the magic skin-第40章

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Martellens　has　written　to　me　saying　that　Chaagri　is　a　river〃



〃I　thank　you；　sir；　for　the　information　that　you　have　given　me；　it

would　furnish　an　admirable　footnote　for　some　Dom　Calmet　or　other；　if

such　erudite　hermits　yet　exist；　but　I　have　had　the　honor　of　pointing

out　to　you　that　this　scrap　was　in　the　first　instance　quite　as　large　as

that　map；〃　said　Raphael；　indicating　an　open　atlas　to　Lavrille；　〃but　it

has　shrunk　visibly　in　three　months'　time〃



〃Quite　so；〃　said　the　man　of　science。　〃I　understand。　The　remains　of　any

substance　primarily　organic　are　naturally　subject　to　a　process　of

decay。　It　is　quite　easy　to　understand；　and　its　progress　depends　upon

atmospherical　conditions。　Even　metals　contract　and　expand　appreciably；

for　engineers　have　remarked　somewhat　considerable　interstices　between

great　blocks　of　stone　originally　clamped　together　with　iron　bars。　The

field　of　science　is　boundless；　but　human　life　is　very　short；　so　that

we　do　not　claim　to　be　acquainted　with　all　the　phenomena　of　nature。〃



〃Pardon　the　question　that　I　am　about　to　ask　you；　sir；〃　Raphael　began；

half　embarrassed；　〃but　are　you　quite　sure　that　this　piece　of　skin　is

subject　to　the　ordinary　laws　of　zoology；　and　that　it　can　be

stretched？〃



〃Certainlyoh；　bother！〃　muttered　M。　Lavrille；　trying　to　stretch

the　talisman。　〃But　if　you；　sir；　will　go　to　see　Planchette；〃　he　added；

〃the　celebrated　professor　of　mechanics；　he　will　certainly　discover

some　method　of　acting　upon　this　skin；　of　softening　and　expanding　it。〃



〃Ah；　sir；　you　are　the　preserver　of　my　life；〃　and　Raphael　took　leave　of

the　learned　naturalist　and　hurried　off　to　Planchette；　leaving　the

worthy　Lavrille　in　his　study；　all　among　the　bottles　and　dried　plants

that　filled　it　up。



Quite　unconsciously　Raphael　brought　away　with　him　from　this　visit；　all

of　science　that　man　can　grasp；　a　terminology　to　wit。　Lavrille；　the

worthy　man；　was　very　much　like　Sancho　Panza　giving　to　Don　Quixote　the

history　of　the　goats；　he　was　entertaining　himself　by　making　out　a　list

of　animals　and　ticking　them　off。　Even　now　that　his　life　was　nearing

its　end；　he　was　scarcely　acquainted　with　a　mere　fraction　of　the

countless　numbers　of　the　great　tribes　that　God　has　scattered；　for　some

unknown　end；　throughout　the　ocean　of　worlds。



Raphael　was　well　pleased。　〃I　shall　keep　my　ass　well　in　hand；〃　cried

he。　Sterne　had　said　before　his　day；　〃Let　us　take　care　of　our　ass；　if

we　wish　to　live　to　old　age。〃　But　it　is　such　a　fantastic　brute！



Planchette　was　a　tall；　thin　man；　a　poet　of　a　surety；　lost　in　one

continual　thought；　and　always　employed　in　gazing　into　the　bottomless

abyss　of　Motion。　Commonplace　minds　accuse　these　lofty　intellects　of

madness；　they　form　a　misinterpreted　race　apart　that　lives　in　a

wonderful　carelessness　of　luxuries　or　other　people's　notions。　They

will　spend　whole　days　at　a　stretch；　smoking　a　cigar　that　has　gone　out；

and　enter　a　drawing…room　with　the　buttons　on　their　garments　not　in

every　case　formally　wedded　to　the　button…holes。　Some　day　or　other；

after　a　long　time　spent　in　measuring　space；　or　in　accumulating　Xs

under　Aa…Gg；　they　succeed　in　analyzing　some　natural　law；　and　resolve

it　into　its　elemental　principles；　and　all　on　a　sudden　the　crowd　gapes

at　a　new　machine；　or　it　is　a　handcart　perhaps　that　overwhelms　us　with

astonishment　by　the　apt　simplicity　of　its　construction。　The　modest　man

of　science　smiles　at　his　admirers；　and　remarks；　〃What　is　that

invention　of　mine？　Nothing　whatever。　Man　cannot　create　a　force；　he　can

but　direct　it；　and　science　consists　in　learning　from　nature。〃



