the unknown guest(陌生客)-第3节
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reveals something that has happened； a crime； a hidden treasure of which
no one else could know。 But we will return to these matters after
completing this brief enumeration。
2
The phenomenon of haunted houses resembles that of the phantasms
of the dead； except that here the ghost clings to the residence； the house；
the building and in no way to the persons who inhabit it。 By the second
year of its existence； that is to say； 1884； the Committee on Haunted
Houses of the S。 P。 R。 had selected and made an analysis of some sixty…
five cases out of hundreds submitted to it； twenty…eight of which rested
upon first…hand and superior evidence。＇1＇ It is worthy of remark； in the
first place； that these authentic narratives bear no relation whatever to the
legendary and sensational ghost…stories that still linger in many English
and American magazines； especially in the Christmas numbers。 They
mention no winding…sheets； coffins； skeletons； graveyards； no sulphurous
flames； curses； blood…curdling groans； no clanking chains； nor any of the
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time…honoured trappings that characterize this rather feeble literature of
the supernatural。 On the contrary； the scenes enacted in houses that appear
to be really haunted are generally very simple and insignificant； not to say
dull and commonplace。 The ghosts are quite unpretentious and go to no
expense in the matter of staging or costume。 They are clad as they were
when； sometimes many years ago； they led their quiet； unadventurous life
within their own home。 We find in one case an old woman； with a thin
grey shawl meekly folded over her breast； who bends at night over the
sleeping occupants of her old home； or who is frequently encountered in
the hall or on the stairs； silent； mysterious； a little grim。 Or else it is the
gentleman with a lacklustre eye and a figured dressing…gown who walks
along a passage brilliantly illuminated with an inexplicable light。 Or again
we have another elderly lady； dressed in black； who is often found seated
in the bay window of her drawing…room。 When spoken to； she rises and
seems on the point of replying； but says nothing。 When pursued or met in
a corner； she eludes all contact and vanishes。 Strings are fastened across
the staircase with glue； she passes and the strings remain as they were。 The
ghostand this happens in the majority of casesis seen by all the people
staying in the house： relatives； friends； old servants and new。 Can it be a
matter of suggestion； of collective hallucination？ At any rate； strangers；
visitors who have had nothing said to them； see it as the others do and ask；
innocently： 〃Who is the lady in mourning whom I met in the dining…
room？〃
＇1＇ Proceedings； vol。 i。； pp。 101…115； vol。 ii。； pp。 137…151； vol。 viii。； pp。
311； 332； etc。
If it is a case of collective suggestion； we should have to admit that it
is a subconscious suggestion emitted without the knowledge of the
participants； which indeed is quite possible。
Though they belong to the same order； I will not here mention the
exploits of what the Germans call the Poltergeist； which take the form of
flinging stones； ringing bells； turning mattresses； upsetting furniture and so
forth。 These matters are always open to suspicion and really appear to be
nothing but quaint frolics of hysterical subjects or of mediums indulging
their sense of humour。 The manifestations of the Poltergeist are fairly
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numerous and the reader will find several instances in the Proceedings and
especially in the Journal of the S。 P。 R。
As for communications with the dead； I devoted a whole chapter to
these in my own essay entitled Our Eternity and will not return to them
now。 It will be enough to recall and recapitulate my general impression；
that probably the dead did not enter into any of these conversations。 We
are here concerned with purely mediumistic phenomena； more curious and
mere subtle than those of table…rapping； but of the same character； and
these manifestations； however astonishing they may be； do not pierce the
terrestrial sphere wherein we are imprisoned。
3
Setting aside the religious hypotheses； which we are not examining
here； for they belong to a different order of ideas；＇1＇ we find； as an
explanation of the Majority of these phenomena； or at least as a means of
avoiding an absolute and depressing silence in regard to them； two
hypotheses which reach the unknown by more or less divergent paths； to
wit； the spiritualistic hypothesis and the mediumistic hypothesis。 The
spiritualists； or rather the neospiritualists or scientific spiritualists； who
must not be confused with the somewhat over…credulous disciples of Allan
Kardec； maintain that the dead do not die entirely； that their spiritual or
animistic entity neither departs nor disperses into space after the
dissolution of the body； but continues an active though invisible existence
around us。 The neospiritualistic theory； however； professes only very
vague notions as to the life led by these discarnate spirits。 Are they more
intelligent than they were when they inhabited their flesh？ Do they possess
a wider understanding and mightier faculties than ours？ Up to the present；
we have not the unimpeachable facts that would permit us to say so。 It
would seem； on the contrary； if the discarnate spirits really continue to
exist； that their life is circumscribed； frail； precarious； incoherent and；
above all； not very long。 To this the objection is raised that it only appears
so to our feeble eyes。 The dead among whom we move without knowing it
struggle to make themselves understood； to manifest themselves； but dash
themselves against the inpenetrable wall of our senses； which； created
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solely to perceive matter； remain hopelessly ignorant of all the rest； though
this is doubtless the essential part of the universe。 That which will survive
in us； imprisoned in our body； is absolutely inaccessible to that which
survives in them。 The utmost that they can do is occasionally to cause a
few glimmers of their existence to penetrate the fissures of those singular
organisms known as mediums。 But these vagrant； fleeting； venturous；
stifled； deformed glimmers can but give us a ludicrous idea of a life which
has no longer anything in common with the lifepurely animal for the
most part… which we lead on this earth。 It is possible； and there is
something to be said for the theory。 It is at any rate remarkable that certain
communications； certain manifestations have shaken the scepticism of the
coldest and most dispassionate men of science； men utterly hostile to
supernatural influences。 In order to some extent to understand their
uneasiness and their astonishment； we need only readto quote but one
instance among a thousanda disquieting but unassailable article； entitled；
Dans les regions inexplorees de la biologic humaine。 Observations et
experiences sur Eusapia Paladino； by Professor Bottazzi； Director of the
Physiological Institute of the University of Naples。＇2＇ Seldom have
experiments in the domain of mediums or spirits been conducted with
more distrustful suspicion or with more implacable scientific strictness。
Nevertheless； scattered limbs； pale； diaphanous but capable hands；
suddenly appeared in the little physiological laboratory of Naples
University； with its doors heavily padlocked and sealed； as it were；
mathematically excluding any possibilit
