On　July　6；　before　going　to　bed；　I　put　some　wine；　milk；　water；

bread；　and　strawberries　on　my　table。　Somebody　drankI　drankall

the　water　and　a　little　of　the　milk；　but　neither　the　wine；　nor　the

bread；　nor　the　strawberries　were　touched。



On　the　seventh　of　July　I　renewed　the　same　experiment；　with　the

same　results；　and　on　July　8　I　left　out　the　water　and　the　milk　and

nothing　was　touched。



Lastly；　on　July　9　I　put　only　water　and　milk　on　my　table；　taking

care　to　wrap　up　the　bottles　in　white　muslin　and　to　tie　down　the

stoppers。　Then　I　rubbed　my　lips；　my　beard；　and　my　hands　with

pencil　lead；　and　went　to　bed。



Deep　slumber　seized　me；　soon　followed　by　a　terrible　awakening。　I

had　not　moved；　and　my　sheets　were　not　marked。　I　rushed　to　the

table。　The　muslin　round　the　bottles　remained　intact；　I　undid　the

string；　trembling　with　fear。　All　the　water　had　been　drunk；　and　so

had　the　milk！　Ah！　Great　God！　I　must　start　for　Paris　immediately。



July　12。　Paris。　I　must　have　lost　my　head　during　the　last　few

days！　I　must　be　the　plaything　of　my　enervated　imagination；　unless

I　am　really　a　somnambulist；　or　I　have　been　brought　under　the

power　of　one　of　those　influenceshypnotic　suggestion；　for

examplewhich　are　known　to　exist；　but　have　hitherto　been

inexplicable。　In　any　case；　my　mental　state　bordered　on　madness；

and　twenty…four　hours　of　Paris　sufficed　to　restore　me　to　my

equilibrium。



Yesterday　after　doing　some　business　and　paying　some　visits；　which

instilled　fresh　and　invigorating　mental　air　into　me；　I　wound　up

my　evening　at　the　Theatre　Francais。　A　drama　by　Alexander　Dumas

the　Younger　was　being　acted；　and　his　brilliant　and　powerful　play

completed　my　cure。　Certainly　solitude　is　dangerous　for　active

minds。　We　need　men　who　can　think　and　can　talk；　around　us。　When　we

are　alone　for　a　long　time；　we　people　space　with　phantoms。



I　returned　along　the　boulevards　to　my　hotel　in　excellent　spirits。

Amid　the　jostling　of　the　crowd　I　thought；　not　without　irony；　of

my　terrors　and　surmises　of　the　previous　week；　because　I　believed；

yes；　I　believed；　that　an　invisible　being　lived　beneath　my　roof。

How　weak　our　mind　is；　how　quickly　it　is　terrified　and　unbalanced

as　soon　as　we　are　confronted　with　a　small；　incomprehensible　fact。

Instead　of　dismissing　the　problem　with：　〃We　do　not　understand

because　we　cannot　find　the　cause；〃　we　immediately　imagine

terrible　mysteries　and　supernatural　powers。



July　14。　Fete　of　the　Republic。　I　walked　through　the　streets；　and

the　crackers　and　flags　amused　me　like　a　child。　Still；　it　is　very

foolish　to　make　merry　on　a　set　date；　by　Government　decree。　People

are　like　a　flock　of　sheep；　now　steadily　patient；　now　in　ferocious

revolt。　Say　to　it：　〃Amuse　yourself；〃　and　it　amuses　itself。　Say　to

it：　〃Go　and　fight　with　your　neighbor；〃　and　it　goes　and　fights。

Say　to　it：　〃Vote　for　the　Emperor；〃　and　it　votes　for　the　Emperor；

then　say　to　it：　〃Vote　for　the　Republic；〃　and　it　votes　for　the

Republic。



Those　who　direct　it　are　stupid；　too；　but　instead　of　obeying　men

they　obey　principles；　a　course　which　can　only　be　foolish；

ineffective；　and　false；　for　the　very　reason　that　principles　are

ideas　which　are　considered　as　certain　and　unchangeable；　whereas

in　this　world　one　is　certain　of　nothing；　since　light　is　an

illusion　and　noise　is　deception。



July　16。　I　saw　some　things　yesterday　that　troubled　me　very　much。　

I　was　dining　at　my　cousin's；　Madame　Sable；　whose　husband　is

colonel　of　the　Seventy…sixth　Chasseurs　at　Limoges。　There　were　two

young　women　there；　one　of　whom　had　married　a　medical　man；　Dr。

Parent；　who　devotes　himself　a　great　deal　to　nervous　diseases　and

to　the　extraordinary　manifestations　which　just　now　experiments　in

