the unknown guest-第12章

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Besides；　in　the　gloomy　regions　of　precognition；　it　is　almost　always　a　matter　of　anticipating　a　misfortune　and　very　rarely；　if　ever；　of　meeting　with　a　pleasure　or　a　joy。　We　should　therefore　have　to　admit　that　the　spirits　which　drag　me　to　the　fatal　place　and　compel　me　to　do　the　act　that　will　have　tragic　consequences　are　deliberately　hostile　to　me　and　find　diversion　only　in　the　spectacle　of　my　suffering。　What　could　those　spirits　be；　from　what　evil　world　would　they　arise　and　how　should　we　explain　why　our　brothers　and　friends　of　yesterday；　after　passing　through　the　august　and　peace…bestowing　gates　of　death；　suddenly　become　transformed　into　crafty　and　malevolent　demons？　Can　the　great　spiritual　kingdom；　in　which　all　passions　born　of　the　flesh　should　be　stilled；　be　but　a　dismal　abode　of　hatred；　spite　and　envy？　It　will　perhaps　be　said　that　they　lead　us　into　misfortune　in　order　to　purify　us；　but　this　brings　us　to　religious　theories　which　it　is　not　our　intention　to　examine。

12

The　only　attempt　at　an　explanation　that　can　hold　its　own　with　spiritualism　has　recourse　once　again　to　the　mysterious　powers　of　our　subconsciousness。　We　must　needs　to　recognize　that；　if　the　future　exists　to…day；　already　such　as　it　will　be　when　it　becomes　for　us　the　present　and　the　past；　the　intervention　of　discarnate　minds　or　of　any　other　spiritual　entity　adrift　from　another　sphere　is　of　little　avail。　We　can　picture　an　infinite　spirit　indifferently　contemplating　the　past　and　future　in　their　coexistence；　we　can　imagine　a　whole　hierarchy　of　intermediate　intelligences　taking　a　more　or　less　extensive　part　in　the　contemplation　and　transmitting　it　to　our　subconsciousness。　But　all　this　is　practically　nothing　more　than　inconsistent　speculation　and　ingenious　dreaming　in　the　dark；　in　any　case；　it　is　adventitious；　secondary　and　provisional。　Let　us　keep　to　the　facts　as　we　see　them：　an　unknown　faculty；　buried　deep　in　our　being　and　generally　inactive；　perceives；　on　rare　occasions；　events　that　have　not　yet　taken　place。　We　possess　but　one　certainty　on　this　subject；　namely；　that　the　phenomenon　actually　occurs　within　ourselves；　it　is　therefore　within　ourselves　that　we　must　first　study　it；　without　burdening　ourselves　with　suppositions　which　remove　it　from　its　centre　and　simply　shift　the　mystery。　The　incomprehensible　mystery　is　the　preexistence　of　the　future；　once　we　admit　thisand　it　seems　very　difficult　to　denythere　is　no　reason　to　attribute　to　imaginary　intermediaries　rather　than　to　ourselves　the　faculty　of　descrying　certain　fragments　of　that　future。　We　see；　in　regard　to　most　of　the　mediumistic　manifestations；　that　we　possess　within　ourselves　all　the　unusual　forces　with　which　the　spiritualists　endow　discarnate　spirits；　and　why　should　it　be　otherwise　as　concerns　the　powers　of　divination？　The　explanation　taken　from　the　subconsciousness　is　the　most　direct；　the　simplest；　the　nearest；　whereas　the　other　is　endlessly　circuitous；　complicated　and　distant。　Until　the　spirits　testify　to　their　existence　in　an　unanswerable　fashion；　there　is　no　advantage　in　seeking　in　the　grave　for　the　solution　of　a　riddle　that　appears　indeed　to　lie　at　the　roots　of　our　own　life。

