the unknown guest-第16章

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ite　with　dust；　which　brought　him　to　a　broad　ploughed　field。　In　the　middle　of　the　field　stood　a　rustic　building；　with　a　ground…floor　used　for　store…rooms　and　cow…sheds　and　on　the　right　a　rough　hut　made　of　branches　and　a　cart　with　some　harness　lying　in　it。

A　peasant　wearing　dark　trousers；　with　a　black　felt　hat　on　his　head；　came　forward　to　meet　him；　asked　him　to　follow　him　and　took　him　round　behind　the　house。　Through　a　low；　narrow　door　they　entered　a　little　stable　with　a　short；　winding　stone　staircase　leading　to　a　loft　over　the　entrance　to　the　house。　A　mule　fastened　to　a　swinging　manger　was　blocking　the　bottom　step；　and　the　chevalier　had　to　push　it　aside　before　climbing　the　staircase。　On　reaching　the　loft；　he　noticed　that　from　the　ceiling　were　suspended　strings　of　melons；　tomatoes；　onions　and　Indian　corn。　In　this　room　were　two　women　and　a　little　girl；　and　through　a　door　leading　to　another　room　he　caught　sight　of　an　extremely　high　bed；　unlike　any　that　he　had　ever　seen　before。　Here　the　dream　broke　off。　It　seemed　to　him　so　strange　that　he　spoke　of　it　to　several　of　his　friends；　whom　he　mentions　by　name　and　who　are　ready　to　confirm　his　statements。

On　the　12th　of　October　in　the　same　year；　in　order　to　support　a　fellow…townsman　in　a　duel；　he　accompanied　the　seconds；　by　motorcar；　from　Naples　to　Marano；　a　place　which　he　had　never　visited　nor　even　heard　of。　As　soon　as　they　were　some　way　in　the　country；　he　was　curiously　impressed　by　the　white　and　dusty　road。　The　car　pulled　up　at　the　side　of　a　field　which　he　at　once　recognized。　They　lighted；　and　he　remarked　to　one　of　the　seconds：　〃This　is　not　the　first　time　that　I　have　been　here。　There　should　be　a　house　at　the　end　of　this　path　and　on　the　right　a　hut　and　a　cart　with　some　harness　in　it。〃

As　a　matter　of　fact；　everything　was　as　he　described　it。　An　instant　later；　at　the　exact　moment　foreseen　by　the　dream；　the　peasant　in　the　dark　trousers　and　the　black　felt　hat　came　up　and　asked　him　to　follow　him。　But；　instead　of　walking　behind　him；　the　chevalier　went　in　front；　for　he　already　knew　the　way。　He　found　the　stable　and；　exactly　at　the　place　which　it　occupied　two　months　before；　near　its　swinging　manger；　the　mule　blocking　the　way　to　the　staircase。　The　fencing　master　went　up　the　steps　and　once　more　saw　the　loft；　with　the　ceiling　hung　with　melons；　onions　and　tomatoes；　and；　in　a　corner　on　the　right；　the　two　silent　women　and　the　child；　identical　with　the　figures　in　his　dream；　while　in　the　next　room　he　recognized　the　bed　whose　extraordinary　height　had　so　much　impressed　him。

It　really　looks　as　if　the　facts　themselves；　the　extramundane　realities；　the　eternal　verities；　or　whatever　we　may　be　pleased　to　call　them；　have　tried　to　show　us　here　that　time　and　space　are　one　and　the　same　illusion；　one　and　the　same　convention　and　have　no　existence　outside　our　little　day…spanned　understanding；　that　〃everywhere〃　and　〃always〃　are　exactly　synonymous　terms　and　reign　alone　as　soon　as　we　cross　the　narrow　boundaries　of　the　obscure　consciousness　in　which　we　live。　We　are　quite　ready　to　admit　that　Cavaliere　de　Figueroa　may　have　had　by　clairvoyance　an　exact　and　detailed　vision　of　places　which　he　was　not　to　visit　until　later：　this　is　a　pretty　frequent　and　almost　classical　phenomenon；　which；　as　it　affects　the　realities　of　space；　does　not　astonish　us　beyond　measure　and；　in　any　case；　does　not　take　us　out　of　the　world　which　our　senses　perceive。　The　field；　the　house；　the　hut；　the　loft　do　not　move；　and　it　is　no　miracle　that　they　should　be　found　in　the　same　place。　But；　suddenly；　quitting　this　domain　where　all　is　stationary；　the　phenomenon　is　transferred　to　time　and；　in　those　unknown　places；　at　the　foretold　second；　brings　together　all　the　moving　actors　of　that　little　drama　in　two　acts；　of　which　the　first　was　performed　some　two　and　a　half　months　before；　in　the　depths　of　some　mysterious　other　life　where　it　seemed　to　be　motionlessly　and　irrevocably　awaiting　its　terrestrial　realization。　Any　explanation　would　but　condense　this　vapour　of　petty　mysteries　into　a　few　drops　in　the　ocean　of　mysteries。　Let　us　note　here　again；　in　passing；　the　strange　freakishness　of　the　premonitions。　They　accumulate　the　most　precise　and　circumstantial　details　as　long　as　the　scene　remains　insignificant；　but　come　to　a　sudden　stop　before　the　one　tragic　and　interesting　scene　of　the　drama：　the　duel　and　its　issue。　Here　again　we　recognize　the　inconsistent；　impotent；　ironical　or　humorous　habits　of　our　unknown　guest。

