the alkahest-第19章

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confusion　and　find　shelter　under　the　maternal　wing；　turning　her　neck

with　a　swan…like　motion　to　keep　sight　of　Emmanuel；　who　still　supported

his　uncle　on　his　arm。　The　light　was　cleverly　arranged　to　give　due

value　to　the　pictures；　and　the　half…obscurity　of　the　gallery

encouraged　those　furtive　glances　which　are　the　joy　of　timid　natures。

Neither　went　so　far；　even　in　thought；　as　the　first　note　of　love；　yet

both　felt　the　mysterious　trouble　which　stirs　the　heart；　and　is

jealously　kept　secret　in　our　youth　from　fastidiousness　or　modesty。



The　first　impression　which　forces　a　sensibility　hitherto　suppressed　to

overflow　its　borders；　is　followed　in　all　young　people　by　the　same

half…stupefied　amazement　which　the　first　sounds　of　music　produce　upon

a　child。　Some　children　laugh　and　think；　others　do　not　laugh　till　they

have　thought；　but　those　whose　hearts　are　called　to　live　by　poetry　or

love；　listen　stilly　and　hear　the　melody　with　a　look　where　pleasure

flames　already；　and　the　search　for　the　infinite　begins。　If；　from　an

irresistible　feeling；　we　love　the　places　where　our　childhood　first

perceived　the　beauties　of　harmony；　if　we　remember　with　delight　the

musician；　and　even　the　instrument；　that　taught　them　to　us；　how　much

more　shall　we　love　the　being　who　reveals　to　us　the　music　of　life？　The

first　heart　in　which　we　draw　the　breath　of　love；is　it　not　our　home；

our　native　land？　Marguerite　and　Emmanuel　were；　each　to　each；　that

Voice　of　music　which　wakes　a　sense；　that　hand　which　lifts　the　misty

veil；　and　reveals　the　distant　shores　bathed　in　the　fires　of　noonday。



When　Madame　Claes　paused　before　a　picture　by　Guido　representing　an

angel；　Marguerite　bent　forward　to　see　the　impression　it　made　upon

Emmanuel；　and　Emmanuel　looked　at　Marguerite　to　compare　the　mute

thought　on　the　canvas　with　the　living　thought　beside　him。　This

involuntary　and　delightful　homage　was　understood　and　treasured。　The

old　abbe　gravely　praised　the　picture；　and　Madame　Claes　answered　him；

but　the　youth　and　the　maiden　were　silent。



Such　was　their　first　meeting：　the　mysterious　light　of　the　picture

gallery；　the　stillness　of　the　old　house；　the　presence　of　their　elders；

all　contributed　to　trace　upon　their　hearts　the　delicate　lines　of　this

vaporous　mirage。　The　many　confused　thoughts　that　surged　in

Marguerite's　mind　grew　calm　and　lay　like　a　limpid　ocean　traversed　by　a

luminous　ray　when　Emmanuel　murmured　a　few　farewell　words　to　Madame

Claes。　That　voice；　whose　fresh　and　mellow　tone　sent　nameless　delights

into　her　heart；　completed　the　revelation　that　had　come　to　her；a

revelation　which　Emmanuel；　were　he　able；　should　cherish　to　his　own

profit；　for　it　often　happens　that　the　man　whom　destiny　employs　to

waken　love　in　the　heart　of　a　young　girl　is　ignorant　of　his　work　and

leaves　it　unfinished。　Marguerite　bowed　confusedly；　her　true　farewell

was　in　the　glance　which　seemed　unwilling　to　lose　so　pure　and　lovely　a

vision。　Like　a　child　she　wanted　her　melody。　Their　parting　took　place

at　the　foot　of　the　old　staircase　near　the　parlor；　and　when　Marguerite

re…entered　the　room　she　watched　the　uncle　and　the　nephew　till　the

street…door　closed　upon　them。



Madame　Claes　had　been　so　occupied　with　the　serious　matters　which

caused　her　conference　with　the　abbe　that　she　did　not　on　this　occasion

observe　her　daughter's　manner。　When　Monsieur　de　Solis　came　again　to

the　house　on　the　occasion　of　her　illness；　she　was　too　violently

agitated　to　notice　the　color　that　rushed　into　Marguerite's　face　and

betrayed　the　tumult　of　a　virgin　heart　conscious　of　its　first　joy。　By

