the alkahest-第13章

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exquisitely　glossy　and　fell　on　either　side　of　her　forehead　like　a

raven's　wing；　went　to　draw　the　tapestry　portiere　that　hung　before　the

door　and　allowed　no　sound　to　penetrate　the　chamber　from　without。







CHAPTER　VI



At　the　doorway　Josephine　turned；　and　threw　to　her　husband；　who　was

sitting　near　the　chimney；　one　of　those　gay　smiles　with　which　a

sensitive　woman　whose　soul　comes　at　moments　into　her　face；　rendering

it　beautiful；　gives　expression　to　irresistible　hopes。　Woman's　greatest

charm　lies　in　her　constant　appeal　to　the　generosity　of　man　by　the

admission　of　a　weakness　which　stirs　his　pride　and　wakens　him　to　the

nobler　sentiments。　Is　not　such　an　avowal　of　weakness　full　of　magical

seduction？　When　the　rings　of　the　portiere　had　slipped　with　a　muffled

sound　along　the　wooden　rod；　she　turned　towards　Claes；　and　made　as

though　she　would　hide　her　physical　defects　by　resting　her　hand　upon　a

chair　and　drawing　herself　gracefully　forward。　It　was　calling　him　to

help　her。　Balthazar；　sunk　for　a　moment　in　contemplation　of　the　olive…

tinted　head；　which　attracted　and　satisfied　the　eye　as　it　stood　out　in

relief　against　the　soft　gray　background；　rose　to　take　his　wife　in　his

arms　and　carry　her　to　her　sofa。　This　was　what　she　wanted。



〃You　promised　me；〃　she　said；　taking　his　hand　which　she　held　between

her　own　magnetic　palms；　〃to　tell　me　the　secret　of　your　researches。

Admit；　dear　friend；　that　I　am　worthy　to　know　it；　since　I　have　had　the

courage　to　study　a　science　condemned　by　the　Church　that　I　might　be

able　to　understand　you。　I　am　curious；　hide　nothing　from　me。　Tell　me

first　how　it　happened；　that　you　rose　one　morning　anxious　and

oppressed；　when　over　night　I　had　left　you　happy。〃



〃Is　it　to　hear　me　talk　of　chemistry　that　you　have　made　yourself　so

coquettishly　delightful？〃



〃Dear　friend；　a　confidence　which　puts　me　in　your　inner　heart　is　the

greatest　of　all　pleasures　for　me；　is　it　not　a　communion　of　souls　which

gives　birth　to　the　highest　happiness　of　earth？　Your　love　comes　back　to

me　not　lessened；　pure；　I　long　to　know　what　dream　has　had　the　power　to

keep　it　from　me　so　long。　Yes；　I　am　more　jealous　of　a　thought　than　of

all　the　women　in　the　world。　Love　is　vast；　but　it　is　not　infinite；

while　Science　has　depths　unfathomed；　to　which　I　will　not　let　you　go

alone。　I　hate　all　that　comes　between　us。　If　you　win　the　glory　for

which　you　strive；　I　must　be　unhappy；　it　will　bring　you　joy；　while　II

aloneshould　be　the　giver　of　your　happiness。〃



〃No；　my　angel；　it　was　not　an　idea；　not　a　thought；　it　was　a　man　that

first　led　me　into　this　glorious　path。〃



〃A　man！〃　she　cried　in　terror。



〃Do　you　remember；　Pepita；　the　Polish　officer　who　stayed　with　us　in

1809？〃



〃Do　I　remember　him！〃　she　exclaimed；　〃I　am　often　annoyed　because　my

memory　still　recalls　those　eyes；　like　tongues　of　fire　darting　from

coals　of　hell；　those　hollows　above　the　eyebrows；　that　broad　skull

stripped　of　hair；　the　upturned　moustache；　the　angular；　worn　face！

What　awful　impassiveness　in　his　bearing！　Ah！　surely　if　there　had　been

a　room　in　any　inn　I　would　never　have　allowed　him　to　sleep　here。〃



〃That　Polish　gentleman；〃　resumed　Balthazar；　〃was　named　Adam　de

Wierzchownia。　When　you　left　us　alone　that　evening　in　the　parlor；　we

happened　by　chance　to　speak　of　chemistry。　Compelled　by　poverty　to　give

up　the　study　of　that　science；　he　had　become　a　soldier。　It　was；　I

think；　by　means　of　a　glass　of　sugared　water　that　we　recognized　each

other　as　adepts。　When　I　ordered　Mulquinier　to　bring　the　sugar　in

pieces；　the　captain　gave　a　start　of　surprise。　'Have　you　studied

chemistry？'　he　asked。　'With　Lavoisier；'　I　answered。　'You　are　happy　in

being　rich　and　free；'　he　cried；　then　from　the　depths　of　his　bosom　came

the　sigh　of　a　man；one　of　those　sighs　which　reveal　a　hell　of　anguish

hidden　in　the　brain　or　in　the　heart；　a　something　ardent；　concentrated；

not　to　be　expressed　in　words。　He　ended　his　sentence　with　a　look　that

startled　me。　After　a　pause；　he　told　me　that　Poland　being　at　her　last

gasp　he　had　taken　refuge　in　Sweden。　There　he　had　sought　consolation

for　his　country's　fate　in　the　study　of　chemistry；　for　which　he　had

always　felt　an　irresistible　vocation。　'And　I　see　you　recognize　as　I

do；'　he　added；　'that　gum　arabic；　sugar；　and　starch；　reduced　to　powder；

each　yield　a　substance　absolutely　similar；　with；　when　analyzed；　the

same　qualitative　result。'



