MALONE had lost his billet and had found his way in Fleet Street blocked by the rumour1 of his independence. His place upon the staff had been taken by a young and drunken Jew, who had at once won his spurs by a series of highly humorous articles upon psychic2 matters, peppered with assurances that he approached the subject with a perfectly3 open and impartial4 mind. His final device of offering five thousand pounds if the spirits of the dead would place the three first horses in the coming Derby, and his demonstration5 that ectoplasm was in truth the froth of bottled porter artfully concealed6 by the medium, are newspaper stunts7 which are within the recollection of the reader.
But the path which closed on one side had opened on the other. Challenger, lost in his daring dreams and ingenious experiments, had long needed an active, clear-headed man to manage his business interests, and to control his world-wide patents. There were many devices, the fruits of his life’s work, which brought in income, but had to be carefully watched and guarded. His automatic alarm for ships in shallow waters, his device for deflecting8 a torpedo9, his new and economical method of separating nitrogen from the air, his radical10 improvements in wireless11 transmission and his novel treatment of pitchblende, were all moneymakers. Enraged12 by the attitude of{275} Cornelius, the Professor placed the management of all these in the hands of his prospective13 son-in-law, who diligently14 guarded his interests.
Challenger himself had altered. His colleagues, and those about him, observed the change without clearly perceiving the cause. He was a gentler, humbler and more spiritual man. Deep in his soul was the conviction that he, the champion of scientific method and of truth, had, in fact, for many years been unscientific in his methods and a formidable obstruction15 to the advance of the human soul through the jungle of the unknown. It was this self-condemnation which had wrought16 the change in his character. Also, with characteristic energy, he had plunged17 into the wonderful literature of the subject, and as, without the prejudice which had formerly18 darkened his brain, he read the illuminating19 testimony20 of Hare, de Morgan, Crookes, Lombroso, Barrett, Lodge21 and so many other great men, he marvelled22 that he could ever for one instant have imagined that such a consensus23 of opinion could be founded upon error. His violent and whole-hearted nature made him take up the psychic cause with the same vehemence24, and even occasionally the same intolerance with which he had once denounced it, and the old lion bared his teeth and roared back at those who had once been his associates. His remarkable25 article in the Spectator began, “The obtuse26 incredulity and stubborn unreason of the prelates who refused to look through the telescope of Galileo and to observe the moons of Jupiter, has been far transcended27 in our own days by those noisy controversialists, who rashly express extreme opinions upon those psychic matters which they have never had either the time, or the inclination28 to examine”; while in a final sentence he expressed his conviction that his oppo{276}nents, “did not in truth represent the thought of the twentieth century, but might rather be regarded as mental fossils dug from some early Pliocene horizon.” Critics raised their hands in horror, as is their wont29, against the robust30 language of the article, though violence of attack has for so many years been condoned31 in the case of those who are in opposition32. So we may leave Challenger, his black mane slowly turning to grey, but his great brain growing ever stronger and more virile33 as it faced such problems as the future had in store—a future which had ceased to be bounded by the narrow horizon of death, and which now stretched away into the infinite possibilities and developments of continued survival of personality, character and work.
The marriage had taken place. It was a quiet function, but no prophet could ever have foretold34 the guests whom Enid’s father had assembled in the Whitehall Rooms. They were a happy crowd, all welded together by the opposition of the world, and united in one common knowledge. There was the Rev35. Charles Mason, who had officiated at the ceremony, and if ever a saint’s blessing36 consecrated37 a union, so it had been that morning. Now in his black garb38 with his cheery, toothsome smile, he was moving about among the crowd carrying peace and kindliness39 with him. The yellow-bearded Mailey, the old warrior40, scarred with many combats and eager for more, stood beside his wife, the gentle squire41 who bore his weapons and nerved his arm. There was Dr. Maupuis from Paris, trying to make the waiter understand that he wanted coffee, and being presented with toothpicks, while the gaunt Lord Roxton viewed his efforts with cynical42 amusement. There, too, was the good{277} Bolsover with several of the Hammersmith circle, and Tom Linden with his wife, and Smith, the fighting bull-dog from the north, and Dr. Atkinson, and Mervin the psychic editor with his kind wife, and the two Ogilvies, and little Miss Delicia with her bag and her tracts43, and Dr. Ross Scotton, now successfully cured, and Dr. Felkin who had cured him so far as his earthly representative, Nurse Ursula, could fill his place. All these and many more were visible to our two-inch spectrum44 of colour, and audible to our four octaves of sound. How many others, outside those narrow limitations, may have added their presence and their blessing—who shall say?
One last scene before we close the record. It was in a sitting-room45 of the Imperial Hotel at Folkestone. At the window sat Mr. and Mrs. Edward Malone gazing westwards down Channel at an angry evening sky. Great purple tentacles46, threatening forerunners47 from what lay unseen and unknown beyond the horizon, were writhing48 up towards the zenith. Below the little Dieppe boat was panting eagerly homewards. Far out the great ships were keeping mid-channel as scenting49 danger to come. The vague threat of that menacing sky acted subconsciously50 upon the minds of both of them.
“Tell me, Enid,” said Malone, “of all our wonderful psychic experiences, which is now most vivid in your mind?”
“It is curious that you should ask, Ned, for I was thinking of it at that moment. I suppose it was the association of ideas with that terrible sky. It was of Miromar I was thinking, the strange mystery man with his words of doom51.”
