the alkahest-第22章

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〃No；　do　not　swear；　that　you　may　not　fail　of　your　oath；〃　she　said；

interrupting　him。　〃You　owed　us　your　protection；　we　have　been　without

it　seven　years。　Science　is　your　life。　A　great　man　should　have　neither

wife　nor　children；　he　should　tread　alone　the　path　of　sacrifice。　His

virtues　are　not　the　virtues　of　common　men；　he　belongs　to　the　universe；

he　cannot　belong　to　wife　or　family；　he　sucks　up　the　moisture　of　the

earth　about　him；　like　a　majestic　treeand　I；　poor　plant；　I　could　not

rise　to　the　height　of　your　life；　I　die　at　its　feet。　I　have　waited　for

this　last　day　to　tell　you　these　dreadful　thoughts：　they　came　to　me　in

the　lightnings　of　desolation　and　anguish。　Oh；　spare　my　children！　let

these　words　echo　in　your　heart。　I　cry　them　to　you　with　my　last　breath。

The　wife　is　dead；　dead；　you　have　stripped　her　slowly；　gradually；　of

her　feelings；　of　her　joys。　Alas！　without　that　cruel　care　could　I　have

lived　so　long？　But　those　poor　children　did　not　forsake　me！　they　have

grown　beside　my　anguish；　the　mother　still　survives。　Spare　them！　Spare

my　children！〃



〃Lemulquinier！〃　cried　Claes　in　a　voice　of　thunder。



The　old　man　appeared。



〃Go　up　and　destroy　allinstruments；　apparatus；　everything！　Be

careful；　but　destroy　all。　I　renounce　Science；〃　he　said　to　his　wife。



〃Too　late；〃　she　answered；　looking　at　Lemulquinier。　〃Marguerite！〃　she

cried；　feeling　herself　about　to　die。



Marguerite　came　through　the　doorway　and　uttered　a　piercing　cry　as　she

saw　her　mother's　eyes　now　glazing。



〃MARGUERITE！〃　repeated　the　dying　woman。



The　exclamation　contained　so　powerful　an　appeal　to　her　daughter；　she

invested　that　appeal　with　such　authority；　that　the　cry　was　like　a

dying　bequest。　The　terrified　family　ran　to　her　side　and　saw　her　die；

the　vital　forces　were　exhausted　in　that　last　conversation　with　her

husband。



Balthazar　and　Marguerite　stood　motionless；　she　at　the　head；　he　at　the

foot　of　the　bed；　unable　to　believe　in　the　death　of　the　woman　whose

virtues　and　exhaustless　tenderness　were　known　fully　to　them　alone。

Father　and　daughter　exchanged　looks　freighted　with　meaning：　the

daughter　judged　the　father；　and　already　the　father　trembled；　seeing　in

his　daughter　an　instrument　of　vengeance。　Though　memories　of　the　love

with　which　his　Pepita　had　filled　his　life　crowded　upon　his　mind；　and

gave　to　her　dying　words　a　sacred　authority　whose　voice　his　soul　must

ever　hear；　yet　Balthazar　knew　himself　helpless　in　the　grasp　of　his

attendant　genius；　he　heard　the　terrible　mutterings　of　his　passion；

denying　him　the　strength　to　carry　his　repentance　into　action：　he

feared　himself。



When　the　grave　had　closed　upon　Madame　Claes；　one　thought　filled　the

minds　of　all；the　house　had　had　a　soul；　and　that　soul　was　now

departed。　The　grief　of　the　family　was　so　intense　that　the　parlor；

where　the　noble　woman　still　seemed　to　linger；　was　closed；　no　one　had

the　courage　to　enter　it。







CHAPTER　X



Society　practises　none　of　the　virtues　it　demands　from　individuals：

every　hour　it　commits　crimes；　but　the　crimes　are　committed　in　words；

it　paves　the　way　for　evil　actions　with　a　jest；　it　degrades　nobility　of

soul　by　ridicule；　it　jeers　at　sons　who　mourn　their　fathers；

anathematizes　those　who　do　not　mourn　them　enough；　and　finds　diversion

（the　hypocrite！）　in　weighing　the　dead　bodies　before　they　are　cold。



The　evening　of　the　day　on　which　Madame　Claes　died；　her　friends　cast　a

few　flowers　upon　her　memory　in　the　intervals　of　their　games　of　whist；

doing　homage　to　her　noble　qualities　as　they　sorted　their　hearts　and

spades。　Then；　after　a　few　lachrymal　phrases；the　fi；　fo；　fum　of

