第 16 节
作者:九十八度      更新:2021-02-21 16:18      字数:9322
  Sight and hearing are then exercised in a manner far more perfect than
  any we know of here; possibly without the help of the organs we now
  employ; which are the scabbard of the luminous blades called sight and
  hearing。 To a person in that state; distance and material obstacles do
  not exist; or they can be traversed by a life within us for which our
  body is a mere receptacle; a necessary shelter; a casing。 Terms fail
  to describe effects that have lately been rediscovered; for to…day the
  words imponderable; intangible; invisible have no meaning to the fluid
  whose action is demonstrated by magnetism。 Light is ponderable by its
  heat; which; by penetrating bodies; increases their volume; and
  certainly electricity is only too tangible。 We have condemned things
  themselves instead of blaming the imperfection of our instruments。〃
  〃She sleeps;〃 said Minoret; examining the woman; who seemed to him to
  belong to an inferior class。
  〃Her body is for the time being in abeyance;〃 said the Swedenborgian。
  〃Ignorant persons suppose that condition to be sleep。 But she will
  prove to you that there is a spiritual universe; and that the mind
  when there does not obey the laws of this material universe。 I will
  send her wherever you wish to go;a hundred miles from here or to
  China; as you will。 She will tell you what is happening there。〃
  〃Send her to my house in Nemours; Rue des Bourgeois; that will do;〃
  said Minoret。
  He took Minoret's hand; which the doctor let him take; and held it for
  a moment seeming to collect himself; then with his other hand he took
  that of the woman sitting in the arm…chair and placed the hand of the
  doctor in it; making a sign to the old sceptic to seat himself beside
  this oracle without a tripod。 Minoret observed a slight tremor on the
  absolutely calm features of the woman when their hands were thus
  united by the Swedenborgian; but the action; though marvelous in its
  effects; was very simply done。
  〃Obey him;〃 said the unknown personage; extending his hand above the
  head of the sleeping woman; who seemed to imbibe both light and life
  from him; 〃and remember that what you do for him will please me。You
  can now speak to her;〃 he added; addressing Minoret。
  〃Go to Nemours; to my house; Rue des Bourgeois;〃 said the doctor。
  〃Give her time; put your hand in hers until she proves to you by what
  she tells you that she is where you wish her to be;〃 said Bouvard to
  his old friend。
  〃I see a river;〃 said the woman in a feeble voice; seeming to look
  within herself with deep attention; notwithstanding her closed
  eyelids。 〃I see a pretty garden〃
  〃Why do you enter by the river and the garden?〃 said Minoret。
  〃Because they are there。〃
  〃Who?〃
  〃The young girl and her nurse; whom you are thinking of。〃
  〃What is the garden like?〃 said Minoret。
  〃Entering by the steps which go down to the river; there is the right;
  a long brick gallery; in which I see books; it ends in a singular
  building;there are wooden bells; and a pattern of red eggs。 To the
  left; the wall is covered with climbing plants; wild grapes; Virginia
  jessamine。 In the middle is a sun…dial。 There are many plants in pots。
  Your child is looking at the flowers。 She shows them to her nurseshe
  is making holes in the earth with her trowel; and planting seeds。 The
  nurse is raking the path。 The young girl is pure as an angel; but the
  beginning of love is there; faint as the dawn〃
  〃Love for whom?〃 asked the doctor; who; until now; would have listened
  to no word said to him by somnambulists。 He considered it all
  jugglery。
  〃You know nothingthough you have lately been uneasy about her
  health;〃 answered the woman。 〃Her heart has followed the dictates of
  nature。〃
  〃A woman of the people to talk like this!〃 cried the doctor。
  〃In the state she is in all persons speak with extraordinary
  perception;〃 said Bouvard。
  〃But who is it that Ursula loves?〃
  〃Ursula does not know that she loves;〃 said the woman with a shake of
  the head; 〃she is too angelic to know what love is; but her mind is
  occupied by him; she thinks of him; she tries to escape the thought;
  but she returns to it in spite of her will to abstain。She is at the
  piano〃
  〃But who is he?〃
  〃The son of a lady who lives opposite。〃
  〃Madame de Portenduere?〃
  〃Portenduere; did you say?〃 replied the sleeper。 〃Perhaps so。 But
  there's no danger; he is not in the neighbourhood。〃
