selected writings-第14部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



resembles　what　goes　on　in　my　house。　Oh！　If　I　could　only　leave　it；

if　I　could　only　go　away　and　flee；　and　never　return；　I　should　be

saved；　but　I　cannot。



August　16。　I　managed　to　escape　to…day　for　two　hours；　like　a

prisoner　who　finds　the　door　of　his　dungeon　accidentally　open。　I

suddenly　felt　that　I　was　free　and　that　He　was　far　away；　and　so　I

gave　orders　to　put　the　horses　in　as　quickly　as　possible；　and　I

drove　to　Rouen。　Oh！　how　delightful　to　be　able　to　say　to　my

coachman：　〃Go　to　Rouen！〃



I　made　him　pull　up　before　the　library；　and　I　begged　them　to　lend

me　Dr。　Herrmann　Herestauss's　treatise　on　the　unknown　inhabitants

of　the　ancient　and　modern　world。



Then；　as　I　was　getting　into　my　carriage；　I　intended　to　say：　〃To

the　railway　station！〃　but　instead　of　this　I　shoutedI　did　not

speak；　but　I　shoutedin　such　a　loud　voice　that　all　the

passers…by　turned　round：　〃Home！〃　and　I　fell　back　on　to　the

cushion　of　my　carriage；　overcome　by　mental　agony。　He　had　found　me

out　and　regained　possession　of　me。



August　17。　Oh！　What　a　night！　what　a　night！　And　yet　it　seems　to　me

that　I　ought　to　rejoice。　I　read　until　one　o'clock　in　the　morning！

Herestauss；　Doctor　of　Philosophy　and　Theogony；　wrote　the　history

and　the　manifestation　of　all　those　invisible　beings　which　hover

around　man；　or　of　whom　he　dreams。　He　describes　their　origin；

their　domains；　their　power；　but　none　of　them　resembles　the　one

which　haunts　me。　One　might　say　that　man；　ever　since　he　has

thought；　has　had　a　foreboding　and　a　fear　of　a　new　being；　stronger

than　himself；　his　successor　in　this　world；　and　that；　feeling　him

near；　and　not　being　able　to　foretell　the　nature　of　the　unseen

one；　he　has；　in　his　terror；　created　the　whole　race　of　hidden

beings；　vague　phantoms　born　of　fear。



Having；　therefore；　read　until　one　o'clock　in　the　morning；　I　went

and　sat　down　at　the　open　window；　in　order　to　cool　my　forehead　and

my　thoughts　in　the　calm　night　air。　It　was　very　pleasant　and　warm！

How　I　should　have　enjoyed　such　a　night　formerly！



There　was　no　moon；　but　the　stars　darted　out　their　rays　in　the

dark　heavens。　Who　inhabits　those　worlds？　What　forms；　what　living

beings；　what　animals　are　there　yonder？　Do　those　who　are　thinkers

in　those　distant　worlds　know　more　than　we　do？　What　can　they　do

more　than　we？　What　do　they　see　which　we　do　not？　Will　not　one　of

them；　some　day　or　other；　traversing　space；　appear　on　our　earth　to

conquer　it；　just　as　formerly　the　Norsemen　crossed　the　sea　in

order　to　subjugate　nations　feebler　than　themselves？



We　are　so　weak；　so　powerless；　so　ignorant；　so　smallwe　who　live

on　this　particle　of　mud　which　revolves　in　liquid　air。



I　fell　asleep；　dreaming　thus　in　the　cool　night　air；　and　then；

having　slept　for　about　three　quarters　of　an　hour；　I　opened　my

eyes　without　moving；　awakened　by　an　indescribably　confused　and

strange　sensation。　At　first　I　saw　nothing；　and　then　suddenly　it

appeared　to　me　as　if　a　page　of　the　book；　which　had　remained　open

on　my　table；　turned　over　of　its　own　accord。　Not　a　breath　of　air

had　come　in　at　my　window；　and　I　was　surprised　and　waited。　In

about　four　minutes；　I　saw；　I　sawyes　I　saw　with　my　own

eyesanother　page　lift　itself　up　and　fall　down　on　the　others；　as

if　a　finger　had　turned　it　over。　My　armchair　was　empty；　appeared

