the alkahest-第5章

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Paris；　the　city　of　cosmopolitans；　of　men　who　wed　the　world；　and　clasp

her　with　the　arms　of　Science；　Art；　or　Power。



The　son　of　Flanders　came　back　to　Douai；　like　La　Fontaine's　pigeon　to

its　nest；　he　wept　with　joy　as　he　re…entered　the　town　on　the　day　of　the

Gayant　procession；Gayant；　the　superstitious　luck　of　Douai；　the　glory

of　Flemish　traditions；　introduced　there　at　the　time　the　Claes　family

had　emigrated　from　Ghent。　The　death　of　Balthazar's　father　and　mother

had　left　the　old　mansion　deserted；　and　the　young　man　was　occupied　for

a　time　in　settling　its　affairs。　His　first　grief　over；　he　wished　to

marry；　he　needed　the　domestic　happiness　whose　every　religious　aspect

had　fastened　upon　his　mind。　He　even　followed　the　family　custom　of

seeking　a　wife　in　Ghent；　or　at　Bruges；　or　Antwerp；　but　it　happened

that　no　woman　whom　he　met　there　suited　him。　Undoubtedly；　he　had

certain　peculiar　ideas　as　to　marriage；　from　his　youth　he　had　been

accused　of　never　following　the　beaten　track。



One　day；　at　the　house　of　a　relation　in　Ghent；　he　heard　a　young　lady；

then　living　in　Brussels；　spoken　of　in　a　manner　which　gave　rise　to　a

long　discussion。　Some　said　that　the　beauty　of　Mademoiselle　de　Temninck

was　destroyed　by　the　imperfections　of　her　figure；　others　declared　that

she　was　perfect　in　spite　of　her　defects。　Balthazar's　old　cousin；　at

whose　house　the　discussion　took　place；　assured　his　guests　that；

handsome　or　not；　she　had　a　soul　that　would　make　him　marry　her　were　he

a　marrying　man；　and　he　told　how　she　had　lately　renounced　her　share　of

her　parents'　property　to　enable　her　brother　to　make　a　marriage　worthy

of　his　name；　thus　preferring　his　happiness　to　her　own；　and　sacrificing

her　future　to　his　interests；for　it　was　not　to　be　supposed　that

Mademoiselle　de　Temninck　would　marry　late　in　life　and　without　property

when；　young　and　wealthy；　she　had　met　with　no　aspirant。



A　few　days　later；　Balthazar　Claes　made　the　acquaintance　of

Mademoiselle　de　Temninck；　with　whom　he　fell　deeply　in　love。　At　first；

Josephine　de　Temninck　thought　herself　the　object　of　a　mere　caprice；

and　refused　to　listen　to　Monsieur　Claes；　but　passion　is　contagious；

and　to　a　poor　girl　who　was　lame　and　ill…made；　the　sense　of　inspiring

love　in　a　young　and　handsome　man　carries　with　it　such　strong　seduction

that　she　finally　consented　to　allow　him　to　woo　her。



It　would　need　a　volume　to　paint　the　love　of　a　young　girl　humbly

submissive　to　the　verdict　of　a　world　that　calls　her　plain；　while　she

feels　within　herself　the　irresistible　charm　which　comes　of　sensibility

and　true　feeling。　It　involves　fierce　jealousy　of　happiness；　freaks　of

cruel　vengeance　against　some　fancied　rival　who　wins　a　glance；

emotions；　terrors；　unknown　to　the　majority　of　women；　and　which　ought；

therefore；　to　be　more　than　indicated。　The　doubt；　the　dramatic　doubt　of

love；　is　the　keynote　of　this　analysis；　where　certain　souls　will　find

once　more　the　lost；　but　unforgotten；　poetry　of　their　early　struggles；

the　passionate　exaltations　of　the　heart　which　the　face　must　not

betray；　the　fear　that　we　may　not　be　understood；　and　the　boundless　joy

of　being　so；　the　hesitations　of　the　soul　which　recoils　upon　itself；

and　the　magnetic　propulsions　which　give　to　the　eyes　an　infinitude　of

shades；　the　promptings　to　suicide　caused　by　a　word；　dispelled　by　an

intonation；　trembling　glances　which　veil　an　inward　daring；　sudden

desires　to　speak　and　act　that　are　paralyzed　by　their　own　violence；　the

secret　eloquence　of　common　phrases　spoken　in　a　quivering　voice；　the

mysterious　workings　of　that　pristine　modesty　of　soul　and　that　divine

