the coming race- 第5部分

〃Zee；〃　said　my　host　mildly；　〃you　belong　to　the　College　of　Sages；　and　ought　to　be　wiser　than　I　am；　but；　as　chief　of　the　Light…preserving　Council；　it　is　my　duty　to　take　nothing　for　granted　till　it　is　proved　to　the　evidence　of　my　own　senses。〃　Then；　turning　to　me；　he　asked　me　several　questions　about　the　surface　of　the　earth　and　the　heavenly　bodies；　upon　which；　though　I　answered　him　to　the　best　of　my　knowledge；　my　answers　seemed　not　to　satisfy　nor　convince　him。　　He　shook　his　head　quietly；　and；　changing　the　subject　rather　abruptly；　asked　how　I　had　come　down　from　what　he　was　pleased　to　call　one　world　to　the　other。　　I　answered；　that　under　the　surface　of　the　earth　there　were　mines　containing　minerals；　or　metals；　essential　to　our　wants　and　our　progress　in　all　arts　and　industries；　and　I　then　briefly　explained　the　manner　in　which；　while　exploring　one　of　those　mines；　I　and　my　ill…fated　friend　had　obtained　a　glimpse　of　the　regions　into　which　we　had　descended；　and　how　the　descent　had　cost　him　his　life；　appealing　to　the　rope　and　grappling…　hooks　that　the　child　had　brought　to　the　house　in　which　I　had　been　at　first　received；　as　a　witness　of　the　truthfulness　of　my　story。

My　host　then　proceeded　to　question　me　as　to　the　habits　and　modes　of　life　among　the　races　on　the　upper　earth；　more　especially　among　those　considered　to　be　the　most　advanced　in　that　civilisation　which　he　was　pleased　to　define　〃the　art　of　diffusing　throughout　a　community　the　tranquil　happiness　which　belongs　to　a　virtuous　and　well…ordered　household。〃　Naturally　desiring　to　represent　in　the　most　favourable　colours　the　world　from　which　I　came；　I　touched　but　slightly；　though　indulgently；　on　the　antiquated　and　decaying　institutions　of　Europe；　in　order　27to　expatiate　on　the　present　grandeur　and　prospective　pre…eminence　of　that　glorious　American　Republic；　in　which　Europe　enviously　seeks　its　model　and　tremblingly　foresees　its　doom。　　Selecting　for　an　example　of　the　social　life　of　the　United　States　that　city　in　which　progress　advances　at　the　fastest　rate；　I　indulged　in　an　animated　description　of　the　moral　habits　of　New　York。　　Mortified　to　see；　by　the　faces　of　my　listeners；　that　I　did　not　make　the　favourable　impression　I　had　anticipated；　I　elevated　my　theme；　dwelling　on　the　excellence　of　democratic　institutions；　their　promotion　of　tranquil　happiness　by　the　government　of　party；　and　the　mode　in　which　they　diffused　such　happiness　throughout　the　community　by　preferring；　for　the　exercise　of　power　and　the　acquisition　of　honours；　the　lowliest　citizens　in　point　of　property；　education；　and　character。　　Fortunately　recollecting　the　peroration　of　a　speech；　on　the　purifying　influences　of　American　democracy　and　their　destined　spread　over　the　world；　made　by　a　certain　eloquent　senator　（for　whose　vote　in　the　Senate　a　Railway　Company；　to　which　my　two　brothers　belonged；　had　just　paid　20；000　dollars）；　I　wound　up　by　repeating　its　glowing　predictions　of　the　magnificent　future　that　smiled　upon　mankind…　when　the　flag　of　freedom　should　float　over　an　entire　continent；　and　two　hundred　millions　of　intelligent　citizens；　accustomed　from　infancy　to　the　daily　use　of　revolvers；　should　apply　to　a　cowering　universe　the　doctrine　of　the　Patriot　Monroe。

When　I　had　concluded；　my　host　gently　shook　his　head；　and　fell　into　a　musing　study；　making　a　sign　to　me　and　his　daughter　to　remain　silent　while　he　reflected。　　And　after　a　time　he　said；　in　a　very　earnest　and　solemn　tone；　〃If　you　think　as　you　say；　that　you；　though　a　stranger；　have　received　kindness　at　the　hands　of　me　and　mine；　I　adjure　you　to　reveal　nothing　to　any　other　of　our　people　respecting　the　world　from　which　you　came；　unless；　on　consideration；　I　give　you　permission　to　do　so。　　Do　you　consent　to　this　request？〃

