armadale-第31章
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fault； mind。 If I had only known beforehand that he believed in
dreams； I wouldn't have opened my lips。〃
〃Dreams？〃 repeated the doctor； looking at Midwinter directly； and
addressing him under a mistaken impression of the meaning of
Allan's words。 〃With your constitution； you ought to be well used
to dreaming by this time。〃
〃This way； doctor； you have taken the wrong turning！〃 cried
Allan。 〃I'm the dreamer； not he。 Don't look astonished； it wasn't
in this comfortable house； it was on board that confounded
timber…ship。 The fact is； I fell asleep just before you took us
off the wreck； and it's not to be denied that I had a very ugly
dream。 Well； when we got back here〃
〃Why do you trouble Mr。 Hawbury about a matter that cannot
possibly interest him？〃 asked Midwinter； speaking for the first
time； and speaking very impatiently。
〃I beg your pardon；〃 returned the doctor； rather sharply； 〃so far
as I have heard； the matter does interest me。〃
〃That's right； doctor！〃 said Allan。 〃Be interested； I beg and
pray； I want you to clear his head of the nonsense he has got in
it now。 What do you think？ He will have it that my dream is a
warning to me to avoid certain people； and he actually persists
in saying that one of those people ishimself！ Did you ever hear
the like of it？ I took great pains； I explained the whole thing
to him。 I said； warning be hanged； it's all indigestion！ You
don't know what I ate and drank at the doctor's supper…table； I
do。 Do you think he would listen to me？ Not he。 You try him next；
you're a professional man； and he must listen to you。 Be a good
fellow； doctor； and give me a certificate of indigestion； I'll
show you my tongue with pleasure。〃
〃The sight of your face is quite enough；〃 said Mr。 Hawbury。 〃I
certify； on the spot； that you never had such a thing as an
indigestion in your life。 Let's hear about the dream； and see
what we can make of it； if you have no objection； that is to
say。〃
Allan pointed at Midwinter with his fork。
〃Apply to my friend； there；〃 he said； 〃he has got a much better
account of it than I can give you。 If you'll believe me； he took
it all down in writing from my own lips； and he made me sign it
at the end； as if it was my 'last dying speech and confession'
before I went to the gallows。 Out with it； old boyI saw you put
it in your pocket…bookout with it！〃
〃Are you really in earnest？〃 asked Midwinter； producing his
pocketbook with a reluctance which was almost offensive under the
circumstances； for it implied distrust of the doctor in the
doctor's own house。
Mr。 Hawbury's color rose。 〃Pray don't show it to me； if you feel
the least unwillingness；〃 he said； with the elaborate politeness
of an offended man。
〃Stuff and nonsense！〃 cried Allan。 〃Throw it over here！〃
Instead of complying with that characteristic request； Midwinter
took the paper from the pocket…book； and； leaving his place；
approached Mr。 Hawbury。 〃I beg your pardon；〃 he said； as he
offered the doctor the manuscript with his own hand。 His eyes
dropped to the ground； and his face darkened； while he made the
apology。 〃A secret； sullen fellow；〃 thought the doctor； thanking
him with formal civility； 〃his friend is worth ten thousand of
him。〃 Midwinter went back to the window； and sat down again in
silence； with the old impenetrable resignation which had once
puzzled Mr。 Brock。
〃Read that； doctor；〃 said Allan； as Mr。 Hawbury opened the
written paper。 〃It's not told in my roundabout way； but there's
nothing added to it； and nothing taken away。 It's exactly what I
dreamed； and exactly what I should have written myself； if I had
thought the thing worth putting down on paper； and if I had had
the knack of writingwhich；〃 concluded Allan； composedly
stirring his coffee； 〃I haven't； except it's letters； and I
rattle _them_ off in no time。〃
Mr。 Hawbury spread the manuscript before him on the
breakfast…table； and read these lines：
〃ALLAN ARMADALE'S DREAM。
〃Early on the morning of June the first； eighteen hundred and
fifty…one； I found myself （through circumstances which it is not
important to mention in this place） left alone with a friend of
minea young man about my own ageon board the French
timber…ship named _La Grace de Dieu；_ which ship then lay wrecked
in the channel of the Sound between the main…land of the Isle of
Man and the islet called the Calf。 Having not been in bed the
previous night； and feeling overcome by fatigue； I fell asleep on
the deck of the vessel。 I was in my usual good health at the
time； and the morning was far enough advanced for the sun to have
risen。 Under these circumstances； and at that period of the day；
I passed from sleeping to dreaming。 As clearly as I can recollect
it； after the lapse of a few hours； this was the succession of
events presented to me by the dream：
〃1。 The first event of which I was conscious was the appearance
of my father。 He took me silently by the hand； and we found
ourselves in the cabin of a ship。
〃2。 Water rose slowly over us in the cabin； and I and my father
sank through the water together。
〃3。 An interval of oblivion followed； and then the sense came to
me of being left alone in the darkness。
〃4。 I waited。
〃5。 The darkness opened； and showed me the visionas in a
pictureof a broad； lonely pool； surrounded by open ground。
Above the farther margin of the pool I saw the cloudless western
sky； red with the light of sunset。
〃6。 On the near margin of the pool there stood the Shadow of a
Woman。
〃7。 It was the shadow only。 No indication was visible to me by
