the unknown guest(陌生客)-第27章
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building； with a ground…floor used for store…rooms and cow…sheds and on
the right a rough hut made of branches and a cart with some harness lying
in it。
A peasant wearing dark trousers； with a black felt hat on his head；
came forward to meet him； asked him to follow him and took him round
behind the house。 Through a low； narrow door they entered a little stable
with a short； winding stone staircase leading to a loft over the entrance to
the house。 A mule fastened to a swinging manger was blocking the bottom
step； and the chevalier had to push it aside before climbing the staircase。
On reaching the loft； he noticed that from the ceiling were suspended
strings of melons； tomatoes； onions and Indian corn。 In this room were
two women and a little girl； and through a door leading to another room he
caught sight of an extremely high bed； unlike any that he had ever seen
before。 Here the dream broke off。 It seemed to him so strange that he
spoke of it to several of his friends； whom he mentions by name and who
are ready to confirm his statements。
On the 12th of October in the same year； in order to support a fellow…
townsman in a duel； he accompanied the seconds； by motorcar； from
Naples to Marano； a place which he had never visited nor even heard of。
As soon as they were some way in the country； he was curiously
impressed by the white and dusty road。 The car pulled up at the side of a
field which he at once recognized。 They lighted； and he remarked to one
of the seconds： 〃This is not the first time that I have been here。 There
should be a house at the end of this path and on the right a hut and a cart
with some harness in it。〃
As a matter of fact； everything was as he described it。 An instant later；
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at the exact moment foreseen by the dream； the peasant in the dark
trousers and the black felt hat came up and asked him to follow him。 But；
instead of walking behind him； the chevalier went in front； for he already
knew the way。 He found the stable and； exactly at the place which it
occupied two months before； near its swinging manger； the mule blocking
the way to the staircase。 The fencing master went up the steps and once
more saw the loft； with the ceiling hung with melons； onions and tomatoes；
and； in a corner on the right； the two silent women and the child； identical
with the figures in his dream； while in the next room he recognized the
bed whose extraordinary height had so much impressed him。
It really looks as if the facts themselves； the extramundane realities；
the eternal verities； or whatever we may be pleased to call them； have tried
to show us here that time and space are one and the same illusion； one and
the same convention and have no existence outside our little day…spanned
understanding； that 〃everywhere〃 and 〃always〃 are exactly synonymous
terms and reign alone as soon as we cross the narrow boundaries of the
obscure consciousness in which we live。 We are quite ready to admit that
Cavaliere de Figueroa may have had by clairvoyance an exact and detailed
vision of places which he was not to visit until later： this is a pretty
frequent and almost classical phenomenon； which； as it affects the realities
of space； does not astonish us beyond measure and； in any case； does not
take us out of the world which our senses perceive。 The field； the house；
the hut； the loft do not move； and it is no miracle that they should be found
in the same place。 But； suddenly； quitting this domain where all is
stationary； the phenomenon is transferred to time and； in those unknown
places； at the foretold second； brings together all the moving actors of that
little drama in two acts； of which the first was performed some two and a
half months before； in the depths of some mysterious other life where it
seemed to be motionlessly and irrevocably awaiting its terrestrial
realization。 Any explanation would but condense this vapour of petty
mysteries into a few drops in the ocean of mysteries。 Let us note here
again； in passing； the strange freakishness of the premonitions。 They
accumulate the most precise and circumstantial details as long as the scene
remains insignificant； but come to a sudden stop before the one tragic and
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interesting scene of the drama： the duel and its issue。 Here again we
recognize the inconsistent； impotent； ironical or humorous habits of our
unknown guest。
30
But we will not prolong these somewhat vain speculations concerning
space and time。 We are merely playing with words that represent very
badly ideas which we do not put into form at all。 To sum up； if it is
difficult for us to conceive that the future preexists； perhaps it is even
more difficult for us to understand that it does not exist； moreover； a
certain number of facts tend to prove that it is as real and definite and has；
both in time and in eternity； the same permanence and the same vividness
as the past。 Now； from the moment that it preexists； it is not surprising that
we should be able to know it； it is even astonishing； granted that it
overhangs us on every side； that we should not discover it oftener and
more easily。 It remains to be learnt what would become of our life if
everything were foreseen in it； if we saw it unfolding beforehand； in its
entirety； with its events which would have to be inevitable； because； if it
were possible for us to avoid them； they would not exist and we could not
perceive them。 Suppose that； instead of being abnormal； uncertain；
obscure； debatable and very unusual； prediction became； so to speak；
scientific； habitual； clear and infallible： in a short time； having nothing
more to foretell； it would die of inanition。 If； for instance； it was
prophesied to me that I must die in the course of a journey in Italy； I
should naturally abandon the journey； therefore it could not have been
predicted to me； and thus all life would soon be nothing but inaction；
pause and abstention； a soft of vast desert where the embryos of still…born
events would be gathered in heaps and where nothing would grow save
perhaps one or two more or less fortunate enterprises and the little
insignificant incidents which no one would trouble to avoid。 But these
again are questions to which there is no solution； and we will not pursue
them further。
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CHAPTER IV。
THE ELBERFELD HORSES
1
I will first sum up as briefly as possible； for who so may still be
ign
