the unknown guest(陌生客)-第11章
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new science of metapsychics。 He even carries his fondness for natural
explanations and his repugnance to admit the intervention of superhuman
powers to a point where it is often difficult to follow him。 I will give the
narrative as briefly as possible。 It will be found in full on pp。 348 to 362 of
his masterly book。
In August； 1883； a certain Mme。 Buscarlet； whom he knew personally；
returned to Geneva after spending three years with the Moratief family at
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Kazan as governess to two girls。 She continued to correspond with the
family and also with a Mme。 Nitchinof； who kept a school at Kazan to
which Mlles。 Moratief； Mme。 Buscarlet's former pupils； went after her
departure。
On the night of the 9th of December （O。 S。） of the same year； Mme。
Buscarlet had a dream which she described the following morning in a
letter to Mme。 Moratief； dated 10 December。 She wrote； to quote her own
words：
〃You and I were on a country…road when a carriage passed in front of
us and a voice from inside called to us。 When we came up to the carriage；
we saw Mlle。 Olga Popoi lying across it； clothed in white； wearing a
bonnet trimmed with yellow ribbons。 She said to you：
〃'I called you to tell you that Mme。 Nitchinof will leave the school on
the 17th。'
〃The carriage then drove on。〃
A week later and three days before the letter reached Kazan； the event
foreseen in the dream was fulfilled in a tragic fashion。 Mme。 Nitchinof
died on the 16th of an infectious disease； and on the 17th her body was
carried out of the school for fear of infection。
It is well to add that both Mme。 Buscarlet's letter and the replies which
came from Russia were communicated to Professor Flournoy and bear the
postmark dates。
Such premonitory dreams are frequent； but it does not often happen
that circumstances and especially the existence of a document dated
previous to their fulfilment give them such incontestable authenticity。
We may remark in passing the odd character of this premonition；
which however is fully in accordance with the habits of our unknown
guest。 The date is fixed precisely； but only a veiled and mysterious
allusion （the woman lying across the carriage and cloaked in white） is
made to the essential part of the prediction； the illness and death。
Was there a coincidence； a vision of the future pure and simple； or a
vision of the future suggested by telepathic influence？ The theory of
coincidence can be defended； if need be； here as everywhere else； but
would be very extraordinary in this case。 As for telepathic influence； we
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THE UNKNOWN GUEST
should have to suppose that； on the 9th of December； a week before her
death； Mme。 Nitchinof had in her subconsciousness a presentiment of her
end and that she transmitted this presentiment across some thousands of
miles； from Kazan to Geneva； to a person with whom she had never been
intimate。 It is very complex； but possible； for telepathy often has these
disconcerting ways。 If this were so； the case which would be one of latent
illness or even of self…suggestion； and the preexistence of the future；
without being entirely disproved； would be less clearly established。
5
Let us pass to other examples。 I quote from an excellent article of the
importance of precognitions； by Messrs。 Pickering and Sadgrove； which
appeared in the Annales des Sciences Psychiques for 1 February 1908； the
summary of an experiment by Mrs。 A。 W。 Verrall told in full detail in Vol。
XX of the Proceedings。 Mrs。 Verrall is a celebrated 〃automatist〃； and her
〃cross…correspondence〃 occupy a whole volume of the Proceedings。 Her
good faith； her sincerity； her fairness and her scientific precision are above
suspicion； and she is one of the most active and respected members of the
Society for Psychical Research。
On the 11th of May； 1901； at 11。10 p。m。； Mrs。 Verrall wrote as follows：
〃Do not hurry date this hoc est quod voluitandem。 ｛greek here｝ A。 W。
V。 ｛greek here｝。 calx pedibus inhaerens difficultatem superavit。
magnopere adiuvas persectando semper。 Nomen inscribere iam possum
sic； en tibi！〃＇1＇
＇1＇ Xenoglossy is well known not to be unusual in automatic writing；
sometimes even the 'automatist' speaks or writes languages of which he is
completely ignorant。 The Latin and Greek passages are translated as
follows：
〃This is what I have wanted at last。 Justice and joy speak a word to the
wise。 A。W。V。 and perhaps someone else。 Chalk sticking to the feet has got
over the difficulty。 You help greatly by always persevering。 Now I can
