the alkahest-第15章

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

now；　now　that　you　come　back　to　us；　all　can　be　repairedbut　you　will

not　abandon　me　again？　say　that　you　will　not！　My　noble　husband；　grant

me　a　woman's　influence　on　your　heart；　that　influence　which　is　so

needful　to　the　happiness　of　suffering　artists；　to　the　troubled　minds

of　great　men。　You　may　be　harsh　to　me；　angry　with　me　if　you　will；　but

let　me　check　you　a　little　for　your　good。　I　will　never　abuse　the　power

if　you　will　grant　it。　Be　famous；　but　be　happy　too。　Do　not　love

Chemistry　better　than　you　love　us。　Hear　me；　we　will　be　generous；　we

will　let　Science　share　your　heart；　but　oh！　my　Claes；　be　just；　let　us

have　our　half。　Tell　me；　is　not　my　disinterestedness　sublime？〃



She　made　him　smile。　With　the　marvellous　art　such　women　possess；　she

carried　the　momentous　question　into　the　regions　of　pleasantry　where

women　reign。　But　though　she　seemed　to　laugh；　her　heart　was　violently

contracted　and　could　not　easily　recover　the　quiet　even　action　that　was

habitual　to　it。　And　yet；　as　she　saw　in　the　eyes　of　Balthazar　the

rebirth　of　a　love　which　was　once　her　glory；　the　full　return　of　a　power

she　thought　she　had　lost；　she　said　to　him　with　a　smile：



〃Believe　me；　Balthazar；　nature　made　us　to　feel；　and　though　you　may

wish　us　to　be　mere　electrical　machines；　yet　your　gases　and　your

ethereal　disengaged　matters　will　never　explain　the　gift　we　possess　of

looking　into　futurity。〃



〃Yes；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃by　affinity。　The　power　of　vision　which　makes　the