The　mechanician　was　standing　bolt　upright；　planted　on　both　feet；　like

some　victim　dropped　straight　from　the　gibbet；　when　Raphael　broke　in

upon　him。　He　was　intently　watching　an　agate　ball　that　rolled　over　a

sun…dial；　and　awaited　its　final　settlement。　The　worthy　man　had

received　neither　pension　nor　decoration；　he　had　not　known　how　to　make

the　right　use　of　his　ability　for　calculation。　He　was　happy　in　his　life

spent　on　the　watch　for　a　discovery；　he　had　no　thought　either　of

reputation；　of　the　outer　world；　nor　even　of　himself；　and　led　the　life

of　science　for　the　sake　of　science。



〃It　is　inexplicable；〃　he　exclaimed。　〃Ah；　your　servant；　sir；〃　he　went

on；　becoming　aware　of　Raphael's　existence。　〃How　is　your　mother？　You

must　go　and　see　my　wife。〃



〃And　I　also　could　have　lived　thus；〃　thought　Raphael；　as　he　recalled

the　learned　man　from　his　meditations　by　asking　of　him　how　to　produce

any　effect　on　the　talisman；　which　he　placed　before　him。



〃Although　my　credulity　must　amuse　you；　sir；〃　so　the　Marquis　ended；　〃I

will　conceal　nothing　from　you。　That　skin　seems　to　me　to　be　endowed

with　an　insuperable　power　of　resistance。〃



〃People　of　fashion；　sir；　always　treat　science　rather　superciliously；〃

said　Planchette。　〃They　all　talk　to　us　pretty　much　as　the　incroyable

did　when　he　brought　some　ladies　to　see　Lalande　just　after　an　eclipse；

and　remarked；　'Be　so　good　as　to　begin　it　over　again！'　What　effect　do

you　want　to　produce？　The　object　of　the　science　of　mechanics　is　either

the　application　or　the　neutralization　of　the　laws　of　motion。　As　for

motion　pure　and　simple；　I　tell　you　humbly；　that　we　cannot　possibly

define　it。　That　disposed　of；　unvarying　phenomena　have　been　observed

which　accompany　the　actions　of　solids　and　fluids。　If　we　set　up　the

conditions　by　which　these　phenomena　are　brought　to　pass；　we　can

transport　bodies　or　communicate　locomotive　power　to　them　at　a

predetermined　rate　of　speed。　We　can　project　them；　divide　them　up　in　a

few　or　an　infinite　number　of　pieces；　accordingly　as　we　break　them　or

grind　them　to　powder；　we　can　twist　bodies　or　make　them　rotate；　modify；

compress；　expand；　or　extend　them。　The　whole　science；　sir；　rests　upon　a

single　fact。



〃You　see　this　ball；〃　he　went　on；　〃here　it　lies　upon　this　slab。　Now；　it

is　over　there。　What　name　shall　we　give　to　what　has　taken　place；　so

natural　from　a　physical　point　of　view；　so　amazing　from　a　moral？

Movement；　locomotion；　changing　of　place？　What　prodigious　vanity　lurks

underneath　the　words。　Does　a　name　solve　the　difficulty？　Yet　it　is　the

whole　of　our　science　for　all　that。　Our　machines　either　make　direct　use

of　this　agency；　this　fact；　or　they　convert　it。　This　trifling

phenomenon；　applied　to　large　masses；　would　send　Paris　flying。　We　can

increase　speed　by　an　expenditure　of　force；　and　augment　the　force　by　an

increase　of　speed。　But　what　are　speed　and　force？　Our　science　is　as

powerless　to　tell　us　that　as　to　create　motion。　Any　movement　whatever

is　an　immense　power；　and　man　does　not　create　power　of　any　kind。

Everything　is　movement；　thought　itself　is　a　movement；　upon　movement

nature　is　based。　Death　is　a　movement　whose　limitations　are　little

known。　If　God　is　eternal；　be　sure　that　He　moves　perpetually；　perhaps

God　is　movement。　That　is　why　movement；　like　God　is　inexplicable；

unfathomable；　unlimited；　incomprehensible；　intangible。　Who　has　ever

touched；　comprehended；　or　measured　movement？　We　feel　its　effects

without　seeing　it；　we　can　even　deny　them　as　we　can　deny　the　existence

of　a　God。　Where　is　it？　Where　is　it　not？　Whence　comes　it？　What　is　its

source？　What　is　its　end？　It　surrounds　us；　it　intrudes　upon　us；　and　yet

escapes　us。　It　is　evident　as　a　fact；　obscure　as　an　abstraction；　it　is

