the unknown guest-第21章

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s　perfectly　correct。

16

Does　this　mean　that　every　risk　of　telepathy　is　done　away　with？　It　would　perhaps　be　rash　to　make　a　categorical　assertion。　The　power　and　extent　of　telepathy　are　as　yet；　we　cannot　too　often　repeat；　indefinite；　indiscernible；　untraceable　and　unlimited。　We　have　but　quite　lately　discovered　it；　we　know　only　that　its　existence　can　no　longer　be　denied；　but；　as　for　all　the　rest；　we　are　at　much　the　same　stage　as　that　whereat　Galvani　was　when　he　gave　life　to　the　muscles　of　his　dead　frogs　with　two　little　plates　of　metal　which　roused　the　jeers　of　the　scientists　of　his　time；　but　contained　the　germ　of　all　the　wonders；　of　electricity。

Nevertheless；　as　regards　telepathy　in　the　sense　in　which　we　understand　and　know　it　to…day；　my　mind　is　made　up。　I　am　persuaded　that　it　is　not　in　this　direction　that　we　must　seek　for　an　explanation　of　the　phenomenon；　or；　if　we　are　determined　to　find　it　there；　the　explanation　becomes　complicated　with　so　many　subsidiary　mysteries　that　it　is　better　to　accept　the　prodigy　as　it　stands；　in　its　original　obscurity　and　simplicity。　When；　for　instance；　I　was　copying　out　one　of　the　grisly　problems　which　I　have　mentioned；　it　is　quite　certain　that　my　conscious　intelligence　could　make　neither　head　nor　tail　of　it。　I　did　not　so　much　as　know　what　it　meant　or　whether　the　exponent　3。　4。　5　called　for　a　multiplication；　a　division　or　some　other　mathematical　operation　which　I　did　not　even　try　to　imagine；　and；　rack　MY　memory　as　I　may；　I　cannot　remember　any　moment　in　my　life　when　I　knew　more　about　it　than　I　do　now。　We　should　therefore　have　to　admit　that　MY　subliminal　self　is　a　born　mathematician；　quick；　infallible　and　endowed　with　boundless　learning。　It　is　possible　and　I　feel　a　certain　pride　at　the　thought。　But　the　theory　simply　shifts　the　miracle　by　making　it　pass　from　the　horse's　soul　to　mine；　and　the　miracle　becomes　no　clearer　by　the　transfer；　which；　for　that　matter；　does　not　sound　probable。　I　need　hardly　add　that；　a　fortiori；　Dr。　Hamel's　experiments　and　many　others　which　I　have　not　here　the　space　to　describe　finally　dispose　of　the　theory。

17

Let　us　see　how　those　who　have　interested　themselves　in　these　extraordinary　manifestations　have　attempted　to　explain　them。

As　we　go　along；　we　will　just　shear　through　the　feeble　undergrowth　of　childish　theories。　I　shall　not；　therefore；　linger　over　the　suggestions　of　cheating；　of　manifest　signs　addressed　to　the　eye　or　ear；　of　electrical　installations　that　are　supposed　to　control　the　answers；　nor　other　idle　tales　of　an　excessively　clumsy　character。　To　realize　their　inexcusable　inanity　we　have　but　to　spend　a　few　minutes　in　the　honest　Elberfeld　stable。

At　the　beginning　of　this　essay；　I　mentioned　the　attack　made　by　Herr　Pfungst。　Herr　Pfungst；　the　reader　will　remember；　claims　to　prove　that　all　the　horse's　replies　are　determined　by　imperceptible　and　probably　unconscious　movement　on　the　part　of　the　person　putting　the　questions。　This　interpretation；　which　falls　to　the　ground；　like　all　the　others；　in　the　face　of　the　actual　facts；　would　not　deserve　serious　discussion；　were　it　not　that　the　Berlin　psychologist's　report　created　an　immense　sensation　some　years　ago　and　has　succeeded　in　intimidating　the　greater　part　of　the　official　German　scientific　world　to　this　day。　It　is　true　that　the　report　in　question　is　a　monument　of　useless　pedantry；　but　we　are　none　the　less　bound　to　admit　that；　such　as　it　was；　it　annihilated　poor　Von　Oaten；　who；　being　no　controversialist　and　not　knowing　how　to　proclaim　the　truth　which　was　struggling　for　utterance；　died　in　gloom　and　solitude。

