the unknown guest-第21部分

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rs　delighted：　these　are　his　favourite　problems：　for　he　takes　less　interest　than　formerly　in　the　most　difficult　multiplications　and　divisions。　He　doubtless　thinks　them　beneath　him。

Krall　therefore　writes　on　the　blackboard　various　numbers　of　which　I　did　not　take　note。　Moreover；　as　nobody　now　contests　the　fact　that　the　horse　works　them　with　ease；　it　would　hardly　be　interesting　to　reproduce　here　several　rather　grim　problems　of　which　numerous　variants　will　be　found　in　the　accounts　and　reports　of　experiments　signed　by　Drs。　Mackenzie　and　Hartkopff；　by　Overbeck；　Clarapede　and　many　others。　What　strikes　one　particularly　is　the　facility；　the　quickness；　I　was　almost　saying　the　joyous　carelessness　with　which　the　strange　mathematician　gives　the　answers。　The　last　figure　is　hardly　chalked　upon　the　board　before　the　right　hoof　is　striking　off　the　units；　followed　immediately　by　the　left　hoof　marking　the　tens。　There　is　not　a　sign　of　attention　or　reflection；　one　is　not　even　aware　of　the　exact　moment　at　which　the　horse　looks　at　the　problem：　and　the　answer　seems　to　spring　automatically　from　an　invisible　intelligence。　Mistakes　are　rare　or　frequent　according　as　it　happens　to　be　a　good　or　bad　day　with　the　horse；　but；　when　he　is　told　of　them；　he　nearly　always　corrects　them。　Not　unseldom；　the　number　is　reversed：　47；　for　instance；　becomes　74；　but　he　puts　it　right　without　demur　when　asked。

I　am　manifestly　dumbfounded；　but　perhaps　these　problems　are　prepared　beforehand？　If　they　were；　it　would　be　very　extraordinary；　but　yet　less　surprising　than　their　actual　solution。　Krall　does　not　read　this　suspicion　in　my　eyes；　because　they　do　not　show　it；　nevertheless；　to　remove　the　least　shade　of　it；　he　asks　me　to　write　a　number　of　my　own　on　the　black…board　for　the　horse　to　find　the　root。

I　must　here　confess　the　humiliating　ignorance　that　is　the　disgrace　of　my　life。　I　have　not　the　faintest　idea　of　the　mysteries　concealed　within　these　recondite　and　complicated　operations。　I　did　my　humanities　like　everybody　else；　but；　after　crossing　the　useful　and　familiar　frontiers　of　multiplication　and　division　I　found　it　impossible　to　advance　any　farther　into　the　desolate　regions；　bristling　with　figures；　where　the　square　and　cubic　roots　hold　sway；　together　with　all　sorts　of　other　monstrous　powers；　without　shapes　or　faces；　which　inspired　me　with　invincible　terror。　All　the　persecutions　of　my　excellent　instructors　wore　themselves　out　against　a　dead　wall　of　stolidity。　Successively　disheartened；　they　left　me　to　my　dismal　ignorance；　prophesying　a　most　dreary　future　for　me；　haunted　with　bitter　regrets。　I　must　say　that；　until　now；　I　had　scarcely　experienced　the　effects　of　these　gloomy　predictions；　but　the　hour　has　come　for　me　to　expiate　the　sins　of　my　youth。　Nevertheless；　I　put　a　good　face　upon　it：　and；　taking　at　random　the　first　figures　that　suggest　themselves　to　my　mind；　I　boldly　write　on　the　black…board　an　enormous　and　most　daring　number。　Muhamed　remains　motionless。　Krall　speaks　to　him　sharply；　telling　him　to　hurry　up。　Muhamed　lifts　his　right　hoof；　but　does　not　let　it　fall。　Krall　loses　patience；　lavishes　prayers；　promises　and　threats；　the　hoof　remains　poised；　as　though　to　bear　witness　to　good　intentions　that　cannot　be　carried　out。　Then　my　host　turns　round；　looks　at　the　problem　and　asks　me：

〃Does　it　give　an　exact　root？〃

Exact？　What　does　he　mean？　Are　there　roots　which。　。　。？　But　I　dare　not　go　on：　my　shameful　ignorance　suddenly　flashes　before　my　eyes。　Krall　smiles　indulgently　and；　without　making　any　attempt　to　supplement　an　education　which　is　too　much　in　arrears　to　allow　of　the　slightest　hope；　laboriously　works　out　the　problem　and　declares　that　the　horse　was　right　in　refusing　to　give　an　impossible　solution。