discernment　which　lead　to　hidden　generosities；　and　give　so　exquisite　a

flavor　to　silent　devotion；　in　short；　all　the　loveliness　of　young　love；

and　the　weaknesses　of　its　power。



Mademoiselle　Josephine　de　Temninck　was　coquettish　from　nobility　of

soul。　The　sense　of　her　obvious　imperfections　made　her　as　difficult　to

win　as　the　handsomest　of　women。　The　fear　of　some　day　displeasing　the

eye　roused　her　pride；　destroyed　her　trustfulness；　and　gave　her　the

courage　to　hide　in　the　depths　of　her　heart　that　dawning　happiness

which　other　women　delight　in　making　known　by　their　manners；wearing

it　proudly；　like　a　coronet。　The　more　love　urged　her　towards　Balthazar；

the　less　she　dared　to　express　her　feelings。　The　glance；　the　gesture；

the　question　and　answer　as　it　were　of　a　pretty　woman；　so　flattering　to

the　man　she　loves；　would　they　not　be　in　her　case　mere　humiliating

speculation？　A　beautiful　woman　can　be　her　natural　self；the　world

overlooks　her　little　follies　or　her　clumsiness；　whereas　a　single

criticising　glance　checks　the　noblest　expression　on　the　lips　of　an

ugly　woman；　adds　to　the　ill…grace　of　her　gesture；　gives　timidity　to

her　eyes　and　awkwardness　to　her　whole　bearing。　She　knows　too　well　that

to　her　alone　the　world　condones　no　faults；　she　is　denied　the　right　to

repair　them；　indeed；　the　chance　to　do　so　is　never　given。　This

necessity　of　being　perfect　and　on　her　guard　at　every　moment；　must

surely　chill　her　faculties　and　numb　their　exercise？　Such　a　woman　can

exist　only　in　an　atmosphere　of　angelic　forbearance。　Where　are　the

hearts　from　which　forbearance　comes　with　no　alloy　of　bitter　and

stinging　pity。



These　thoughts；　to　which　the　codes　of　social　life　had　accustomed　her；

and　the　sort　of　consideration　more　wounding　than　insult　shown　to　her

by　the　world；a　consideration　which　increases　a　misfortune　by　making

it　apparent；oppressed　Mademoiselle　de　Temninck　with　a　constant　sense

of　embarrassment；　which　drove　back　into　her　soul　its　happiest

expression；　and　chilled　and　stiffened　her　attitudes；　her　speech；　her

looks。　Loving　and　beloved；　she　dared　to　be　eloquent　or　beautiful　only

when　alone。　Unhappy　and　oppressed　in　the　broad　daylight　of　life；　she

might　have　been　enchanting　could　she　have　expanded　in　the　shadow。

Often；　to　test　the　love　thus　offered　to　her；　and　at　the　risk　of　losing

it；　she　refused　to　wear　the　draperies　that　concealed　some　portion　of

her　defects；　and　her　Spanish　eyes　grew　entrancing　when　they　saw　that

Balthazar　thought　her　beautiful　as　before。



Nevertheless；　even　so；　distrust　soiled　the　rare　moments　when　she

yielded　herself　to　happiness。　She　asked　herself　if　Claes　were　not

seeking　a　domestic　slave；one　who　would　necessarily　keep　the　house？

whether　he　had　himself　no　secret　imperfection　which　obliged　him　to　be

satisfied　with　a　poor；　deformed　girl？　Such　perpetual　misgivings　gave　a

priceless　value　to　the　few　short　hours　during　which　she　trusted　the

sincerity　and　the　permanence　of　a　love　which　was　to　avenge　her　on　the

world。　Sometimes　she　provoked　hazardous　discussions；　and　probed　the

inner　consciousness　of　her　lover　by　exaggerating　her　defects。　At　such

times　she　often　wrung　from　Balthazar　truths　that　were　far　from

flattering；　but　she　loved　the　embarrassment　into　which　he　fell　when

she　had　led　him　to　say　that　what　he　loved　in　a　woman　was　a　noble　soul

and　the　devotion　which　made　each　day　of　life　a　constant　happiness；　and

that　after　a　few　years　of　married　life　the　handsomest　of　women　was　no

more　to　a　husband　than　the　ugliest。　After　gathering　up　what　there　was

of　truth　in　all　such　paradoxes　tending　to　reduce　the　value　of　beauty；

Balthazar　would　suddenly　perceive　the　ungraciousness　of　his　remarks；

