the unknown guest-第13章

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ident　before　the　fulfilment　of　the　prophetic　vision：

＇1＇　Proceedings；　vol。　xi。；　p。　505。　


〃A　fortnight　before　the　death　of　the　late　Earl　of　L。；〃　says　Mr。　Cooper；　〃in　1882；　I　called　upon　the　Duke　of　Hamilton；　in　Hill　Street；　to　see　him　professionally。　After　I　had　finished　seeing　him；　we　went　into　the　drawing…room　where　the　duchess　was；　and　the　duke　said　to　me：

〃'Oh；　Cooper；　how　is　the　earl？'

〃The　duchess　said；　'What　earl？'　and；　on　my　answering；　'Lord　L；'　she　replied：

〃'That　is　very　odd。　I　have　had　a　most　extraordinary　vision。　I　went　to　bed；　but；　after　being　in　bed　a　short　time；　I　was　not　exactly　asleep；　but　thought　I　saw　a　scene　as　if　from　a　play　before　me。　The　actors　in　it　were　Lord　L；　in　a　chair；　as　if　in　a　fit；　with　a　man　standing　near　him　with　a　red　beard。　He　was　by　the　side　of　a　bath；　over　which　bath　a　red　lamp　was　distinctly　shown。'

〃I　then　said：

〃'I　am　attending　Lord　L　at　present；　there　is　very　little　the　matter　with　him；　he　is　not　going　to　die；　he　will　be　all　right　very　soon。'

〃Well；　he　got　better　for　a　week　and　was　nearly　well；　but；　at　the　end　of　six　or　seven　days　after　this；　I　was　called　to　see　him　suddenly。　He　had　inflammation　of　both　lungs。

〃I　called　in　Sir　William　Jenner；　but　in　six　days　he　was　a　dead　man。　There　were　two　male　nurses　attending　on　him；　one　had　been　taken　ill。　But；　when　I　saw　the　other；　the　dream　of　the　duchess　was　exactly　represented。　He　was　standing　near　a　bath　over　the　earl　and；　strange　to　say；　his　beard　was　red。　There　was　the　bath　with　the　red　lamp　over　it；　and　this　brought　the　story　to　my　mind。

〃The　vision　seen　by　the　duchess　was　told　two　weeks　before　the　death　of　Lord　L。　It　is　a　most　remarkable　thing。〃

7

But　it　is　impossible　to　find　space　for　the　many　instances　related。　As　I　have　said；　there　are　hundreds　of　them；　making　their　tracks　in　every　direction　across　the　plains　of　the　future。　Those　which　I　have　quoted　give　a　sufficient　idea　of　the　predominating　tone　and　the　general　aspect　of　this　sort　of　story。　It　is　nevertheless　right　to　add　that　many　of　them　are　not　at　all　tragic　and　that　premonition　opens　its　mysterious　and　capricious　vistas　of　the　future　in　connection　with　the　most　diverse　and　insignificant　events。　It　cares　but　little　for　the　human　value　of　the　occurrence　and　puts　the　vision　of　a　number　in　a　lottery　in　the　same　plane　as　the　most　dramatic　death。　The　roads　by　which　it　reaches　us　are　also　unexpected　and　varied。　Often；　as　in　the　examples　quoted；　it　comes　to　us　in　a　dream。　Sometimes；　it　is　an　auditory　or　visual　hallucination　which　seizes　upon　us　while　awake；　sometimes；　an　indefinable　but　clear　and　irresistible　presentiment；　a　shapeless　but　powerful　obsession；　an　absurd　but　imperative　certainty　which　rises　from　the　depths　of　our　inner　darkness；　where　perhaps　lies　hidden　the　final　answer　to　every　riddle。

One　might　illustrate　each　of　these　manifestations　with　numerous　examples。　I　will　mention　only　a　few；　selected　not　among　the　most　striking　or　the　most　attractive；　but　among　those　which　have　been　most　strictly　tested　and　investigated。＇1＇　A　young　peasant　from　the　neighbourhood　of　Ghent；　two　months　before　the　drawing　for　the　conscription；　announces　to　all　and　sundry　that　he　will　draw　number　90　from　the　urn。　On　entering　the　presence　of　the　district…commissioner　in　charge；　he　asks　if　number　90　is　still　in。　The　answer　is　yes。

＇1＇　Proceedings；　vol。　xi。；　p。　545。


〃Well　then；　I　shall　have　it！〃

And；　to　the　general　amazement；　he　does　draw　number　90。

Questioned　as　to　the　manner　in　which　he　acquired　this　strange　certainty；　he　declared　that；　two　months　ago；　just　after　he　had　gone　to　bed；　he　saw　a　huge；　indescribable　form　appear　in　a　corner　of　his　room；　with　the　number　90　standing　out　plainly　in　the　middle；　in　figures　the　size　of　a　man's　hand。　He　sat　up　in　bed　and　shut　and　opened　his　eyes　to　persuade　himself　that　he　was　not　dreaming。　The　apparition　remained　in　the　same　place；　distinctly　and　undeniably。

