the alkahest-第14章

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Alkahest；for　that　principle　by　which　seeds　that　are　absolutely

alike；　growing　in　the　same　environments；　produce；　some　a　white；　others

a　yellow　flower。　The　same　phenomenon　is　seen　in　silkworms　fed　from　the

same　leaves；　and　apparently　constituted　exactly　alike；one　produces

yellow　silk；　another　white；　and　if　we　come　to　man　himself；　we　find

that　children　often　resemble　neither　father　nor　mother。　The　logical

deduction　from　this　fact　surely　involves　the　explanation　of　all　the

phenomena　of　nature。



〃'Ah；　what　can　be　more　in　harmony　with　our　ideas　of　God　than　to

believe　that　he　created　all　things　by　the　simplest　method？　The

Pythagorean　worship　of　ONE；　from　which　come　all　other　numbers；　and

which　represented　Primal　Matter；　that　of　the　number　TWO；　the　first

aggregation　and　the　type　of　all　the　rest；　that　of　the　number　THREE；

which　throughout　all　time　has　symbolized　God；that　is　to　say；　Matter；

Force；　and　Product；are　they　not　an　echo；　lingering　along　the　ages；

of　some　confused　knowledge　of　the　Absolute？　Stahl；　Becker；　Paracelsus；

Agrippa；　all　the　great　Searchers　into　occult　causes　took　the　Great

Triad　for　their　watchword；in　other　words；　the　Ternary。　Ignorant　men

who　despise　alchemy；　that　transcendent　chemistry；　are　not　aware　that

our　work　is　only　carrying　onward　the　passionate　researches　of　those

great　men。　Had　I　found　the　Absolute；　the　Unconditioned；　I　meant　to

have　grappled　with　Motion。　Ah！　while　I　am　swallowing　gunpowder　and

leading　men　uselessly　to　their　death；　my　former　master　is　piling

discovery　upon　discovery！　he　is　soaring　towards　the　Absolute；　while　I

I　shall　die　like　a　dog　in　the　trenches！'



