a journey in other worlds-第43章

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the　murmuring　of　prayers　in　a　resonant　cathedral。　　Thinking　it
was　the　wind　in　the　great　trees　that　grew　singly　around　them；
they　paid　no　attention　to　it　until；　emerging　on　an　open　plain　and
finding　that　the　sound　continued；　they　stopped。
　　　
〃Now；〃　said　Bearwarden；　〃this　is　more　curious　than　anything　we
found　on　Jupiter。　　Here　we　have　an　incessant　and　rather　pleasant
sound；　with　no　visible　cause。〃
　　　
〃It　may　possibly　be　some　peculiarity　of　the　grass；〃　replied
Cortlandt；　〃though；　should　it　continue　when　we　reach　sandy　or
bare　soil；　I　shall　believe　we　need　a　dose　of　quinine。〃
　　　
〃I　FEEL　perfectly　well；〃　said　Ayrault；　〃how　is　it　with　you？〃
　　　
Each　finding　that　he　was　in　a　normal　state；　they　proceeded；
determined；　if　possible；　to　discover　the　source　from　which　the
sounds　came。　　Suddenly　Bearwarden　raised　his　gun　to　bring　down　a
long…beaked　hawk；　but　the　bird　flew　off；　and　he　did　not　shoot。　
〃Plague　the　luck！〃　said　he；　〃I　went　blind　just　as　I　was　about　to
pull。　　A　haze　seemed　to　cover　both　barrels；　and　completely
screened　the　bird。〃
　　　
〃The　Callisto　will　soon　be　hidden　by　those　trees；〃　said
Cortlandt。　　〃I　think　we　had　better　take　our　bearings；　for；　if　our
crack　shot　is　going　to　miss　like　that；　we　may　want　canned
provisions。〃
　　　
Accordingly；　he　got　out　his　sextant；　took　the　altitude　of　the
sun；　got　cross…bearings　and　a　few　angles；　and　began　to　make　a
rough　calculation。　　For　several　minutes　he　worked　industriously；
used　the　rubber　at　the　end　of　his　pencil；　tried　again；　and　then
scratched　out。　　〃That　humming　confuses　me　so　that　I　cannot　work
correctly；〃　said　he；　〃while　the　most　irrelevant　things　enter　my
mind　in　spite　of　me；　and　mix　up　my　figures。〃
　　　
〃I　found　the　same　thing；〃　said　Bearwarden；　〃but　said　nothing；　for
fear　I　should　not　be　believed。　　In　addition　to　going　blind；　for　a
moment　I　almost　forgot　what　I　was　trying　to　do。〃
　　　
Changing　their　course　slightly；　they　went　towards　a　range　of
hills；　in　the　hope　of　finding　rocky　or　sandy　soil；　in　order　to
test　the　sounds；　and　ascertain　if　they　would　cease　or　vary。
　　　
Having　ascended　a　few　hundred　feet；　they　sat　down　near　some　trees
to　rest；　the　musical　hum　continuing　meanwhile　unchanged。　　The
ground　was　strewn　with　large　coloured　crystals；　apparently
rubies；　sapphires；　and　emeralds；　about　the　size　of　hens'　eggs；
and　also　large　sheets　of　isinglass。　　Picking　up　one　of　the
latter；　Ayrault　examined　it。　　Points　of　light　and　shade　kept
forming　on　its　surface；　from　which　rings　radiated　like　the
circles　spreading　in　all　directions　from　a　place　in　still　water
at　which　a　pebble　is　thrown。　　He　called　his　companions；　and　the
three　examined　it。　　The　isinglass　was　about　ten　inches　long　by
eight　across；　and　contained　but　few　impurities。　　In　addition　to
the　spreading　rings；　curious　forms　were　continually　taking　shape
and　dissolving。
　　　
〃This　is　more　interesting；〃　said　Bearwarden；　〃than　sounding
shells　at　the　sea…shore。　　We　must　make　a　note　of　it　as　another
thing　to　study。〃
　　　
They　then　spread　their　handkerchiefs　on　a　mound　of　earth；　so　as
to　make　a　table；　and　began　examining　the　gems。
　　　
〃Does　it　not　seem　to　you；〃　asked　Ayrault；　a　few　minutes　later；
addressing　his　companions；　〃as　though　we　were　not　alone？　　I　have
thought　many　times　there　was　some　oneor　perhaps　several
personshere　besides　ourselves。〃