  〃Have they spoken to each other?〃 asked the doctor。
  〃Never。 They have looked at one another。 She thinks him charming。 He
  is; in fact; a fine man; he has a good heart。 She sees him from her
  window; they see each other in church。 But the young man no longer
  thinks of her。〃
  〃His name?〃
  〃Ah! to tell you that I must read it; or hear it。 He is named
  Savinien; she has just spoken his name; she thinks it sweet to say;
  she has looked in the almanac for his fete…day and marked a red dot
  against it;child's play; that。 Ah! she will love well; with as much
  strength as purity; she is not a girl to love twice; love will so dye
  her soul and fill it that she will reject all other sentiments。〃
  〃Where do you see that?〃
  〃In her。 She will know how to suffer; she inherits that; her father
  and her mother suffered much。〃
  The last words overcame the doctor; who felt less shaken than
  surprised。 It is proper to state that between her sentences the woman
  paused for several minutes; during which time her attention became
  more and more concentrated。 She was seen to see; her forehead had a
  singular aspect; an inward effort appeared there; it seemed to clear
  or cloud by some mysterious power; the effects of which Minoret had
  seen in dying persons at moments when they appeared to have the gift
  of prophecy。 Several times she made gestures which resembled those of
  Ursula。
  〃Question her;〃 said the mysterious stranger; to Minoret; 〃she will
  tell you secrets you alone can know。〃
  〃Does Ursula love me?〃 asked Minoret。
  〃Almost as much as she loves God;〃 was the answer。 〃But she is very
  unhappy at your unbelief。 You do not believe in God; as if you could
  prevent his existence! His word fills the universe。 You are the cause
  of her only sorrow。Hear! she is playing scales; she longs to be a
  better musician than she is; she is provoked with herself。 She is
  thinking; 'If I could sing; if my voice were fine; it would reach his
  ear when he is with his mother。'〃
  Doctor Minoret took out his pocket…book and noted the hour。
  〃Tell me what seeds she planted?〃
  〃Mignonette; sweet…peas; balsams〃
  〃And what else?〃
  〃Larkspur。〃
  〃Where is my money?〃
  〃With your notary; but you invest it so as not to lose the interest of
  a single day。〃
  〃Yes; but where is the money that I keep for my monthly expenses?〃
  〃You put it in a large book bound in red; entitled 'Pandects of
  Justinian; Vol。 II。' between the last two leaves; the book is on the
  shelf of folios above the glass buffet。 You have a whole row of them。
  Your money is in the last volume next to the salon See! Vol。 III。 is
  before Vol。 II。but you have no money; it is all in〃
  〃thousand…franc notes;〃 said the doctor。
  〃I cannot see; they are folded。 No; there are two notes of five
  hundred francs。〃
  〃You see them?〃
  〃Yes。〃
  〃How do they look?〃
  〃One is old and yellow; the other white and new。〃
  This last phase of the inquiry petrified the doctor。 He looked at
  Bouvard with a bewildered air; but Bouvard and the Swedenborgian; who
  were accustomed to the amazement of sceptics; were speaking together
  in a low voice and appeared not to notice him。 Minoret begged them to
  allow him to return after dinner。 The old philosopher wished to
  compose his mind and shake off this terror; so as to put this vast
  power to some new test; to subject it to more decisive experiments and
  obtain answers to certain questions; the truth of which should do away
  with every sort of doubt。
  〃Be here at nine o'clock this evening;〃 said the stranger。 〃I will
  return to meet you。〃
  Doctor Minoret was in so convulsed a state that he left the room
  without bowing; followed by Bouvard; who called to him from behind。
  〃Well; what do you say? what do you say?〃
  〃I think I am mad; Bouvard;〃 answered Minoret from the steps of the
  porte…cochere。 〃If that woman tells the truth about Ursula;and none
  but Ursula can know the things that sorceress has told me;I shall
  say that YOU ARE RIGHT。 I wish I had wings to fly to Nemours this
  minute and verify her words。 But I shall hire a carriage and start at
  ten o'clock to…night。 Ah! am I losing my senses?〃
  〃What would you say if you knew of a life…long incurable disease
  healed in a moment; if you saw that great magnetizer bring sweat in
  torrents from an herpetic patient; or make a paralyzed woman walk?〃
  〃Come and dine; Bouvard; stay with me till nine o'clock。 I must find
  so