the unknown guest(陌生客)-第7章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
and of which I obtained the confirmation shortly afterwards。 The
experiment yielded just as remarkable results when continued with the two
other letters。
In the face of this mystery； two explanations may be offered； both
equally perplexing。 On the one hand； we shall have to admit that the sheet
of paper handed to the psychometer and impregnated with human 〃fluid〃
contains； after the manner of some prodigiously compressed gas； all the
incessantly renewed； incessantly recurring images that surround a person；
all his past and perhaps his future； his psychology； his state of health； his
wishes； his intentions； often unknown to himself； his most secret instincts；
his likes and dislikes； all that is bathed in light and all that is plunged in
darkness； his whole life； in short； and more than his personal and
conscious life； besides all the lives and all the influences； good or bad；
latent or manifest； of all who approach him。 We should have here a
mystery as unfathomable and at least as vast as that of generation； which
transmits； in an infinitesimal particle； the mind and matter； with all the
qualities and all the faults； all the acquirements and all the history； of a
series of lives of which none can tell the number。
On the other hand； if we do not admit that so much energy can lie
concealed in a sheet of paper； continuing to exist and develop indefinitely
there； we must necessarily suppose that an inconceivable network of
nameless forces is perpetually radiating from this same paper； forces
which； cleaving time and space； detect instantaneously； anywhere and at
any distance； the life that gave them life and place themselves in complete
communication； body and soul； senses and thoughts； past and future；
consciousness and subconsciousness； with an existence lost amid the
innumerous host of men who people this earth。 It is； indeed； exactly what
happens in the experiments with mediums in automatic speech or writing；
27
… Page 28…
THE UNKNOWN GUEST
who believe themselves to be inspired by the dead。 Yet； here it is no longer
a discarnate spirit； but an object of any kind imbued with a living 〃fluid〃
that works the miracle； and this； we may remark in passing； deals a severe
blow to the spiritualistic theory。
Nevertheless； there are two rather curious objections to this second
explanation。 Granting that the object really places the medium in
communication with an unknown entity discovered in space； how comes it
that the image or the spectacle created by that communication hardly ever
corresponds with the reality at the actual moment？ On the other hand； it is
indisputable that the psychometer's clairvoyance； his gift of seeing at a
distance the pictures and scenes surrounding an unknown being； is
exercised with the same certainty and the same power when the object that
sets his strange faculty at work has been touched by a person who has
been dead for years。 Are we； then； to admit that there is an actual； living
communication with a human being who is no more； who sometimes； for
instance； in a case of incinerationhas left no trace of himself on earth； in
short； with a dead man who continues to live at the place and at the
moment at which he impregnated the object with his 〃fluid〃 and who
seems to be unaware that he is dead？
But these objections are perhaps less serious than one might believe。
To begin with； there are seers； so…called 〃telepsychics；〃 who are not
psychometers； that is to say； they are able to communicate with an
unknown and distant person without the intermediary of an object； and in
these seers； as in the psychometers； the vision very rarely corresponds
with the actual facts of the moment： they too perceive above all the
general impression； the usual and characteristic actions。 Next； as regards
communications with a person long since dead； we are confronted with
one of two things： either confirmation will be almost impossible when it
concerns revelations on the subject of the dead man's private deeds and
actions； which are unknown to any living person or else communication
will be established not with the deceased； but with the living person； who
necessarily knows the facts which he is called upon to confirm。 As Dr。
Osty very rightly says：
〃The conditions are then those of perception by the intermediary of the
28
… Page 29…
THE UNKNOWN GUEST
thoughts of a living person； and the deceased is perceived through a
mental representation。 The experiment； for this reason； is valueless as
evidence of the reality of retrospective psychometry and consequently of
the recording part played by the object。
〃The only class of experiment that could be of value from this point of
view； would be that in which confirmation would come subsequently from
documents whose contents remained unknown to any living person until
after the clairvoyance sitting。 It might then be proved that the object can
latently register the human personalities which have touched it and that it
is sufficient in itself to allow of a mental reconstruction of those
personalities through the interpretation of the register by a clairvoyant or
psychometer。〃
5
It may be imagined that experiments of this sort； in which there is no
crack； no leak on the side of the living； are anything but easy to carry
through。 In the case of a murder； for instance； it can always be maintained
that the medium discovers the body and the circumstances of the tragedy
through the involuntary and unconscious intermediary of the murderer；
even when the latter escapes prosecution and suspicion altogether。 But a
recent incident； related by Dr。 Osty with the utmost precision of detail and
the most scrupulous verification in the Annales des Sciences Psychiques of
April； 1914； perhaps supplies us with one of those experiments which we
have not been able to achieve until this day。 I give the facts in a few
words。
On the 2nd of March of this year； M。 Etienne Lerasle； an old man of
eighty…two； left his son's house at Cours…les…Barres （Cher） for his daily
walk and was not seen again。 The house stands in the middle of a forest on
Baron Jaubert's estate。 Vain searches were made in every direction for the
missing man's traces； the ponds and pools were dragged to no purpose；
and on the 8th of March a careful and systematical exploration of the
wood； in which no fewer than twenty…four people took part； led to no
result。 At last； on the 18th of March； M。 Louis Mirault； Baron Jaubert's
agent； thought of applying to Dr。 Osty； and supplied him with a scarf
29
… Page 30…
THE UNKNOWN GUEST
which the old man had worn。 Dr。 Osty went to his favourite medium； Mme。
M。 He knew only one thing； that the matter concerned an old man of
eighty…two； who walked with a slight stoop； and that was all。
As soon as Mme。 M had taken the scarf in her hands； she saw the
dead body of an old man lying on the damp ground； in a wood； in the
middle of a coppice； beside a horse…shoe pond； near a sort of rock。 She
traced the road taken by the victim； depicted the buildings which he had
passed； his mental condition impaired by age； his fixed intention of dying；
his physical appearance； his habitual and characteristic way of carrying his
stick； his soft striped shirt； and so on。
The accuracy of the description caused the greatest astonishment
among the missing man's friends。 There was one detail that puzzled them a
little： the mention of a rock in a part of the country that possessed none。
The search was resumed on the strength of the data supplied by the
clairvoyant。 But all the rocks in a forest are more or less alike； the
indications were not enough； and nothing was found。
It so happened that the second and third interviews with Mme。 M had
to be postponed until the 30th of March and the 6th of April following。 At
each of these sittings； the details of the vision and of the road taken
became clearer and clearer and were given with startling precision； so
much so that； by pursuing step by step the indications of the medium； the
man's friends ended by discovering the body； dressed as stated； lying in the
middle of a coppice； just as described； close to a huge stump of a tree all
covered with moss； which might easily be mistaken for a rock； and on the
edge of a crescent…shaped piece of water。 I may add that these particular
indications applied to no other part of the wood。
6
I refer the reader to Dr。 Osty's conscientious and exhaustive article for
the numerous details which I have been obliged to omit； but those which I
have given are enough to show the character of this extraordinary case。 To
begin with； we have one certainty which appears almost unassailable；
namely； that there can be no question of a crime。 No one had the least
interest in procuring the old man's death。 The body bore no marks of
30
… Page 31…
THE UNKNOWN GUEST
violence； besides； the minds of those concerned did not for a moment
entertain the thought of an assault。 The poor man； whose mental
derangement was known to all those about him； obses
