第12章
“No，butitalmostpreventedmefromliving。“
“Thenyouarenotrich？“exclaimedMinoret。
“Pooh！“saidBouvard。
“ButIam！“criedtheother。
“ItisnotyourmoneybutyourconvictionsthatIwant。Come，“repliedBouvard。
“Oh！youobstinatefellow！“saidMinoret。
TheMesmeristledhissceptic，withsomeprecaution，upadingystaircasetothefourthfloor。
AtthisparticulartimeanextraordinarymanhadappearedinParis，endowedbyfaithwithincalculablepower，andcontrollingmagneticforcesinalltheirapplications。Notonlydidthisgreatunknown(whostilllives)healfromadistancetheworstandmostinveteratediseases，suddenlyandradically，astheSaviorofmendidformerly，buthewasalsoabletocallforthinstantaneouslythemostremarkablephenomenaofsomnambulismandconquerthemostrebelliouswill。Thecountenanceofthismysteriousbeing，whoclaimstoberesponsibletoGodaloneandtocommunicate，likeSwedenborg，withangels，resemblesthatofalion；concentrated，irresistibleenergyshinesinit。Hisfeatures，singularlycontorted，haveaterribleandevenblastingaspect。Hisvoice，whichcomesfromthedepthsofhisbeing，seemschargedwithsomemagneticfluid；itpenetratesthehearerateverypore。Disgustedbytheingratitudeofthepublicafterhismanycures，hehasnowreturnedtoanimpenetrablesolitude，avoluntarynothingness。Hisall-powerfulhand，whichhasrestoredadyingdaughtertohermother，fatherstotheirgrief-strickenchildren，adoredmistressestoloversfrenziedwithlove，curedthesickgivenoverbyphysicians，soothedthesufferingsofthedyingwhenlifebecameimpossible，wrungpsalmsofthanksgivinginsynagogues，temples，andchurchesfromthelipsofpriestsrecalledtotheoneGodbythesamemiracle，——thatsovereignhand，asunoflifedazzlingtheclosedeyesofthesomnambulist，hasneverbeenraisedagaineventosavetheheir-apparentofakingdom。Wrappedinthememoryofhispastmerciesasinaluminousshroud，hedenieshimselftotheworldandlivesforheaven。
But，atthedawnofhisreign，surprisedbyhisowngift，thisman，whosegenerosityequaledhispower，allowedafewinterestedpersonstowitnesshismiracles。Thefameofhiswork，whichwasmighty，andcouldeasilyberevivedto-morrow，reachedDr。Bouvard，whowasthenonthevergeofthegrave。Thepersecutedmesmeristwasatlastenabledtowitnessthestartlingphenomenaofasciencehehadlongtreasuredinhisheart。Thesacrificesoftheoldmantouchedtheheartofthemysteriousstranger，whoaccordedhimcertainprivileges。
AsBouvardnowwentupthestaircasehelistenedtothetwittingsofhisoldantagonistwithmaliciousdelight，answeringonly，“Youshallsee，youshallsee！“withtheemphaticlittlenodsofamanwhoissureofhisfacts。
Thetwophysiciansenteredasuiteofroomsthatweremorethanmodest。BouvardwentaloneintoabedroomwhichadjoinedthesalonwhereheleftMinoret，whosedistrustwasinstantlyawakened；butBouvardreturnedatonceandtookhimintothebedroom，wherehesawthemysteriousSwedenborgian，andalsoawomansittinginanarmchair。
Thewomandidnotrise，andseemednottonoticetheentranceofthetwooldmen。
“What！notub？“criedMinoret，smiling。
“NothingbutthepowerofGod，“answeredtheSwedenborgiangravely。HeseemedtoMinorettobeaboutfiftyyearsofage。
Thethreemensatdownandthemysteriousstrangertalkedoftherainandthecomingfineweather，tothegreatastonishmentofMinoret，whothoughthewasbeinghoaxed。TheSwedenborgiansoonbegan，however，toquestionhisvisitoronhisscientificopinions，andseemedevidentlytobetakingtimetoexaminehim。
“Youhavecomeheresolelyfromcuriosity，monsieur，“hesaidatlast。
“Itisnotmyhabittoprostituteapowerwhich，accordingtomyconviction，emanatesfromGod；ifImadeafrivolousorunworthyuseofit，itwouldbetakenfromme。Nevertheless，thereissomehope，MonsieurBouvardtellsme，ofchangingtheopinionsofonewhohasopposedus，ofenlighteningascientificmanwhosemindiscandid；I
havethereforedeterminedtosatisfyyou。Thatwomanwhomyouseethere，“hecontinued，pointingtoher，“isnowinasomnambulicsleep。
Thestatementsandmanifestationsofsomnambulistsdeclarethatthisstateisadelightfulotherlife，duringwhichtheinnerbeing，freedfromthetrammelslaidupontheexerciseofourfacultiesbythevisibleworld，movesinaworldwhichwemistakenlyterminvisible。
