the unknown guest-第26章

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ke　an　unholy　delight　in　giving　the　most　irrelevant　answer　to　the　most　elementary　question；　for　hours　and　even　days　on　end。

Other　common　features　are　the　strongly…marked　personality　of　the　mediumistic　〃raps〃　and　the　communications　known　as　〃deferred　telepathic　communications；〃　that　is　to　say；　those　in　which　the　answer　is　obtained　at　the　end　of　a　sitting　to　a　question　put　at　the　beginning　and　forgotten　by　all　those　present。　What　at　first　sight　seems　one　of　the　strongest　objections　urged　against　the　mediumism　of　the　horse　even　tends　to　confirm　it。　If　the　reply　comes　from　the　horse's　subconsciousness；　it　has　been　asked；　how　is　it　that　it　should　be　necessary　first　to　teach　him　the　elements　of　language；　mathematics　and　so　forth；　and　that　Berto；　for　instance；　is　incapable　of　solving　the　same　problems　as　Mohammed？　This　objection　has　been　very　ably　refuted　by　M。　de　Vesme；　who　writes：

〃To　produce　automatic　writing；　a　medium　must　have　learnt　to　write；　before　Victorien　Sardou　or　Mlle　Helene　Schmidt　could　produce　their　mediumistic　drawings　and　paintings；　they　had　to　possess　an　elementary　knowledge　of　drawing　and　painting；　Tartini　would　never　have　composed　The　Devil's　Sonata　in　a　dream；　if　he　had　not　known　music；　and　so　forth。　Unconscious　cerebration；　however　wonderful；　can　only　take　effect　upon　elements　already　acquired　in　some　way　or　another。　The　subconscious　cerebration　of　a　man　blind　from　birth　will　not　make　him　see　colours。〃

Here；　then；　in　this　comparison　which　might　easily　be　extended；　are　several　fairly　well…　defined　features　of　resemblance。　We　receive　a　vivid　impression　of　the　same　habits；　the　same　contradictions；　and　the　same　eccentricities；　and　we　once　more　recognize　the　strange　and　majestic　shadow　of　our　unknown　guest。

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One　great　objection　remains；　based　upon　the　very　nature　of　the　phenomenon；　upon　the　really　inseparable　distance　that　separates　the　whole　life　of　the　horse　from　the　abstract　and　impenetrable　life　of　numbers。　How　can　his　subliminal　consciousness　interest　itself　for　a　moment　in　signs　that　represent　nothing　to　him；　have　no　relation　to　his　organism　and　will　never　touch　his　existence？　But　in　the　first　place；　it　is　just　the　same　with　the　child　or　the　illiterate　calculator。　He　is　not　interested　either　in　the　figures　which　he　lets　loose。　He　is　completely　ignorant　of　the　consequences　of　the　problems　which　he　solves。　He　juggles　with　digits　which　have　hardly　any　more　meaning　to　him　than　to　the　horse。　He　is　incapable　of　accounting　for　what　he　does；　and　his　subconsciousness　also　　acts　in　a　sort　of　indifferent　and　remote　dream。　It　is　true　that；　in　his　case；　we　can　appeal　to　heredity　and　to　memory；　but　is　this　difference　enough　to　settle　the　difficulty　and　definitely　to　separate　the　two　phenomena？　To　appeal　to　heredity　is　still　to　appeal　to　the　subliminal；　and　it　is　not　at　all　certain　that　the　latter　is　limited　by　the　interest　of　the　organism　sheltering　it。　It　appears；　on　the　contrary；　in　many　circumstances；　to　spread　and　extend　far　beyond　that　organism　in　which　it　is　domiciled；　one　would　say；　accidentally　and　provisionally。　It　likes　to　show；　apparently；　that　it　is　in　relation　with　all　that　exists。　It　declares　itself；　as　often　as　possible；　universal　and　impersonal。　It　has　but　a　very　indifferent　care；　as　we　have　seen　in　the　matter　of　apparitions　and　premonitions；　for　the　happiness　and　even　the　safety　of　its　host　and　protector。　It　prophesies　to　its　companion　of　a　lifetime　events　which　he　cannot　avoid　or　which　do　not　concern　him。　It　makes　him　see　beforehand；　for　instance；　all　the　circumstances　of　the　death　of　a　stranger　whom　he　will　only　hear　of　after　the　event；　when　this　event　is　irrevocable。　It　brings　a　crowd　of　barren　presentiments　and　conjures　up　veridical　hallucinations　that　are　wholly　alien　and　idle。　With　psychometric；　typtological　or　materializing　mediums；　it　practises　art　for　art's　sake；　mocks　at　space　and　time；　passes　through　personalities；　sees　through　solid　bodies；　brings　into　communication　thoughts　and　motions　worlds　apart；　reads　souls　and　lives　by　the　light　of　a　flower；　a　rag　of　a　scrap　of　paper；　and　all　this　for　nothing；　to　amuse　itself；　to　astonish　us；　because　it　adores　the　superfluous；　the　incoherent；　the　unexpected；　the　improbable；　the　bewildering；　or　rather；　perhaps；　because　it　is　a　huge；　rough；　undisciplined　force　still　struggling　in　the　darkness　and　coming　to　the　surface　only　by　wild　fits　and　starts；　because　it　is　an　enormous　expansion　of　a　spirit　striving　to　collect　itself；　to　achieve　consciousness；　to　make　itself　of　service　and　to　obtain　a　hearing。　In　any　case；　for　the　time　being；　it　appeals　just　what　we　have　described；　and　would　be　unlike　itself　if　it　behaved　any　otherwise　in　the　case　that　puzzles　us。

