Part 19 (2/2)
”I saw such a flame to-night,” Julian said. ”After I heard the cry, I distinctly saw a flame come from where Valentine was sitting and float up and disappear in the darkness. And--and afterwards, when Valentine lay so still and cold, I grew to believe that flame was his soul and that I had actually seen him die in the dark.”
”Imagination,” Valentine said, rather abruptly. ”All imagination. Wasn't it, doctor?”
”Probably,” Levillier said. ”Darkness certainly makes things visible that do not exist. I have patients who are perfectly sane, yet whom I forbid ever to be entirely in the dark. Remove all objects from their sight, and they immediately see non-existent things.”
”You think that flame came only from my inner consciousness?” Julian asked.
”I suspect so. Shut your eyes now.”
Julian did so. Doctor Levillier bent over and pressed his two forefingers hard on Julian's eyes. After a moment,
”What do you see?” he asked.
”Nothing,” Julian replied.
”Wait a little longer. Now what do you see?”
”Now I see a broad ring of yellow light edged with ragged purple.”
”Exactly. You see flame-colour.”
He removed his fingers and Julian opened his eyes.
”Yes,” he said. ”But that cry. I most distinctly heard it.”
”Imitate it.”
”That would be impossible. It was too strange. Are the ears affected by darkness?”
”The sense of hearing is intimately affected by suspense. If you do not listen attentively you may fail to hear a sound that is. If you listen too attentively you may succeed in hearing a sound that is not. Now, shut your eyes again.”
Julian obeyed.
”I am going to clap my hands presently,” said the doctor. ”Tell me as soon as you have heard me do so.”
”Yes.”
Doctor Levillier made no movement for some time. Then he softly leant forward, extended his arms in the air, and made the motion of clapping his hands close to Julian's face. In reality he did not touch one hand with the other, yet Julian cried out:
”I heard you clap them then.”
”I have not clapped them at all,” Levillier said.
Julian expressed extreme surprise.
”You see how very easy it is for the senses to be deceived,” the doctor added. ”Once stir the nervous system into an acute state of antic.i.p.ation, and it will conjure up for you a veritable panorama of sights, sounds, bodily sensations. But throw it into that state once too often, and the panorama, instead of pa.s.sing and disappearing, may remain fixed for a time, even forever, before your eyes, your ears, your touch. And that means recurrent or permanent madness. Valentine, I desire you most especially to remember that.”
He uttered the words weightily, with very definite intention. Valentine, who still seemed to be in an unusually lazy or careless mood, laughed easily.
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