Magnetism

by Guy de Maupassant

　　

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It was a men's dinner party, and they were sitting over their cigars andbrandy and discussing magnetism. Donato's tricks and Charcot'sexperiments. Presently, the sceptical, easy-going men, who cared nothingfor religion of any sort, began telling stories of strange occurrences,incredible things which, nevertheless, had really occurred, so they said,falling back into superstitious beliefs, clinging to these last remnantsof the marvellous, becoming devotees of this mystery of magnetism,defending it in the name of science. There was only one person whosmiled, a vigorous young fellow, a great ladies' man who was soincredulous that he would not even enter upon a discussion of suchmatters.He repeated with a sneer:"Humbug! humbug! humbug! We need not discuss Donato, who is merely avery smart juggler. As for M. Charcot, who is said to be a remarkableman of science, he produces on me the effect of those story-tellers ofthe school of Edgar Poe, who end by going mad through constantlyreflecting on queer cases of insanity. He has authenticated some casesof unexplained and inexplicable nervous phenomena; he makes his way intothat unknown region which men are exploring every day, and unable alwaysto understand what he sees, he recalls, perhaps, the ecclesiasticalinterpretation of these mysteries. I should like to hear what he sayshimself."The words of the unbeliever were listened to with a kind of pity, as ifhe had blasphemed in an assembly of monks.One of these gentlemen exclaimed:"And yet miracles were performed in olden times.""I deny it," replied the other: "Why cannot they be performed now?"Then, each mentioned some fact, some fantastic presentiment some instanceof souls communicating with each other across space, or some case of thesecret influence of one being over another. They asserted and maintainedthat these things had actually occurred, while the sceptic angrilyrepeated:"Humbug! humbug! humbug!"At last he rose, threw away his cigar, and with his hands in his pockets,said: "Well, I also have two stories to tell you, which I will afterwardsexplain. Here they are:"In the little village of Etretat, the men, who are all seafaring folk,go every year to Newfoundland to fish for cod. One night the little sonof one of these fishermen woke up with a start, crying out that hisfather was dead. The child was quieted, and again he woke up exclaimingthat his father was drowned. A month later the news came that his fatherhad, in fact, been swept off the deck of his smack by a billow. Thewidow then remembered how her son had woke up and spoken of his father'sdeath. Everyone said it was a miracle, and the affair caused a greatsensation. The dates were compared, and it was found that the accidentand the dream were almost coincident, whence they concluded that they hadhappened on the same night and at the same hour. And there is a mysteryof magnetism."The story-teller stopped suddenly.Thereupon, one of those who had heard him, much affected by thenarrative, asked:"And can you explain this?""Perfectly, monsieur. I have discovered the secret. The circumstancesurprised me and even perplexed me very much; but you see, I do notbelieve on principle. Just as others begin by believing, I begin bydoubting; and when I cannot understand, I continue to deny that there canbe any telepathic communication between souls; certain that my ownintelligence will be able to explain it. Well, I kept on inquiring intothe matter, and by dint of questioning all the wives of the absentseamen, I was convinced that not a week passed without one of them, orone of their children dreaming and declaring when they woke up that thefather was drowned. The horrible and continual fear of this accidentmakes them always talk about it. Now, if one of these frequentpredictions coincides, by a very simple chance, with the death of theperson referred to, people at once declare it to be a miracle; for theysuddenly lose sight of all the other predictions of misfortune that haveremained unfulfilled. I have myself known fifty cases where the personswho made the prediction forgot all about it a week after wards. But, if,then one happens to die, then the recollection of the thing isimmediately revived, and people are ready to believe in the interventionof God, according to some, and magnetism, according to others."One of the smokers remarked:"What you say is right enough; but what about your second story?""Oh! my second story is a very delicate matter to relate. It happenedto myself, and so I don't place any great value on my own view of thematter. An interested party can never give an impartial opinion.However, here it is:"Among my acquaintances was a young woman on whom I had never bestowed athought, whom I had never even looked at attentively, never taken anynotice of."I classed her among the women of no importance, though she was not bad-looking; she appeared, in fact, to possess eyes, a nose, a mouth, somesort of hair--just a colorless type of countenance. She was one of thosebeings who awaken only a chance, passing thought, but no specialinterest, no desire."Well, one night, as I was writing some letters by my fireside beforegoing to bed, I was conscious, in the midst of that train of sensuousvisions that sometimes pass through one's brain in moments of idlereverie, of a kind of slight influence, passing over me, a little flutterof the heart, and immediately, without any cause, without any logicalconnection of thought, I saw distinctly, as if I were touching her, sawfrom head to foot, and disrobed, this young woman to whom I had nevergiven more that three seconds' thought at a time. I suddenly discoveredin her a number of qualities which I had never before observed, a sweetcharm, a languorous fascination; she awakened in me that sort of restlessemotion that causes one to pursue a woman. But I did not think of herlong. I went to bed and was soon asleep. And I dreamed."You have all had these strange dreams which make you overcome theimpossible, which open to you double-locked doors, unexpected joys,tightly folded arms?"Which of us in these troubled, excising, breathless slumbers, has notheld, clasped, embraced with rapture, the woman who occupied histhoughts? And have you ever noticed what superhuman delight these happydreams give us? Into what mad intoxication they cast you! with whatpassionate spasms they shake you! and with what infinite, caressing,penetrating tenderness they fill your heart for her whom you hold claspedin your arms in that adorable illusion that is so like reality!"All this I felt with unforgettable violence. This woman was mine, somuch mine that the pleasant warmth of her skin remained in my fingers,the odor of her skin, in my brain, the taste of her kisses, on my lips,the sound of her voice lingered in my ears, the touch of her clasp stillclung to me, and the burning charm of her tenderness still gratified mysenses long after the delight but disillusion of my awakening."And three times that night I had the same dream."When the day dawned she haunted me, possessed me, filled my senses tosuch an extent that I was not one second without thinking of her."At last, not knowing what to do, I dressed myself and went to call onher. As I went upstairs to her apartment, I was so overcome by emotionthat I trembled, and my heart beat rapidly."I entered the apartment. She rose the moment she heard my namementioned; and suddenly our eyes met in a peculiar fixed gaze."I sat down. I stammered out some commonplaces which she seemed not tohear. I did not know what to say or do. Then, abruptly, clasping myarms round her, my dream was realized so suddenly that I began to doubtwhether I was really awake. We were friends after this for two years.""What conclusion do you draw from it?" said a voice.The story-teller seemed to hesitate."The conclusion I draw from it--well, by Jove, the conclusion is that itwas just a coincidence! And then--who can tell? Perhaps it was someglance of hers which I had not noticed and which came back that night tome through one of those mysterious and unconscious--recollections thatoften bring before us things ignored by our own consciousness,unperceived by our minds!""Call it whatever you like," said one of his table companions, when thestory was finished; "but if you don't believe in magnetism after that, mydear boy, you are an ungrateful fellow!"

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