the alkahest-第6章

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

that　of　a　lover。　The　protecting　power；　which　women　like　so　much；　was

never　exercised　by　this　husband；　lest　to　that　wife　it　might　seem　pity。

He　treated　her　with　exquisite　flattery　as　an　equal；　and　sometimes

mutinied　against　her；　as　men　will；　as　though　to　brave　the　supremacy　of

a　pretty　woman。　His　lips　wore　a　smile　of　happiness；　his　speech　was

ever　tender；　he　loved　his　Josephine　for　herself　and　for　himself；　with

an　ardor　that　crowned　with　perpetual　praise　the　qualities　and　the

loveliness　of　a　wife。



Fidelity；　often　the　result　of　social　principle；　religious　duty；　or

self…interest　on　the　part　of　a　husband；　was　in　this　case　involuntary；

and　not　without　the　sweet　flatteries　of　the　spring…time　of　love。　Duty

was　the　only　marriage　obligation　unknown　to　these　lovers；　whose　love

was　equal；　for　Balthazar　Claes　found　the　complete　and　lasting

realization　of　his　hopes　in　Mademoiselle　de　Temninck；　his　heart　was

satisfied　but　not　wearied；　the　man　within　him　was　ever　happy。



Not　only　did　the　daughter　of　Casa…Real　derive　from　her　Spanish　blood

the　intuition　of　that　science　which　varies　pleasure　and　makes　it

infinite；　but　she　possessed　the　spirit　of　unbounded　self…devotion；

which　is　the　genius　of　her　sex　as　grace　is　that　of　beauty。　Her　love

was　a　blind　fanaticism　which；　at　a　nod；　would　have　sent　her　joyously

to　her　death。　Balthazar's　own　delicacy　had　exalted　the　generous

emotions　of　his　wife；　and　inspired　her　with　an　imperious　need　of

giving　more　than　she　received。　This　mutual　exchange　of　happiness　which

each　lavished　upon　the　other；　put　the　mainspring　of　her　life　visibly

outside　of　her　personality；　and　filled　her　words；　her　looks；　her

actions；　with　an　ever…growing　love。　Gratitude　fertilized　and　varied

the　life　of　each　heart；　and　the　certainty　of　being　all　in　all　to　one

another　excluded　the　paltry　things　of　existence；　while　it　magnified

the　smallest　accessories。



The　deformed　woman　whom　her　husband　thinks　straight；　the　lame　woman

whom　he　would　not　have　otherwise；　the　old　woman　who　seems　ever　young

are　they　not　the　happiest　creatures　of　the　feminine　world？　Can　human

passion　go　beyond　it？　The　glory　of　a　woman　is　to　be　adored　for　a

defect。　To　forget　that　a　lame　woman　does　not　walk　straight　may　be　the

glamour　of　a　moment；　but　to　love　her　because　she　is　lame　is　the

deification　of　her　defects。　In　the　gospel　of　womanhood　it　is　written：

〃Blessed　are　the　imperfect；　for　theirs　is　the　kingdom　of　Love。〃　If

this　be　so；　surely　beauty　is　a　misfortune；　that　fugitive　flower　counts

for　too　much　in　the　feeling　that　a　woman　inspires；　often　she　is　loved

for　her　beauty　as　another　is　married　for　her　money。　But　the　love

inspired　or　bestowed　by　a　woman　disinherited　of　the　frail　advantages

pursued　by　the　sons　of　Adam；　is　true　love；　the　mysterious　passion；　the

ardent　embrace　of　souls；　a　sentiment　for　which　the　day　of

disenchantment　never　comes。　That　woman　has　charms　unknown　to　the

world；　from　whose　jurisdiction　she　withdraws　herself：　she　is　beautiful

with　a　meaning；　her　glory　lies　in　making　her　imperfections　forgotten；

and　thus　she　constantly　succeeds　in　doing　so。



The　celebrated　attachments　of　history　were　nearly　all　inspired　by

women　in　whom　the　vulgar　mind　would　have　found　defects；Cleopatra；

Jeanne　de　Naples；　Diane　de　Poitiers；　Mademoiselle　de　la　Valliere；

Madame　de　Pompadour；　in　fact；　the　majority　of　the　women　whom　love　has

rendered　famous　were　not　without　infirmities　and　imperfections；　while

the　greater　number　of　those　whose　beauty　is　cited　as　perfect　came　to

some　tragic　end　of　love。



