the unknown guest(陌生客)-第12节
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insect sought for in vain； or of the unknown place which he will visit at
some later date）。
In all these cases； we have not； properly speaking； to do with a pure
future； but rather with a present that is not yet known。 Thus reduced and
stripped of all foreign influences and intrusions the number of instances in
which there is a really clear and incontestable perception of a fragment of
the future remains large enough； contrary to what is generally believed； to
make it impossible for us to speak of extraordinary accidents or wonderful
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coincidences。 There must be a limit to everything； even to distrust； even to
the most extensive incredulity； otherwise all historical research and a good
deal of scientific research would become decidedly impracticable。 And
this remark applies as much to the nature of the incidents related as to the
actual authenticity of the narratives。 We can contest or suspect any story
whatever； any written proof； any evidence； but thenceforward we must
abandon all certainty or knowledge that is not acquired by means of
mathematical operations or laboratory experiments； that is to say； three…
fourths of the human phenomena which interest us most。 Observe that the
records collected by the investigators of the S。 P。 R。； like those discussed
by M。 Bozzano； are all told at first hand and that those stories of which the
narrators were not the protagonists or the direct witnesses have been
ruthlessly rejected。 Furthermore； some of these narratives are necessarily
of the nature of medical observations； as for the others； if we attentively
examine the character of those who have related them and the
circumstances which corroborate them； we shall agree that it is more just
and more reasonable to believe in them than to look upon every man who
has an extraordinary experience as being a priori a liar； the victim of an
hallucination； or a wag。
2
There could be no question of giving here even a brief analysis of the
most striking cases。 It would require a hundred pages and would alter the
whole nature of this essay； which； to keep within its proper dimensions；
most take it for granted that most of the materials which it examines are
familiar。 I therefore refer the reader who may wish to form an opinion for
himself to the easily…accessible sources which I have mentioned above。 It
will suffice； to give an accurate idea of the gravity of the problem to any
one who has not time or opportunity to consult the original documents if I
sum up in a few words some of these pioneer adventures； selected among
those which seem least open to dispute； for it goes without saying that all
have not the same value； otherwise the question would be settled。 There
are some which； while exceedingly striking at first sight and offering
every guarantee that could be desired to authenticity； nevertheless do not
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imply a real knowledge of the future and can be interpreted in another
manner。 I give one； to serve as an instance； it is reported by Dr。 Alphonse
Teste in his Manuel pratique du magnetisme animal。
On the 8th of May； Dr。 Teste magnetizes Mme。 Hortensein the
presence of her husband。 She is no sooner asleep than she announces that
she has been pregnant for a fortnight； that she will not go her full time；
that 〃she will take fright at something；〃 that she will have a fall and that
the result will be a miscarriage。 She adds that； on the 12th of May； after
having had a fright； she will have a fainting…fit which will last for eight
minutes； and she then describes； hour by hour； the course of her malady；
which will end in three days' loss of reason； from which she will recover。
On awaking； she retains no recollection of anything that has passed； it
is kept from her； and Dr。 Teste communicates his notes to Dr。 Amidee
Latour。 On the 12th of May； he calls on M。 and Mme。； finds them at table
and puts Mme。 to sleep again； whereupon she repeats word for word
what she told him four days before。 They wake her up。 The dangerous
hour is drawing near。 They take every imaginable precaution and even
close the shutters。 Mme。； made uneasy by these extraordinary measures
which she is quite unable to understand； asks what they are going to do to
her。 Half…past three o'clock strikes。 Mme。 rises from the sofa on which
they have made her sit and wants to leave the room。 The doctor and her
husband try to prevent her。
〃But what is the matter with you？〃 she asks。 〃I simply must go out。〃
〃No； madame； you shall not： I speak in the interest of your health。〃
〃Well； then； doctor；〃 she replies； with a smile； 〃if it is in the interest of
my health； that is all the more reason why you should let me go out。〃
The excuse is a plausible one and even irresistible； but the husband；
wishing to carry the struggle against destiny to the last； declares that he
will accompany his wife。 The doctor remains alone； feeling somewhat
anxious； in spite of the rather farcical turn which the incident has taken。
Suddenly； a piercing shriek is heard and the noise of a body falling。 He
runs out and finds Mme。 wild with fright and apparently dying in her
husband's arms。 At the moment when； leaving him for an instant； she
opened the door of the place where she was going； a rat； the first seen
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there for twenty years； rushed at her and gave her so great a start that she
fell flat on her back。 And all the rest of the prediction was fulfilled to the
letter； hour by hour and detail by detail。
3
To make it quite clear in what spirit I am undertaking this study and to
remove at the beginning any suspicion of blind or systematic credulity； I
am anxious； before going any further； to say that I fully realize that cases
of this kind by no means carry conviction。 It is quite possible that
everything happened in the subconscious imagination of the subject and
that she herself created； by self…suggestion； her illness； her fright； her fall
and her miscarriage and adapted herself to most of the circumstances
which she had foretold in her secondary state。 The appearance of the rat at
the fatal moment is the only thing that would suggest a precise and
disquieting vision of an inevitable future event。 Unfortunately； we are not
told that the rat was perceived by other witnesses than the patient； so that
there is nothing to prove that it also was not imaginary。 I have therefore
quoted this inadequate instance only because it represents fairly well the
general aspect and the indecisive value of many similar cases and enable
us to note once and for all the objections which can be raised and the
precautions which we should take before entering these suspicious and
obscure regions。
We now come to an infinitely more significant and less questionable
case related by Dr。 Joseph Maxwell； the learned and very scrupulous
author of Les Phenomenes Psychiques； a work which has been translated
into English under the title of Metapsychical Phenomena。 It concerns a
vision which was described to him eight days before the event and which
he told to many people before it was accomplished。 A sensitive perceived
in a crystal the following scene： a large steamer； flying a flag of three
horizontal bars； black； white and red； and bearing the name Leutschland；
was sailing in mid…ocean。 The boat was suddenly enveloped in smoke； a
great number of sailors； passengers and men in uniform rushed to the
upper deck； and the boat went down。
Eight days afterwards； the newspapers announced the accident to the
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Deutschland； whose boiler had burst； obliging the steamboat to stand to。
The evidence of a man like Dr。 Maxwell； especi
