: 
372 THE CAUSES OF THE XI 
that good kind of people that I was talking of a 
little while ago. And he might say, “ Oh, my dear 
sir, you are certainly going on a great deal too 
fast. You are most presumptuous. You admit 
that all these occurrences took place when you 
were fast asleep, at a time when you could not 
possibly have known anything about what was 
taking place. How do you know that the laws of 
Nature are not suspended during the night? It 
may be that there has been some kind of super- 
natural interference in this case.” In point of 
fact, he declares that your hypothesis is one of 
which you cannot at all demonstrate the truth, 
and that you are by no means sure that the laws 
of Nature are the same when you are asleep as 
when you are awake. 
Well, now, you cannot at the moment answer 
that kind of reasoning. You feel that your worthy 
friend has you somewhat at a disadvantage. You 
will feel perfectly convinced in your own mind, 
however, that you are quite right, and you say to 
him, “ My good friend, I can only be guided by~ 
the natural probabilities of the case, and if you 
will be kind enough to stand aside and permit me— 
to pass, I will go and fetch the police.” Well, we 
will suppose that your journey is successful, and 
that by good luck you meet with a policeman ; 
that eventually the burglar is found with your 
property on his person, and the marks correspond 
to his hand and to his boots, Probably any jury” 
5 