30

But　we　will　not　prolong　these　somewhat　vain　speculations　concerning　space　and　time。　We　are　merely　playing　with　words　that　represent　very　badly　ideas　which　we　do　not　put　into　form　at　all。　To　sum　up；　if　it　is　difficult　for　us　to　conceive　that　the　future　preexists；　perhaps　it　is　even　more　difficult　for　us　to　understand　that　it　does　not　exist；　moreover；　a　certain　number　of　facts　tend　to　prove　that　it　is　as　real　and　definite　and　has；　both　in　time　and　in　eternity；　the　same　permanence　and　the　same　vividness　as　the　past。　Now；　from　the　moment　that　it　preexists；　it　is　not　surprising　that　we　should　be　able　to　know　it；　it　is　even　astonishing；　granted　that　it　overhangs　us　on　every　side；　that　we　should　not　discover　it　oftener　and　more　easily。　It　remains　to　be　learnt　what　would　become　of　our　life　if　everything　were　foreseen　in　it；　if　we　saw　it　unfolding　beforehand；　in　its　entirety；　with　its　events　which　would　have　to　be　inevitable；　because；　if　it　were　possible　for　us　to　avoid　them；　they　would　not　exist　and　we　could　not　perceive　them。　Suppose　that；　instead　of　being　abnormal；　uncertain；　obscure；　debatable　and　very　unusual；　prediction　became；　so　to　speak；　scientific；　habitual；　clear　and　infallible：　in　a　short　time；　having　nothing　more　to　foretell；　it　would　die　of　inanition。　If；　for　instance；　it　was　prophesied　to　me　that　I　must　die　in　the　course　of　a　journey　in　Italy；　I　should　naturally　abandon　the　journey；　therefore　it　could　not　have　been　predicted　to　me；　and　thus　all　life　would　soon　be　nothing　but　inaction；　pause　and　abstention；　a　soft　of　vast　desert　where　the　embryos　of　still…born　events　would　be　gathered　in　heaps　and　where　nothing　would　grow　save　perhaps　one　or　two　more　or　less　fortunate　enterprises　and　the　little　insignificant　incidents　which　no　one　would　trouble　to　avoid。　But　these　again　are　questions　to　which　there　is　no　solution；　and　we　will　not　pursue　them　further。



CHAPTER　IV。　THE　ELBERFELD　HORSES

1

I　will　first　sum　up　as　briefly　as　possible；　for　who　so　may　still　be　ignorant　of　them；　the　facts　which　it　is　necessary　to　know　if　one　would　fully　understand　the　marvelous　story　of　the　Elberfeld　horses。　For　a　detailed　account；　I　can　refer　him　to　Herr　Karl　Krall's　remarkable　work；　Denkende　Tiere　（Leipsig；　1912）；　which　is　the　first　and　principal　source　of　information　amid　a　bibliography　that　is　already　assuming　considerable　dimensions。

Some　twenty　years　ago　there　lived　in　Berlin　an　old　misanthrope　named　Wilhelm　von　Osten。　He　was　a　man　with　a　small　private　income；　a　little　eccentric　in　his　ways　and　obsessed　by　one　idea；　the　intelligence　of　animals。　He　began　by　undertaking　the　education　of　a　horse　that　gave　him　no　very　definite　results。　But；　in　1900；　he　became　the　owner　of　a　Russian　stallion　who；　under　the　name　of　Hans；　to　which　was　soon　added　the　Homeric　and　well…earned　prefix　of　Kluge；　or　Clever；　was　destined　to　upset　all　our　notions　of　animal　psychology　and　to　raise　questions　that　rank　among　the　most　unexpected　and　the　most　absorbing　problems　which　man　has　yet　encountered。