To　make　an　end　of　this　cumbrous　and　puerile　theory；　is　it　necessary　to　emphasize　again　that　experiments　in　which　the　animal　does　not　see　the　questioner　are　as　regularly　successful　as　the　others？　Krall；　if　you　ask　him；　will　stand　behind　the　horse；　will　speak　from　the　end　of　the　room；　will　leave　the　stable　altogether；　and　the　results　are　just　the　same。　They　are　the　same　again　when　the　tests　are　made　in　the　dark　or　when　the　animal's　head　is　covered　with　a　close…fitting　hood。　They　do　not　vary　either　in　the　case　of　Berto；　who　is　stone…blind；　or　when　any　other　person　whatever　sets　the　problem　in　Krall's　absence。　Will　it　be　maintained　that　this　outsider　or　that　stranger　is　acquainted　beforehand　with　the　imperceptible　signs　that　are　to　dictate　the　solution　which　he　himself　often　does　not　know？

But　what　is　the　use　of　prolonging　this　fight　against　a　cloud　of　smoke？　None　of　it　can　bear　examination；　and　it　calls　for　a　genuine　effort　of　the　will　to　set　one's　self　seriously　to　refute　such　pitiful　objections。

18

On　the　ground　thus　cleared　and　at　the　portal　of　this　unlooked…for　riddle；　which　comes　to　disturb　our　peace　in　a　region　which　we　thought　to　be　finally　explored　and　conquered；　there　are　only　two　ways；　if　not　of　explaining；　at　least　of　contemplating　the　phenomenon：　to　admit　purely　and　simply　the　almost　human　intelligence　of　the　horse；　or　to　have　recourse　to　an　as　yet　very　vague　and　indefinite　theory　which；　for　lack　of　a　better　designation；　we　will　call　the　mediumistic　or　subliminal　theory　and　of　which　we　will　strive　presentlyand　no　doubt　vainlyto　dispel　the　grosser　darkness。　But；　whatever　interpretation　we　adopt；　we　are　bound　to　recognize　that　it　plunges　us　into　a　mystery　which　is　equally　profound　and　equally　astonishing　on　either　side；　one　directly　related　to　the　greatest　mysteries　that　overwhelm　us；　and　it　is　open　to　us　to　accept　it　with　resignation　or　rejoicing；　according　as　we　prefer　to　live　in　a　world　wherein　everything　is　within　the　reach　of　our　intelligence　or　a　world　wherein　everything　is　incomprehensible。

As　for　Krall；　he　does　not　doubt　for　an　instant　that　his　horses　solve　for　themselves；　without　any　assistance；　without　any　outside　influence；　simply　by　their　own　mental　powers；　the　most　arduous　problems　set　them。　He　is　persuaded　that　they　understand　what　is　said　to　them　and　what　they　say；　in　short；　that　their　brain　and　their　will　perform　exactly　the　same　functions　as　a　human　brain　and　will。　It　is　certain　that　the　facts　seem　to　prove　him　right　and　that　his　opinion　carries　way　great　weight；　for；　after　all；　he　knows　his　horses　better　than　any　one　does；　he　has　beheld　the　birth　or　rather　the　awakening　of　that　dormant　intelligence；　even　as　a　mother　beholds　the　birth　or　the　awakening　of　intelligence　in　her　child；　he　has　perceived　its　first　gropings；　known　its　first　resistance　and　its　first　triumphs；　he　has　watched　it　taking　shape；　breaking　away　and　gradually　rising　to　the　point　at　which　it　stands　to…day；　in　a　word；　he　is　the　father　and　the　principal　and　sole　perpetual　witness　of　the　miracle。

19　

Yes；　but　the　miracle　comes　as　such　a　surprise　that；　the　moment　we　set　foot　in　it；　a　sort　of　instinctive　aberration　seizes　us；　refusing　to　accept　the　evidence　and　compelling　us　to　search　in　every　direction　to　see　if　there　is　not　another　outlet。　Even　in　the　presence　of　those　astounding　horses　and　while　they　are　working　before　our　eyes；　we　do　not　yet　sincerely　believe　that　which　fills　and　subdues　our　gaze。　We　accept　the　facts；　because　there　is　no　means　of　escaping　them；　but　we　accept　them　only　provisionally　and　with　all　reserve；　putting　off　till　later　the　comfortable　explanation　which　will　give　us　back　our　familiar；　shallow　certainties。　But　the　explanation　does　not　come；　there　is　none　in　the　homely　and　not　very　lofty　regions　wherein　we　hoped　to　find　one；　there　is　neither　fault　nor　flaw　in　the　mighty　evidence；　and　nothing　delivers　us　from　the　mystery。

