the unknown guest-第13章

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16

But；　rather　than　pursue　this　subject；　let　us　be　just　and　admit　that　there　is　perhaps　no　way　out　of　the　maze　and　that　our　reproaches　are　as　incomprehensible　as　the　conduct　of　the　spirits。　Indeed；　what　would　you　have　them　do　in　the　circle　in　which　our　logic　imprisons　them？　Either　they　foretell　us　a　calamity　which　their　predictions　cannot　avert；　in　which　case　there　is　no　use　in　foretelling　it；　or；　if　they　announce　it　to　us　and　at　the　same　time　give　us　the　means　to　prevent　it；　they　do　not　really　see　the　future　and　are　foretelling　nothing；　since　the　calamity　is　not　to　take　place；　with　the　result　that　their　action　seems　equally　absurd　in　both　cases。

It　is　obvious：　to　whichever　side　we　turn；　we　find　nothing　but　the　incomprehensible。　On　the　one　hand；　the　preestablished；　unshakable；　unalterable　future　which　we　have　called　destiny；　fatality　or　what　you　will；　which　suppresses　man's　entire　independence　and　liberty　of　action　and　which　is　the　most　inconceivable　and　the　dreariest　of　mysteries；　on　the　other；　intelligences　apparently　superior　to　our　own；　since　they　know　what　we　do　not；　which；　while　aware　that　their　intervention　is　always　useless　and　very　often　cruel；　nevertheless　come　harassing　us　with　their　sinister　and　ridiculous　predictions。　Must　we　resign　ourselves　once　more　to　living　with　our　eyes　shut　and　our　reason　drowned　in　the　boundless　ocean　of　darkness；　and　is　there　no　outlet？

17

For　the　moment　we　will　not　linger　in　the　dark　regions　of　fatality；　which　is　the　supreme　mystery；　the　desolation　of　every　effort　and　every　thought　of　man。　What　is　clearest　amid　this　incomprehensibility　is　that　the　spiritualistic　theory；　at　first　sight　the　most　seductive；　declares　itself；　on　examination；　the　most　difficult　to　justify。　We　will　also　once　more　put　aside　the　theosophical　theory　or　any　other　which　assumes　a　divine　intention　and　which　might；　to　a　certain　extent；　explain　the　hesitations　and　anguish　of　the　prophetic　warnings；　at　the　cost；　however；　of　other　puzzles；　a　thousand　times　as　hard　to　solve；　which　nothing　authorizes　us　to　substitute　for　the　actual　puzzle；　formless　and　infinite；　presented　to　our　uninitiated　vision。

