the magic skin-第50节

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in　the　large　vessel　and　in　the　tiny　circular　funnel　at　the　end　of　the

elder　stem。



Raphael　was　thinking　of　his　piece　of　skin。



〃Water　is　considered　to…day；　sir；　to　be　an　incompressible　body；〃　said

the　mechanician；　〃never　lose　sight　of　that　fundamental　principle；

still　it　can　be　compressed；　though　only　so　very　slightly　that　we

should　regard　its　faculty　for　contracting　as　a　zero。　You　see　the

amount　of　surface　presented　by　the　water　at　the　brim　of　the　flower…

pot？〃



〃Yes；　sir。〃



〃Very　good；　now　suppose　that　that　surface　is　a　thousand　times　larger

than　the　orifice　of　the　elder　stem　through　which　I　poured　the　liquid。

Here；　I　am　taking　the　funnel　away〃



〃Granted。〃



〃Well；　then；　if　by　any　method　whatever　I　increase　the　volume　of　that

quantity　of　water　by　pouring　in　yet　more　through　the　mouth　of　the

little　tube；　the　water　thus　compelled　to　flow　downwards　would　rise　in

the　reservoir；　represented　by　the　flower…pot；　until　it　reached　the

same　level　at　either　end。〃



〃That　is　quite　clear；〃　cried　Raphael。



〃But　there　is　this　difference；〃　the　other　went　on。　〃Suppose　that　the

thin　column　of　water　poured　into　the　little　vertical　tube　there　exerts

a　force　equal；　say；　to　a　pound　weight；　for　instance；　its　action　will

be　punctually　communicated　to　the　great　body　of　the　liquid；　and　will

be　transmitted　to　every　part　of　the　surface　represented　by　the　water

in　the　flower…pot　so　that　at　the　surface　there　will　be　a　thousand

columns　of　water；　every　one　pressing　upwards　as　if　they　were　impelled

by　a　force　equal　to　that　which　compels　the　liquid　to　descend　in　the

vertical　tube；　and　of　necessity　they　reproduce　here；〃　said　Planchette；

indicating　to　Raphael　the　top　of　the　flower…pot；　〃the　force　introduced

over　there；　a　thousand…fold；〃　and　the　man　of　science　pointed　out　to

the　marquis　the　upright　wooden　pipe　set　in　the　clay。



〃That　is　quite　simple；〃　said　Raphael。



Planchette　smiled　again。



〃In　other　words；〃　he　went　on；　with　the　mathematician's　natural

stubborn　propensity　for　logic；　〃in　order　to　resist　the　force　of　the

incoming　water；　it　would　be　necessary　to　exert；　upon　every　part　of　the

large　surface；　a　force　equal　to　that　brought　into　action　in　the

vertical　column；　but　with　this　differenceif　the　column　of　liquid　is

a　foot　in　height；　the　thousand　little　columns　of　the　wide　surface　will

only　have　a　very　slight　elevating　power。



〃Now；〃　said　Planchette；　as　he　gave　a　fillip　to　his　bits　of　stick；　〃let

us　replace　this　funny　little　apparatus　by　steel　tubes　of　suitable

strength　and　dimensions；　and　if　you　cover　the　liquid　surface　of　the

reservoir　with　a　strong　sliding　plate　of　metal；　and　if　to　this　metal

plate　you　oppose　another；　solid　enough　and　strong　enough　to　resist　any

test；　if；　furthermore；　you　give　me　the　power　of　continually　adding

water　to　the　volume　of　liquid　contents　by　means　of　the　little　vertical

tube；　the　object　fixed　between　the　two　solid　metal　plates　must　of

necessity　yield　to　the　tremendous　crushing　force　which　indefinitely

compresses　it。　The　method　of　continually　pouring　in　water　through　a

little　tube；　like　the　manner　of　communicating　force　through　the　volume

of　the　liquid　to　a　small　metal　plate；　is　an　absurdly　primitive

mechanical　device。　A　brace　of　pistons　and　a　few　valves　would　do　it

all。　Do　you　perceive；　my　dear　sir；〃　he　said　taking　Valentin　by　the

arm；　〃there　is　scarcely　a　substance　in　existence　that　would　not　be

compelled　to　dilate　when　fixed　in　between　these　two　indefinitely

resisting　surfaces？〃



〃What！　the　author　of　the　Lettres　provinciales　invented　it？〃　Raphael

exclaimed。



〃He　and　no　other；　sir。　The　science　of　mechanics　knows　no　simpler　nor

more　beautiful　contrivance。　The　opposite　principle；　the　capacity　of

expansion　possessed　by　water；　has　brought　the　steam…engine　into　being。

But　water　will　only　expand　up　to　a　certain　point；　while　its

incompressibility；　being　a　force　in　a　manner　negative；　is；　of

necessity；　infinite。〃



〃If　this　skin　is　expanded；〃　said　Raphael；　〃I　promise　you　to　erect　a

colossal　statue　to　Blaise　Pascal；　to　found　a　prize　of　a　hundred

thousand　francs　to　be　offered　every　ten　years　for　the　solution　of　the

grandest　problem　of　mechanical　science　effected　during　the　interval；

to　find　dowries　for　all　your　cousins　and　second　cousins；　and　finally

to　build　an　asylum　on　purpose　for　impoverished　or　insane

mathematicians。〃



〃That　would　be　exceedingly　useful；〃　Planchette　replied。　〃We　will　go　to