13

It　is　true　that　this　explanation　does　not　explain　much；　but　the　others　are　just　as　ineffectual　and　are　open　to　the　same　objections。　These　objections　are　many　and　various；　and　it　is　easier　to　raise　them　than　to　reply　to　them。　For　instance；　we　can　ask　ourselves　why　the　subconsciousness　or　the　spirits；　seeing　that　they　read　the　future　and　are　able　to　announce　an　impending　calamity；　hardly　ever　give　us　the　one　useful　and　definite　indication　that　would　allow　us　to　avoid　it。　What　can　be　the　childish　or　mysterious　reason　of　this　strange　reticence？　In　many　cases　it　is　almost　criminal；　for　instance；　in　a　case　related　by　Professor　Hyslop＇1＇　we　see　the　foreboding　of　the　greatest　misfortune　that　can　befall　a　mother　germinating；　growing；　sending　out　shoots；　developing；　like　some　gluttonous　and　deadly　plant；　to　stop　short　on　the　verge　of　the　last　warning；　the　one　detail；　insignificant　in　itself　but　indispensable；　which　would　have　saved　the　child。　It　is　the　case　of　a　woman　who　begins　by　experiencing　a　vague　but　powerful　impression　that　a　grievous　〃burden〃　was　going　to　fall　upon　her　family。　Next　month；　this　premonitory　feeling　repeats　itself　very　frequently；　becomes　more　intense　and　ends　by　concentrating　itself　upon　the　poor　woman's　little　daughter。　Each　time　that　she　is　planning　something　for　the　child's　future；　she　hears　a　voice　saying：

〃She'll　never　need　it。〃

＇1＇　Proceedings；　vol。　xiv。；　p。　266。


A　week　before　the　catastrophe；　a　violent　smell　of　fire　fills　the　house。　From　that　time；　the　mother　begins　to　be　careful　about　matches；　seeing　that　they　are　in　safe　places　and　out　of　reach。　She　looks　all　over　the　house　for　them　and　feels　a　strong　impulse　to　burn　all　matches　of　the　kind　easily　lighted。　About　an　hour　before　the　fatal　disaster；　she　reaches　for　a　box　to　destroy　it；　but　she　says　to　herself　that　her　eldest　boy　is　gone　out；　thinks　that　she　may　need　the　matches　to　light　the　gas…stove　and　decides　to　destroy　them　as　soon　as　he　comes　back。　She　takes　the　child　up　to　its　crib　for　its　morning　sleep　and；　as　she　is　putting　it　into　the　cradle；　she　hears　the　usual　mysterious　voice　whisper　in　her　ear：

〃Turn　the　mattress。〃

But；　being　in　a　great　hurry；　she　simply　says　that　she　will　turn　the　mattress　after　the　child　has　taken　its　nap。　She　then　goes　downstairs　to　work。　After　a　while；　she　hears　the　child　cry　and；　hurrying　up　to　the　room；　finds　the　crib　and　its　bedding　on　fire　and　the　child　so　badly　burnt　that　it　dies　in　three　hours。

14

Before　going　further　and　theorizing　about　this　case；　let　us　once　more　state　the　matter　precisely。　I　know　that　the　reader　may　straightway　and　quite　legitimately　deny　the　value　of　anecdotes　of　this　kind。　He　will　say　that　we　have　to　do　with　a　neurotic　who　has　drawn　upon　her　imagination　for　all　the　elements　that　give　a　dramatic　setting　to　the　story　and　surround　with　a　halo　of　mystery　a　sad　but　commonplace　domestic　accident。　This　is　quite　possible；　and　it　is　perfectly　allowable　to　dismiss　the　case。　But　it　is　none　the　less　true　that；　by　thus　deliberately　rejecting　everything　that　does　not　bear　the　stamp　of　mathematical　or　judicial　certainty；　we　risk　losing　as　we　go　along　most　of　the　opportunities　or　clues　which　the　great　riddle　of　this　world　offers　us　in　its　moments　of　inattention　or　graciousness。　At　the　beginning　of　an　enquiry　we　must　know　how　to　content　ourselves　with　little。　For　the　incident　in　question　to　be　convincing；　previous　evidence　in　writing；　more　or　less　official　statements　would　be　required；　whereas　we　have　only　the　declarations　of　the　husband；　a　neighbour　and　a　sister。　This　is　insufficient；　I　agree；　but　we　must　at　the　same　time　confess　that　the　circumstances　are　hardly　favourable　to　obtaining　the　proofs　which　we　demand。　Those　who　receive　warnings　of　this　kind　either　believe　in　them　or　do　not　believe　in　them。　If　they　believe　in　them；　it　is　quite　natural　that　they　should　not　think　first　of　all　of　the　scientific　interest　of　their　trouble；　or　of　putting　down　in　writing　and　thus　authenticating　its　premonitory　symptoms　and　gradual　evolution。　If　they　do　not　believe　in　them；　it　is　no　less　natural　that　they　should　not　proceed　to　speak　or　take　notice　of　inanities　of　which　they　do　not　recognize　the　value　until　after　they　have　lost　the　opportunity　of　supplying　convincing　proofs　of　them。　Also；　do　not　forget　that　the　little　story　in　question　is　selected　from　among　a　hundred　others；　which　in　their　turn　are　equally　indecisive；　but　which；　repeating　the　same　facts　and　the　same　tendencies　with　a　strange　persistency；　and　by　weakening　the　most　inveterate　distrust。＇1＇