〃He　paused　again；　and　then；　after　examining　me　with　a　searching　eye；

he　said　confidentially；　in　a　low　voice；　certain　grave　words　whose

general　meaning　alone　remains　fixed　on　my　memory；　but　he　spoke　with　a

force　of　tone；　with　fervid　inflections；　with　an　energy　of　gesture；

which　stirred　my　very　vitals；　and　struck　my　imagination　as　the　hammer

strikes　the　anvil。　I　will　tell　you　briefly　the　arguments　he　used；

which　were　to　me　like　the　live　coal　laid　by　the　Almighty　upon　Isaiah's

tongue；　for　my　studies　with　Lavoisier　enabled　me　to　understand　their

full　bearing。



〃'Monsieur；'　he　said；　'the　parity　of　these　three　substances；　in

appearance　so　distinct；　led　me　to　think　that　all　the　productions　of

nature　ought　to　have　a　single　principle。　The　researches　of　modern

chemistry　prove　the　truth　of　this　law　in　the　larger　part　of　natural

effects。　Chemistry　divides　creation　into　two　distinct　parts；organic

nature；　and　inorganic　nature。　Organic　nature；　comprising　as　it　does

all　animal　and　vegetable　creations　which　show　an　organization　more　or

less　perfect；or；　to　be　more　exact；　a　greater　or　lesser　motive　power；

which　gives　more　or　less　sensibility；is；　undoubtedly；　the　more

important　part　of　our　earth。　Now；　analysis　has　reduced　all　the

products　of　this　nature　to　four　simple　substances；　namely：　three

gases；　nitrogen；　hydrogen；　and　oxygen；　and　another　simple　substance；

non…metallic　and　solid；　carbon。　Inorganic　nature；　on　the　contrary；　so

simple；　devoid　of　movement　and　sensation；　denied　the　power　of　growth

（too　hastily　accorded　to　it　by　Linnaeus）；　possesses　fifty…three　simple

substances；　or　elements；　whose　different　combinations　make　its

products。　Is　it　probable　that　means　should　be　more　numerous　where　a

lesser　number　of　results　are　produced？



〃'My　master's　opinion　was　that　these　fifty…three　primary　bodies　have

one　originating　principle；　acted　upon　in　the　past　by　some　force　the

knowledge　of　which　has　perished　to…day；　but　which　human　genius　ought

to　rediscover。　Well；　then；　suppose　that　this　force　does　live　and　act

again；　we　have　chemical　unity。　Organic　and　inorganic　nature　would

apparently　then　rest　on　four　essential　principles；in　fact；　if　we

could　decompose　nitrogen　which　we　ought　to　consider　a　negation；　we

should　have　but　three。　This　brings　us　at　once　close　upon　the　great

Ternary　of　the　ancients　and　of　the　alchemists　of　the　Middle　Ages；　whom

we　do　wrong　to　scorn。　Modern　chemistry　is　nothing　more　than　that。　It

is　much；　and　yet　little；much；　because　the　science　has　never　recoiled

before　difficulty；　little；　in　comparison　with　what　remains　to　be　done。

Chance　has　served　her　well；　my　noble　Science！　Is　not　that　tear　of

crystallized　pure　carbon；　the　diamond；　seemingly　the　last　substance

possible　to　create？　The　old　alchemists；　who　thought　that　gold　was

decomposable　and　therefore　creatable；　shrank　from　the　idea　of

producing　the　diamond。　Yet　we　have　discovered　the　nature　and　the　law

of　its　composition。



〃'As　for　me；'　he　continued；　'I　have　gone　farther　still。　An　experiment

proved　to　me　that　the　mysterious　Ternary；　which　has　occupied　the　human

mind　from　time　immemorial；　will　not　be　found　by　physical　analyses；

which　lack　direction　to　a　fixed　point。　I　will　relate；　in　the　first

place；　the　experiment　itself。