Thanks　to　Von　Osten；　whose　patience；　contrary　to　what　one　might　think；　was　in　no　wise　angelic　but　resembled　rather　a　frenzied　obstinacy；　the　horse　made　rapid　and　extraordinary　progress。　This　progress　is　very　aptly　described　by　Professor　E。　Clarapede；　of　the　university　of　Geneva；　who　says；　in　his　excellent　monograph　on　the　Elberfeld　horses：

〃After　making　him　familiar　with　various　common　ideas；　such　as　right；　left；　top；　bottom　and　so　on；　his　master　began　to　teach　him　arithmetic　by　the　intuitive　method。　Hans　was　brought　to　a　table　on　which　were　placed　first　one；　then　two；　then　several　small　skittles。　Von　Osten；　kneeling　beside　Hans；　uttered　the　corresponding　numbers；　at　the　same　time　making　him　strike　as　many　blows　with　his　hoof　as　there　were　skittles　on　the　table。　Before　long；　the　skittles　were　replaced　by　figures　written　on　a　blackboard。　The　results　were　astonishing。　The　horse　was　capable　not　only　of　counting　（that　is　to　say；　of　striking　as　many　blows　as　he　was　asked）；　but　also　of　himself　making　real　calculations；　of　solving　little　problems。　。　。　。

〃But　Hans　could　do　more　than　mere　sums：　he　knew　how　to　read；　he　was　a　musician；　distinguishing　between　harmonious　and　dissonant　chords。　He　also　had　an　extraordinary　memory：　he　could　tell　the　date　of　each　day　of　the　current　week。　In　short；　he　got　through　all　the　tasks　which　an　intelligent　schoolboy　of　fourteen　is　able　to　perform。〃

2

The　rumour　of　these　curious　experiments　soon　spread；　and　visitors　flocked　to　the　little　stable…yard　in　which　Von　Osten　kept　his　singular　pupil　at　work。　The　newspapers　took　the　matter　up；　and　a　fierce　controversy　broke　forth　between　those　who　believed　in　the　genuineness　of　the　phenomenon　and　those　who　saw　no　more　in　it　than　a　barefaced　fraud。　A　scientific　committee　was　appointed　in　1904；　consisting　of　professors　of　psychology　and　physiology；　of　the　director　of　a　zoological　garden；　of　a　circus　manager　and　of　veterinary　surgeons　and　cavalry…officers。　The　committee　discovered　nothing　suspicious；　but　ventured　upon　no　explanation。　A　second　committee　was　then　appointed；　numbering　among　its　members　Herr　Oskar　Pfungst；　of　the　Berlin　psychological　laboratory。　Herr　Pfungst；　after　a　long　series　of　experiments；　drew　up　a　voluminous　and　crushing　report；　in　which　he　maintained　that　the　horse　was　gifted　with　no　intelligence；　that　it　did　not　recognize　either　letters　or　figures；　that　it　really　knew　neither　how　to　calculate　nor　how　to　count；　but　merely　obeyed　the　imperceptible；　infinitesimal　and　unconscious　signs　which　escaped　from　its　master。

Public　opinion　veered　round　suddenly　and　completely。　People　felt　a　sort　of　half…cowardly　relief　at　beholding　the　prompt　collapse　of　a　miracle　which　was　threatening　to　throw　confusion　into　the　self　satisfied　little　fold　of　established　truths。　Poor　Von　Osten　protested　in　vain：　no　one　listened　to　him；　the　verdict　was　given。　He　never　recovered　from　this　official　blow；　he　became　the　laughing…stock　of　all　those　whom　he　had　at　first　astounded；　and　he　died；　lonely　and　embittered；　on　the　29th　of　June；　1909；　at　the　age　of　seventy…one。

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But　he　left　a　disciple　whose　faith　had　not　been　shaken　by　the　general　defection。　A　well…to…do　Elberfeld　manufacturer；　Herr　Krall；　had　taken　a　great　interest　in　Von　Osten's　labours　and；　during　the　latter　years　of　the　old　man's　life；　had　eagerly　followed　and　even　on　occasion　directed　the　education　of　the　wonderful　stallion。　Von　Osten　left　Kluge　Hans　to　him　by　will；　on　his　own　side；　Krall　had　bought　two　Arab　stallions；　Mohammed　and　Zarif　whose　prowess　soon　surpassed　that　of　the　pioneer。　The　whole　question　was　reopened；　events　took　a　vigorous　and　decisive　turn　and；　instead　of　a　weary；　eccentric　old　man；　discouraged　almost　to　sullenness　and　with　no　weapons　for　the　struggle；　the　critics　of　the　miracle　found　themselves　faced　by　a　new　adversary；　young　and　high…spirited；　end