poet；　the　power　of　deduction　which　makes　the　man　of　science；　are　based

on　invisible　affinities；　intangible；　imponderable；　which　vulgar　minds

class　as　moral　phenomena；　whereas　they　are　physical　effects。　The

prophet　sees　and　deduces。　Unfortunately；　such　affinities　are　too　rare

and　too　obscure　to　be　subjected　to　analysis　or　observation。〃



〃Is　this；〃　she　said；　giving　him　a　kiss　to　drive　away　the　Chemistry　she

had　so　unfortunately　reawakened；　〃what　you　call　an　affinity？〃



〃No；　it　is　a　compound；　two　substances　that　are　equivalents　are

neutral；　they　produce　no　reaction〃



〃Oh！　hush；　hush；〃　she　cried；　〃you　will　make　me　die　of　grief。　I　can

never　bear　to　see　my　rival　in　the　transports　of　your　love。〃



〃But；　my　dear　life；　I　think　only　of　you。　My　work　is　for　the　glory　of

my　family。　You　are　the　basis　of　all　my　hopes。〃



〃Ah；　look　me　in　the　eyes！〃



The　scene　had　made　her　as　beautiful　as　a　young　woman；　of　her　whole

person　Balthazar　saw　only　her　head；　rising　from　a　cloud　of　lace　and

muslin。



〃Yes；　I　have　done　wrong　to　abandon　you　for　Science；〃　he　said。　〃If　I

fall　back　into　thought　and　preoccupation；　then；　my　Pepita；　you　must

drag　me　from　them；　I　desire　it。〃



She　lowered　her　eyes　and　let　him　take　her　hand；　her　greatest　beauty；

a　hand　that　was　both　strong　and　delicate。



〃But　I　ask　more；〃　she　said。



〃You　are　so　lovely；　so　delightful；　you　can　obtain　all；〃　he　answered。



〃I　wish　to　destroy　that　laboratory；　and　chain　up　Science；〃　she　said；

with　fire　in　her　eyes。



〃So　be　itlet　Chemistry　go　to　the　devil！〃



〃This　moment　effaces　all！〃　she　cried。　〃Make　me　suffer　now；　if　you

will。〃



Tears　came　to　Balthazar's　eyes；　as　he　heard　these　words。



〃You　were　right；　love；〃　he　said。　〃I　have　seen　you　through　a　veil；　I

have　not　understood　you。〃



〃If　it　concerned　only　me；〃　she　said；　〃willingly　would　I　have　suffered

in　silence；　never　would　I　have　raised　my　voice　against　my　sovereign。

But　your　sons　must　be　thought　of；　Claes。　If　you　continue　to　dissipate

your　property；　no　matter　how　glorious　the　object　you　have　in　view　the

world　will　take　little　account　of　it；　it　will　only　blame　you　and

yours。　But　surely；　it　is　enough　for　a　man　of　your　noble　nature　that

his　wife　has　shown　him　a　danger　he　did　not　perceive。　We　will　talk　of

this　no　more；〃　she　cried；　with　a　smile　and　a　glance　of　coquetry。　〃To…

night；　my　Claes；　let　us　not　be　less　than　happy。〃







CHAPTER　VII



On　the　morrow　of　this　evening　so　eventful　for　the　Claes　family；

Balthazar；　from　whom　Josephine　had　doubtless　obtained　some　promise　as

to　the　cessation　of　his　researches；　remained　in　the　parlor；　and　did

not　enter　his　laboratory。　The　succeeding　day　the　household　prepared　to

move　into　the　country；　where　they　stayed　for　more　than　two　months；

only　returning　to　town　in　time　to　prepare　for　the　fete　which　Claes

determined　to　give；　as　in　former　years；　to　commemorate　his　wedding…

day。　He　now　began　by　degrees　to　obtain　proof　of　the　disorder　which　his

experiments　and　his　indifference　had　brought　into　his　business

affairs。



Madame　Claes；　far　from　irritating　the　wound　by　remarking　on　it；

continually　found　remedies　for　the　evil　that　was　done。　Of　the　seven

servants　who　customarily　served　the　family；　there　now　remained　only

Lemulquinier；　Josette　the　cook；　and　an　old　waiting…woman；　named

Martha；　who　had　never　left　her　mistress　since　the　latter　left　her

convent。　It　was　of　course　impossible　to　give　a　fete　to　the　whole

society　of　Douai　with　so　few　servants；　but　Madame　Claes　overcame　all

difficulties　by　proposing　to　send　to　Paris　for　a　cook；　to　train　the

gardener's　son　as　a　waiter；　and　to　borrow　Pierquin's　manservant。　Thus

the　pinched　circumstances　of　the　family　passed　unnoticed　by　the

community。



During　the　twenty　days　of　preparation　for　the　fete；　Madame　Claes　was

cleverly　able　to　outwit　her　husband's　listlessness。　She　commissioned

him　to　select　the　rarest　plants　and　flowers　to　decorate　the　grand

staircase；　the　gallery；　and　the　salons；　then　she　sent　him　to　Dunkerque

to　order　one　of　those　monstrous　fish　which　are　the　glory　of　the

burgher　tables　in　the　northern　departments。　A　fete　like　that　the　Claes

were　about　to　give　is　a　serious　affair；　involving　thought　and　care　and

active　correspondence；　in　a　land　where　traditions　of　hospitality　put

the　family　honor　so　much　at　stake　that　to　servants　as　well　as　masters

a　grand　dinner　is　like　a　victory　won　over　the　guests。　Oysters　arrived

from　Ostend；　grouse　were　imported　from　Scotland；　fruits　came　from

Paris；　in　short；　not　the　smallest　accessory　was　lacking　to　the

hereditary　luxury。



A　ball　at　the　House　of　Claes　had　an　importance　of　its　own。　The

government　of　the　department　was　then　at　Douai；　and　the　anniversary

