the unknown guest(陌生客)-第14节
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events； but the remarkable point is that Mrs。 Verrall wrote what we have
said ONE HOUR AND THIRTY…THREE MINUTES BEFORE THE
EVENTS TOOK PLACE。
The persons who watched in the two rooms were questioned by Mr。 J。
G。 Piddington； a member of the council of the S。 P。 R。； and declared that
they had not any expectation of what they discovered。
I need hardly add that Mrs。 Verrall had never heard anything about the
happenings in the haunted house and that the watchers were completely
ignorant of Mrs。 Verrall's existence。
Here then is a wry curious prediction of an event； insignificant in itself；
which is to happen； in a house unknown to the one who foretells it； to
people whom she does not know either。 The spiritualists； who score in this
case； not without some reason； will have it that a spirit； in order to prove
its existence and its intelligence； organized this little scene in which the
future； the present and the past are all mixed up together。 Are they right？
Or is Mrs。 Verrall's subconsciousness roaming like this； at random； in the
future？ It is certain that the problem has seldom appeared under a more
baffling aspect。
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THE UNKNOWN GUEST
6
We will now take another premonitory dream； strictly controlled by
the committee of the S。 P。 R。＇1＇ Early in September； 1893； Annette； wife of
Walter Jones； tobacconist； of Old Gravel Lane； East London； had her little
boy ill。 One night she dreamt that she saw a cart drive up and stop near
when she was。 It contained three coffins； 〃two white and one blue。 One
white coffin was bigger than the other； and the blue was the biggest of the
three。〃 The driver took out the bigger white coffin and left it at the
mother's feet； driving off with the others。 Mrs。 Jones told her dream to her
husband and to a neighbour； laying particular stress on the curious
circumstance that one of the coffins was blue。
＇1＇ Proceedings； vol。 xi。； p。 493。
On the 10th of September； a friend of Mr。 and Mrs。 Jones was
confined of a boy； who died on the 29th of the same month。 Their own
little boy died on the following Monday； the 2nd of October； being then
sixteen months old。 It was decided to bury the two children on the same
day。 On the morning of the day chosen； the parish priest informed Mr。 and
Mrs。 Jones that another child had died in the neighbourhood and that its
body would be brought into church along with the two others。 Mrs。 Jones
remarked to her husband：
〃If the coffin is blue； then my dream will come true。 For the two other
coffins were white。〃
The third coffin was brought； it was blue。 It remains to be observed
that the dimensions of the coffins corresponded exactly with the dream
premonitions； the smallest being that of the child who died first； the next
that of the little Jones boy； who was sixteen months old； and the largest；
the blue one； that of a boy six years of age。
Let us take； more or less at random； another case from the
inexhaustible Proceedings。＇1＇ The report is written by Mr。 Alfred Cooper
and attested by the Duchess of Hamilton； the Duke of Manchester and
another gentleman to whom the duchess related the incident before the
fulfilment of the prophetic vision：
＇1＇ Proceedings； vol。 xi。； p。 505。
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THE UNKNOWN GUEST
〃A fortnight before the death of the late Earl of L。；〃 says Mr。
Cooper； 〃in 1882； I called upon the Duke of Hamilton； in Hill Street； to
see him professionally。 After I had finished seeing him； we went into the
drawing…room where the duchess was； and the duke said to me：
〃'Oh； Cooper； how is the earl？'
〃The duchess said； 'What earl？' and； on my answering； 'Lord L；' she
replied：
〃'That is very odd。 I have had a most extraordinary vision。 I went to
bed； but； after being in bed a short time； I was not exactly asleep； but
thought I saw a scene as if from a play before me。 The actors in it were
Lord L； in a chair； as if in a fit； with a man standing near him with a red
beard。 He was by the side of a bath； over which bath a red lamp was
distinctly shown。'
〃I then said：
〃'I am attending Lord L at present； there is very little the matter with
him； he is not going to die； he will be all right very soon。'
〃Well； he got better for a week and was nearly well； but； at the end of
six or seven days after this； I was called to see him suddenly。 He had
inflammation of both lungs。
〃I called in Sir William Jenner； but in six days he was a dead man。
There were two male nurses attending on him； one had been taken ill。 But；
when I saw the other； the dream of the duchess was exactly represented。
He was standing near a bath over the earl and； strange to say； his beard
was red。 There was the bath with the red lamp over it； and this brought the
story to my mind。
〃The vision seen by the duchess was told two weeks before the death
of Lord L。 It is a most remarkable thing。〃
7
But it is impossible to find space for the many instances related。 As I
have said； there are hundreds of them； making their tracks in every
direction across the plains of the future。 Those which I have quoted give a
sufficient idea of the predominating tone and the general aspect of this sort
of story。 It is nevertheless right to add that many of them are not at all
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THE UNKNOWN GUEST
tragic and that premonition opens its mysterious and capricious vistas of
the future in connection with the most diverse and insignificant events。 It
cares but little for the human value of the occurrence and puts the vision of
a number in a lottery in the same plane as the most dramatic death。 The
roads by which it reaches us are also unexpected and varied。 Often； as in
the examples quoted； it comes to us in a dream。 Sometimes； it is an
auditory or visual hallucination which seizes upon us while awake；
sometimes； an indefinable but clear and irresistible presentiment； a
shapeless but powerful obsession； an absurd but imperative certainty
which rises from the depths of our inner darkness； where perhaps lies
hidden the final answer to every riddle。
One might illustrate each of these manifestations with numerous
examples。 I will mention only a few； selected not among the most striking
or the most attractive； but among those which have been most strictly
tested and investigated。＇1＇ A young peasant from the neighbourhood of
Ghent； two months before the drawing for the conscription； announces to
all and sundry that he will draw number 90 from the urn。 On entering the
presence of the district…commissioner in charge； he asks if number 90 is
still in。 The answer is yes。
＇1＇ Proceedings； vol。 xi。； p。 545。
〃Well then； I shall have it！〃
And； to the general amazement； he does draw number 90。
Questioned as to the manner in which he acquired this strange
certainty； he declared that； two months ago； just after he had gone to bed；
he saw a huge； indescribable form appear in a corner of his room； with the
number 90 standing out plainly in the middle； in figures the size of a man's
hand。 He sat up in bed and shut and opened his eyes to persuade himself
that he was not dreaming。 The apparition remained in the same place；
distinctly and undeniably。
Professor Georges Hulin； of the university of Ghent； and M。 Jules van
Dooren； the district commissioner； who report the incident； mention three
other similar and equally striking cases witnessed by M。 van Dooren
during his term of office。 I am the less inclined to doubt their declaration
inasmuch as I am personally acquainted with them and know that their
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