〃The　same　idea　has　occurred　to　me；〃　replied　Cortlandt。　　〃I　was
convinced；　a　moment　ago；　that　a　shadow　crossed　the　page　on　which
I　was　taking　notes。　　Can　it　be　there　are　objects　about　us　we
cannot　see？　　We　know　there　are　vibrations　of　both　light　and　sound
that　do　not　affect　our　senses。　　I　wish　we　had　brought　the
magnetic　eye；　perchance　that　might　tell　us。〃
　　　
〃Anything　sufficiently　dense　to　cast　a　shadow；〃　said　Ayrault；
〃should　be　seen；　since　it　would　also　be　able　to　make　an　image　on
our　retinas。　　I　believe　any　impressions　we　are　receiving　are
produced　through　our　minds；　as　if　some　one　were　thinking　very
intently　about　us；　and　that　neither　the　magnetic　eye　nor　a
sensitive　plate　could　reveal　anything。〃
　　　
They　then　returned　to　the　study　of　the　isinglass；　which　they　were
able　to　split　into　extremely　thin　sheets。　　Suddenly　a　cloud
passed　over　the　table；　and　almost　immediately　disappeared；　and
then　a　sharpened　pencil　with　which　Ayrault　had　been　writing　began
to　trace　on　a　sheet　of　paper；　in　an　even　hand；　and　with　a　slight
frictional　sound。
　　　
〃Stop！〃　said　Bearwarden；　〃let　us　each　for　himself　describe　in
writing　what　he　has　seen。〃
　　　
In　a　moment　they　had　done　this；　and　then　compared　notes。　　In　each
case　the　vision　was　the　same。　　Then　they　looked　at　the　writing
made　by　the　invisible　hand。　　〃Absorpta　est　mors　in　Victoria；〃　it
ran。
　　　
〃Gentlemen；　began　Bearwarden；　as　if　addressing　a　meeting；　〃this
cannot　be　coincidence；　we　are　undoubtedly　and　unquestionably　in
the　presence　of　a　spirit　or　of　several　spirits。　　That　they
understand　Latin；　we　see；　and；　from　what　they　say；　they　may　have
known　death。　　Time　may　show　whether　they　have　been　terrestrials
like　ourselves。　　Though　the　conditions　of　life　here　might　make　us
delirious；　it　is　scarcely　possible　that　different　temperaments
like　ours　should　be　affected　in　so　precisely　the　same　way；
besides；　in　this　writing　we　have　tangible　proof。〃
　　　
〃It　is　perfectly　reasonable；〃　said　Ayrault；　〃to　conclude　it　was　a
spirit；　if　we　may　assume　that　spirits　have　the　power　to　move　the
pencil；　which　is　a　material　object。　　Nobody　doubts　nowadays　that
after　death　we　live　again；　that　being　the　case；　we　must　admit
that　we　live　somewhere。　　Space；　as　I　take　it；　can　be　no　obstacle
to　a　spirit；　therefore；　why　suppose　they　remain　on　earth？〃
　　　
〃This　is　a　wonderful　place；〃　said　Cortlandt。　　〃We　have　already
seen　enough　to　convince　us　of　the　existence　of　many　unknown　laws。　
I　wish　the　spirit　would　reveal　itself　in　some　other　way。〃
　　　
As　he　finished　speaking；　the　rays　of　the　distant　and　cold…looking
sun　were　split；　and　the　colours　of　the　spectrum　danced　upon　the
linen　cloth；　as　if　obtained　by　a　prism。　　In　astonishment；　they
rose　and　looked　closely　at　the　table；　when　suddenly　a　shadow　that
no　one　recognized　as　his　own　appeared　upon　the　cover。　　Tracing　it
to　its　source；　their　eyes　met　those　of　an　old　man　with　a　white
robe　and　beard　and　a　look　of　great　intelligence　on　his　calm　face。　
They　knew　he　had　not　been　in　the　little　grove　thirty　seconds
before；　and　as　this　was　surrounded　by　open　country　there　was　no
place　from　which　he　could　have　come。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　II。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　SPIRIT'S　FIRST　VISIT。

〃Greetings　and　congratulations；〃　he　said。　　〃Man　has
steadfastly　striven　to　rise；　and　we　see　the　results　in
you。〃
　　　
〃I　have　always　believed　in　the　existence　of　spirits；〃　said
Cortlandt；　〃but　never　expected　to　see　one　with　my　natural　eyes。〃
　　　
〃And　you　never　will；　in　its　spiritual　state；〃　replied　the　shade；
〃unless　you　supplement　sight　with　reason。　　A　spirit　has　merely
existence；　entity；　and　will；　and　is　entirely　invisible　to　your
eyes。〃
　　　
〃How　is　it；　then；　that　we　see　and　hear　you？〃　asked　Cortlandt。　
〃Are　you　a　man；　or　a　spectre　that　is　able　to　affect　our　senses？〃
　　　
〃I　WAS　a　man；〃　replied　the　spirit；　〃and　I　have　given　myself
visible　and　tangible　form　to　warn　you　of　danger。　　My　colleagues
and　I　watched　you　when　you　left　the　cylinder　and　when　you　shot
the　birds；　and；　seeing　your　doom　in　the　air；　have　been　trying　to
communicate　with　you。〃
　　　
〃What　were　the　strange　shadows　and　prismatic　colours　that　kept
passing　across　our　table？〃　asked　Bearwarden。
　　　
〃They　were　the　obstructions　and　refractions　of　light　caused　by
spirits　trying　to　take　shape；〃　replied　the　shade。
　　　
〃Do　you　mind　our　asking　you　questions？〃　said　Cortlandt。
　　　
〃No；〃　replied　their　visitor。　　〃If　I　can；　I　will　answer　them。〃
　　　
〃Then；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃how　is　it　that；　of　the　several　spirits
that　tried　to　become　embodied；　we　see　but　one；　namely；　you？〃
　　　
〃That；〃　said　the　shade；　〃is　because　no　natural　law　is　broken。　　On
earth　one　man　can　learn　a　handicraft　better　in　a　few　days　than
another　in　a　month；　while　some　can　solve　with　ease　a　mathematical
problem　that　others　could　never　grasp。　　So　it　is　here。　　Perhaps　I
was　in　a　favourable　f