at　once　effect　and　cause。　It　requires　space；　even　as　we；　and　what　is

space？　Movement　alone　recalls　it　to　us；　without　movement；　space　is　but

an　empty　meaningless　word。　Like　space；　like　creation；　like　the

infinite；　movement　is　an　insoluble　problem　which　confounds　human

reason；　man　will　never　conceive　it；　whatever　else　he　may　be　permitted

to　conceive。



〃Between　each　point　in　space　occupied　in　succession　by　that　ball；〃

continued　the　man　of　science；　〃there　is　an　abyss　confronting　human

reason；　an　abyss　into　which　Pascal　fell。　In　order　to　produce　any

effect　upon　an　unknown　substance；　we　ought　first　of　all　to　study　that

substance；　to　know　whether；　in　accordance　with　its　nature；　it　will　be

broken　by　the　force　of　a　blow；　or　whether　it　will　withstand　it；　if　it

breaks　in　pieces；　and　you　have　no　wish　to　split　it　up；　we　shall　not

achieve　the　end　proposed。　If　you　want　to　compress　it；　a　uniform

impulse　must　be　communicated　to　all　the　particles　of　the　substance；　so

as　to　diminish　the　interval　that　separates　them　in　an　equal　degree。　If

you　wish　to　expand　it；　we　should　try　to　bring　a　uniform　eccentric

force　to　bear　on　every　molecule；　for　unless　we　conform　accurately　to

this　law；　we　shall　have　breaches　in　continuity。　The　modes　of　motion；

sir；　are　infinite；　and　no　limit　exists　to　combinations　of　movement。

Upon　what　effect　have　you　determined？〃



〃I　want　any　kind　of　pressure　that　is　strong　enough　to　expand　the　skin

indefinitely；〃　began　Raphael；　quite　of　out　patience。



〃Substance　is　finite；〃　the　mathematician　put　in；　〃and　therefore　will

not　admit　of　indefinite　expansion；　but　pressure　will　necessarily

increase　the　extent　of　surface　at　the　expense　of　the　thickness；　which

will　be　diminished　until　the　point　is　reached　when　the　material　gives

out〃



〃Bring　about　that　result；　sir；〃　Raphael　cried；　〃and　you　will　have

earned　millions。〃



〃Then　I　should　rob　you　of　your　money；〃　replied　the　other；　phlegmatic

as　a　Dutchman。　〃I　am　going　to　show　you；　in　a　word　or　two；　that　a

machine　can　be　made　that　is　fit　to　crush　Providence　itself　in　pieces

like　a　fly。　It　would　reduce　a　man　to　the　conditions　of　a　piece　of

waste　paper；　a　manboots　and　spurs；　hat　and　cravat；　trinkets　and

gold；　and　all〃



〃What　a　fearful　machine！〃



〃Instead　of　flinging　their　brats　into　the　water；　the　Chinese　ought　to

make　them　useful　in　this　way；〃　the　man　of　science　went　on；　without

reflecting　on　the　regard　man　has　for　his　progeny。



Quite　absorbed　by　his　idea；　Planchette　took　an　empty　flower…pot；　with

a　hole　in　the　bottom；　and　put　it　on　the　surface　of　the　dial；　then　he

went　to　look　for　a　little　clay　in　a　corner　of　the　garden。　Raphael

stood　spellbound；　like　a　child　to　whom　his　nurse　is　telling　some

wonderful　story。　Planchette　put　the　clay　down　upon　the　slab；　drew　a

pruning…knife　from　his　pocket；　cut　two　branches　from　an　elder　tree；

and　began　to　clean　them　of　pith　by　blowing　through　them；　as　if　Raphael

had　not　been　present。



〃There　are　the　rudiments　of　the　apparatus；〃　he　said。　Then　he　connected

one　of　the　wooden　pipes　with　the　bottom　of　the　flower…pot　by　way　of　a

clay　joint；　in　such　a　way　that　the　mouth　of　the　elder　stem　was　just

under　the　hole　of　the　flower…pot；　you　might　have　compared　it　to　a　big

tobacco…pipe。　He　spread　a　bed　of　clay　over　the　surface　of　the　slab；　in

a　shovel…shaped　mass；　set　down　the　flower…pot　at　the　wider　end　of　it；

and　laid　the　pipe　of　the　elder　stem　along　the　portion　which

represented　the　handle　of　the　shovel。　Next　he　put　a　lump　of　clay　at

the　end　of　the　elder　stem　and　therein　planted　the　other　pipe；　in　an

upright　position；　forming　a　second　elbow　which　connected　it　with　the

first　horizontal　pipe　in　such