the unknown guest-第6章

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ouched　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　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　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　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；　obsessed　by　the　desire　and　thought　of　death；　had　gone　quietly　and　obstinately　to　seek　it　in　the　nearest　coppice。　There　was　therefore　no　criminal　in　the　case；　in　other　words；　there　was　no　possible　or　imaginable　communication　between　the　medium's　subconsciousness；　and　that　of　any　living　person。　Hence　we　are　compelled　to　admit　that　the　communication　was　established　with　the　dead　man　or　with　his　subconsciousness；　which　continued　to　live　for　nearly　a　month　after　his　death　and　to　wander　around　the　same　places；　or　else　we　must　agree　that　all　this　coming　tragedy；　all　that　the　old　man　was　about　to　see；　do　and　suffer　was　already　irrevocably　contained　and　inscribed　in　the　scarf　at　the　moment　when　he　last　wore　it。

In　this　particular　case；　considering　that　all　relations　with　the　living　were　definitely　and　undeniably　severed；　I　can　see　no　other　explanations　beyond　these　two。　They　are　both　equally　astounding　and　land　us　suddenly　in　a　world　of　fable　and　enchantment　which　we　thought　that　we　had　left　for　good　and　all。　If　we　do　not　adopt　the　theory　of　the　tell…tale　scarf；　we　must　accept　that　of　the　spiritualists；　who　maintain　that　the　spirits　communicate　with　us　freely。　It　is　possible　that　they　may　find　a　serious　argument　in　this　case。　But　a　solitary　fact　is　not　enough　to　support　a　theory；　all　the　more　so　as　the　one　in　question　will　never　be　absolutely　safe　from　the　objection　that　could　be　raised　if　the　case　were　one　of　murder；　which　is　possible；　after　all；　and　cannot　be　actually　disproved。　We　must；　therefore；　while　awaiting　other　similar　and　more　decisive　facts；　if　any　such　are　conceivable；　return　to　those　which　are；　so　to　speak；　laboratory　facts；　facts　which　are　only　denied　by　those　who　will　not　take　the　trouble　to　verify　them；　and　to　interpret　these　facts　there　are　only　the　two　theories　which　we　mentioned　above；　before　this　digression；　for；　in　these　cases；　which　are　unlike　those　of　automatic　speech　or　writing；　we　have　not　as　a　rule　to　consider　the　possibility　of　any　intervention　of　the　dead。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　the　best…known　psychometers　are　very　rarely　spiritualists　and　claim　no　connection　with　the　spirits。　They　care　but　little；　as　a　rule；　about　the　source　of　their　intuitions　and　seem　very　little　interested　in　their　exact　working　and　origin。　Now　it　would　be　exceedingly　surprising　if；　acting　and　speaking　in　the　name　of　the　departed；　they　should　be　so　consistently　ignorant　of　the　existence　of　those　who　inspire　them；　and　more　surprising　still　if　the　dead；　whom　in　other　circumstances　we　see　so　jealously　vindicating　their　identity；　should　not　here；　when　the　occasion　is　so　propitious；　seek　to　declare　themselves；　to　manifest　themselves　and　to　make　themselves　known。

7

Dismissing　for　the　time　being　the　intervention　of　the　dead；　I　believe　then　that；　in　most　of　the　cases　which　I　will　call　laboratory　cases；　because　they　can　be　reproduced　at　will；　we　are　not　necessarily　reduced　to　the　theory　of　the　vitalized　object　representing　wholly；　indefinitely　and　inexhaustibly；　through　all　the　vicissitudes　of　time　and　spice；　every　one　of　those　who　have　held　it　in　their　hands　for　a　little　while。　For　we　must　not　forget　that；　according　to　this　theory；　the　object　in　question　will　conceal　and；　through　the　intermediary　of　the　medium；　will　reveal　as　many　distinct　and　complete　personalities　as　it　has　undergone　contacts。　It　will　never　confuse　or　mix　those　different　personalities。　They　will　remain　there　in　definite　strata；　distinct　one　from　another；　and；　as　Dr。　Osty　puts　it；　〃the　medium　can　interpret　each　of　them　from　beginning　to　end；　as　though　he　were　in　communication　with　the　far…off　entity。〃

All　this　makes　the　theory　somewhat　incredible；　even　though　it　be　not　much　more　so　than　the　many　other　phenomena　in　which　the　shock　of　the　miraculous　has　been　softened　by　familiarity。　We　can　find　more　or　less　everywhere　in　nature　that　prodigious　faculty　of　storing　away　inexhaustible　energies　and　ineffaceable　tram；　memories　and　impressions　in　space。　There　is　not　a　thing　in　this　world　that　is　lost；　that　disappears；　that　ceases　to　be；　to　retain　and　to　propagate　life。　Need　we　recall；　in　this　connection；　the　incessant　mission　of　pictures　perceived　by　the　sensitized　plate；　the　vibrations　of　sound　that　accumulate　in　the　disks　of　the　gramophone；　the　Hertzian　waves　that　lose　none　of　their　strength　in　space；　the　mysteries　of　reproduction　and；　in　a　word；　the　incomprehensibility　of　everything　around　us？

8

Personally；　if　I　had　to　choose；　I　should；　in　most　of　these　laboratory　cases；　frankly　adopt　the　theory　that　the　object　touched　serves　simply　to　detect；　among　the　prodigious　crowd　of　human　beings；　the　one　who　impregnated　it　with　his　〃fluid。〃

〃This　object；〃　says　Dr。　Osty；　〃has　no　other　function　than　to　allow　the　medium's　sensitiveness　to　distinguish　a　definite　force　from　among　the　innumerable　forces　that　assail　it。〃

It　seem　more　and　more　certain　that；　as　the　cells　of　an　immense　organism；　we　are　connected　with　everything　that　exists　by　an　inextricable　network　of　vibrations；　waves；　influences；　of　nameless；　numberless　and　uninterrupted　fluids。　Nearly　always；　in　nearly　all　men；　everything　carried　along　by　these　invisible　wires　falls　into　the　depths　of　the　unconsciousness　and　passes　unperceived；　which　does　not　mean　that　it　remains　inactive。　But　sometimes　an　exceptional　circum