When　all　is　said；　it　is　perhaps　only　in　the　theory　which　attributes　those　premonitions　to　our　subconsciousness　that　we　are　able　to　find；　if　not　a　justification；　at　least　a　sort　of　explanation　of　that　formidable　reticence。　They　accord　fairly　well　with　the　strange；　inconsistent；　whimsical　and　disconcerting　character　of　the　unknown　entity　within　us　that　seems　to　live　on　nothing　but　nondescript　fare　borrowed　from　worlds　to　which　nor　intelligence　as　yet　has　no　access。　It　lives　under　our　reason；　in　a　sort　of　invisible　and　perhaps　eternal　palace；　like　a　casual　guest；　dropped　from　another　planet；　whose　interests；　ideas；　habits；　passions　have　naught　in　common　with　ours。　If　it　seems　to　have　notions　on　the　hereafter　that　are　infinitely　wider　and　more　precise　than　those　which　we　possess；　it　has　only　very　vague　notions　on　the　practical　needs　of　our　existence。　It　ignores　us　for　years；　absorbed　no　doubt　with　the　numberless　relations　which　it　maintains　with　all　the　mysteries　of　the　universe；　and；　when　suddenly　it　remembers　us；　thinking　apparently　to　please　us；　it　makes　an　enormous；　miraculous；　but　at　the　same　time　clumsy　and　superfluous　movement；　which　upsets　all　that　we　believed　we　knew；　without　teaching　us　anything。　Is　it　making　fun　of　us；　is　it　jesting；　is　it　amusing　itself；　is　it　facetious；　teasing；　arch；　or　simply　sleepy；　bewildered；　inconsistent；　absent…minded？　In　any　case；　it　is　rather　remarkable　that　it　evidently　dislikes　to　make　itself　useful。　It　readily　performs　the　most　glamorous　feats　of　sleight…of…hand；　provided　that　we　can　derive　no　profit　from　them。　It　lifts　up　tables；　moves　the　heaviest　articles；　produces　flowers　and　hair；　sets　strings　vibrating；　gives　life　to　inanimate　objects　and　passes　through　solid　matter；　conjures　up　ghosts；　subjugates　time　and　space；　creates　light；　but　all；　it　seems；　on　one　condition；　that　its　performances　should　be　without　rhyme　or　reason　and　keep　to　the　province　of　supernaturally　vain　and　puerile　recreations。　The　case　of　the　divining…rod　is　almost　the　only　one　in　which　it　lends　us　any　regular　assistance；　this　being　a　sort　of　game；　of　no　great　importance；　in　which　it　appears　to　take　pleasure。　Sometimes；　to　say　all　that　can　be　said；　it　consents　to　cure　certain　ailments；　cleanses　an　ulcer；　closes　a　wound；　heals　a　lung；　strengthens　or　makes　supple　an　arm　or　leg；　or　even　sets　bones；　but　always　as　it　were　by　accident；　without　reason；　method　or　object；　in　a　deceitful；　illogical　and　preposterous　fashion。　One　would　set　it　down　as　a　spoilt　child　that　has　been　allowed　to　lay　hands　on　the　most　tremendous　secrets　of　heaven　and　earth；　it　has　no　suspicion　of　their　power；　jumbles　them　all　up　together　and　turns　them　into　paltry；　inoffensive　toys。　It　knows　everything；　perhaps；　but　is　ignorant　of　the　uses　of　its　knowledge；　It　has　its　arms　laden　with　treasures　which　it　scatters　in　the　wrong　manner　and　at　the　wrong　time；　giving　bread　to　the　thirsty　and　water　to　the　hungry；　overloading　those　who　refuse　and　stripping　the　suppliant　bare；　pursuing　those　who　flee　from　it　and　fleeing　from　those　who　pursue　it。　Lastly；　even　at　its　best　moments；　it　behaves　as　though　the　fate　of　the　being　in　whose　depths　it　dwells　interested　it　hardly　at　all；　as　though　it　had　but　an　insignificant　share　in　his　misfortunes；　feeling　assured；　one　might　almost　think；　of　an　independent　and　endless　existence。

It　is　not　surprising；　therefore；　when　we　know　its　habits；　that　its　communications　on　the　subject　of　the　future　should　be　as　fantastic　as　the　other　manifestations　of　its　knowledge　or　its　power。　Let　us　add；　to　be　quite　fair；　that；　in　those　warnings　which　we　would　wish　to　see　efficacious；　it　stumbles　against　the　same　difficulties　as　the　spirits　or　other　alien　intelligences　uselessly　foretelling　the　event　which　they　cannot　prevent；　or　annihilating　the　event　by　the　very　fact　of　foretelling　it。

18

And　now；　to　end　the　question；　is　our　unknown　guest　alone　responsible？　Does　it　explain　itself　badly　or　do　we　not　understand　it？　When　we　look　into　the　matter　closely；　there　is；　under　those　anomalous　and　confused　manifestations；　in　spite　of　efforts　which　we　feel　to　be　enormous　and　persevering；　a　sort　of　incapacity　for　self　expression　and　action　which　is　bound　to　attract　our　attention。　Is　our　conscious　and　individual　life　separated　by　impenetrable　worlds　from　our　subconscious　and　probably　universal　life？　Does　our　unknown　guest　speak　an　unknown　language　and　do　the　words　which　it　speaks　and　which　we　think　that　we　understand　disclose　its　thought？　Is　every　direct　road　pitilessly　barred　and　is　there　nothing　left　to　it　but　narrow；　dosed　paths　in　which　the　best　of　what　it　had　to　reveal　to　us　is　lost？　Is　this　the　reason　why　it　seeks　those　odd；　childish；　roundabout　ways　of　automatic　writing；　cross…correspondence；　symbolic　premonition　and　all　the　rest？　Yet；　in　the　typical　case　which　we　have　quoted；　it　seems　to　speak　quite　easily　and　plainly　when　it　says　to　the　mother：

〃Turn　the　mattress。〃

If　it　can　utter　this　sentence；　why　should　it　find　it　difficult　or　impossible　to　add：　

〃You　will　find　the　matches　there　that　will　set　fire　to　the　curtains。〃

What　forbids　it　to　do　so　and　closes　its　mouth　at　the　decisive　moment？　We　relapse　into　the　everlasting　question：　if　it　cannot　complete　the　second　sentence　because　it　would　be　destroying　in　the　womb　the　very　event　which　it　is　foretelling；　why　does　it　utter　the　first？

