第19部分(第1/7 頁)

；　it　set　up　a　laboratory；　and　printed　grave　reports。　Day　by　day　its　sphere　widened。　Hypnotism　brought　matter　for　the　marvel…　mongers；　and　there　followed　a　long　procession　of　words　in　limping　Greek……a　little　difficult　till　practice　had　made　perfect。　Another　fortunate　terminologist　hit　upon　the　word　〃psychical〃……the　P　might　be　sounded　or　not；　according　to　the　taste　and　fancy　of　the　pronouncer……and　the　fashionable　children　of　a　scientific　age　were　thoroughly　at　ease。　〃There　MUST　be　something；　you　know；　one　always　felt　that　there　MUST　be　something。〃　And　now；　if　one　may　judge　from　what　one　reads；　psychical　〃science〃　is　fortably　joining　hands　with　the　sorcery　of　the　Middle　Ages。　It　is　said　to　be　a　lucrative　moment　for　wizards　that　peep　and　that　mutter。　If　the　law　against　fortune…telling　were　as　strictly　enforced　in　the　polite　world　as　it　occasionally　is　in　slums　and　hamlets；　we　should　have　a　merry　time。　But　it　is　difficult　to　prosecute　a　Professor　of　Telepathy……and　how　he　would　wele　the　advertisement！

Of　course　I　know　very　well　that　all　that　make　use　of　these　words　are　not　in　one　and　the　same　category。　There　is　a　study　of　the　human　mind；　in　health　and　in　disease；　which　calls　for　as　much　respect　as　any　other　study　conscientiously　and　capably　pursued；　that　it　lends　occasion　to　fribbles　and　knaves　is　no　argument　against　any　honest　tendency　of　thought。　Men　whom　one　cannot　but　esteem　are　deeply　engaged　in　psychical　investigations；　and　have　convinced　themselves　that　they　are　brought　into　touch　with　phenomena　inexplicable　by　the　monly　accepted　laws　of　life。　Be　it　so。　They　may　be　on　the　point　of　making　discoveries　in　the　world　beyond　sense。　For　my　own　part；　everything　of　this　kind　not　only　does　not　interest　me；　I　turn　from　it　with　the　strongest　distaste。　If　every　wonder…st