and　show　the　goodness　of　his　heart　by　the　delicate　transitions　of

thought　with　which　he　proved　to　Mademoiselle　de　Temninck　that　she　was

perfect　in　his　eyes。



The　spirit　of　devotion　which；　it　may　be；　is　the　crown　of　love　in　a

woman；　was　not　lacking　in　this　young　girl；　who　had　always　despaired　of

being　loved；　at　first；　the　prospect　of　a　struggle　in　which　feeling　and

sentiment　would　triumph　over　actual　beauty　tempted　her；　then；　she

fancied　a　grandeur　in　giving　herself　to　a　man　in　whose　love　she　did

not　believe；　finally；　she　was　forced　to　admit　that　happiness；　however

short　its　duration　might　be；　was　too　precious　to　resign。



Such　hesitations；　such　struggles；　giving　the　charm　and　the

unexpectedness　of　passion　to　this　noble　creature；　inspired　Balthazar

with　a　love　that　was　well…nigh　chivalric。







CHAPTER　III



The　marriage　took　place　at　the　beginning　of　the　year　1795。　Husband　and

wife　came　to　Douai　that　the　first　days　of　their　union　might　be　spent

in　the　patriarchal　house　of　the　Claes；the　treasures　of　which　were

increased　by　those　of　Mademoiselle　de　Temninck；　who　brought　with　her

several　fine　pictures　of　Murillo　and　Velasquez；　the　diamonds　of　her

mother；　and　the　magnificent　wedding…gifts；　made　to　her　by　her　brother；

the　Duke　of　Casa…Real。



Few　women　were　ever　happier　than　Madame　Claes。　Her　happiness　lasted

for　fifteen　years　without　a　cloud；　diffusing　itself　like　a　vivid　light

into　every　nook　and　detail　of　her　life。　Most　men　have　inequalities　of

character　which　produce　discord；　and　deprive　their　households　of　the

harmony　which　is　the　ideal　of　a　home；　the　majority　are　blemished　with

some　littleness　or　meanness；　and　meanness　of　any　kind　begets

bickering。　One　man　is　honorable　and　diligent；　but　hard　and　crabbed；

another　kindly；　but　obstinate；　this　one　loves　his　wife；　yet　his　will

is　arbitrary　and　uncertain；　that　other；　preoccupied　by　ambition；　pays

off　his　affections　as　he　would　a　debt；　bestows　the　luxuries　of　wealth

but　deprives　the　daily　life　of　happiness；in　short；　the　average　man

of　social　life　is　essentially　incomplete；　without　being　signally　to

blame。　Men　of　talent　are　as　variable　as　barometers；　genius　alone　is

intrinsically　good。



For　this　reason　unalloyed　happiness　is　found　at　the　two　extremes　of

the　moral　scale。　The　good…natured　fool　and　the　man　of　genius　alone　are

capablethe　one　through　weakness；　the　other　by　strengthof　that

equanimity　of　temper；　that　unvarying　gentleness；　which　soften　the

asperities　of　daily　life。　In　the　one；　it　is　indifference　or　stolidity；

in　the　other；　indulgence　and　a　portion　of　the　divine　thought　of　which

he　is　the　interpreter；　and　which　needs　to　be　consistent　alike　in

principle　and　application。　Both　natures　are　equally　simple；　but　in　one

there　is　vacancy；　in　the　other　depth。　This　is　why　clever　women　are

disposed　to　take　dull　men　as　the　small　change　for　great　ones。



Balthazar　Claes　carried　his　greatness　into　the　lesser　things　of　life。

He　delighted　in　considering　conjugal　love　as　a　magnificent　work；　and

like　all　men　of　lofty　aims　who　can　bear　nothing　imperfect；　he　wished

to　develop　all　its　beauties。　His　powers　of　mind　enlivened　the　calm　of

happiness；　his　noble　nature　marked　his　attentions　with　the　charm　of

grace。　Though　he　shared　the　philosophical　tenets　of　the　eighteenth

century；　he　installed　a　chaplain　in　his　home　until　1801　（in　spite　of

the　risk　he　ran　from　the　revolutionary　decrees）；　so　that　he　might　not

thwart　the　Spanish　fanaticism　which　his　wife　had　sucked　in　with　her

mother's　milk：　later；　when　public　worship　was　restored　in　France；　he

accompanied　her　to　mass　every　Sunday。　His　passion　never　ceased　to　be

that　of　a　lover。　The　protecting　power；　wh