〃When　this　poor　grand　man　recovered　his　composure；　he　said；　in　a

touching　tone　of　brotherhood；　'If　I　see　cause　for　a　great　experiment　I

will　bequeath　it　to　you　before　I　die。'My　Pepita；〃　cried　Balthazar；

taking　his　wife's　hands；　〃tears　of　anguish　rolled　down　his　hollow

cheeks；　as　he　cast　into　my　soul　the　fiery　arguments　that　Lavoisier　had

timidly　recognized　without　daring　to　follow　them　out〃



〃Oh！〃　cried　Madame　Claes；　unable　to　refrain　from　interrupting　her

husband；　〃that　man；　passing　one　night　under　our　roof；　was　able　to

deprive　us　of　your　love；　to　destroy　with　a　phrase；　a　word；　the

happiness　of　a　family！　Oh；　my　dear　Balthazar；　did　he　make　the　sign　of

the　cross？　did　you　examine　him？　The　Tempter　alone　could　have　had　that

flaming　eye　which　sent　forth　the　fire　of　Prometheus。　Yes；　none　but　the

devil　could　have　torn　you　from　me。　From　that　day　you　have　been　neither

husband；　nor　father；　nor　master　of　your　family。〃



〃What！〃　exclaimed　Balthazar；　springing　to　his　feet　and　casting　a

piercing　glance　at　his　wife；　〃do　you　blame　your　husband　for　rising

above　the　level　of　other　men　that　he　may　lay　at　your　feet　the　divine

purple　of　his　glory；　as　a　paltry　offering　in　exchange　for　the

treasures　of　your　heart！　Ah；　my　Pepita；〃　he　cried；　〃you　do　not　know

what　I　have　done。　In　these　three　years　I　have　made　giant　strides〃



His　face　seemed　to　his　wife　at　this　moment　more　transfigured　under　the

fires　of　genius　than　she　had　ever　seen　it　under　the　fires　of　love；　and

she　wept　as　she　listened　to　him。



〃I　have　combined　chlorine　and　nitrogen；　I　have　decomposed　many

substances　hitherto　considered　simple；　I　have　discovered　new　metals。

Why！〃　he　continued；　noticing　that　his　wife　wept；　〃I　have　even

decomposed　tears。　Tears　contain　a　little　phosphate　of　lime；　chloride

of　sodium；　mucin；　and　water。〃



He　went　on　speaking；　without　observing　the　spasm　of　pain　that

contracted　Josephine's　features；　he　was　again　astride　of　Science；

which　bore　him　with　outspread　wings　far　away　from　material　existence。



〃This　analysis；　my　dear；〃　he　went　on；　〃is　one　of　the　most　convincing

proofs　of　the　theory　of　the　Absolute。　All　life　involves　combustion。

According　to　the　greater　or　the　lesser　activity　of　the　fire　on　its

hearth　is　life　more　or　less　enduring。　In　like　manner；　the　destruction

of　mineral　bodies　is　indefinitely　retarded；　because　in　their　case

combustion　is　nominal；　latent；　or　imperceptible。　In　like　manner；

again；　vegetables；　which　are　constantly　revived　by　combinations

producing　dampness；　live　indefinitely；　in　fact；　we　still　possess

certain　vegetables　which　existed　before　the　period　of　the　last

cataclysm。　But　each　time　that　nature　has　perfected　an　organism　and

then；　for　some　unknown　reason；　has　introduced　into　it　sensation；

instinct；　or　intelligence　（three　marked　stages　of　the　organic　system）；

these　three　agencies　necessitate　a　combustion　whose　activity　is　in

direct　proportion　to　the　result　obtained。　Man；　who　represents　the

highest　point　of　intelligence；　and　who　offers　us　the　only　organism　by

which　we　arrive　at　a　power　that　is　semi…creativenamely；　THOUGHTis；

among　all　zoological　creations；　the　one　in　which　combustion　is　found

in　its　most　intense　degree；　whose　powerful　effects　may　in　fact　be　seen

to　some　extent　in　the　phosphates；　sulphates；　and　carbonates　which　a

man's　body　reveals　to　our　analysis。　May　not　these　substances　be　traces

left　within　him　of　the　passage　of　the　electric　fluid　which　is　the

principle　of　all　fertilization？　Would　not　electricity　manifest　itself

by　a　greater　variety　of　compounds　in　him　than　in　any　other　animal？

Should　not　he　have　faculties　above　those　of　all　other　created　beings

for　the　purpose　of　absorbing　fuller　portions　of　the　Absolute

principle？　and　may　he　not　assimilate　that　principle　so　as　to　produce；

in　some　more　perfect　mechanism；　his　force　and　his　ideas？　I　think　so。

Man　is　a　retort。　In　my　judgment；　the　brain　of　an　idiot　contains　too

little　phosphorous　or　other　product　of　electro…magnetism；　that　of　a

madman　too　much；　the　brain　of　an　ordinary　man　has　but　little；　while

that　of　a　man　of　genius　is　saturated　to　its　due　degree。　The　man

constantly　in　love；　the　street…porter；　the　dancer；　the　large　eater；

are　the　ones　who　disperse　the　force　resulting　from　their　electrical

apparatus。　Consequently；　our　feelings〃



〃Enough；　Balthazar！　you　terrify　me；　you　commit　sacrilege。　What；　is　my

love〃



〃An　ethereal　matter　disengaged；　an　emanation；　the　key　of　the　Absolute。

Conceive　if　II；　the　first；　should　find　it；　find　it；　find　it！〃



As　he　uttered　the　words　in　three　rising　tones；　the　expression　of　his

face　rose　by　degrees　to　inspiration。　〃I　shall　make　metals；〃　he　cried；