empty；　but　I　knew　that　He　was　there；　He；　and　sitting　in　my　place；

and　that　He　was　reading。　With　a　furious　bound；　the　bound　of　an

enraged　wild　beast　that　wishes　to　disembowel　its　tamer；　I　crossed

my　room　to　seize　him；　to　strangle　him；　to　kill　him！　But　before　I

could　reach　it；　my　chair　fell　over　as　if　somebody　had　run　away

from　me。　My　table　rocked；　my　lamp　fell　and　went　out；　and　my

window　closed　as　if　some　thief　had　been　surprised　and　had　fled

out　into　the　night；　shutting　it　behind　him。



So　He　had　run　away；　He　had　been　afraid；　He；　afraid　of　me！



So　to…morrow；　or　latersome　day　or　other；　I　should　be　able　to

hold　him　in　my　clutches　and　crush　him　against　the　ground！　Do　not

dogs　occasionally　bite　and　strangle　their　masters？



August　18。　I　have　been　thinking　the　whole　day　long。　Oh！　yes；　I

will　obey　Him；　follow　His　impulses；　fulfill　all　His　wishes；　show

myself　humble；　submissive；　a　coward。　He　is　the　stronger；　but　an

hour　will　come。



August　19。　I　know；　I　know；　I　know　all！　I　have　just　read　the

following　in　the　〃Revue　du　Monde　Scientifique〃：　〃A　curious　piece

of　news　comes　to　us　from　Rio　de　Janeiro。　Madness；　an　epidemic　of

madness；　which　may　be　compared　to　that　contagious　madness　which

attacked　the　people　of　Europe　in　the　Middle　Ages；　is　at　this

moment　raging　in　the　Province　of　San…Paulo。　The　frightened

inhabitants　are　leaving　their　houses；　deserting　their　villages；

abandoning　their　land；　saying　that　they　are　pursued；　possessed；

governed　like　human　cattle　by　invisible；　though　tangible　beings；

by　a　species　of　vampire；　which　feeds　on　their　life　while　they　are

asleep；　and　which；　besides；　drinks　water　and　milk　without

appearing　to　touch　any　other　nourishment。



〃Professor　Don　Pedro　Henriques；　accompanied　by　several　medical

savants；　has　gone　to　the　Province　of　San…Paulo；　in　order　to　study

the　origin　and　the　manifestations　of　this　surprising　madness　on

the　spot；　and　to　propose　such　measures　to　the　Emperor　as　may

appear　to　him　to　be　most　fitted　to　restore　the　mad　population　to

reason。〃



Ah！　Ah！　I　remember　now　that　fine　Brazilian　three…master　which

passed　in　front　of　my　windows　as　it　was　going　up　the　Seine；　on

the　eighth　of　last　May！　I　thought　it　looked　so　pretty；　so　white

and　bright！　That　Being　was　on　board　of　her；　coming　from　there；

where　its　race　sprang　from。　And　it　saw　me！　It　saw　my　house；　which

was　also　white；　and　He　sprang　from　the　ship　on　to　the　land。　Oh！

Good　heavens！



Now　I　know；　I　can　divine。　The　reign　of　man　is　over；　and　he　has

come。　He　whom　disquieted　priests　exorcised；　whom　sorcerers　evoked

on　dark　nights；　without　seeing　him　appear；　He　to　whom　the

imaginations　of　the　transient　masters　of　the　world　lent　all　the

monstrous　or　graceful　forms　of　gnomes；　spirits；　genii；　fairies；

and　familiar　spirits。　After　the　coarse　conceptions　of　primitive

fear；　men　more　enlightened　gave　him　a　truer　form。　Mesmer　divined

him；　and　ten　years　ago　physicians　accurately　discovered　the

nature　of　his　power；　even　before　He　exercised　it　himself。　They

played　with　that　weapon　of　their　new　Lord；　the　sway　of　a

mysterious　will　over　the　human　soul；　which　had　become　enslaved。

They　called　it　mesmerism；　hypnotism；　suggestion；　I　know　not　what？

I　have　seen　them　diverting　themselves　like　rash　children　with

this　horrible　power！　Woe　to　us！　Woe　to　man！　He　has　come；

