《Four Years》第17章

s　private；　and　as　i　passed　he　whispered　into　my　ear；　madame　blavatsky　is　perhaps　not　a　real　woman　at　all。　they　say　that　her　dead　body　was　found　many　years　ago　upon　some　russian　battlefield。　she　had　two　dominant　moods；　both　of　extreme　activity；　but　one　calm　and　philosophic；　and　this　was　the　mood　always　on　that　night　in　the　week；　when　she　answered　questions　upon　her　system；　and　as　i　look　back　after　thirty　years　i　often　ask　myself　was　her　speech　automatic？　was　she　for　one　night；　in　every　week；　a　trance　medium；　or　in　some　similar　state？　in　the　other　mood　she　was　full　of　phantasy　and　inconsequent　raillery。　that　is　the　greek　church；　a　triangle　like　all　true　religion；　i　recall　her　saying；　as　she　chalked　out　a　triangle　on　the　green　baize；and　then；　as　she　made　it　disappear　in　meaningless　scribbles　it　spread　out　and　became　a　bramble？bush　like　the　church　of　rome。　then　rubbing　it　all　out　except　one　straight　line；　now　they　have　lopped　off　the　branches　and　turned　it　into　a　broomstick　arid　that　is　protestantism。　and　so　it　was；　night　after　night；　always　varied　and　unforseen。　i　have　observed　a　like　sudden　extreme　change　in　others；　half　whose　thought　was　supernatural；　and　laurence　oliphant　records　some　where　or　other　like　observations。　i　can　remember　only　once　finding　her　in　a　mood　of　reverie；　something　had　happened　to　damp　her　spirits；　some　attack　upon　her　movement；　or　upon　herself。　she　spoke　of　balzac；　whom　she　had　seen　but　once；　of　alfred　de　musset；　whom　she　had　known　well　enough　to　dislike　for　his　morbidity；　and　of　george　sand　whom　she　had　known　so　well　that　they　had　dabbled　in　magic　together　of　which　neither　knew　anything　at　all　in　those　days；　and　she　ran　on；　as　if　there　was　nobody　there　to　overhear　her；　i　used　to　wonder　at　and　pity　the　people　who　sell　their　souls　to　the　devil；　but　now　i　only　pity　them。　they　do　it　to　have　somebody　on　their　sides；　and　added　to　that；　after　some　words　i　have　forgotten；　i　write；　write；　write　as　the　wandering　jew　walks；　walks；　walks。　besides　the　devotees；　who　came　to　listen　and　to　turn　every　doctrine　into　a　new　sanction　for　the　puritanical　convictions　of　their　victorian　childhood；　cranks　came　from　half　europe　and　from　all　america；　and　they　came　that　they　might　talk。　one　american　said　to　me；　she　has　bee　the　most　famous　woman　in　the　world　by　sitting　in　a　big　chair　and　permitting　us　to　talk。　they　talked　and　she　played　patience；　and　totted　up　her　score　on　the　green　baize；　and　generally　seemed　to　listen；　but　sometimes　she　would　listen　no　more。　there　was　a　woman　who　talked　perpetually　of　the　divine　spark　within　her；　until　madame　blavatsky　stopped　her　with？？yes；　my　dear；　you　have　a　divine　spark　within　you；　and　if　you　are　not　very　careful　you　will　hear　it　snore。　a　certain　salvation　army　captain　probably　pleased　her；　for；　if　vociferous　and　loud　of　voice；　he　had　much　animation。　he　had　known　hardship　and　spoke　of　his　visions　while　starving　in　the　streets　and　he　was　still　perhaps　a　little　light　in　the　head。　i　wondered　what　he　could　preach　to　ignorant　men；　his　head　ablaze　with　wild　mysticism；　till　i　met　a　man　who　had　heard　him　talking　near　covent　garden　to　some　crowd　in　the　street。　my　friends；　he　was　saying；　you　have　the　kingdom　of　heaven　within　you　and　it　would　take　a　pretty　big　pill　to　get　that　out。
x
Four　YearsXVII
。^生。网
meanwhile　i　had　not　got　any　nearer　to　proving　that　ahasuerus　dwells　in　a　sea？cavern　mid　the　demonesi；　but　one　conclusion　i　certainly　did　e　to；　which　i　find　written　out　in　an　old　diary　and　dated　1887。　madame　blavatskys　masters　were　trance　personalities；　but　by　trance　personalities　i　meant　something　almost　as　exciting　as　ahasuerus　himself。　years　before　i　had　found；　on　a　table　in　the　royal　irish　academy；　a　pamphlet　on　japanese　art；　and　read　there　of　an　animal　painter　so　remarkable　that　horses　he　had　painted　upon　a　temple　wall　had　stepped　down　after　and　trampled　the　neighbouring　fields　of　rice。　somebody　had　e　to　the　temple　in　the　early　morning；　been　startled　by　a　shower　of　water　drops；　looked　up　and　seen　a　painted　horse；　still　wet　from　the　dew？covered　fields；　but　now　trembling　into　stillness。　i　thought　that　her　masters　were　imaginary　forms　created　by　suggestion；　but　whether　that　suggestion　came　from　madame　blavatskys　own　mind　or　from　some　mind；　perhaps　at　a　great　distance；　i　did　not　know；　and　i　believed　that　these　forms　could　pass　from　madame　blavatskys　mind　to　the　minds　of　others；　and　even　acquire　external　reality；　and　that　it　was　even　possible　that　they　talked　and　wrote。　they　were　born　in　the　imagination；　where　blake　had　declared　that　all　men　live　after　death；　and　where　every　man　is　king　or　priest　in　his　own　house。　certainly　the　house　at　holland　park　was　a　romantic　place；　where　one　heard　of　constant　apparitions　and　exchanged　speculations　like　those　of　the　middle　ages；　and　i　did　not　separate　myself　from　it　by　my　own　will。　the　secretary；　an　intelligent　and　friendly　man；　asked　me　to　e　and　see　him；　and　when　i　did；　plained　that　i　was　causing　discussion　and　disturbance；　a　certain　fanatical　hungry　face　had　been　noticed　red　and　tearful；　&　it　was　quite　plain　that　i　was　not　in　full　agreement　with　their　method　or　their　philosophy。　i　know；　he　said；　that　all　these　people　bee　dogmatic　and　fanatical　because　they　believe　what　they　can　never　prove；　that　their　withdrawal　from　family　life　is　to　them　a　great　misfortune；　but　what　are　we　to　do？　we　have　been　told　that　all　spiritual　influx　into　the　society　will　e　to　an　end　in　1897　for　exactly　one　hundred　years。　before　that　date　our　fundamental　ideas　must　be　spread　through　the　world。　i　knew　the　doctrine　and　it　had　made　me　wonder　why　that　old　woman；　or　rather　the　trance　personalities　who　directed　her　and　were　her　genius；　insisted　upon　it；　for　influx　of　some　kind　there　must　always　be。　did　they　dread　heresy　after　the　death　of　madame　blavatsky；　or　had　they　no　purpose　but　the　greatest　possible　immediate　effort？
m。
Four　YearsXVIII
＊＝
at　the　british　museum　reading？room　i　often　saw　a　man　of　thirty？six　or　thirty？seven；　in　a　brown　velveteen　coat；　with　a　gaunt　resolute　face；　and　an　athletic　body；　who　seemed　before　i　heard　his　name；　or　knew　the　nature　of　his　studies；　a　figure　of　romance。　presently　i　was　introduced；　where　or　by　what　man　or　woman　i　do　not　rememb