This　apparent　singularity　must　have　a　cause。　It　may　be　that　man　lives

more　by　sentiment　than　by　sense；　perhaps　the　physical　charm　of　beauty

is　limited；　while　the　moral　charm　of　a　woman　without　beauty　is

infinite。　Is　not　this　the　moral　of　the　fable　on　which　the　Arabian

Nights　are　based？　An　ugly　wife　of　Henry　VIII。　might　have　defied　the

axe；　and　subdued　to　herself　the　inconstancy　of　her　master。



By　a　strange　chance；　not　inexplicable；　however；　in　a　girl　of　Spanish

origin；　Madame　Claes　was　uneducated。　She　knew　how　to　read　and　write；

but　up　to　the　age　of　twenty；　at　which　time　her　parents　withdrew　her

from　a　convent；　she　had　read　none　but　ascetic　books。　On　her　first

entrance　into　the　world；　she　was　eager　for　pleasure　and　learned　only

the　flimsy　art　of　dress；　she　was；　moreover；　so　deeply　conscious　of　her

ignorance　that　she　dared　not　join　in　conversation；　for　which　reason

she　was　supposed　to　have　little　mind。　Yet；　the　mystical　education　of　a

convent　had　one　good　result；　it　left　her　feelings　in　full　force　and

her　natural　powers　of　mind　uninjured。　Stupid　and　plain　as　an　heiress

in　the　eyes　of　the　world；　she　became　intellectual　and　beautiful　to　her

husband。　During　the　first　years　of　their　married　life；　Balthazar

endeavored　to　give　her　at　least　the　knowledge　that　she　needed　to

appear　to　advantage　in　good　society：　but　he　was　doubtless　too　late；

she　had　no　memory　but　that　of　the　heart。　Josephine　never　forgot

anything　that　Claes　told　her　relating　to　themselves；　she　remembered

the　most　trifling　circumstances　of　their　happy　life；　but　of　her

evening　studies　nothing　remained　to　her　on　the　morrow。



This　ignorance　might　have　caused　much　discord　between　husband　and

wife；　but　Madame　Claes's　understanding　of　the　passion　of　love　was　so

simple　and　ingenuous；　she　loved　her　husband　so　religiously；　so

sacredly；　and　the　thought　of　preserving　her　happiness　made　her　so

adroit；　that　she　managed　always　to　seem　to　understand　him；　and　it　was

seldom　indeed　that　her　ignorance　was　evident。　Moreover；　when　two

persons　love　one　another　so　well　that　each　day　seems　for　them　the

beginning　of　their　passion；　phenomena　arise　out　of　this　teeming

happiness　which　change　all　the　conditions　of　life。　It　resembles

childhood；　careless　of　all　that　is　not　laughter；　joy；　and　merriment。

Then；　when　life　is　in　full　activity；　when　its　hearths　glow；　man　lets

the　fire　burn　without　thought　or　discussion；　without　considering

either　the　means　or　the　end。



No　daughter　of　Eve　ever　more　truly　understood　the　calling　of　a　wife

than　Madame　Claes。　She　had　all　the　submission　of　a　Flemish　woman；　but

her　Spanish　pride　gave　it　a　higher　flavor。　Her　bearing　was　imposing；

she　knew　how　to　command　respect　by　a　look　which　expressed　her　sense　of

birth　and　dignity：　but　she　trembled　before　Claes；　she　held　him　so

high；　so　near　to　God；　carrying　to　him　every　act　of　her　life；　every

thought　of　her　heart；　that　her　love　was　not　without　a　certain

respectful　fear　which　made　it　keener。　She　proudly　assumed　all　the

habits　of　a　Flemish　bourgeoisie；　and　put　her　self…love　into　making　the

home　life　liberally　happy；preserving　every　detail　of　the　house　in

scrupulous　cleanliness；　possessing　nothing　that　did　not　serve　the

purposes　of　true　comfort；　supplying　her　table　with　the　choicest　food；

and　putting　everything　within　those　walls　into　harmony　with　the　life

of　her　heart。



The　pair　had　two　sons　and　two　daughters。　The　eldest；　Marguerite；　was

born　in　1796。　The　last　child　was　a　boy；　now　three　years　old；　named

Jean…Balthazar。　The　maternal　sentiment　in　Madame　Claes　was　almost

equal　to　her　love　for　her　husband；　and　there　rose　in　her　soul；

especially　during　the　last　days　of　her　life；　a　terrible　struggle