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Lastly；　to　close　this　chapter；　let　us　remark　that　it　is　nearly　certain　that　the　solution　given　by　calculating　children　and　horses　is　not　of　a　mathematical　nature　at　all。　They　do　not　in　any　way　consider　the　problem　or　the　sum　to　be　worked。　They　simply　find　the　answer　straight　away　to　a　riddle；　the　guessing　of　which　is　made　easy　by　the　actual　nature　of　figures　which　keep　their　secrets　badly。　To　any　one　in　the　requisite　state　of　mind；　it　becomes　a　question　of　a　sort　of　elementary　charade；　which　hides　its　answer　only　from　those　who　speak　another　language。　It　is　evident　that　every　problem；　however　complex　it　may　appear；　carries　within　its　very　enunciation　its　one；　invariable　solution；　scarce　veiled　by　the　indiscreet　signs　that　contain　or　cover　it。　It　is　there；　under　the　numbers　that　have　no　other　object　than　to　give　it　life；　coming；　stirring　and　ceaselessly　proclaiming　itself　a　necessity。　It　is　not　surprising　therefore　that　eyes　sharper　than　ours　and　ears　open　to　other　vibrations　should　see　and　hear　it　without　knowing　what　it　represents；　what　it　implies　or　from　what　prodigious　mass　of　figures　and　operations　it　merges。　The　problem　itself　speaks；　and　the　horse　but　repeats　the　sign　which　he　hears　whispered　in　the　mysterious　life　of　numbers　or　deep　down　in；　the　abyss　where　the　eternal　verities　hold　sway。　He　understands　none　of　it；　he　has　no　need　to　understand；　he　is　but　the　unconscious　medium　who　lends　his　voice　or　his　limbs　to　the　mind　that　inspires　him。　There　is　here　but　a　bare　and　simple　answer；　bearing　no　precise　significance；　seized　in　an　alien　existence。　There　is　here　but　a　mechanical　revelation；　so　to　speak；　a　sort　of　special　reflex　which　we　can　only　record　and　which；　for　the　rest；　is　as　inexplicable　as　any　other　phenomenon　of　consciousness　or　instinct。　After　all；　when　we　think　of　it；　it　is　just　as；　astonishing　that　we　should　not　perceive　the　solution　as　it　is　that　we　should　discover　it。　However；　I　grant　that　all　this　is　but　a　venturesome　interpretation　to　be　taken　for　what　it　is　worth；　an　experimental　or　interim　theory　with　which　we　must　needs　content　ourselves　since　all　the　others　have　hitherto　been　controverted　by　the　facts。