Professor　Georges　Hulin；　of　the　university　of　Ghent；　and　M。　Jules　van　Dooren；　the　district　commissioner；　who　report　the　incident；　mention　three　other　similar　and　equally　striking　cases　witnessed　by　M。　van　Dooren　during　his　term　of　office。　I　am　the　less　inclined　to　doubt　their　declaration　inasmuch　as　I　am　personally　acquainted　with　them　and　know　that　their　statements；　as　regards　the　objective　reality　of　the　facts；　are　so　to　speak　equivalent　to　a　legal　deposition。　M。　Bozzano　mentions　some　previsions　which　are　quite　as　remarkable　in　connection　with　the　gaming…tables　at　Monte　Carlo。

I　repeat；　I　am　aware　that；　in　the　case　of　these　occurrences　and　those　which　resemble　them；　it　is　possible　once　again　to　invoke　the　theory　of　coincidence。　It　will　be　contended　that　there　are　probably　a　thousand　predictions　of　this　kind　which　are　never　talked　about；　because　they　were　not　fulfilled；　whereas；　if　one　of　them　is　accomplished；　which　is　bound　by　the　law　of　probabilities　to　happen　some　day　or　other；　the　astonishment　is　general　and　free　rein　is　given　to　the　imagination。　This　is　true；　nevertheless；　it　is　well　to　enquire　whether　these　predictions　are　as　frequent　as　is　loosely　stated。　In　the　matter　of　those　which　concern　the　conscription…drawings；　for　instance；　I　have　had　the　opportunity　of　interrogating　more　than　we　constant　witness　of　these　little　dramas　of　fate；　and　all　admitted　that；　on　the　whole；　they　are　much　clearer　than　one　would　believe。　Next；　we　must　not　forget　that　there　can　be　no　question　here　of　scientific　proofs。　We　are　in　the　midst　of　a　slippery　and　nebulous　region；　where　we　would　not　dare　to　risk　a　step　if　we　were　not　allowing　ourselves　to　be　guided　by　our　feelings　rather　than　by　certainties　which　we　are　not　forbidden　to　hope　for；　but　which　are　not　yet　in　sight。

8

We　will　abridge　our　subject　still　further；　referring　readers　who　wish　to　know　the　details　to　the　originals；　lest　we　should　never　have　done；　or　rather；　instead　of　attempting　an　abridgment；　which　would　still　be　too　long；　so　plentiful　are　the　materials；　we　will　content　ourselves　with　enumerating　a　few　instances；　all　taken　from　Bozzano's　Des　Phenomenes　premonitoires。　We　read　there　of　a　funeral　procession　seen　on　a　high…road　several　days　before　it　actually　passed　that　way；　or；　again；　of　a　young　mechanic　who；　in　the　beginning　of　November；　dreamt　that　he　came　home　at　half…past　five　in　the　afternoon　and　saw　his　sister's　little　girl　run　over　by　a　tram…car　while　crossing　the　street　in　front　of　the　house。　He　told　his　dream；　in　great　distress；　and；　on　the　13th　of　the　same　month；　in　spite　of　all　the　precautions　that　had　been　taken；　the　child　was　run　over　by　the　tram…car　and　killed　at　the　hour　named。　We　find　the　ghost；　the　phantom　animal　or　the　mysterious　noise　which；　in　certain　families；　is　the　traditional　herald　of　a　death　or　of　an　imminent　catastrophe。　We　find　the　celebrated　vision　which　the　painter　Segantini　had　thirteen　days　before　his　decease；　every　detail　of　which　remained　in　his　mind　and　was　represented　in　his　last　picture；　Death。　We　find　the　Messina　disaster　dearly　foreseen；　twice　over；　by　a　little　girl　who　perished　under　the　ruins　of　the　ill…fated　city；　and　we　read　of　a　dream　which；　three　months　before　the　French　invasion　of　Russia；　foretold　to　Countess　Toutschkoff　that　her　husband　would　fall　at　Borodino；　a　village　so　little　known　at　the　time　that　those　interested　in　the　dream　looked　in　vain　for　its　name　on　the　maps。　Until　now　we　have　spoken　only　of　the　spontaneous　manifestations　of　the　future。　It　would　seem　as　though　coming　events；　gathered　in　front　of　our　lives；　bear　with　crushing　weight　upon　the　uncertain　and　deceptive　dike　of　the　present；　which　is　no　longer　able　to　contain　them。　They　ooze　through；　they　seek　a　crevice　by　which　to　reach　us。　But；　side　by　side　with　these　passive；　independent　and　intractable　premonitions；　which　are　but　so　many　vagrant　and　furtive　emanations　of　the　unknown；　are　others　which　do　yield　to　entreaty；　allow　themselves　to　be　directed　into　channels；　are　more　or　less　obedient　to　our　orders　and　will　sometimes　reply　to　the　questions　which　we　put　to　them。　They　come　from　the　same　inaccessible　reservoir；　are　no　less　mysterious；　but　yet　appear　a　little　more　human　than　the　others；　and；　without　drugging　ourselves　with　puerile　or　dangerous　illusions；　we　may　be　permitted　to　hope　that；　if　w