the unknown guest-第25章

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ression　of　his　limpid　antelope…eyes　is　deep；　serious　and　remote；　but　it　differs　in　no　wise　from　that　of　his　brothers　who；　for　thousands　of　years；　have　seen　nothing　but　brutality　and　ingratitude　in　man。　If　we　were　able　to　read　anything　there；　it　would　not　be　that　insufficient　and　vain　little　effort　which　we　call　thought；　but　rather　an　indefinable；　vast　anxiety；　a　tear…dimmed　regret　for　the　boundless；　stream…crossed　plains　where　his　sires　sported　at　will　before　they　knew　man's　yoke。　In　any　case；　to　see　him　thus　fastened　by　a　halter　to　the　stable…door；　beating　off　the　flies　and　absently　pawing　the　cobbles；　Muhamed　is　nothing　more　than　a　well…trained　horse　who　seems　to　be　waiting　for　his　saddle　or　harness　and　who　hide；　his　new　secret　as　profoundly　as　all　the　others　which　nature　has　buried　in　him。　

9　

But　they　are　summoning　me　to　take　my　place　in　the　stable　where　the　lessons　are　given。　It　is　a　small　room；　empty　and　bare；　with　peat…moss　litter　bedding　and　white…washed　walls。　The　horse　is　separated　from　the　people　present　by　breast…high　wooden　partitions。　Opposite　the　four…legged　scholar　is　a　black…board；　nailed　to　the　wall；　and　on　one　side　a　corn…bin　which　forms　a　seat　for　the　spectators。　Muhamed　is　led　in。　Krall；　who　is　a　little　nervous；　makes　no　secret　of　his　uneasiness。　His　horses　are　fickle　animals；　uncertain；　capricious　and　extremely　sensitive。　A　trifle　disturbs　them；　confuses　them；　puts　them　off。　At　such　times；　threats；　prayers　and　even　the　irresistible　charm　of　carrots　and　good　rye…bread　are　useless。　They　obstinately　refuse　to　do　any　work　and　they　answer　at　random。　Everything　depends　on　a　whim；　the　state　of　the　weather；　the　morning　meal　or　the　impression　which　the　visitor　makes　upon　them。　Still；　Krall　seems　to　know；　by　certain　imperceptible　signs；　that　this　is　not　going　to　be　a　bad　day。　Muhamed　quivered　with　excitement；　snorts　loudly　through　his　nostrils；　utters　a　series　of　indistinct　little　whinnyings：　excellent　symptoms；　it　appears。　I　take　my　seat　on　the　corn…bin。　The　master；　standing　beside　the　black…board；　chalk　in　hand；　introduces　me　to　Muhamed　in　due　form；　as　to　a　human　being：

〃Muhamed；　attention！　This　is　your　uncle〃pointing　to　me〃who　has　come　all　the　way　to　honour　you　with　a　visit。　Mind　you　don't　disappoint　him。　His　name　is　Maeterlinck。〃　Krall　pronounced　the　first　syllable　German…fashion：　Mah。　〃You　understand：　Maeterlinck。　Now　show　him　that　you　know　your　letters　and　that　you　can　spell　a　name　correctly；　like　a　clever　boy。　Go　ahead；　we're　listening。〃　Muhamed　gives　a　short　neigh　and；　on　the　small；　movable　board　at　his　feet；　strikes　first　with　his　right　hoof　and　then　with　his　left　the　number　of　blows　which　correspond　with　the　letter　M　in　the　conventional　alphabet　used　by　the　horses。　Then；　one　after　the　other；　without　stopping　or　hesitating；　he　marks　the　letters　A　D　R　L　I　N　S　H；　representing　the　unexpected　aspect　which　my　humble　name　assumes　in　the　equine　mind　and　phonetics。　His　attention　is　called　to　the　fact　that　there　is　a　mistake。　He　readily　agrees　and　replaces　the　S　H　by　a　G　and　then　the　G　by　a　K。　They　insist　that　he　must　put　a　T　instead　of　the　D；　but　Muhamed；　content　with　his　work；　shakes　his　head　to　say　no　and　refuses　to　make　any　further　corrections。

10

I　assure　you　that　the　first　shock　is　rather　disturbing；　however　much　one　expected　it。　I　am　quite　aware　that；　when　one　describes　these　things；　one　is　taken　for　a　dupe　too　readily　dazzled　by　the　doubtless　childish　illusion　of　an　ingeniously　contrived　scene。　But　what　contrivances；　what　illusions　have　we　here？　Do　they　lie　in　the　spoken　word？　Why；　to　admit　that　the　horse　understands　and　translates　his　master's　words　is　just　to　accept　the　most　extraordinary　part　of　the　phenomenon！　Is　it　a　case　of　surreptitious　touches　or　conventional　signs？　However　simple…minded　one　may　be；　one　would　nevertheless　notice　them　more　easily　than　a　horse；　even　a　horse　of　genius。　Krall　never　lays　a　hand　on　the　animal；　he　moves　all　round　the　little　table；　which　contains　no　appliances　of　any　sort；　for　the　most　part；　he　stands　behind　the　horse　which　is　unable　to　see　him；　or　comes　and　sits　beside　his　guest　on　the　innocuous　corn…bin；　busying　himself；　while　lecturing　his　pupil；　in　writing　up　the　minutes　of　the　lesson。　He　also　welcomes　with　the　most　serene　readiness　any　restrictions　or　tests　which　you　propose。　I　assure　you　that　the　thing　itself　is　much　simple；　and　clearer　than　the　suspicions　of　the　arm…chair　critics　and　that　the　most　distrustful　mind　world　not　entertain　the　faintest　idea　of　fraud　in　the　frank；　wholesome　atmosphere　of　the　old　stable。

