armadale-第45章
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the table caught his eye。 〃If we can think of nothing else；〃 he
said； 〃let us try if we can't find the idea of the rain where we
found the idea of the pool。〃 He looked through the extract
carefully。 〃I have got it！〃 he exclaimed。 〃Here is rain described
as having fallen on these thirsty Australian travelers； before
they discovered the pool。 Behold the shower； Mr。 Armadale； which
got into your mind when you read the extract to your friend last
night！ And behold the dream； Mr。 Midwinter； mixing up separate
waking impressions just as usual！〃
〃Can you find the waking impression which accounts for the human
figure at the window？〃 asked Midwinter； 〃or are we to pass over
the Shadow of the Man as we have passed over the Shadow of the
Woman already？〃
He put the question with scrupulous courtesy of manner； but with
a tone of sarcasm in his voice which caught the doctor's ear； and
set up the doctor's controversial bristles on the instant。
〃When you are picking up shells on the beach； Mr。 Midwinter； you
usually begin with the shells that lie nearest at hand；〃 he
rejoined。 〃We are picking up facts now； and those that are
easiest to get at are the facts we will take first。 Let the
Shadow of the Man and the Shadow of the Woman pair off together
for the present； we won't lose sight of them； I promise you。 All
in good time； my dear sir； all in good time！〃
He； too； was polite； and he； too； was sarcastic。 The short truce
between the opponents was at an end already。 Midwinter returned
significantly to his former place by the window。 The doctor
instantly turned his back on the window more significantly still。
Allan； who never quarreled with anybody's opinion； and never
looked below the surface of anybody's conduct； drummed cheerfully
on the table with the handle of his knife。 〃Go on； doctor！〃 he
called out； 〃my wonderful memory is as fresh as ever。〃
〃Is it？〃 said Mr。 Hawbury； referring again to the narrative of
the dream。 〃Do you remember what happened when you and I were
gossiping with the landlady at the bar of the hotel last night？〃
〃Of course I do！ You were kind enough to hand me a glass of
brandy…and…water； which the landlady had just mixed for your own
drinking。 And I was obliged to refuse it because； as I told you；
the taste of brandy always turns me sick and faint； mix it how
you please。〃
〃Exactly so；〃 returned the doctor。 〃And here is the incident
reproduced in the dream。 You see the man's shadow and the woman's
shadow together this time。 You hear the pouring out of liquid
（brandy from the hotel bottle； and water from the hotel jug）； the
glass is handed by the woman…shadow （the landlady） to the
man…shadow （myself）； the man…shadow hands it to you （exactly what
I did）； and the faintness （which you had previously described to
me） follows in due course。 I am shocked to identify these
mysterious appearances； Mr。 Midwinter； with such miserably
unromantic originals as a woman who keeps a hotel； and a man who
physics a country district。 But your friend himself will tell you
that the glass of brandy…and…water was prepared by the landlady；
and that it reached him by passing from her hand to mine。 We have
picked up the shadows； exactly as I anticipated； and we have only
to account nowwhich may be done in two wordsfor the manner of
their appearance in the dream。 After having tried to introduce
the waking impression of the doctor and the landlady separately；
in connection with the wrong set of circumstances； the dreaming
mind comes right at the third trial； and introduces the doctor
and the landlady together； in connection with the right set of
circumstances。 There it is in a nutshell！Permit me to hand you
back the manuscript； with my best thanks for your very complete
and striking confirmation of the rational theory of dreams。〃
Saying those words； Mr。 Hawbury returned the written paper to
Midwinter； with the pitiless politeness of a conquering man。
〃Wonderful！ not a point missed anywhere from beginning to end！ By
Jupiter！〃 cried Allan； with the ready reverence of intense
ignorance。 〃What a thing science is！〃
〃Not a point missed； as you say；〃 remarked the doctor；
complacently。 〃And yet I doubt if we have succeeded in convincing
your friend。〃
〃You have _not_ convinced me；〃 said Midwinter。 〃But I don't
presume on that account to say that you are wrong。〃
He spoke quietly； almost sadly。 The terrible conviction of the
supernatural origin of the dream； from which he had tried to
escape； had possessed itself of him again。 All his interest in
the argument was at an end； all his sensitiveness to its
irritating influences was gone。 In the case of any other man； Mr。
Hawbury would have been mollified by such a concession as his
adversary had now made to him； but he disliked Midwinter too
cordially to leave him in the peaceable enjoyment of an opinion
of his own。
〃Do you admit；〃 asked the doctor； more pugnaciously than ever；
〃that I have traced back every event of the dream to a waking
impression which preceded it in Mr。 Armadale's mind？〃
〃I have no wish to deny that you have done so；〃 said Midwinter；
resignedly。
〃Have I identified the shadows with their living originals？〃
〃You have identified them to your own satisfaction； and to my
friend's satisfaction。 Not to mine。〃
〃Not to yours？ Can _you_ identify them？〃
〃No。 I can only wait till the living originals stand revealed in
the future。〃
〃Spoken like an oracle； Mr。 Midwinter！ Have you any idea at
present of who those living originals may be？〃
〃I have。 I believe that coming events will identify the Shadow of
the Woman with a person whom my friend has not met with yet； and
the Shadow of the Man with myself。〃
Allan attempted to speak。 The doctor stopped him。 〃Let us clearly
understand this；〃 he said to Midwinter。 〃Leaving your own case
out of the question for the moment； may I ask how a shadow； which
has no distinguishing mark about it； is to be identified with a
living woman whom your friend doesn't know？〃
Midwinter's color rose a little。 He began to feel the lash of the
doctor's logic。
〃The landscape picture of the dream has its distinguishing
marks；〃 he replied； 〃and in that landscape the living woma n will
appear when the living woman is first seen。〃
〃The same thing will happen； I suppose；〃 pursued the doctor；
〃with the man…shadow which you persist in identifying with
yourself。 You will be associated in the future with a statue
broken in your friend's presence； with a long window looking out
on a garden； and with a shower of rain pattering against the
glass？ Do you say that？〃
〃I say that。〃
〃And so again； I presume； with the next vision？ You and the
mysterious woman will be brought together in some place now
unknown； and will present to Mr。 Armadale some liquid yet
unnamed； which will turn him faint？Do you seriously tell me you
believe this？〃
〃I seriously tell you I believe it。〃
〃And； according to your view； these fulfillments of the dream
will mark the progress of certain coming events； in which Mr。
Armadale's happiness； or Mr。 Armadale's safety； will be
dangerously involved？〃
〃That is my firm conviction。〃
The doctor rose； laid aside his moral dissecting…knife；
considered for a moment； and took it up again。
〃One last question；〃 he said。 〃Have you any reason to give for
going out of your way to adopt such a mystical view as this； when
an unanswerably rational explanation of the dream lies straight
before you？〃
〃No reason；〃 replied Midwinter； 〃that I can give； either to you
or to my friend。〃
The doctor looked at his watch with the air of a man who is
suddenly reminded that he has been wasting his time。
〃We have no common ground to start from；〃 he said； 〃and if we
talk till doomsday； we should not agree。 Excuse my leaving you
rather abruptly。 It is later than I thought； and my morning's
batch of sick people are waiting for me in the surgery。 I have
convinced _your_ mind； Mr。 Armadale； at any rate； so the time we
have given to this discussion has not been altogether lost。 Pray
stop here； and smoke your cigar。 I shall be at your service again
in less than an hour。〃 He nodded cordially to Allan； bowed
formally to Midwinte