hypnotism　and　suggestion　are　producing。



He　related　to　us　at　some　length　the　enormous　results　obtained　by

English　scientists　and　the　doctors　of　the　medical　school　at

Nancy；　and　the　facts　which　he　adduced　appeared　to　me　so　strange；

that　I　declared　that　I　was　altogether　incredulous。



〃We　are；〃　he　declared；　〃on　the　point　of　discovering　one　of　the

most　important　secrets　of　nature；　I　mean　to　say；　one　of　its　most

important　secrets　on　this　earth；　for　assuredly　there　are　some　up

in　the　stars；　yonder；　of　a　different　kind　of　importance。　Ever

since　man　has　thought；　since　he　has　been　able　to　express　and

write　down　his　thoughts；　he　has　felt　himself　close　to　a　mystery

which　is　impenetrable　to　his　coarse　and　imperfect　senses；　and　he

endeavors　to　supplement　the　feeble　penetration　of　his　organs　by

the　efforts　of　his　intellect。　As　long　as　that　intellect　remained

in　its　elementary　stage；　this　intercourse　with　invisible　spirits

assumed　forms　which　were　commonplace　though　terrifying。　Thence

sprang　the　popular　belief　in　the　supernatural；　the　legends　of

wandering　spirits；　of　fairies；　of　gnomes；　of　ghosts；　I　might　even

say　the　conception　of　God；　for　our　ideas　of　the　Workman…Creator；

from　whatever　religion　they　may　have　come　down　to　us；　are

certainly　the　most　mediocre；　the　stupidest；　and　the　most

unacceptable　inventions　that　ever　sprang　from　the　frightened

brain　of　any　human　creature。　Nothing　is　truer　than　what　Voltaire

says：　'If　God　made　man　in　His　own　image；　man　has　certainly　paid

Him　back　again。'



〃But　for　rather　more　than　a　century；　men　seem　to　have　had　a

presentiment　of　something　new。　Mesmer　and　some　others　have　put　us

on　an　unexpected　track；　and　within　the　last　two　or　three　years

especially；　we　have　arrived　at　results　really　surprising。〃



My　cousin；　who　is　also　very　incredulous；　smiled；　and　Dr。　Parent

said　to　her：　〃Would　you　like　me　to　try　and　send　you　to　sleep；

Madame？〃



〃Yes；　certainly。〃



She　sat　down　in　an　easy…chair；　and　he　began　to　look　at　her

fixedly；　as　if　to　fascinate　her。　I　suddenly　felt　myself　somewhat

discomposed；　my　heart　beat　rapidly　and　I　had　a　choking　feeling　in

my　throat。　I　saw　that　Madame　Sable's　eyes　were　growing　heavy；　her

mouth　twitched；　and　her　bosom　heaved；　and　at　the　end　of　ten

minutes　she　was　asleep。



〃Go　behind　her；〃　the　doctor　said　to　me；　so　I　took　a　seat　behind

her。　He　put　a　visiting…card　into　her　hands；　and　said　to　her：

〃This　is　a　looking…glass；　what　do　you　see　in　it？〃



She　replied：　〃I　see　my　cousin。〃



〃What　is　he　doing？〃



〃He　is　twisting　his　mustache。〃



〃And　now？〃



〃He　is　taking　a　photograph　out　of　his　pocket。〃



〃Whose　photograph　is　it？〃



〃His　own。〃



That　was　true；　for　the　photograph　had　been　given　me　that　same

evening　at　the　hotel。



〃What　is　his　attitude　in　this　portrait？〃



〃He　is　standing　up　with　his　hat　in　his　hand。〃



She　saw　these　things　in　that　card；　in　that　piece　of　white

pasteboard；　as　if　she　had　seen　them　in　a　looking…glass。



The　young　women　were　frightened；　and　exclaimed：　〃That　is　quite

enough！　Quite；　quite　enough！〃



But　the　doctor　said　to　her　authoritatively：　〃You　will　get　up　at

eight　o'clock　to…morrow　morning；　then　you　will　go　and　call　on

your　cousin　at　his　hotel　and　ask　him　to　lend　you　the　five

thousand　francs　which　your　husband　asks　of　you；　and　which　he　will

ask　for　when　he　sets　out　on　his　coming　journey。〃



Then　he　woke　her　up。



On　returning　to　my　hotel；　I　thought　over　this　curious　seance　and

I　was　assailed　by　doubts；　not　as　to　my　cousin's　absolute　and

undoubted　good　faith；　for　I　had　known　her　as　well　as　if　she　had

been　my　own　sister　ever　since　she　was　a　child；　but　as　to　a

possible　trick　on　the　doctor's　part。　Had　not　he；