Sightandhearingarethenexercisedinamannerfarmoreperfectthananyweknowofhere，possiblywithoutthehelpoftheorganswenowemploy，whicharethescabbardoftheluminousbladescalledsightandhearing。Toapersoninthatstate，distanceandmaterialobstaclesdonotexist，ortheycanbetraversedbyalifewithinusforwhichourbodyisamerereceptacle，anecessaryshelter，acasing。Termsfailtodescribeeffectsthathavelatelybeenrediscovered，forto-daythewordsimponderable，intangible，invisiblehavenomeaningtothefluidwhoseactionisdemonstratedbymagnetism。Lightisponderablebyitsheat，which，bypenetratingbodies，increasestheirvolume；andcertainlyelectricityisonlytootangible。Wehavecondemnedthingsthemselvesinsteadofblamingtheimperfectionofourinstruments。“
“Shesleeps，“saidMinoret，examiningthewoman，whoseemedtohimtobelongtoaninferiorclass。
“Herbodyisforthetimebeinginabeyance，“saidtheSwedenborgian。
“Ignorantpersonssupposethatconditiontobesleep。Butshewillprovetoyouthatthereisaspiritualuniverse，andthatthemindwhentheredoesnotobeythelawsofthismaterialuniverse。Iwillsendherwhereveryouwishtogo，——ahundredmilesfromhereortoChina，asyouwill。Shewilltellyouwhatishappeningthere。“
“SendhertomyhouseinNemours，RuedesBourgeois；thatwilldo，“
saidMinoret。
HetookMinoret’shand，whichthedoctorlethimtake，andhelditforamomentseemingtocollecthimself；thenwithhisotherhandhetookthatofthewomansittinginthearm-chairandplacedthehandofthedoctorinit，makingasigntotheoldsceptictoseathimselfbesidethisoraclewithoutatripod。MinoretobservedaslighttremorontheabsolutelycalmfeaturesofthewomanwhentheirhandswerethusunitedbytheSwedenborgian，buttheaction，thoughmarvelousinitseffects，wasverysimplydone。
“Obeyhim，“saidtheunknownpersonage，extendinghishandabovetheheadofthesleepingwoman，whoseemedtoimbibebothlightandlifefromhim，“andrememberthatwhatyoudoforhimwillpleaseme——Youcannowspeaktoher，“headded，addressingMinoret。
“GotoNemours，tomyhouse，RuedesBourgeois，“saidthedoctor。
“Givehertime；putyourhandinhersuntilsheprovestoyoubywhatshetellsyouthatsheiswhereyouwishhertobe，“saidBouvardtohisoldfriend。
“Iseeariver，“saidthewomaninafeeblevoice，seemingtolookwithinherselfwithdeepattention，notwithstandingherclosedeyelids。“Iseeaprettygarden——“
“Whydoyouenterbytheriverandthegarden？“saidMinoret。
“Becausetheyarethere。“
“Who？“
“Theyounggirlandhernurse，whomyouarethinkingof。“
“Whatisthegardenlike？“saidMinoret。
“Enteringbythestepswhichgodowntotheriver，thereistheright，alongbrickgallery，inwhichIseebooks；itendsinasingularbuilding，——therearewoodenbells，andapatternofredeggs。Totheleft，thewalliscoveredwithclimbingplants，wildgrapes，Virginiajessamine。Inthemiddleisasun-dial。Therearemanyplantsinpots。
Yourchildislookingattheflowers。Sheshowsthemtohernurse——sheismakingholesintheearthwithhertrowel，andplantingseeds。Thenurseisrakingthepath。Theyounggirlispureasanangel，butthebeginningofloveisthere，faintasthedawn——“
“Loveforwhom？“askedthedoctor，who，untilnow，wouldhavelistenedtonowordsaidtohimbysomnambulists。Heconsidereditalljugglery。
“Youknownothing——thoughyouhavelatelybeenuneasyaboutherhealth，“answeredthewoman。“Herhearthasfollowedthedictatesofnature。“
“Awomanofthepeopletotalklikethis！“criedthedoctor。
“Inthestatesheisinallpersonsspeakwithextraordinaryperception，“saidBouvard。
“ButwhoisitthatUrsulaloves？“
“Ursuladoesnotknowthatsheloves，“saidthewomanwithashakeofthehead；“sheistooangelictoknowwhatloveis；buthermindisoccupiedbyhim；shethinksofhim；shetriestoescapethethought；
butshereturnstoitinspiteofherwilltoabstain——Sheisatthepiano——“
“Butwhoishe？“
“Thesonofaladywholivesopposite。“
“MadamedePortenduere？“
“Portenduere，didyousay？“repliedthesleeper。“Perhapsso。Butthere’snodanger；heisnotintheneighbourhood。“
“Havetheyspokentoeachother？“askedthedoctor。
“Never。Theyhavelookedatoneanother。Shethinkshimcharming。Heis，infact，afineman；hehasagoodheart。Sheseeshimfromherwindow；theyseeeachotherinchurch。Buttheyoungmannolongerthinksofher。“