collective　grief；　uttered　in　precisely　the　same　tone；　and　with　neither

more　nor　less　of　feeling；　at　all　hours　and　in　every　town　in　France；

they　proceeded　to　estimate　the　value　of　her　property。　Pierquin　was　the

first　to　observe　that　the　death　of　this　excellent　woman　was　a　mercy；

for　her　husband　had　made　her　unhappy；　and　it　was　even　more　fortunate

for　her　children：　she　was　unable　while　living　to　refuse　her　money　to

the　husband　she　adored；　but　now　that　she　was　dead；　Claes　was　debarred

from　touching　it。　Thereupon　all　present　calculated　the　fortune　of　that

poor　Madame　Claes；　wondered　how　much　she　had　laid　by　（had　she；　in

fact；　laid　by　anything？）；　made　an　inventory　of　her　jewels；　rummaged　in

her　wardrobe；　peeped　into　her　drawers；　while　the　afflicted　family　were

still　weeping　and　praying　around　her　death…bed。



Pierquin；　with　an　appraising　eye；　stated　that　Madame　Claes's

possessions　in　her　own　rightto　use　the　notarial　phrasemight　still

be　recovered；　and　ought　to　amount　to　nearly　a　million　and　a　half　of

francs；　basing　this　estimate　partly　on　the　forest　of　Waignies；whose

timber；　counting　the　full…grown　trees；　the　saplings；　the　primeval

growths；　and　the　recent　plantations；　had　immensely　increased　in　value

during　the　last　twelve　years；and　partly　on　Balthazar's　own　property；

of　which　enough　remained　to　〃cover〃　the　claims　of　his　children；　if　the

liquidation　of　their　mother's　fortune　did　not　yield　sufficient　to

release　him。　Mademoiselle　Claes　was　still；　in　Pierquin's　slang；　〃a

four…hundred…thousand…franc　girl。〃　〃But；〃　he　added；　〃if　she　doesn't

marry；a　step　which　would　of　course　separate　her　interests　and　permit

us　to　sell　the　forest　and　auction；　and　so　realize　the　property　of　the

minor　children　and　reinvest　it　where　the　father　can't　lay　hands　on　it；

Claes　is　likely　to　ruin　them　all。〃



Thereupon；　everybody　looked　about　for　some　eligible　young　man　worthy

to　win　the　hand　of　Mademoiselle　Claes；　but　none　of　them　paid　the

lawyer　the　compliment　of　suggesting　that　he　might　be　the　man。

Pierquin；　however；　found　so　many　good　reasons　to　reject　the　suggested

matches　as　unworthy　of　Marguerite's　position；　that　the　confabulators

glanced　at　each　other　and　smiled；　and　took　malicious　pleasure　in

prolonging　this　truly　provincial　method　of　annoyance。　Pierquin　had

already　decided　that　Madame　Claes's　death　would　have　a　favorable

effect　upon　his　suit；　and　he　began　mentally　to　cut　up　the　body　in　his

own　interests。



〃That　good　woman；〃　he　said　to　himself　as　he　went　home　to　bed；　〃was　as

proud　as　a　peacock；　she　would　never　gave　given　me　her　daughter。　Hey；

hey！　why　couldn't　I　manage　matters　now　so　as　to　marry　the　girl？　Pere

Claes　is　drunk　on　carbon；　and　takes　no　care　of　his　children。　If；　after

convincing　Marguerite　that　she　must　marry　to　save　the　property　of　her

brothers　and　sister；　I　were　to　ask　him　for　his　daughter；　he　will　be

glad　to　get　rid　of　a　girl　who　is　likely　to　thwart　him。〃



He　went　to　sleep　anticipating　the　charms　of　the　marriage　contract；　and

reflecting　on　the　advantages　of　the　step　and　the　guarantees　afforded

for　his　happiness　in　the　person　he　proposed　to　marry。　In　all　the

provinces　there　was　certainly　not　a　better　brought…up　or　more

delicately　lovely　young　girl　than　Mademoiselle　Claes。　Her　modesty；　her

grace；　were　like　those　of　the　pretty　flower　Emmanuel　had　feared　to

name　lest　he　should　betray　the　secret　of　his　heart。　Her　sentiments

were　lofty；　her　principles　religious；　she　would　undoubtedly　make　him　a

faithful　wife：　moreover；　she　not　only　flattered　the　vanity　which

influences　every　man　more　or　less　in　the　choice　of　a　wife；　but　she

gratified　his　pride　by　the　high　consideration　which　her　family；　doubly