the　time　the　old　abbe　was　announced；　Marguerite　had　taken　up　her

sewing　and　appeared　to　give　it　such　attention　that　she　bowed　to　the

uncle　and　nephew　without　looking　at　them。　Monsieur　Claes　mechanically

returned　their　salutation　and　left　the　room　with　the　air　of　a　man

called　away　by　his　occupations。　The　good　Dominican　sat　down　beside

Madame　Claes　and　looked　at　her　with　one　of　those　searching　glances　by

which　he　penetrated　the　minds　of　others；　the　sight　of　Monsieur　Claes

and　his　wife　was　enough　to　make　him　aware　of　a　catastrophe。



〃My　children；〃　said　the　mother；　〃go　into　the　garden；　Marguerite；　show

Emmanuel　your　father's　tulips。〃



Marguerite；　half　abashed；　took　Felicie's　arm　and　looked　at　the　young

man；　who　blushed　and　caught　up　little　Jean　to　cover　his　confusion。

When　all　four　were　in　the　garden；　Felicie　and　Jean　ran　to　the　other

side；　leaving　Marguerite；　who；　conscious　that　she　was　alone　with　young

de　Solis；　led　him　to　the　pyramid　of　tulips；　arranged　precisely　in　the

same　manner　year　after　year　by　Lemulquinier。



〃Do　you　love　tulips？〃　asked　Marguerite；　after　standing　for　a　moment　in

deep　silence；a　silence　Emmanuel　seemed　little　disposed　to　break。



〃Mademoiselle；　these　flowers　are　beautiful；　but　to　love　them　we　must

perhaps　have　a　taste　of　them；　and　know　how　to　understand　their

beauties。　They　dazzle　me。　Constant　study　in　the　gloomy　little　chamber

in　which　I　live；　close　to　my　uncle；　makes　me　prefer　those　flowers　that

are　softer　to　the　eye。〃



Saying　these　words　he　glanced　at　Marguerite；　but　the　look；　full　as　it

was　of　confused　desires；　contained　no　allusion　to　the　lily　whiteness；

the　sweet　serenity；　the　tender　coloring　which　made　her　face　a　flower。



〃Do　you　work　very　hard？〃　she　asked；　leading　him　to　a　wooden　seat　with

a　back；　painted　green。　〃Here；〃　she　continued；　〃the　tulips　are　not　so

close；　they　will　not　tire　your　eyes。　Yes；　you　are　right；　those　colors

are　dazzling；　they　give　pain。〃



〃Do　I　work　hard？〃　replied　the　young　man　after　a　short　silence；　as　he

smoothed　the　gravel　with　his　foot。　〃Yes；　I　work　at　many　things。　My

uncle　wished　to　make　me　a　priest。〃



〃Oh！〃　exclaimed　Marguerite；　naively。



〃I　resisted；　I　felt　no　vocation　for　it。　But　it　required　great　courage

to　oppose　my　uncle's　wishes。　He　is　so　good；　he　loves　me　so　much！　Quite

recently　he　bought　a　substitute　to　save　me　from　the　conscriptionme；

a　poor　orphan！〃



〃What　do　you　mean　to　be？〃　asked　Marguerite；　then；　immediately　checking

herself　as　though　she　would　unsay　the　words；　she　added　with　a　pretty

gesture；　〃I　beg　your　pardon；　you　must　think　me　very　inquisitive。〃



〃Oh；　mademoiselle；〃　said　Emmanuel；　looking　at　her　with　tender

admiration；　〃except　my　uncle；　no　one　ever　asked　me　that　question。　I　am

studying　to　be　a　teacher。　I　cannot　do　otherwise；　I　am　not　rich。　If　I

were　principal　of　a　college…school　in　Flanders　I　should　earn　enough　to

live　moderately；　and　I　might　marry　some　single　woman　whom　I　could

love。　That　is　the　life　I　look　forward　to。　Perhaps　that　is　why　I　prefer

a　daisy　in　the　meadows　to　these　splendid　tulips；　whose　purple　and　gold

and　rubies　and　amethysts　betoken　a　life　of　luxury；　just　as　the　daisy

is　emblematic　of　a　sweet　and　patriarchal　life；the　life　of　a　poor

teacher　like　me。〃



〃I　have　always　called　the　daisies　marguerites；〃　she　said。



Emmanuel　colored　deeply　and　sought　an　answer　from　the　sand　at　his

feet。　Embarrassed　to　choose　among　the　thoughts　that　came　to　him；　which

he　feared　were　silly；　and　disconcerted　by　his　delay　in　answering；　he

said　at　last；　〃I　dared　not　pronounce　your　name〃then　he　paused。



〃A　teacher？〃　she　said。



〃Mademoiselle；　I　shall　be　a　teacher　only　as　a　means　of　living：　I　shall