12

Muhamed　receives　our　thanks　in　the　form　of　a　lordly　portion　of　carrots；　and　a　pupil　is　introduced　whose　attainments　do　not　tower　so　high　above　mine：　Hanschen；　the　little　pony；　quick　and　lively　as　a　big　rat。　Like　me；　he　has　never　gone　beyond　elementary　arithmetic：　and　so　we　shall　understand　each　other　better　and　meet　on　equal　terms。

Krall　asks　me　for　two　numbers　to　multiply。　I　give　him　63　X　7。　He　does　the　sum　and　writes　the　product　on　the　board；　followed　by　the　sign　of　division：　441　/　7。　Instantly　Hanschen；　with　a　celerity　difficult　to　follow；　gives　three　blows；　or　rather　three　violent　scrapes　with　his　right　hoof　and　six　with　his　left；　which　makes　63；　for　we　must　not　forget　that　in　German　they　say　not　sixty…three；　but　three…and…sixty。　We　congratulate　him；　and；　to　evince　his　satisfaction；　he　nimbly　reverses　the　number　by　marking　36　and　then　puts　it　right　again　by　scraping　63。　He　is　evidently　enjoying　himself　and　juggling　with　the　figures。　And　additions；　subtractions；　multiplications　and　divisions　follow　one　after　the　other；　with　figures　supplied　by　myself；　so　as　to　remove　any　idea　of　collusion。　Hanschen　seldom　blunders；　and；　when　he　does；　we　receive　a　very　clear　impression　that　his　mistake　is　voluntary：　he　is　like　a　mischievous　schoolboy　playing　a　practical　joke　upon　his　master。　The　solutions　fall　thick　as　hail　upon　the　little　spring…board；　the　correct　answer　is　released　by　the　question　as　though　you　were　pressing　the　button　of　an　electric　push。　The　pony's　flippancy　is　as　surprising　as　his　skill。　But　in　this　unruly　flippancy；　in　this　hastiness　which　seems　inattentive　there　is　nevertheless　a　fixed　and　permanent　idea。　Hanschen　paws　the　ground；　kicks；　prances；　tosses　his　head；　looks　as　if　he　cannot　keep　still；　but　never　leaves　his　spring…board。　Is　he　interested　in　the　problems；　does　he　enjoy　them？　It　is　impossible　to　say；　but　he　certainly　has　the　appearance　of　one　accomplishing　a　duty　or　a　piece　of　work　which　we　do　not　discuss；　which　is　important；　necessary　and　inevitable。

But　the　lesson　suddenly　ends　with　a　joke　carried　rather　too　far　by　the　pupil；　who　catches　his　good　master　by　the　seat　of　his　trousers；　into　which　he　plants　disrespectful　teeth。　He　is　severely　reprimanded；　deprived　of　his　carrots　and　sent　back　in　disgrace　to　his　private　apartments。

13

Next　comes　Bette；　who　is　like　a　big；　sleek　Norman　horse。　He　makes　the　calm；　dignified；　peaceful　entrance　of　a　blind　giant。　His　large；　dark；　brilliant　eyes　are　quite　dead；　deprived　of　any　reflex　power。　He　feels　about　with　his　hoof　for　the　board　on　which　he　is　to　rap　his　answers。　He　has　not　yet　gone　beyond　the　rudiments　of　mathematics；　and　the　early　part　of　his　education　was　particularly　difficult。　They　managed　to　make　him　understand　the　value　and　meaning　of　the　numbers　and　of　the　addition…　and　multiplication…signs　by　means　of　little　taps　on　his　sides。　Krall　speaks　to　him　as　a　father　might　speak　to　the　youngest　of　his　sons。　He　explains　to　him　fondly　the　easy　sums　which　I　suggest　his　doing：　two　plus　three；　eight　minus　four；　four　times　three；　he　says：

〃Mind！　It's　not　plus　three　or　minus　three　this　time；　but　four　multiplied　by　three！〃