between　those　nearly　balanced　feelings；　of　which　the　one　became；　as　it

were；　an　enemy　of　the　other。　The　tears　and　the　terror　that　marked　her

face　at　the　moment　when　this　tale　of　a　domestic　drama　then　lowering

over　the　quiet　house　begins；　were　caused　by　the　fear　of　having

sacrificed　her　children　to　her　husband。



In　1805；　Madame　Claes's　brother　died　without　children。　The　Spanish　law

does　not　allow　a　sister　to　succeed　to　territorial　possessions；　which

follow　the　title；　but　the　duke　had　left　her　in　his　will　about　sixty

thousand　ducats；　and　this　sum　the　heirs　of　the　collateral　branch　did

not　seek　to　retain。　Though　the　feeling　which　united　her　to　Balthazar

Claes　was　such　that　no　thought　of　personal　interest　could　ever　sully

it；　Josephine　felt　a　certain　pleasure　in　possessing　a　fortune　equal　to

that　of　her　husband；　and　was　happy　in　giving　something　to　one　who　had

so　nobly　given　everything　to　her。　Thus；　a　mere　chance　turned　a

marriage　which　worldly　minds　had　declared　foolish；　into　an　excellent

alliance；　seen　from　the　standpoint　of　material　interests。　The　use　to

which　this　sum　of　money　should　be　put　became；　however；　somewhat

difficult　to　determine。



The　House　of　Claes　was　so　richly　supplied　with　furniture；　pictures；

and　objects　of　art　of　priceless　value；　that　it　was　difficult　to　add

anything　worthy　of　what　was　already　there。　The　tastes　of　the　family

through　long　periods　of　time　had　accumulated　these　treasures。　One

generation　followed　the　quest　of　noble　pictures；　leaving　behind　it　the

necessity　of　completing　a　collection　still　unfinished；　and　thus　the

taste　became　hereditary　in　the　family。　The　hundred　pictures　which

adorned　the　gallery　leading　from　the　family　building　to　the　reception…

rooms　on　the　first　floor　of　the　front　house；　as　well　as　some　fifty

others　placed　about　the　salons；　were　the　product　of　the　patient

researches　of　three　centuries。　Among　them　were　choice　specimens　of

Rubens；　Ruysdael；　Vandyke；　Terburg；　Gerard　Dow；　Teniers；　Mieris；　Paul

Potter；　Wouvermans；　Rembrandt；　Hobbema；　Cranach；　and　Holbein。　French

and　Italian　pictures　were　in　a　minority；　but　all　were　authentic　and

masterly。



Another　generation　had　fancied　Chinese　and　Japanese　porcelains：　this

Claes　was　eager　after　rare　furniture；　that　one　for　silver…ware；　in

fact；　each　and　all　had　their　mania；　their　passion；a　trait　which

belongs　in　a　striking　degree　to　the　Flemish　character。　The　father　of

Balthazar；　a　last　relic　of　the　once　famous　Dutch　society；　left　behind

him　the　finest　known　collection　of　tulips。



Besides　these　hereditary　riches；　which　represented　an　enormous

capital；　and　were　the　choice　ornament　of　the　venerable　house；a　house

that　was　simple　as　a　shell　outside　but；　like　a　shell；　adorned　within

by　pearls　of　price　and　glowing　with　rich　color；Balthazar　Claes

possessed　a　country…house　on　the　plain　of　Orchies；　not　far　from　Douai。

Instead　of　basing　his　expenses；　as　Frenchmen　do；　upon　his　revenues；　he

followed　the　old　Dutch　custom　of　spending　only　a　fourth　of　his　income。

Twelve　hundred　ducats　a　year　put　his　costs　of　living　at　a　level　with

those　of　the　richest　men　of　the　place。　The　promulgation　of　the　Civil

Code　proved　the　wisdom　of　this　course。　Compelling；　as　it　did；　the

equal　division　of　property；　the　Title　of　Succession　would　some　day

leave　each　child　with　limited　means；　and　disperse　the　treasures　of　the

Claes　collection。　Balthazar；　therefore；　in　concert　with　Madame　Claes；

invested　his　wife's　property　so　as　to　secure　to　each　child　a　fortune

eventually　equal　to　his　own。　The　house　of　Claes　still　maintained　its

moderate　scale　of　living；　and　bought　woodlands　somewhat　the　wo