the unknown guest(陌生客)-第9节
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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
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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
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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； 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
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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