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Let　us　now　briefly　sum　up　what　the　Elberfeld　experiments　have　yielded　us。　Having　put　aside　telepathy　in　the　narrow　sensewhich　perhaps　enters　into　more　than　one　phenomenon　but　is　not　indispensable　to　it；　for　we　see　these　same　phenomena　repeated　when　telepathy　is　practically　impossiblewe　cannot　help　observing　that；　if　we　deny　the　existence　or　the　influence　of　the　subliminal；　it　is　all　the　more　difficult　to　contest　the　existence　and　the　intervention　of　the　intelligence；　at　any　rate　up　to　the　extracting　of　roots；　after　which　there　is　a　steep　precipice　which　ends　in　darkness。　But；　even　if　we　stop　at　the　roots；　the　sudden　discovery　of　an　intellectual　force　so　similar　to　our　own；　where　we　were　accustomed　to　see　but　an　irremediable　impotency；　is　no　doubt　one　of　the　most　unexpected　revelations　that　we　have　received　since　the　invisible　and　the　unknown　began　to　press　upon　us　with　a　persistence　and　an　impatience　which　they　had　not　displayed　heretofore。　It　is　not　easy　to　foresee　as　yet　the　consequences　and　the　promises　of　this　new　aspect　which　the　great　riddle　of　the　intelligence　is　suddenly　adopting。　But　I　believe　that　we　shall　soon　have　to　revise　some　of　the　essential　ideas　which　are　the　foundations　of　our　life　and　that　some　rather　strange　horizons　are　appearing　out　of　the　mists　in　the　history　of　psychology；　of　morality；　of　human　destiny　and　of　many　other　things。

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So　much　for　the　intelligence。　On　the　other　hand；　what　we　deny　to　the　intelligence　we　are　constrained　to　grant　to　the　subliminal；　and　the　revelation　is　even　more　disconcerting。　We　should　then　have　to　admit　that　them　is　in　the　horseand　hence　most　probably　in　everything　that　lives　on　this　eartha　psychic　power　similar　to　that　which　is　hidden　beneath　the　veil　of　our　reason　and　which；　as　we　learn　to　know　it；　astonishes；　surpasses　and　dominates　our　reason　more　and　more。　This　psychic　power；　in　which　no　doubt　we　shall　one　day　be　forced　to　recognize　the　genius　of　the　universe　itself；　appears；　as　we　have　often　observed；　to　be　all…wise；　all…seeing　and　all…powerful。　It　has；　when　it　is　pleased　to　communicate　with　us　or　when　we　are　allowed　to　penetrate　into　it；　an　answer　for　every　question；　　and　perhaps　a　remedy　for　every　ill。　We　will　not　enumerate　its　virtues　again。　It　will　be　enough　for　us　to　recall　with　what　ease　it　mocks　at　space；　time　and　all　the　obstacles　that　beset　our　poor　human　knowledge　and　understanding。　We　believed　it；　like　all　that　seems　to　us　superior　and　marvellous；　the　intangible；　inalienable　and　incommunicable　attribute　of　man；　with　even　better　reason　than　his　intelligence。　And　now　an　accident；　strangely　belated；　it　is　true；　tells　us　that；　at　one　precise　point；　the　strangest　and　least　foreseen　of　all；　the　horse　and　the　dog　draw　more　easily　and　perhaps　more　directly　than　ourselves　upon　its　mighty　reservoirs。　By　the　most　inexplicable　of　anomalies；　though　one　that　is　fairly　consistent　with　the　fantastic　character　of　the　subliminal；　they　appear　to　have　access　to　it　only　at　the　spot　that　is　most　remote　from　their　habits　and　most　unknown　to　their　propensities；　for　there　is　nothing　in　the　world　about　which　animals　trouble　less　than　figures。　But　is　this　not；　perhaps　because　we　do　not　see　what　goes　on　elsewhere？　It　so　happens　that　the　infinite　mystery　of　numbers　can　sometimes　be　expressed　by　a　very　few　simple　movements　which　are　natural　to　most　animals；　but　there　is　nothing　to　tell　us　that；　if　we　could　teach　the　horse　and　the　dog　to　attach　to　these　same　movements　the　expression　of　other　mysteries；　they　would　not　draw　upon　them　with　equal　facility。　It　has　been　successfully　attempted　to　give　them　a　more　or　less　clear　idea　of　the　value　of　a　few　figures　and　perhaps　of　the　course　and　nature　of　certain　elementary　operations；　and　this　appears　to　have　been　enough　to　open　up　to　them　the　most　secret　regions　of　mathematics　in　which　every　question　is　answered　beforehand。　It　is　not　wholly　illusive　to　suppose　that；　if　we　could　impart　to　them；　for　instance；　a　similar　notion　of　the　future；　together　with　a　manner　of　conveying　to　us　what　they　see　there；　they　might　also　have　access　to　strange　visions　of　another　class；　which　are　jealously　kept　from　us　by　the　too…watchful　guardians　of　our　intelligence。　There　is　an　opportunity　here　for　experiments　which　will　doubtless　prove　exceedingly　arduous；　for　the　future　is　not　so　easily　seen　and　above　all　not　so　easily　interpreted　and　expressed　as　a　number。　It　is　possible；　moreover；　that；　when　we　know　how　to