19

But　it　is　well　in　spite　of　everything　to　seek　an　explanation　of　the　inexplicable；　it　is　by　attacking　it　on　every　side；　at　all　hazards；　that　we　cherish　the　hope　of　overcoming　it；　and　we　may　therefore　say　to　ourselves　that　our　subconsciousness；　when　it　warns　us　of　a　calamity　that　is　about　to　fall　upon　us；　knowing　all　the　future　as　it　does；　necessarily　knows　that　the　calamity　is　already　accomplished。　As　our　conscious　and　unconscious　lives　blend　in　it；　it　distresses　itself　and　flutters　around　our　overconfident　ignorance。　It　tries　to　inform　us；　through　nervousness；　through　pity；　so　as　to　mitigate　the　lightning　cruelty　of　the　blow。　It　speaks　all　the　words　that　can　prepare　us　for　its　coming；　define　it　and　identify　it；　but　it　is　unable　to　say　those　which　would　prevent　it　from　coming；　seeing　that　it　has　come；　that　it　is　already　present　and　perhaps　past；　manifest；　ineffaceable；　on　another　plane　than　that　on　which　we　live；　the　only　plane　which　we　are　capable　of　perceiving。　It　finds　itself；　in　a　word；　in　the　position　of　the　man　who；　in　the　midst　of　peaceful；　happy　and　unsuspecting　folk；　alone　knows　some　bad　news。　He　is　neither　able　nor　willing　to　announce　it　nor　yet　to　hide　it　completely。　He　hesitates；　delays；　makes　more　or　less　transparent　allusions；　but　does　not　either　say　the　last　word　that　would；　so　to　speak；　let　loose　the　catastrophe　in　the　hearts　of　the　people　around　him；　for　to　those　who　do　not　know　of　it　the　catastrophe　is　still　as　though　it　were　not　there。　Our　subconsciousness；　in　that　case；　would　act　towards　the　future　as　we　act　towards　the　past；　the　two　conditions　being　identical；　so　much　so　that　it　often　confuses　them；　as　we　can　see　more　particularly　in　the　celebrated　Marmontel　case；　where　it　evidently　blunders　and　reports　as　accomplished　an　incident　that　will　not　take　place　until　several　months　later。　It　is　of　course　impossible　for　us；　at　the　stage　which　we　have　reached；　to　understand　this　confusion　or　this　coexistence　of　the　past；　the　present　and　the　future；　but　that　is　no　reason　for　denying　it；　on　the　contrary；　what　man　understands　least　is　probably　that　which　most　nearly　approaches　the　truth。

20

Lastly；　to　complicate　the　question；　it　may　be　very　justly　objected　that；　though　premonitions　in　general　are　useless　and　appear　systematically　to　withhold　the　only　indispensable　and　decisive　words；　there　are；　nevertheless；　some　that　often　seem　to　save　those　who　obey　them。　These；　it　is　true；　are　rarer　than　the　first；　but　still　they　include　a　certain　number　that　are　well　authenticated。　It　remains　to　be　seen　how　far　they　imply　a　knowledge　of　the　future。

Here；　for　instance；　is　a　traveler　who；　arriving　at　night　in　a　small　unknown　town　and　walking　along　the　ill…lighted　dock　in　the　direction　of　an　hotel　of　which　he　roughly　knows　the　position；　at　a　given　moment　tech　an　irresistible　impulse　to　turn　and　go　the　other　way。　He　instantly　obeys；　though　his　reason　protests　and　〃berates　him　for　a　fool〃　in　taking　a　roundabout　way　to　his　destination。　The　next　day　he　discovers　that；　if　he　had　gone　a　few　feet　farther；　he　would　certainly　have　slipped　into　the　river；　and；　as　he　was　but　a　feeble　swimmer；　he　would　just　as　certainly；　being　alone　and　unaided　in　the　extreme　darkness；　have　been　drowned。＇1＇

＇1＇　Proceedings；　vol。　xi。；　p。　422。


But　is　this　a　prevision　of　an　event？　No；　for　no　event　is　to　take　place。　There　is　simply　an　abnormal　perception　of　the　proximity　of　some　unknown　water　and　consequently　of　an　imminent　danger；　an　unexplained　but　fairly　frequent　subliminal　sensitiveness。　In　a　word；　the　problem　of　the　future　is　not　raised　in　this　case；　nor　in　any　of　the　numerous　cases　that　resemble　it。

Here　is　another　which　evidently　belongs　to　the　same　class；　though　at　first　sight　it　seems　to　postulate　the　preexistence　of　a　fatal　event　and　a　vision　of　the　future　correspo