〃'Sow　cress…seed　（to　take　one　among　the　many　substances　of　organic

nature）　in　flour　of　brimstone　（to　take　another　simple　substance）。

Sprinkle　the　seed　with　distilled　water；　that　no　unknown　element　may

reach　the　product　of　the　germination。　The　seed　germinates；　and　sprouts

from　a　known　environment；　and　feeds　only　on　elements　known　by

analysis。　Cut　off　the　stalks　from　time　to　time；　till　you　get　a

sufficient　quantity　to　produce　after　burning　them　enough　ashes　for　the

experiment。　Well；　by　analyzing　those　ashes；　you　will　obtain　silicic

acid；　aluminium；　phosphate　and　carbonate　of　lime；　carbonate　of

magnesia；　the　sulphate　and　carbonate　of　potassium；　and　oxide　of　iron；

precisely　as　if　the　cress　had　grown　in　ordinary　earth；　beside　a　brook。

Now；　those　elements　did　not　exist　in　the　brimstone；　a　simple　substance

which　served　for　soil　to　the　cress；　nor　in　the　distilled　water　with

which　the　plant　was　nourished；　whose　composition　was　known。　But　since

they　are　no　more　to　be　found　in　the　seed　itself；　we　can　explain　their

presence　in　the　plant　only　by　assuming　the　existence　of　a　primary

element　common　to　all　the　substances　contained　in　the　cress；　and　also

to　all　those　by　which　we　environed　it。　Thus　the　air；　the　distilled

water；　the　brimstone；　and　the　various　elements　which　analysis　finds　in

the　cress；　namely；　potash；　lime；　magnesia；　aluminium；　etc。；　should

have　one　common　principle　floating　in　the　atmosphere　like　light　of　the

sun。



〃'From　this　unimpeachable　experiment；'　he　cried；　'I　deduce　the

existence　of　the　Alkahest；　the　Absolute；a　substance　common　to　all

created　things；　differentiated　by　one　primary　force。　Such　is　the　net

meaning　and　position　of　the　problem　of　the　Absolute；　which　appears　to

me　to　be　solvable。　In　it　we　find　the　mysterious　Ternary；　before　whose

shrine　humanity　has　knelt　from　the　dawn　of　ages；the　primary　matter；

the　medium；　the　product。　We　find　that　terrible　number　THREE　in　all

things　human。　It　governs　religions；　sciences；　and　laws。



〃'It　was　at　this　point；'　he　went　on；　'that　poverty　put　an　end　to　my

researches。　You　were　the　pupil　of　Lavoisier；　you　are　rich；　and　master

of　your　own　time；　I　will　therefore　tell　you　my　conjectures。　Listen　to

the　conclusions　my　personal　experiments　have　led　me　to　foresee。　The

PRIME　MATTER　must　be　the　common　principle　in　the　three　gases　and　in

carbon。　The　MEDIUM　must　be　the　principle　common　to　negative　and

positive　electricity。　Proceed　to　the　discovery　of　the　proofs　that　will

establish　those　two　truths；　you　will　then　find　the　explanation　of　all

phenomenal　existence。



〃'Oh；　monsieur！'　he　cried；　striking　his　brow；　'when　I　know　that　I

carry　here　the　last　word　of　Creation；　when　intuitively　I　perceive　the

Unconditioned；　is　it　LIVING　to　be　dragged　hither　and　thither　in　the

ruck　of　men　who　fly　at　each　other's　throats　at　the　word　of　command

without　knowing　what　they　are　doing？　My　actual　life　is　an　inverted

dream。　My　body　comes　and　goes　and　acts；　it　moves　amid　bullets；　and

cannon；　and　men；　it　crosses　Europe　at　the　will　of　a　power　I　obey　and

yet　despise。　My　soul　has　no　consciousness　of　these　acts；　it　is　fixed；

immovable；　plunged　in　one　idea；　rapt　in　that　idea；　the　Search　for　the

Alkahest；for　that　principle　by　which　seeds　that　are　absolutely

alike；　growing　in　the　same　environments；　produce；　some