which I could identify it； or compare it with any living
creature。 The long robe showed me that it was the shadow of a
woman； and showed me nothing more。
〃8。 The darkness closed againremained with me for an
intervaland opened for the second time。
〃9。 I found myself in a room； standing before。 a long window。 The
only object of furniture or of ornament that I saw （or that I can
now remember having seen） was a little statue placed near me。 The
window opened on a lawn and flower…garden； and the rain was
pattering heavily against the glass。
〃10。 I was not alone in the room。 Standing opposite to me at the
window was the Shadow of a Man。
〃11。 I saw no more of it； I knew no more of it than I saw and
knew of the shadow of the woman。 But the shadow of the man moved。
It stretched out its arm toward the statue； and the statue fell
in fragments on the floor。
〃12。 With a confused sensation in me； which was partly anger and
partly distress； I stooped to look at the fragments。 When I rose
again； the Shadow had vanished； and I saw no more。
〃13。 The darkness opened for the third time； and showed me the
Shadow of the Woman and the Shadow of the Man together。
〃14。 No surrounding scene （or none that I can now call to mind）
was visible to me。
〃15。 The Man…Shadow was the nearest； the Woman…Shadow stood back。
From where she stood； there came a sound as of the pouring of a
liquid softly。 I saw her touch the shadow of the man with one
hand； and with the other give him a glass。 He took the glass； and
gave it to me。 In the moment when I put it to my lips； a deadly
faintness mastered me from head to foot。 When I came to my senses
again； the Shadows had vanished； and the third vision was at an
end。
〃16。 The darkness closed over me again； and the interval of
oblivion followed。
〃17。 I was conscious of nothing more； till I felt the morning sun
shine on my face； and heard my friend tell me that I had awakened
from a dream。〃 。 。 。 。
After reading the narrative attentively to the last line （under
which appeared Allan's signature）； the doctor looked across the
breakfast…table at Midwinter； and tapped his fingers on the
manuscript with a satirical smile。
〃Many men； many opinions；〃 he said。 〃I don't agree with either of
you about this dream。 Your theory；〃 he added； looking at Allan；
with a smile； 〃we have disposed of already： the supper that _you_
can't digest is a supper which has yet to be discovered。 My
theory we will come to presently； your friend's theory claims
attention first。〃 He turned again to Midwinter； with his
anticipated triumph over a man whom he disliked a little too
plainly visible in his face and manner。 〃If I understand
rightly；〃 he went on； 〃you believe that this dream is a warning！
supernaturally addressed to Mr。 Armadale； of dangerous events
that are threatening him； and of dangerous people connected with
those events whom he would do wisely to avoid。 May I inquire
whether you have arrived at this conclusion as an habitual
believer in dreams； or as having reasons of your own for
attaching especial importance to this one dream in particular？〃
〃You have stated what my conviction is quite accurately；〃
returned Midwinter； chafing under the doctor's looks and tones。
〃Excuse me if I ask you to be satisfied with that admission； and
to let me keep my reasons to myself。〃
〃That's exactly what he said to me；〃 interposed Allan。 〃I don't
believe he has got any reasons at all。〃
〃Gently！ gently！〃 said Mr。 Hawbury。 〃We can discuss the subject
without intruding ourselves into anybody's secrets。 Let us come
to my own method of dealing with the dream next。 Mr。 Midwinter
will probably not be surprised to hear that I look at this matter
from an essentially practical point of view。〃
〃I shall not be at all surprised；〃 retorted Midwinter。 〃The view
of a medical man； when he has a problem in humanity to solve；
seldom ranges beyond the point of his dissecting…knife。〃
The doctor was a little nettled on his side。 〃Our limits are not
quite so narrow as that；〃 he said； 〃but I willingly grant you
that there are some articles of your faith in which we doctors
don't believe。 For example； we don't believe that a reasonable
man is justified in attaching a supernatural interpretation to
any phenomenon which comes within the range of his senses； until
he has certainly ascertained that there is no such thing as a
natural explanation of it to be found in the first instance。〃
〃Come； that's fair enough； I'm sure；〃 exclaimed Allan。 〃He hit
you hard with the 'dissecting…knife；' doctor； and now you have
hit him back again with your 'natural explanation。' Let's have
it。〃
〃By all means；〃 said Mr。 Hawbury。 〃Here it is。 There is nothing
at all extraordinary in my theory of dreams： it is the theory
accepted by the great mass of my profession。 A dream is the
reproduction； in the sleeping state of the brain； of images and
impressions produced on it in the waking state； and this
reproduction is more or less involved； imperfect； or
contradictory； as the action of certain faculties in the dreamer
is controlled more or less completely by the influence of sleep。
Without inquiring further into this latter part of the subjecta
very curious and interesting part of itlet us take the theory；
roughly and generally； as I have just stated it； and apply it at
once to the dream now under consideration。〃 He took up the
written paper from the table； and dropped the formal tone （as of
a lecturer addressing an audience） into which he had insensibly
fallen。 〃I see one event already in this dream；〃 he resumed；
〃which I know to be the reproduction of a