28〃Of　course　I　pledge　my　word；　to　it；〃　said　I；　somewhat　amazed；　and　I　extended　my　right　hand　to　grasp　his。　　But　he　placed　my　hand　gently　on　his　forehead　and　his　own　right　hand　on　my　breast；　which　is　the　custom　amongst　this　race　in　all　matters　of　promise　or　verbal　obligations。　　Then　turning　to　his　daughter；　he　said；　〃And　you；　Zee；　will　not　repeat　to　any　one　what　the　stranger　has　said；　or　may　say；　to　me　or　to　you；　of　a　world　other　than　our　own。〃　Zee　rose　and　kissed　her　father　on　the　temples；　saying；　with　a　smile；　〃A　Gy's　tongue　is　wanton；　but　love　can　fetter　it　fast。　　And　if；　my　father；　you　fear　lest　a　chance　word　from　me　or　yourself　could　expose　our　community　to　danger；　by　a　desire　to　explore　a　world　beyond　us；　will　not　a　wave　of　the　'vril；'　properly　impelled；　wash　even　the　memory　of　what　we　have　heard　the　stranger　say　out　of　the　tablets　of　the　brain？〃

〃What　is　the　vril？〃　　I　asked。

Therewith　Zee　began　to　enter　into　an　explanation　of　which　I　understood　very　little；　for　there　is　no　word　in　any　language　I　know　which　is　an　exact　synonym　for　vril。　　I　should　call　it　electricity；　except　that　it　comprehends　in　its　manifold　branches　other　forces　of　nature；　to　which；　in　our　scientific　nomenclature；　differing　names　are　assigned；　such　as　magnetism；　galvanism；　&c。　　These　people　consider　that　in　vril　they　have　arrived　at　the　unity　in　natural　energetic　agencies；　which　has　been　conjectured　by　many　philosophers　above　ground；　and　which　Faraday　thus　intimates　under　the　more　cautious　term　of　correlation：…

〃I　have　long　held　an　opinion；〃　says　that　illustrious　experimentalist；　〃almost　amounting　to　a　conviction；　in　common；　I　believe；　with　many　other　lovers　of　natural　knowledge；　that　the　various　forms　under　which　the　forces　of　matter　are　made　manifest；　have　one　common　origin；　or；　in　other　words；　are　so　directly　related　and　mutually　dependent　that　they　are　convertible；　as　it　were　into　one　another；　and　possess　equivalents　of　power　in　their　action。〃