ennobled；　enjoyed　in　Flanders；a　consideration　which　her　husband　of

course　would　share。



The　next　day　Pierquin　extracted　from　his　strong…box　several　thousand…

franc　notes；　which　he　offered　with　great　friendliness　to　Balthazar；　so

as　to　relieve　him　of　pecuniary　annoyance　in　the　midst　of　his　grief。

Touched　by　this　delicate　attention；　Balthazar　would；　he　thought；

praise　his　goodness　and　his　personal　qualities　to　Marguerite。　In　this

he　was　mistaken。　Monsieur　Claes　and　his　daughter　thought　it　was　a　very

natural　action；　and　their　sorrow　was　too　absorbing　to　let　them　even

think　of　the　lawyer。



Balthazar's　despair　was　indeed　so　great　that　persons　who　were　disposed

to　blame　his　conduct　could　not　do　otherwise　than　forgive　him；less　on

account　of　the　Science　which　might　have　excused　him；　than　for　the

remorse　which　could　not　undo　his　deeds。　Society　is　satisfied　by

appearances：　it　takes　what　it　gives；　without　considering　the　intrinsic

worth　of　the　article。　To　the　world　real　suffering　is　a　show；　a　species

of　enjoyment；　which　inclines　it　to　absolve　even　a　criminal；　in　its

thirst　for　emotions　it　acquits　without　judging　the　man　who　raises　a

laugh；　or　he　who　makes　it　weep；　making　no　inquiry　into　their　methods。



Marguerite　was　just　nineteen　when　her　father　put　her　in　charge　of　the

household；　and　her　brothers　and　sister；　whom　Madame　Claes　in　her　last

moments　exhorted　to　obey　their　elder　sister；　accepted　her　authority

with　docility。　Her　mourning　attire　heightened　the　dewy　whiteness　of

her　skin；　just　as　the　sadness　of　her　expression　threw　into　relief　the

gentleness　and　patience　of　her　manner。　From　the　first　she　gave　proofs

of　feminine　courage；　of　inalterable　serenity；　like　that　of　angels

appointed　to　shed　peace　on　suffering　hearts　by　a　touch　of　their　waving

palms。　But　although　she　trained　herself；　through　a　premature

perception　of　duty；　to　hide　her　personal　grief；　it　was　none　the　less

bitter；　her　calm　exterior　was　not　in　keeping　with　the　deep　trouble　of

her　thoughts；　and　she　was　destined　to　undergo；　too　early　in　life；

those　terrible　outbursts　of　feeling　which　no　heart　is　wholly　able　to

subdue：　her　father　was　to　hold　her　incessantly　under　the　pressure　of

natural　youthful　generosity　on　the　one　hand；　and　the　dictates　of

imperious　duty　on　the　other。　The　cares　which　came　upon　her　the　very

day　of　her　mother's　death　threw　her　into　a　struggle　with　the　interests

of　life　at　an　age　when　young　girls　are　thinking　only　of　its　pleasures。

Dreadful　discipline　of　suffering；　which　is　never　lacking　to　angelic

natures！



The　love　which　rests　on　money　or　on　vanity　is　the　most　persevering　of

passions。　Pierquin　resolved　to　win　the　heiress　without　delay。　A　few

days　after　Madame　Claes's　death　he　took　occasion　to　speak　to

Marguerite；　and　began　operations　with　a　cleverness　which　might　have

succeeded　if　love　had　not　given　her　the　power　of　clear　insight　and

saved　her　from　mistaking　appearances　that　were　all　the　more　specious

because　Pierquin　displayed　his　natural　kindheartedness；the

kindliness　of　a　notary　who　thinks　himself　loving　while　he　protects　a

client's　money。　Relying　on　his　rather　distant　relationship　and　his

constant　habit　of　managing　the　business　and　sharing　the　secrets　of　the

Claes　family；　sure　of　the　esteem　and　friendship　of　the　father；　greatly

assisted　by　the　careless　inattention　of　that　servant　of　science　who

took　no　thought　for　the　marriage　of　his　daughter；　and　not　suspecting

that　Marguerite　could　prefer　another；Pierquin　unguardedly　enabled

her　to　form　a　judgment　on　a　suit　in　which　there　was　no　passion　except

that　of　self…interest；　always　odious　to　a　young　soul；　and　which　he　was

not　clever