“And so was I.{278}”
“Have you heard of him since?”
“Once and once only. It was on a Sunday morning in Hyde Park. He was speaking to a little group of men. I mixed with the crowd and listened. It was the same warning.”
“How did they take it? Did they laugh?”
“Well, you have seen and heard him. You could not laugh, could you?”
“No, indeed. But you don’t take it seriously, Ned, do you? Look at the solid old earth of England. Look at our great hotel and the people on the Lees, and the stodgy52 morning papers and all the settled order of a civilised land. Do you really think that anything could come to destroy it all?”
“Who knows? Miromar is not the only one who says so.”
“Does he call it the end of the world?”
“No, no, it is the rebirth of the world—of the true world, the world as God meant it to be.”
“It is the materialism54, the wooden formalities of the churches, the alienation55 of all spiritual impulses, the denial of the Unseen, the ridicule56 of this new revelation—these are the causes according to him.”
“Surely the world has been worse before now?”
“But never with the same advantages—never with the education and knowledge and so-called civilisation57, which should have led it to higher things. Look how everything has been turned to evil. We got the knowledge of airships. We bomb cities with them. We learn how to steam under the sea. We murder seamen58 with our new knowledge. We gain command over chemicals. We turn them into explosives or poison gases. It goes from worse to worse. At{279} the present moment every nation upon earth is plotting secretly how it can best poison the others. Did God create the planet for this end, and is it likely that He will allow it to go on from bad to worse?”
“Is it you or Miromar who is talking now?”
“Well, I have myself been brooding over the matter, and all my thoughts seem to justify59 his conclusions. I read a spirit message which Charles Mason wrote. It was: ‘The most dangerous condition for a man or a nation is when his intellectual side is more developed than his spiritual.’ Is that not exactly the condition of the world to-day?”
“And how will it come?”
“Ah, there I can only take Miromar’s word for it. He speaks of a breaking of all the phials. There is war, famine, pestilence60, earthquake, flood, tidal waves—all ending in peace and glory unutterable.”
The great purple streamers were right across the sky. A dull crimson61 glare, a lurid62 angry glow, was spreading in the west. Enid shuddered63 as she watched it.
“One thing we have learned,” said he. “It is that two souls, where real love exists, go on and on without a break through all the spheres. Why, then, should you and I fear death, or anything which life or death can bring?”
She smiled and put her hand in his.
“Why, indeed?” said she.
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1
rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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psychic
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| n.对超自然力敏感的人；adj.有超自然力的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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impartial
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| adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的 | |
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demonstration
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| n.表明，示范，论证，示威 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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stunts
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| n.惊人的表演( stunt的名词复数 )；（广告中）引人注目的花招；愚蠢行为；危险举动v.阻碍…发育[生长]，抑制，妨碍( stunt的第三人称单数 ) | |
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deflecting
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| （使）偏斜， （使）偏离， （使）转向( deflect的现在分词 ) | |
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9
torpedo
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| n.水雷，地雷；v.用鱼雷破坏 | |
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radical
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| n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的 | |
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wireless
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| adj.无线的；n.无线电 | |
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enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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13
prospective
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| adj.预期的，未来的，前瞻性的 | |
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14
diligently
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| ad.industriously;carefully | |
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obstruction
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| n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物 | |
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16
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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illuminating
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| a.富于启发性的，有助阐明的 | |
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testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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marvelled
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| v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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23
consensus
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| n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识 | |
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vehemence
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| n.热切；激烈；愤怒 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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obtuse
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| adj.钝的；愚钝的 | |
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transcended
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| 超出或超越（经验、信念、描写能力等）的范围( transcend的过去式和过去分词 )； 优于或胜过… | |
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28
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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robust
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| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
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condoned
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| v.容忍，宽恕，原谅( condone的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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virile
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| adj.男性的；有男性生殖力的；有男子气概的；强有力的 | |
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foretold
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| v.预言，预示( foretell的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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rev
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| v.发动机旋转，加快速度 | |
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blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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consecrated
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| adj.神圣的，被视为神圣的v.把…奉为神圣，给…祝圣( consecrate的过去式和过去分词 )；奉献 | |
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38
garb
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| n.服装，装束 | |
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kindliness
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| n.厚道，亲切，友好的行为 | |
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40
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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42
cynical
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| adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的 | |
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tracts
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| 大片土地( tract的名词复数 )； 地带； （体内的）道； （尤指宣扬宗教、伦理或政治的）短文 | |
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44
spectrum
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| n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列 | |
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45
sitting-room
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| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
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46
tentacles
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| n.触手( tentacle的名词复数 )；触角；触须；触毛 | |
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forerunners
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| n.先驱( forerunner的名词复数 )；开路人；先兆；前兆 | |
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48
writhing
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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49
scenting
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| vt.闻到（scent的现在分词形式） | |
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50
subconsciously
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| ad.下意识地，潜意识地 | |
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51
doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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52
stodgy
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| adj.易饱的；笨重的；滞涩的；古板的 | |
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53
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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54
materialism
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| n.［哲］唯物主义，唯物论；物质至上 | |
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55
alienation
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| n.疏远；离间；异化 | |
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56
ridicule
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| v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄 | |
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57
civilisation
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| n.文明，文化，开化，教化 | |
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58
seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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59
justify
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| vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护 | |
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60
pestilence
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| n.瘟疫 | |
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61
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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lurid
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| adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的 | |
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63
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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