29These　subterranean　philosophers　assert　that　by　one　operation　of　vril；　which　Faraday　would　perhaps　call　'atmospheric　magnetism；'　they　can　influence　the　variations　of　temperature…　in　plain　words；　the　weather；　that　by　operations；　akin　to　those　ascribed　to　mesmerism；　electro…biology；　odic　force；　&c。；　but　applied　scientifically；　through　vril　conductors；　they　can　exercise　influence　over　minds；　and　bodies　animal　and　vegetable；　to　an　extent　not　surpassed　in　the　romances　of　our　mystics。　　To　all　such　agencies　they　give　the　common　name　of　vril。　　Zee　asked　me　if；　in　my　world；　it　was　not　known　that　all　the　faculties　of　the　mind　could　be　quickened　to　a　degree　unknown　in　the　waking　state；　by　trance　or　vision；　in　which　the　thoughts　of　one　brain　could　be　transmitted　to　another；　and　knowledge　be　thus　rapidly　interchanged。　　I　replied；　that　there　were　amongst　us　stories　told　of　such　trance　or　vision；　and　that　I　had　heard　much　and　seen　something　in　mesmeric　clairvoyance；　but　that　these　practices　had　fallen　much　into　disuse　or　contempt；　partly　because　of　the　gross　impostures　to　which　they　had　been　made　subservient；　and　partly　because；　even　where　the　effects　upon　certain　abnormal　constitutions　were　genuinely　produced；　the　effects　when　fairly　examined　and　analysed；　were　very　unsatisfactory…　not　to　be　relied　upon　for　any　systematic　truthfulness　or　any　practical　purpose；　and　rendered　very　mischievous　to　credulous　persons　by　the　superstitions　they　tended　to　produce。　　Zee　received　my　answers　with　much　benignant　attention；　and　said　that　similar　instances　of　abuse　and　credulity　had　been　familiar　to　their　own　scientific　experience　in　the　infancy　of　their　knowledge；　and　while　the　properties　of　vril　were　misapprehended；　but　that　she　reserved　further　discussion　on　this　subject　till　I　was　more　fitted　to　enter　into　it。　　She　contented　herself　with　adding；　that　it　was　through　the　agency　of　vril；　while　I　had　been　placed　in　the　state　of　trance；　that　I　had　been　made　acquainted　with　the　rudiments　of　their　language；　and　that　she　and　her　father；　who　alone　of　the　family；　30took　the　pains　to　watch　the　experiment；　had　acquired　a　greater　proportionate　knowledge　of　my　language　than　I　of　their　own；　partly　because　my　language　was　much　simpler　than　theirs；　comprising　far　less　of　complex　ideas；　and　partly　because　their　organisation　was；　by　hereditary　culture；　much　more　ductile　and　more　readily　capable　of　acquiring　knowledge　than　mine。　　At　this　I　secretly　demurred；　and　having　had　in　the　course　of　a　practical　life；　to　sharpen　my　wits；　whether　at　home　or　in　travel；　I　could　not　allow　that　my　cerebral　organisation　could　possibly　be　duller　than　that　of　people　who　had　lived　all　their　lives　by　lamplight。　　However；　while　I　was　thus　thinking；　Zee　quietly　pointed　her　forefinger　at　my　forehead；　and　sent　me　to　sleep。


Chapter　VIII。


When　I　once　more　awoke　I　saw　by　my　bed…side　the　child　who　had　brought　the　rope　and　grappling…hooks　to　the　house　in　which　I　had　been　first　received；　and　which；　as　I　afterwards　learned；　was　the　residence　of　the　chief　magistrate　of　the　tribe。　　The　child；　whose　name　was　Taee　（pronounced　Tar…ee）；　was　the　magistrate's　eldest　son。　　I　found　that　during　my　last　sleep　or　trance　I　had　made　still　greater　advance　in　the　language　of　the　country；　and　could　converse　with　comparative　ease　and　fluency。

This　child　was　singularly　handsome；　even　for　the　beautiful　race　to　which　he　belonged；　with　a　countenance　very　manly　in　aspect　for　his　years；　and　with　a　more　vivacious　and　energetic　expression　than　I　had　hitherto　seen　in　the　serene　and　passionless　faces　of　the　men。　　He　brought　me　the　tablet　on　which　I　had　drawn　the　mode　of　my　descent；　and　had　also　sketched　the　head　of　the　horrible　reptile　that　had　scared　me　from　my　friend's　corpse。　　Pointing　to　that　part　of　the　drawing；　Taee　put　31to　me　a　few　questions　respecting　the　size　and　form　of　the　monster；　and　the　cave　or　chasm　from　which　it　had　emerged。　　His　interest　in　my　answers　seemed　so　grave　as　to　divert　him　for　a　while　from　any　curiosity　as　to　myself　or　my　antecedents。　　But　to　my　great　embarrassment；　seeing　how　I　was　pledged　to　my　host；　　he　was　just　beginning　to　ask　me　where　I　came　from；　when　Zee；　　fortunately　entered；　and；　overhearing　him；　said；　〃Taee；　give　to　　our　guest　any　information　he　may　desire；　but　ask　none　from　him　　in　return。　　To　question　him　who　he　is；　whence　he　comes；　or　　wherefore　he　is　here；　would　be　a　breach　of　the　law　which　my　　father　has　laid　down　in　this　house。〃　

〃So　be　it；〃　said　Taee；　pressing　his　hand　to　his　breast；　and　from　that　moment；　till　the　one　in　which　I　saw　him　last；　this　child；　with　whom　I　became　very　intimate；　neve