Berto　hardly　ever　makes　a　mistake。　When　he　does　not　understand　the　question；　he　waits　for　it　to　be　written　with　the　finger　on　his　side；　and　the　careful　way　in　which　he　works　it　out　like　some　backward　and　afflicted　child　is　an　infinitely　pathetic　sight。　He　is　much　more　zealous　and　conscientious　than　his　fellow…pupils；　and　we　feel　that；　in　the　darkness　wherein　he　dwells；　this　work　is；　next　to　his　meals；　the　only　spark　of　light　and　interest　in　his　existence。　He　will　certainly　never　rival　Muhamed；　for　instance；　who　is　the　arithmetical　prodigy；　the　Inaudi；　of　horses；　but　he　is　a　valuable　and　living　proof　that　the　theory　of　unconscious　and　imperceptible　signs；　the　only　one　which　the　German　theorists　have　hitherto　seriously　considered；　is　now　clearly　untenable。

I　have　not　yet　spoken　of　Zarif。　He　is　not　in　the　best　of　tempers；　and　besides；　in　arithmetic；　he　is　only　a　less　learned　and　more　capricious　Muhamed。　He　answers　most　of　the　questions　at　random；　stubbornly　raising　his　foot　and　declining　to　lower　it；　so　as　clearly　to　mark　his　disapproval；　but　he　solves　the　last　problem　correctly　when　he　is　promised　a　panful　of　carrots　and　no　more　lessons　for　that　morning。　The　groom　enters　to　lead　him　away　and　makes　some　movement　or　other　at　which　the　horse　starts；　rears　and　shies。

〃That's　his　bad　conscience；〃　says　Krall；　gravely。

And　the　expression　assumes　a　singular　meaning　and　importance　in　this　hybrid　atmosphere；　steeped　in　an　indefinable　something　from　another　world。

But　it　is　half…past　one；　the　sacred　German　dinner…hour。　The　horses　are　taken　back　to　their　racks　and　the　men　separate；　wishing　one　another　the　inevitable　Mahlzeit。

As　he　walks　with　me　along　the　quays　of　the　black　and　muddy　Wupper；　Krall　says：

〃It　is　a　pity　that　you　did　not　see　Zarif　in　one　of　his　better　moods。　He　is　sometimes　more　startling　than　Muhamed　and　has　given　me　two　or　three　surprises　that　seem　incredible。　One　morning；　for　instance；　I　came　to　the　stable　and　was　preparing　to　give　him　his　lesson　in　arithmetic。　He　was　no　sooner　in　front　of　the　spring…board　than　he　began　to　stamp　with　his　foot。　I　left　him　alone　and　was　astounded　to　hear　a　whole　sentence；　an　absolutely　human　sentence；　come　letter　by　letter　from　his　hoof：　'Albert　has　beaten　Hanschen；'　was　what　he　said　to　me　that　day。　Another　time；　I　wrote　down　from　his　dictation；　'Hanschen　has　bitten　Kama。'　Like　a　child　seeing　its　father　after　an　absence；　he　felt　the　need　to　inform　me　of　the　little　doings　of　the　stable；　he　provided　me　with　the　artless　chronicle　of　a　humble　and　uneventful　life。〃

Krall；　for　that　matter；　living　in　the　midst　of　his　miracle；　seems　to　think　this　quite　natural　and　almost　inevitable。　I；　who　have　been　immersed　in　it　for　only　a　few　hours；　accept　it　almost　as　calmly　as　he　does。　I　believe　without　hesitation　what　he　tells　me；　and；　in　the　presence　of　this　phenomenon　which；　for　the　first　time　in　man's　existence；　gives　us　a　sentence　that　has　not　sprung　from　a　human　brain；　I　ask　myself　whither　we　are　tending；　where　we　stand　and　what　lies　ahead　of　us。。　。　。

14

After　dinner；　the　experiments　begin　again；　for　my　host　is　untiring。　First　of　all；　pointing　to　me；　he　asks　Muhamed　if　he　remembers　what　his　uncle's　name　is。　The　horse　raps　out　an　H。　Krall　is　astonished　and　utters　fatherly　reprimands：

〃Come；　take　care！　You　know　it's　not　an　H。〃

The　horse　raps　out　an　E。　Krall　becomes　a　little　impatient：　he　threatens；　he　implores；　he　promises　in　turn；　carrots　and　the