〃But；〃　some　one　might　have　said；　〃Krall；　who　knew　that　you　were　coming　to　Elberfeld；　had　of　course　thoroughly　rehearsed　his　little　exercise　in　spelling；　which　apparently　is　only　an　exercise　in　memory。〃

For　conscience'　sake；　though　I　did　not　look　upon　the　objection　as　serious；　I　submitted　it　to　Krall；　who　at　once　said：　〃Try　it　for　yourself。　Dictate　to　the　horse　any　German　word　of　two　or　three　syllables；　emphasizing　it　strongly。　I'll　go　out　of　the　stable　and　leave　you　alone　with　him。〃

Behold　Muhamed　and　me　by　ourselves。　I　confess　that　I　am　a　little　frightened。　I　have　many　a　time　felt　less　uncomfortable　in　the　presence　of　the　great　ones　or　the　kings　of　the　earth。　Whom　am　I　dealing　with　exactly？　However；　I　summon　my　courage　and　speak　aloud　the　first　word　that　occurs　to　me；　the　name　of　the　hotel　at　which　I　am　staying：　Weidenhof。　At　first；　Muhamed；　who　seems　a　little　puzzled　by　his　master's　absence；　appears　not　to　hear　me　and　does　not　even　deign　to　notice　that　I　am　there。　But　I　repeat　eagerly；　in　varying　tones　of　voice；　by　turns　insinuating；　threatening；　beseeching　and　commanding：

〃Weidenhof！　Weidenhof！　Weidenhof！〃

At　last；　my　mysterious　companion　suddenly　makes　up　his　mind　to　lend　me　his　ears　and　straightway　blithely　raps　out　the　following　letters；　which　I　write　down　on　the　black…board　as　they　come：

WEIDNHOZ。

It　is　a　magnificent　specimen　of　equine　spelling！　Triumphant　and　bewildered；　I　call　in　friend　Krall；　who；　accustomed　as　he　is　to　the　prodigy；　thinks　it　quite　natural；　but　knits　his　brows：

〃What's　this；　Muhamed？　You've　made　a　mistake　again。　It's　an　F　you　want　at　the　end　of　the　word；　not　a　Z。　Just　correct　it　at　once；　please。〃

And　the　docile　Muhamed；　recognizing　his　blunder；　gives　the　three　blows　with　his　right　hoof；　followed　by　the　four　blows　with　his　left；　which　represent　the　most　unexceptionable　F　that　one　could　ask　for。

Observe；　by　the　way；　the　logic　of　his　phonetic　writing：　contrary　to　his　habit；　he　strikes　the　mute　E　after　the　W；　because　it　is　indispensable；　but；　finding　it　included　in　the　D；　he　considers　it　superfluous　and　suppresses　it　with　a　high　hand。

You　rub　your　eyes；　question　yourself；　ask　yourself　in　the　presence　of　what　humanized　phenomenon；　of　what　unknown　force；　of　what　new　creature　you　stand。　Was　all　this　what　they　hid　in　their　eyes；　those　silent　brothers　of　ours？　You　blush　at　arm's　long　injustice。　You　look　around　you　for　some　sort　of　trace；　obvious　or　subtle；　of　the　mystery。　You　feel　yourself　attacked　in　your　innermost　citadel；　where　you　held　yourself　most　certain　and　most　impregnable。　You　have　felt　a　breath　from　the　abyss　upon　your　face。　You　would　not　be　more　astonished　if　you　suddenly　heard　the　voice　of　the　dead。　But　the　most　astonishing　thing　is　that　you　are　not　astonished　for　long。　We　all；　unknown　to　ourselves；　live　in　the　expectation　of　the　extraordinary；　and；　when　it　comes；　it　moves　us　much　less　than　did　the　expectation。　It　is　as　though　a　sort　of　higher　instinct；　which　knows　everything　and　is　not　ignorant　of　the　miracles　that　hang　over　our　heads；　were　reassuring　us　in　advance　and　helping　us　to　make　an　easy　entrance　into　the　regions　of　the　supernatural。　There　is　nothing　to　which　we　grow　accustomed　more　readily　than　to　the　marvellous；　and　it　is　only　afterwards；　upon　reflection；　that　our　intelligence；　which　knows　hardly　anything；　appreciates　the　magnitude　of　certain　phenomena。

11

But　Muhamed　gives　unmistakable　signs　of　impatience　to　show　that　he　has　had　enough　of　spelling。　Thereupon；　as　a　diversion　and　a　reward；　his　kind　master　suggests　the　extraction　of　a　few　square　and　cubic　roots。　Muhamed　appears　delighted：　these　are　his　favourite　problems：　for　he　takes　less　interest　than　formerly　in　the　most