undertake　great　works　which　will　make　me　nobly　useful。　I　have　a　strong

taste　for　historical　researches。〃



〃Ah！〃



That　〃ah！〃　so　full　of　secret　thoughts　added　to　his　confusion；　he　gave

a　foolish　laugh　and　said：



〃You　make　me　talk　of　myself　when　I　ought　only　to　speak　of　you。〃



〃My　mother　and　your　uncle　must　have　finished　their　conversation；　I

think；〃　said　Marguerite；　looking　into　the　parlor　through　the　windows。



〃Your　mother　seems　to　me　greatly　changed；〃　said　Emmanuel。



〃She　suffers；　but　she　will　not　tell　us　the　cause　of　her　sufferings；

and　we　can　only　try　to　share　them　with　her。〃



Madame　Claes　had；　in　fact；　just　ended　a　delicate　consultation　which

involved　a　case　of　conscience　the　Abbe　de　Solis　alone　could　decide。

Foreseeing　the　utter　ruin　of　the　family；　she　wished　to　retain；　unknown

to　Balthazar　who　paid　no　attention　to　his　business　affairs；　part　of

the　price　of　the　pictures　which　Monsieur　de　Solis　had　undertaken　to

sell　in　Holland；　intending　to　hold　it　secretly　in　reserve　against　the

day　when　poverty　should　overtake　her　children。　With　much　deliberation；

and　after　weighing　every　circumstance；　the　old　Dominican　approved　the

act　as　one　of　prudence。　He　took　his　leave　to　prepare　at　once　for　the

sale；　which　he　engaged　to　make　secretly；　so　as　not　to　injure　Monsieur

Claes　in　the　estimation　of　others。



The　next　day　Monsieur　de　Solis　despatched　his　nephew；　armed　with

letters　of　introduction；　to　Amsterdam；　where　Emmanuel；　delighted　to　do

a　service　to　the　Claes　family；　succeeded　in　selling　all　the　pictures

in　the　gallery　to　the　noted　bankers　Happe　and　Duncker　for　the

ostensible　sum　of　eighty…five　thousand　Dutch　ducats　and　fifteen

thousand　more　which　were　paid　over　secretly　to　Madame　Claes。　The

pictures　were　so　well　known　that　nothing　was　needed　to　complete　the

sale　but　an　answer　from　Balthazar　to　the　letter　which　Messieurs　Happe

and　Duncker　addressed　to　him。　Emmanuel　de　Solis　was　commissioned　by

Claes　to　receive　the　price　of　the　pictures；　which　were　thereupon

packed　and　sent　away　secretly；　to　conceal　the　sale　from　the　people　of

Douai。



Towards　the　end　of　September；　Balthazar　paid　off　all　the　sums　that　he

had　borrowed；　released　his　property　from　encumbrance；　and　resumed　his

chemical　researches；　but　the　House　of　Claes　was　deprived　of　its

noblest　ornament。　Blinded　by　his　passion；　the　master　showed　no　regret；

he　felt　so　sure　of　repairing　the　loss　that　in　selling　the　pictures　he

reserved　the　right　of　redemption。　In　Josephine's　eyes　a　hundred

pictures　were　as　nothing　compared　to　domestic　happiness　and　the

satisfaction　of　her　husband's　mind；　moreover；　she　refilled　the　gallery

with　other　paintings　taken　from　the　reception…rooms；　and　to　conceal

the　gaps　which　these　left　in　the　front　house；　she　changed　the

arrangement　of　the　furniture。



When　Balthazar's　debts　were　all　paid　he　had　about　two　hundred　thousand

francs　with　which　to　carry　on　his　experiments。　The　Abbe　de　Solis　and

his　nephew　took　charge　secretly　of　the　fifteen　thousand　ducats

reserved　by　Madame　Claes。　To　increase　that　sum；　the　abbe　sold　the

Dutch　ducats；　to　which　the　events　of　the　Continental　war　had　given　a

commercial　value。　One　hundred　and　sixty…five　thousand　francs　were

buried　in　the　cellar　of　the　house　in　which　the　abbe　and　his　nephew

resided。



Madame　Claes　had　the　melancholy　happiness　of　seeing　her　husband

incessantly　busy　and　satisfied　for　nearly　eight　months。　But　the　shock

he　had　lately　given　her　was　too　severe；　she　sank　into　a　state　of

languor　and　debility　which　steadily　increased。　Balthazar　was　now　so

completely　absorbed　in　science　that　neither　the　reverses　which　had

overtaken　France；　nor　the　first　fall　of　Napoleon