fete　of　the　Claes　usually　opened　the　winter　season　and　set　the　fashion

to　the　neighborhood。　For　fifteen　years；　Balthazar　had　endeavored　to

make　it　a　distinguished　occasion；　and　had　succeeded　so　well　that　the

fete　was　talked　of　throughout　a　circumference　of　sixty　miles；　and　the

toilettes；　the　guests；　the　smallest　details；　the　novelties　exhibited；

and　the　events　that　took　place；　were　discussed　far　and　wide。　These

preparations　now　prevented　Claes　from　thinking；　for　the　time　being；　of

the　Alkahest。　Since　his　return　to　social　life　and　domestic　bliss；　the

servant　of　science　had　recovered　his　self…love　as　a　man；　as　a　Fleming；

as　the　master　of　a　household；　and　he　now　took　pleasure　in　the　thought

of　surprising　the　whole　country。　He　resolved　to　give　a　special

character　to　this　ball　by　some　exquisite　novelty；　and　he　chose；　among

all　other　caprices　of　luxury；　the　loveliest；　the　richest；　and　the　most

fleeting；he　turned　the　old　mansion　into　a　fairy　bower　of　rare　plants

and　flowers；　and　prepared　choice　bouquets　for　all　the　ladies。



The　other　details　of　the　fete　were　in　keeping　with　this　unheard…of

luxury；　and　nothing　seemed　likely　to　mar　the　effect。　But　the　Twenty…

ninth　Bulletin　and　the　news　of　the　terrible　disasters　of　the　grand

army　in　Russia；　and　at　the　passage　of　the　Beresina；　were　made　known　on

the　afternoon　of　the　appointed　day。　A　sincere　and　profound　grief　was

felt　in　Douai；　and　those　who　were　present　at　the　fete；　moved　by　a

natural　feeling　of　patriotism；　unanimously　declined　to　dance。



Among　the　letters　which　arrived　that　day　in　Douai；　was　one　for

Balthazar　from　Monsieur　de　Wierzchownia；　then　in　Dresden　and　dying；　he

wrote；　from　wounds　received　in　one　of　the　late　engagements。　He

remembered　his　promise；　and　desired　to　bequeath　to　his　former　host

several　ideas　on　the　subject　of　the　Absolute；　which　had　come　to　him

since　the　period　of　their　meeting。　The　letter　plunged　Claes　into　a

reverie　which　apparently　did　honor　to　his　patriotism；　but　his　wife　was

not　misled　by　it。　To　her；　this　festal　day　brought　a　double　mourning：

and　the　ball；　during　which　the　House　of　Claes　shone　with　departing

lustre；　was　sombre　and　sad　in　spite　of　its　magnificence；　and　the　many

choice　treasures　gathered　by　the　hands　of　six　generations；　which　the

people　of　Douai　now　beheld　for　the　last　time。



Marguerite　Claes；　just　sixteen；　was　the　queen　of　the　day；　and　on　this

occasion　her　parents　presented　her　to　society。　She　attracted　all　eyes

by　the　extreme　simplicity　and　candor　of　her　air　and　manner；　and

especially　by　the　harmony　of　her　form　and　countenance　with　the

characteristics　of　her　home。　She　was　the　embodiment　of　the　Flemish

girl　whom　the　painters　of　that　country　loved　to　represent；the　head

perfectly　rounded　and　full；　chestnut　hair　parted　in　the　middle　and

laid　smoothly　on　the　brow；　gray　eyes　with　a　mixture　of　green；　handsome

arms；　natural　stoutness　which　did　not　detract　from　her　beauty；　a　timid

air；　and　yet；　on　the　high　square　brow　an　expression　of　firmness；

hidden　at　present　under　an　apparent　calmness　and　docility。　Without

being　sad　or　melancholy；　she　seemed　to　have　little　natural　enjoyment。

Reflectiveness；　order；　a　sense　of　duty；　the　three　chief　expressions　of

Flemish　nature；　were　the　characteristics　of　a　face　that　seemed　cold　at

first　sight；　but　to　which　the　eye　was　recalled　by　a　certain　grace　of

outline　and　a　placid　pride　which　seemed　the　pledges　of　domestic

happiness。　By　one　of　those　freaks　which　physiologists　have　not　yet

explained；　she　bore　no　likeness　to　either　father　or　mother；　but　was

the　living　image　of　her　maternal　great…grandmother；　a　Conyncks　of

Bruges；　whose　portrait；　religiously　preserved；　bore　witness　to　the

resemblance。



The　supper　gave　some　life　to　the　ball。　If　the　military　disasters

forbade　the　delights　of　dancing；　every　one　felt　that　they　need　not

exclude　the　pleasures　of　the　table。　The　true　patriots；　however；

retired　early；　only　the　more　indifferent　remained；　together　with　a　few

card　players　and　the　intimate　friends　of　the　family。　Little　by　little

the　brilliantly　lighted　house；　to　which　all　the　notabilities　of　Douai

had　flocked；　sank　into　silence；　and　by　one　o'clock　in　the　morning　the

great　gallery　was　deserted；　the　lights　were　extinguished　in　one　salon

after　another；　and　the　court…yard；　lately　so　bustling　and　brilliant；

grew　dark　and　gloomy；prophetic　image　of　the　future　that　lay　before

the　family。　When　the　Claes　returned　to　their　own　appartement；

Balthazar　gave　his　wife　the　letter　he　had　received　from　the　Polish

officer：　Josephine　returned　it　with　a　mournful　gesture；　she　foresaw

the　coming　doom。



From　that　day　forth；　Balthazar　made　no　attempt　to　disguise　the

weariness