thethewhat　does　He　call　himselftheI　fancy　that　he　is

shouting　out　his　name　to　me　and　I　do　not　hear　himtheyesHe

is　shouting　it　outI　am　listeningI

cannotrepeatitHorlaI　have　heardthe　Horlait　is　Hethe

HorlaHe　has　come！



Ah！　the　vulture　has　eaten　the　pigeon；　the　wolf　has　eaten　the

lamb；　the　lion　has　devoured　the　sharp…horned　buffalo；　man　has

killed　the　lion　with　an　arrow；　with　a　spear；　with　gunpowder；　but

the　Horla　will　make　of　man　what　man　has　made　of　the　horse　and　of

the　ox：　his　chattel；　his　slave；　and　his　food；　by　the　mere　power

of　his　will。　Woe　to　us！



But；　nevertheless；　sometimes　the　animal　rebels　and　kills　the　man

who　has　subjugated　it。　I　should　also　likeI　shall　be　able

tobut　I　must　know　Him；　touch　Him；　see　Him！　Learned　men　say　that

eyes　of　animals；　as　they　differ　from　ours；　do　not　distinguish　as

ours　do。　And　my　eye　cannot　distinguish　this　newcomer　who　is

oppressing　me。



Why？　Oh！　Now　I　remember　the　words　of　the　monk　at　Mont

Saint…Michel：　〃Can　we　see　the　hundred…thousandth　part　of　what

exists？　Listen；　there　is　the　wind　which　is　the　strongest　force　in

nature；　it　knocks　men　down；　blows　down　buildings；　uproots　trees；

raises　the　sea　into　mountains　of　water；　destroys　cliffs；　and

casts　great　ships　on　to　the　breakers；　it　kills；　it　whistles；　it

sighs；　it　roars；have　you　ever　seen　it；　and　can　you　see　it？　It

exists　for　all　that；　however！〃



And　I　went　on　thinking：　my　eyes　are　so　weak；　so　imperfect；　that

they　do　not　even　distinguish　hard　bodies；　if　they　are　as

transparent　as　glass！　If　a　glass　without　quicksilver　behind　it

were　to　bar　my　way；　I　should　run　into　it；　just　like　a　bird　which

has　flown　into　a　room　breaks　its　head　against　the　windowpanes。　A

thousand　things；　moreover；　deceive　a　man　and　lead　him　astray。　How

then　is　it　surprising　that　he　cannot　perceive　a　new　body　which　is

penetrated　and　pervaded　by　the　light？



A　new　being！　Why　not？　It　was　assuredly　bound　to　come！　Why　should

we　be　the　last？　We　do　not　distinguish　it；　like　all　the　others

created　before　us？　The　reason　is；　that　its　nature　is　more

delicate；　its　body　finer　and　more　finished　than　ours。　Our　makeup

is　so　weak；　so　awkwardly　conceived；　our　body　is　encumbered　with

organs　that　are　always　tired；　always　being　strained　like　locks

that　are　too　complicated；　it　lives　like　a　plant　and　like　an

animal　nourishing　itself　with　difficulty　on　air；　herbs；　and

flesh；　it　is　a　brute　machine　which　is　a　prey　to　maladies；　to

malformations；　to　decay；　it　is　broken…winded；　badly　regulated；

simple　and　eccentric；　ingeniously　yet　badly　made；　a　coarse　and

yet　a　delicate　mechanism；　in　brief；　the　outline　of　a　being　which

might　become　intelligent　and　great。



There　are　only　a　fewso　fewstages　of　development　in　this

world；　from　the　oyster　up　to　man。　Why　should　there　not　be　one

more；　when　once　that　period　is　accomplished　which　separates　the

successive　products　one　from　the　other？



Why　not　one　more？　Why　not；　also；　other　trees　with　immense；

splendid　flowers；　perfuming　whole　regions？　Why　not　other　elements

beside　fire；　air；　earth；　and　water？　There　are　four；　only　four；

nursing　fathers　of　various　beings！　What　a　pity！　Why　should　not

there　be　forty；　four　hundred；　four　thousand！　How　poor　everything

is；　how　mean　and　wretchedgrudgingly　given；　poorly　invented；

clumsily　made！　Ah！　the　elephant　and　the　hippopotamus；　what　power！

A