write a namethus； here it is！〃
After the writing comes a humorous drawing representing a bird
walking。
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That same night； as there were said to be 〃uncanny happenings〃 in
some rooms near the London Law Courts； the watchers arranged to sit
through the night in the empty rooms。 Precautions were taken to prevent
intrusion and powdered chalk was spread on the floor of the two smaller
rooms； 〃to trace anybody or anything that might come or go。〃 Mrs。 Verrall
knew nothing of the matter。 The phenomena began at 12：43 A。M。 and
ended at 2：09 A。M。 The watchers noticed marks on the powdered chalk。
On examination it was seen that the marks were 〃clearly defined bird's
footprints in the middle of the floor； three in the left…hand room and five in
the right…hand room。〃 The marks were identical and exactly 2 3/4 inches in
width； they might be compared to the footprints of a bird about the size of
a turkey。 The footprints were observed at 2：30 A。 M。； the unexplained
phenomena had begun at 12：43 that same morning。 The words about
〃chalk sticking to the feet〃 are a singularly appropriate comment on the
events； but the remarkable point is that Mrs。 Verrall wrote what we have
said ONE HOUR AND THIRTY…THREE MINUTES BEFORE THE
EVENTS TOOK PLACE。
The persons who watched in the two rooms were questioned by Mr。 J。
G。 Piddington； a member of the council of the S。 P。 R。； and declared that
they had not any expectation of what they discovered。
I need hardly add that Mrs。 Verrall had never heard anything about the
happenings in the haunted house and that the watchers were completely
ignorant of Mrs。 Verrall's existence。
Here then is a wry curious prediction of an event； insignificant in itself；
which is to happen； in a house unknown to the one who foretells it； to
people whom she does not know either。 The spiritualists； who score in this
case； not without some reason； will have it that a spirit； in order to prove
its existence and its intelligence； organized this little scene in which the
future； the present and the past are all mixed up together。 Are they right？
Or is Mrs。 Verrall's subconsciousness roaming like this； at random； in the
future？ It is certain that the problem has seldom appeared under a more
baffling aspect。
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6
We will now take another premonitory dream； strictly controlled by
the committee of the S。 P。 R。＇1＇ Early in September； 1893； Annette； wife of
Walter Jones； tobacconist； of Old Gravel Lane； East London； had her little
boy ill。 One night she dreamt that she saw a cart drive up and stop near
when she was。 It contained three coffins； 〃two white and one blue。 One
white coffin was bigger than the other； and the blue was the biggest of the
three。〃 The driver took out the bigger white coffin and left it at the
mother's feet； driving off with the others。 Mrs。 Jones told her dream to her
husband and to a neighbour； laying particular stress on the curious
circumstance that one of the coffins was blue。
＇1＇ Proceedings； vol。 xi。； p。 493。
On the 10th of September； a friend of Mr。 and Mrs。 Jones was
confined of a boy； who died on the 29th of the same month。 Their own
little boy died on the following Monday； the 2nd of October； being then
sixteen months old。 It was decided to bury the two children on the same
day。 On the morning of the day chosen； the parish priest informed Mr。 and
Mrs。 Jones that another child had died in the neighbourhood and that its
body would be brought into church along with the two others。 Mrs。 Jones
remarked to her husband：
〃If the coffin is blue； then my dream will come true。 For the two other
coffins were white。〃
The third coffin was brought； it was blue。 It remains to be observed
that the dimensions of the coffins corresponded exactly with the dream
premonitions； the smallest being that of the child who died first； the next
that of the little Jones boy； who was sixteen months old； and the largest；
the blue one； that of a boy six years of age。
Let us take； more or less at random； another case from the
inexhaustible Proceedings。＇1＇ The report is written by Mr。 Alfred Cooper
and attested by the Duchess of Hamilton； the Duke of Manchester and
another gentleman to whom the duchess related the incident before the
fulfilment of the prophetic vision：
＇1＇ Proceedings； vol。 xi。； p。 505。
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〃A fortnight before the death of the late Earl of L。；〃 says Mr。
Cooper； 〃in 1882； I called upon the Duke of Hamilton； in Hill Street； to
see him professionally。 After I h