It　must　be　confessed　that　this　mystery；　springing　from　a　point　where　we　least　expected　to　come　upon　the　unknown；　bears　enough　within　itself　to　scatter　all　our　convictions。　Remember　that；　since　man　appeared　upon　this　earth；　he　has　lived　among　creatures　which；　from　immemorial　experience；　he　thought　that　he　knew　as　perfectly　as　he　knows　an　object　fashioned　by　his　hands。　Out　of　these　creatures　he　chose　the　most　docile　and；　as　he　called　them；　the　most　intelligent；　attaching　in　this　case　to　the　word　intelligence　a　sense　so　narrow　as　to　be　almost　ridiculous。　He　observed　them；　scrutinized　them；　tried　them；　analyzed　them　and　dissected　them　in　every　imaginable　way；　and　whole　lives　were　devoted　to　nothing　but　the　study　of　their　habits；　their　faculties；　their　nervous　system；　their　pathology；　their　psychology；　their　instincts。　All　this　led　to　certainties　which；　among　those　supported　by　our　unexplained　little　existence　on　an　inexplicable　planet；　would　seem　to　be　the　least　doubtful；　the　least　subject　to　revision。　There　is　no　disputing；　for　instance；　that　the　horse　is　gifted　with　an　extraordinary　memory；　that　he　possesses　the　sense　of　direction；　that　he　understands　a　few　signs　and　even　a　few　words　and　that　he　obeys　them。　It　is　equally　undeniable　that　the　anthropoid　apes　are　capable　of　imitating　a　great　number　of　our　actions　and　of　our　attitudes：　but　it　is　also　manifest　that　their　bewildered　and　feverish　imagination　perceives　neither　their　object　nor　their　scope。　As　for　the　dog；　the　one　of　all　these　privileged　animals　who　lives　closest　to　us；　who　for　thousands　and　thousands　of　years　has　eaten　at　our　table　and　worked　with　us　and　been　our　friend；　it　is　manifest　that；　now　and　then；　we　catch　a　rather　uncanny　gleam　in　his　deep；　watchful　eyes。　It　is　certain　that　he　sometimes　wanders　in　a　curious　fashion　along　the　mysterious　border　that　separates　our　own　intelligence　from　that　which　we　grant　to　the　other　creatures　inhabiting　this　earth　with　us。　But　it　is　no　less　certain　that　he　has　never　definitely　passed　it。　We　know　exactly　how　far　he　can　go；　and　we　have　invariably　found　that　our　efforts；　our　patience；　our　encouragement；　our　passionate　appeals；　have　hitherto　failed　to　draw　him　out　of　the　somewhat　narrow；　darkly　enchanted　circle　wherein　nature　seems　to　have　imprisoned　him　once　and　for　all。

20

There　remains；　it　is　true；　the　insect…world；　in　which　marvellous　things　happen。　It　includes　architects；　geometricians；　mechanicians；　engineers；　weavers；　physicists；　chemists　and　surgeons　who　have　forestalled　most　of　our　human　inventions。　I　need　not　here　remind　the　reader　of　the　wasps'　and　bees'　genius　for　building；　the　social　and　economic　organization　of　the　hive　and　the　ant…hill；　the　spider's　snares；　the　eumenes'　nest　and　hanging　egg；　the　odynerus'　cell　with　its　neat　stacks　of　game；　the　sacred　beetle's　filthy　but　ingenius　ball；　the　leafcutter's　faultless　disks；　the　brick…laying　of　the　mason…bee；　the　three　dagger…thrusts　which　the　aphex　administers　to　the　three　nerve…centres　of　the　cricket；　the　lancet　of　the　cerceris；　who　paralyses　her　victims　without　killing　them　and　preserves　them　for　an　indefinite　period　as　fresh　meat；　nor　a　thousand　other　features　which　it　would　be　impossible　to　enumerate　without　recapitulating　the　whole　of　Henri　Fabre's　work　and　completely　altering　the　proportions　of　the　present　essay。　But　here　such　silence　and　such　darkness　reign　that　we　have　nothing　to　hope　for。　There　exists；　so　to　speak；　no　bench…mark；　no　means　of　communication　between　the　world　of　insects　and　our　own；　and　we　are　perhaps　less　far　from　grasping　and　fathoming　what　takes　place　in　Saturn　or　Jupiter　than　what　is　enacted　in　the　ant…hill　or　the　hive。　We　know　absolutely　nothing　of　the　quality；　the　number；　the　extent　or　even　the　nature　of　their　senses。　Many　of　the　great　laws　on　which　our　life　is　based　do　not　exist　for　them：　those