Spieghalter　to…morrow；　sir；〃　he　continued；　with　the　serenity　of　a　man

living　on　a　plane　wholly　intellectual。　〃That　distinguished　mechanic

has　just　completed；　after　my　own　designs；　an　improved　mechanical

arrangement　by　which　a　child　could　get　a　thousand　trusses　of　hay

inside　his　cap。〃



〃Then　good…bye　till　to…morrow。〃



〃Till　to…morrow；　sir。〃



〃Talk　of　mechanics！〃　cried　Raphael；　〃isn't　it　the　greatest　of　the

sciences？　The　other　fellow　with　his　onagers；　classifications；　ducks；

and　species；　and　his　phials　full　of　bottled　monstrosities；　is　at　best

only　fit　for　a　billiard…marker　in　a　saloon。〃



The　next　morning　Raphael　went　off　in　great　spirits　to　find　Planchette；

and　together　they　set　out　for　the　Rue　de　la　Santeauspicious

appellation！　Arrived　at　Spieghalter's；　the　young　man　found　himself　in

a　vast　foundry；　his　eyes　lighted　upon　a　multitude　of　glowing　and

roaring　furnaces。　There　was　a　storm　of　sparks；　a　deluge　of　nails；　an

ocean　of　pistons；　vices；　levers；　valves；　girders；　files；　and　nuts；　a

sea　of　melted　metal；　baulks　of　timber　and　bar…steel。　Iron　filings

filled　your　throat。　There　was　iron　in　the　atmosphere；　the　men　were

covered　with　it；　everything　reeked　of　iron。　The　iron　seemed　to　be　a

living　organism；　it　became　a　fluid；　moved；　and　seemed　to　shape　itself

intelligently　after　every　fashion；　to　obey　the　worker's　every　caprice。

Through　the　uproar　made　by　the　bellows；　the　crescendo　of　the　falling

hammers；　and　the　shrill　sounds　of　the　lathes　that　drew　groans　from　the

steel；　Raphael　passed　into　a　large；　clean；　and　airy　place　where　he　was

able　to　inspect　at　his　leisure　the　great　press　that　Planchette　had

told　him　about。　He　admired　the　cast…iron　beams；　as　one　might　call

them；　and　the　twin　bars　of　steel　coupled　together　with　indestructible

bolts。



〃If　you　were　to　give　seven　rapid　turns　to　that　crank；〃　said

Spieghalter；　pointing　out　a　beam　of　polished　steel；　〃you　would　make　a

steel　bar　spurt　out　in　thousands　of　jets；　that　would　get　into　your

legs　like　needles。〃



〃The　deuce！〃　exclaimed　Raphael。



Planchette　himself　slipped　the　piece　of　skin　between　the　metal　plates

of　the　all…powerful　press；　and；　brimful　of　the　certainty　of　a

scientific　conviction；　he　worked　the　crank　energetically。



〃Lie　flat；　all　of　you；　we　are　dead　men！〃　thundered　Spieghalter；　as　he

himself　fell　prone　on　the　floor。



A　hideous　shrieking　sound　rang　through　the　workshops。　The　water　in　the

machine　had　broken　the　chamber；　and　now　spouted　out　in　a　jet　of

incalculable　force；　luckily　it　went　in　the　direction　of　an　old

furnace；　which　was　overthrown；　enveloped　and　carried　away　by　a


waterspout。



〃Ha！〃　remarked　Planchette　serenely；　〃the　piece　of　skin　is　as　safe　and

sound　as　my　eye。　There　was　a　flaw　in　your　reservoir　somewhere；　or　a

crevice　in　the　large　tube〃



〃No；　no；　I　know　my　reservoir。　The　devil　is　in　your　contrivance；　sir；

you　can　take　it　away；〃　and　the　German　pounced　upon　a　smith's　hammer；

flung　the　skin　down　on　an　anvil；　and；　with　all　the　strength　that　rage

gives；　dealt　the　talisman　the　most　formidable　blow　that　had　ever

resounded　through　his　workshops。



〃There　is　not　so　much　as　a　mark　on　it！〃　said　Planchette；　stroking　the

perverse　bit　of　skin。



The　workmen　hurried　in。　The　foreman　took　the　skin　and　buried　it　in　the

glowing　coal　of　a　forge；　while；　in　a　semi…circle　round　the　fire；　they

all　awaited　the　action　of　a　huge　pair　of　bellows。　Raphael；

Spieghalter；　and　Professor　Planchette　stood　in　the　midst　of　the　grimy

expectant　crowd。　Raphael；　looking　round　on　faces　dusted　over　with　iron

filings；　white　eyes；　greasy　blackened　clothing；　and　hairy　chests；

could　have　fancied　himself　transported　into　the　wild　nocturnal　world

of　German　ballad　poetry。　After　the　skin　had　been　in　the　fire　for　ten

minutes；　the　foreman　pulled　it　out　with　a　pair　of　pincers。



〃Hand　it　over　to　me；〃　said　Raphael。



The　foreman　held　it　out　by　way　of　a　joke。　The　Marquis　readily　handled

it；　it　was　cool　and　flexible　between　his　fingers。　An　exclamation　of

alarm　went　up；　the　workmen　fled　in　terror。　Valentin　was　left　alone

with　Planchette　in　the　empty　workshop。



〃There　is　certainly　something　infernal　in　the　thing！〃　cried　Raphael；

in　desperation。　〃Is　no　human　power　able　to　give　me　one　more　day　of

existence？〃



〃I　made　a　mistake；　sir；〃　said　the　mathematician；　with　a　penitent

expression；　〃we　ought　to　have　subjected　that　peculiar　skin　to　the

action　of　a　rolling　machine。　Where　could　my　eyes　have　been　when　I

suggested　compression！〃