〃I　shall　make　diamonds；　I　shall　be　a　co…worker　with　Nature！〃



〃Will　you　be　the　happier？〃　she　asked　in　despair。　〃Accursed　science！

accursed　demon！　You　forget；　Claes；　that　you　commit　the　sin　of　pride；

the　sin　of　which　Satan　was　guilty；　you　assume　the　attributes　of　God。〃



〃Oh！　oh！　God！〃



〃He　denies　Him！〃　she　cried；　wringing　her　hands。　〃Claes；　God　wields　a

power　that　you　can　never　gain。〃



At　this　argument；　which　seemed　to　discredit　his　beloved　Science；　he

looked　at　his　wife　and　trembled。



〃What　power？〃　he　asked。



〃Primal　forcemotion；〃　she　replied。　〃This　is　what　I　learn　from　the

books　your　mania　has　constrained　me　to　read。　Analyze　fruits；　flowers；

Malaga　wine；　you　will　discover；　undoubtedly；　that　their　substances

come；　like　those　of　your　water…cress；　from　a　medium　that　seems　foreign

to　them。　You　can；　if　need　be；　find　them　in　nature；　but　when　you　have

them；　can　you　combine　them？　can　you　make　the　flowers；　the　fruits；　the

Malaga　wine？　Will　you　have　grasped　the　inscrutable　effects　of　the　sun；

of　the　atmosphere　of　Spain？　Ah！　decomposing　is　not　creating。〃



〃If　I　discover　the　magistral　force；　I　shall　be　able　to　create。〃



〃Will　nothing　stop　him？〃　cried　Pepita。　〃Oh！　my　love；　my　love！　it　is

killed！　I　have　lost　him！〃



She　wept　bitterly；　and　her　eyes；　illumined　by　grief　and　by　the

sanctity　of　the　feelings　that　flooded　her　soul；　shone　with　greater

beauty　than　ever　through　her　tears。



〃Yes；〃　she　resumed　in　a　broken　voice；　〃you　are　dead　to　all。　I　see　it

but　too　well。　Science　is　more　powerful　within　you　than　your　own　self；

it　bears　you　to　heights　from　which　you　will　return　no　more　to　be　the

companion　of　a　poor　woman。　What　joys　can　I　still　offer　you？　Ah！　I

would　fain　believe；　as　a　wretched　consolation；　that　God　has　indeed

created　you　to　make　manifest　his　works；　to　chant　his　praises；　that　he

has　put　within　your　breast　the　irresistible　power　that　has　mastered

you　But　no；　God　is　good；　he　would　keep　in　your　heart　some　thoughts

of　the　woman　who　adores　you；　of　the　children　you　are　bound　to　protect。

It　is　the　Evil　One　alone　who　is　helping　you　to　walk　amid　these

fathomless　abysses；　these　clouds　of　outer　darkness；　where　the　light　of

faith　does　not　guide　you；nothing　guides　you　but　a　terrible　belief　in

your　own　faculties！　Were　it　otherwise；　would　you　not　have　seen　that

you　have　wasted　nine　hundred　thousand　francs　in　three　years？　Oh！　do　me

justice；　you；　my　God　on　earth！　I　reproach　you　not；　were　we　alone　I

would　bring　you；　on　my　knees；　all　I　possess　and　say；　'Take　it；　fling

it　into　your　furnace；　turn　it　into　smoke'；　and　I　should　laugh　to　see

it　float　away　in　vapor。　Were　you　poor；　I　would　beg　without　shame　for

the　coal　to　light　your　furnace。　Oh！　could　my　body　yield　your　hateful

Alkahest；　I　would　fling　myself　upon　those　fires　with　joy；　since　your

glory；　your　delight　is　in　that　unfound　secret。　But　our　children；

Claes；　our　children！　what　will　become　of　them　if　you　do　not　soon

discover　this　hellish　thing？　Do　you　know　why　Pierquin　came　to…day？　He

came　for　thirty　thousand　francs；　which　you　owe　and　cannot　pay。　I　told

him　that　you　had　the　money；　so　that　I　might　spare　you　the

mortification　of　his　questions；　but　to　get　it　I　must　sell　our　family

silver。〃



She　saw　her　husband's　eyes　grow　moist；　and　she　flung　herself

despairingly　at　his　feet；　raising　up　to　him　her　supplicating　hands。



〃My　friend；〃　she　cried；　〃refrain　awhile　from　these　researches；　let　us

economize；　let　us　save　the　money　that　may　enable　you　to　take　them　up

hereafter；if；　indeed；　you　cannot　renounce　this　work。　Oh！　I　do　not

condemn　it；　I　will　heat　your　furnaces　if　you　ask　it；　but　I　implore

you；　do　not　reduce　our　children　to　beggary。　Perhaps　you　cannot　love

them；　Science　may　have　consumed　your　heart；　but　oh！　do　not　bequeath

them　a　wretched　life　in　place　of　the　happiness　you　owe　them。

Motherhood　has　sometimes　been　too　weak　a　power　in　my　heart；　yes；　I

have　sometimes　wished　I　were　not　a　mother；　that　I　might　be　closer　to

your　soul；　your　life！　And　now；　to　stifle　my　remorse；　must　I　plead　the

cause　of　my　children　before　you；　and　not　my　own？〃



Her　hair　fell　loose　and　floated　over　her　shoulders；　her　eyes　shot

forth　her　feelings　as　though　they　had　been　arrows。　She　triumphed　over

her　rival。　Balthazar　lifted　her；　carried　her　to　the　sofa；　and　knelt　at

her　feet。



〃Have　I　caused　you　such　grief？〃　he　said；　in　the　tone　of　a　man　waking

from　a　painful　dream。



〃My　poor　Claes！　yes；　and　you　will　cause　me　more；　in　spite　of

yourself；〃　she　said；　passing　her　hand　over　his　hair。　〃Sit　here　beside

me；〃　she　continued；　pointing　to　the　sofa。　〃Ah！　I　can　forget　it　all

now；　now　that　you　come　bac