＇1＇　See；　in　particular；　Bozzano's　cases　xlix。　and　lxvii。　These　two；　especially　case　xlix。；　which　tells　of　a　personal　experience　of　the　late　W。　T。　Stead；　are　supported　by　more　substantial　proofs。　I　have　quoted　Professor　Hyslop's　case；　because　the　reticence　is　more　striking。


15

Having　said　this　much；　in　order　to　conciliate　or　part　company　with　those　who　have　no　intention　of　leaving　the　terra　firma　of　science；　let　us　return　to　the　case　before　us；　which　is　all　the　more　disquieting　inasmuch　as　we　may　consider　it　a　sort　of　prototype　of　the　tragic　and　almost　diabolical　reticence　which　we　find　in　most　premonitions。　It　is　probable　that　under　the　mattress　there　was　a　stray　match　which　the　child　discovered　and　struck；　this　is　the　only　possible　explanation　of　the　catastrophe；　for　there　was　no　fire　burning　on　that　floor　of　the　house。　If　the　mother　had　turned　the　mattress；　she　would　have　seen　the　match；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　she　would　certainly　have　turned　the　mattress　if　she　had　been　told　that　there　was　a　match　underneath　it。　Why　did　the　voice　that　urged　her　to　perform　the　necessary　action　not　add　the　one　word　that　was　capable　of　ensuring　that　action？　The　problem　moreover　is　equally　perturbing　and　perhaps　equally　insoluble　whether　it　concerns　our　own　subconscious　faculties；　or　spirits；　or　strange　intelligences。　Those　who　give　these　warnings　must　know　that　they　will　be　useless；　because　they　manifestly　foresee　the　event　as　a　whole；　but　they　must　also　know　that　one　last　word；　which　they　do　not　pronounce；　would　be　enough　to　prevent　the　misfortune　that　is　already　consummated　in　their　prevision。　They　know　it　so　well　that　they　bring　this　word　to　the　very　edge　of　the　abyss；　hold　it　suspended　there；　almost　let　it　fall　and　recapture　it　suddenly　at　the　moment　when　its　weight　would　have　caused　happiness　and　life　to　rise　once　more；　to　the　surface　of　the　mighty　gulf。　What　then　is　this　mystery？　Is　it　incapacity　or　hostility？　If　they　are　incapable；　what　is　the　unexpected　and　sovereign　force　that　interposes　between　them　and　us？　And；　if　they　are　hostile；　on　what；　on　whom　are　they　revenging　themselves？　What　can　be　the　secret　of　those　inhuman　games；　of　those　uncanny　and　cruel　diversions　on　the　most　slippery　and　dangerous　peaks　of　fate？　Why　warn；　if　they　know　that　the　warning　will　be　in　vain？　Of　whom　are　they　making　sport？　Is　there　really　an　inflexible　fatality　by　virtue　of　which　that　which　has　to　be　accomplished　is　accomplished　from　all　eternity？　But　then　why　not　respect　silence；　since　all　speech　is　useless？　Or　do　they；　in　spite　of　all；　perceive　a　gleam；　a　crevice　in　the　inexorable　wall？　What　hope　do　they　find　in　it？　Have　they　not　seen　more　clearly　than　ourselves　that　no　deliverance　can　come　through　that　crevice？　One　could　understand　this　fluttering　and　wavering；　all　these　efforts　of　theirs；　if　they　did　not　know；　but　here　it　is　proved　that　they　know　everything；　since　they　foretell　exactly　that　which　they　might　prevent。　If　we　press　them　with　questions；　they　answer　that　there　is　nothing　to　be　done；　that　no　human　power　could　avert　or　thwart　the　issue。　Are　they　mad；　bored；　irritable；　or　accessory　to　a　hideous　pleasantry？　Does　our　fate　depend　on　the　happy　solution　of　some　petty　enigma　or　childish　conundrum；　even　as　our　salvation；　in　most　of　the　so…called　revealed　religious；　is　settled　by　a　blind　and　stupid　cast　of　the　die？　Is　all　the　liberty　that　we　are　granted　reduced　to　the　reading　of　a　more　or　less　ingenious　riddle？　Can　the　great　soul　of　the　universe　be　the　soul　of　a　great　baby？

16

But；　rather　than　pursue　this　subject；　let　us　be　just　and　admit　that　there　is　perhaps　no　way　out　of　the　ma