selected writings-第16节

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appearing　to　touch　any　other　nourishment。



〃Professor　Don　Pedro　Henriques；　accompanied　by　several　medical

savants；　has　gone　to　the　Province　of　San…Paulo；　in　order　to　study

the　origin　and　the　manifestations　of　this　surprising　madness　on

the　spot；　and　to　propose　such　measures　to　the　Emperor　as　may

appear　to　him　to　be　most　fitted　to　restore　the　mad　population　to

reason。〃



Ah！　Ah！　I　remember　now　that　fine　Brazilian　three…master　which

passed　in　front　of　my　windows　as　it　was　going　up　the　Seine；　on

the　eighth　of　last　May！　I　thought　it　looked　so　pretty；　so　white

and　bright！　That　Being　was　on　board　of　her；　coming　from　there；

where　its　race　sprang　from。　And　it　saw　me！　It　saw　my　house；　which

was　also　white；　and　He　sprang　from　the　ship　on　to　the　land。　Oh！

Good　heavens！



Now　I　know；　I　can　divine。　The　reign　of　man　is　over；　and　he　has

come。　He　whom　disquieted　priests　exorcised；　whom　sorcerers　evoked

on　dark　nights；　without　seeing　him　appear；　He　to　whom　the

imaginations　of　the　transient　masters　of　the　world　lent　all　the

monstrous　or　graceful　forms　of　gnomes；　spirits；　genii；　fairies；

and　familiar　spirits。　After　the　coarse　conceptions　of　primitive

fear；　men　more　enlightened　gave　him　a　truer　form。　Mesmer　divined

him；　and　ten　years　ago　physicians　accurately　discovered　the

nature　of　his　power；　even　before　He　exercised　it　himself。　They

played　with　that　weapon　of　their　new　Lord；　the　sway　of　a

mysterious　will　over　the　human　soul；　which　had　become　enslaved。

They　called　it　mesmerism；　hypnotism；　suggestion；　I　know　not　what？

I　have　seen　them　diverting　themselves　like　rash　children　with

this　horrible　power！　Woe　to　us！　Woe　to　man！　He　has　come；

thethewhat　does　He　call　himselftheI　fancy　that　he　is

shouting　out　his　name　to　me　and　I　do　not　hear　himtheyesHe

is　shouting　it　outI　am　listeningI

cannotrepeatitHorlaI　have　heardthe　Horlait　is　Hethe

HorlaHe　has　come！



Ah！　the　vulture　has　eaten　the　pigeon；　the　wolf　has　eaten　the

lamb；　the　lion　has　devoured　the　sharp…horned　buffalo；　man　has

killed　the　lion　with　an　arrow；　with　a　spear；　with　gunpowder；　but

the　Horla　will　make　of　man　what　man　has　made　of　the　horse　and　of

the　ox：　his　chattel；　his　slave；　and　his　food；　by　the　mere　power

of　his　will。　Woe　to　us！



But；　nevertheless；　sometimes　the　animal　rebels　and　kills　the　man

who　has　subjugated　it。　I　should　also　likeI　shall　be　able

tobut　I　must　know　Him；　touch　Him；　see　Him！　Learned　men　say　that

eyes　of　animals；　as　they　differ　from　ours；　do　not　distinguish　as

ours　do。　And　my　eye　cannot　distinguish　this　newcomer　who　is

oppressing　me。



Why？　Oh！　Now　I　remember　the　words　of　the　monk　at　Mont

Saint…Michel：　〃Can　we　see　the　hundred…thousandth　part　of　what

exists？　Listen；　there　is　the　wind　which　is　the　strongest　force　in

nature；　it　knocks　men　down；　blows　down　buildings；　uproots　trees；

raises　the　sea　into　mountains　of　water；　destroys　cliffs；　and

casts　great　ships　on　to　the　breakers；　it　kills；　it　whistles；　it

sighs；　it　roars；have　you　ever　seen　it；　and　can　you　see　it？　It

exists　for　all　that；　however！〃



And　I　went　on　thinking：　my　eyes　are　so　weak；　so　imperfect；　that

they　do　not　even　distinguish　hard　bodies；　if　they　are　as

transparent　as　glass！　If　a　glass　without　quicksilver　behind　it

were　to　bar　my　way；　I　should　run　into　it；　just　like　a　bird　which

has　flown　into　a　room　breaks　its　head　against　the　windowpanes。　A

thousand　things；　moreover；　deceive　a　man　and　lead　him　astray。　How

then　is　it　surprising　that　he　cannot　perceive　a　new　body　which　is

penetrated　and　pervaded　by　the　light？



A　new　being！　Why　not？　It　was　assuredly　bound　to　come！　Why　should

we　be　the　last？　We　do　not　distinguish　it；　like　all　the　others

created　before　us？　The　reason　is；　that　its　nature　is　more

delicate；　its　body　finer　and　more　finished　than　ours。　Our　makeup

is　so　weak；　so　awkwardly　conceived；　our　body　is　encumbered　with

organs　that　are　always　tired；　always　being　strained　like　locks

that　are　too　complicated；　it　lives　like　a　plant　and　like　an

animal　nourishing　itself　with　difficulty　on　air；　herbs；　and

flesh；　it　is　a　brute　machine　which　is　a　prey　to　maladies；　to

malformations；　to　decay；　it　is　broken…winded；　badly　regulated；

simple　and　eccentric；　ingeniously　yet　badly　made；　a　coarse　and

yet　a　delicate　mechanism；　in　brief；　the　outline　of　a　being　which

might　become　intelligent　and　great。



There　are　only　a　fewso　fewstages　of　development　in　this

world；　from　the　oyster　up　to　man。　Why　should　there　not　be　one

more；　when　once　that　period　is　accomplished　which　separates　the

successive　products　one　from　the　other？



Why　not　one　more？　Why　not；　also；　other　trees　with　immense；

splendid　flowers；　perfuming　whole　regions？　Why　not　other　elements

beside　fire；　air；　earth；　and　water？　There　are　four；　only　four；

nursing　fathers　of　various　beings！　What　a　pity！　Why　should　not

there　be　forty；　four　hundred；　four　thousand！　How　poor　everything

is；　how　mean　and　wretchedgrudgingly　given；　poorly　invented；

clumsily　made！　Ah！　the　elephant　and　the　hippopotamus；　what　power！

And　the　camel；　what　suppleness！



But　the　butterfly；　you　will　say；　a　flying　flower！　I　dream　of　one

that　should　be　as　large　as　a　hundred　worlds；　with　wings　whose

shape；　beauty；　colors；　and　motion　I　cannot　even　express。　But　I

see　itit　flutters　from　star　to　star；　refreshing　them　and

perfuming　them　with　the　light　and　harmonious　breath　of　its

flight！　And　the　people　up　there　gaze　at　it　as　it　passes　in　an

ecstasy　of　delight！



What　is　the　matter　with　me？　It　is　He；　the　Horla　who　haunts　me；

and　who　makes　me　think　of　these　foolish　things！　He　is　within　me；

He　is　becoming　my　soul；　I　shall　kill　him！



August　20。　I　shall　kill　Him。　I　have　seen　Him！　Yesterday　I　sat

down　at　my　table　and　pretended　to　write　very　assiduously。　I　knew

quite　well　that　He　would　come　prowling　round　me；　quite　close　to

me；　so　close　that　I　might　perhaps　be　able　to　touch　him；　to　seize

him。　And　thenthen　I　should　have　the　strength　of　desperation；　I

should　have　my　hands；　my　knees；　my　chest；　my　forehead；　my　teeth

to　strangle　him；　to　crush　him；　to　bite　him；　to　tear　him　to

pieces。　And　I　watched　for　him　with　all　my　overexcited　nerves。



I　had　lighted　my　two　lamps　and　the　eight　wax　candles　on　my

mantelpiece；　as　if；　by　this　light　I　should　discover　Him。



My　bed；　my　old　oak　bed　with　its　columns；　was　opposite　to　me；　on

my　right　was　the　fireplace；　on　my　left　the　door；　which　was

carefully　closed；　after　I　had　left　it　open　for　some　time；　in

order　to　attract　Him；　behind　me　was　a　very　high　wardrobe　with　a

looking…glass　in　it；　which　served　me　to　dress　by　every　day；　and

in　which　I　was　in　the　habit　of　inspecting　myself　from　head　to

foot　every　time　I　passed　it。



So　I　pretended　to　be　writing　in　order　to　deceive　Him；　for　He　also

was　watching　me；　and　suddenly　I　felt；　I　was　certain；　that　He　was

reading　over　my　shoulder；　that　He　was　there；　almost　touching　my

ear。



I　got　up　so　quickly；　with　my　hands　extended；　that　I　almost　fell。

Horror！　It　was　as　bright　as　at　midday；　but　I　did　not　see　myself

in　the　glass！　It　was　empty；　clear；　profound；　full　of　light！　But

my　figure　was　not　reflected　in　itand　I；　I　was　opposite　to　it！　I

saw　the　large；　clear　glass　from　top　to　bottom；　and　I　looked　at　it

with　unsteady　eyes。　I　did　not　dare　advance；　I　did　not　venture　to

make　a　movement；　feeling　certain；　nevertheless；　that　He　was

there；　but　that　He　would　escape　me　again；　He　whose　imperceptible

body　had　absorbed　my　reflection。



How　frightened　I　was！　And　then　suddenly　I　began　to　see　myself

through　a　mist　in　the　depths　of　the　looking…glass；　in　a　mist　as

it　were；　or　through　a　veil　of　water；　and　it　seemed　to　me　as　if

this　water　were　flowing　slowly　from　left　to　right；　and　making　my

figure　clearer　every　moment。　It　was　like　the　end　of　an　eclipse。

Whatever　hid　me　did　not　appear　to　possess　any　clearly　defined

outlines；　but　was　a　sort　of　opaque　transparency；　which　gradually

grew　clearer。



At　last　I　was　able　to　distinguish　myself　completely；　as　I　do

every　day　when　I　look　at　myself。



I　had　seen　Him！　And　the　horror　of　it　remained　with　me；　and　makes

me　shudder　even　now。



August　21。　How　could　I　kill　Him；　since　I　could　not　get　hold　of

Him？　Poison？　But　He　would　see　me　mix　it　with　the　water；　and　then；

would　our　poisons　have　any　effect　on　His　impalpable　body？

Nonono　doubt　about　the　matter。　Then？then？



August　22。　I　sent　for　a　blacksmith　from　Rouen　and　ordered　iron

shutters　of　him　for　my　room；　such　as　some　private　hotels　in　Paris

have　on　the　ground　floor；　for　fear　of　thieves；　and　he　is　going　to

make　me　a　similar　door　as　well。　I　have　made　myself　out　a　coward；

but　I　do　not　care　about　that！



September　10。　Rouen；　Hotel　Continental。　It　is　done；　it　is

donebut　is　He　dead？　My　mind　is　thoroughly　upset　by　what　I　have

seen。



Well　then；　yesterday；　the　locksmith　having　put　on　the　iron

shutters　and　door；　I　left　everything　open　until　midnight；

although　it　was　getting　cold。



Suddenly　I　felt　that　He　was　there；　and　joy；　m