the alkahest-第9章

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interests　of　this　life？　Why　is　their　faith　given　only　to　religious

ideas　of　a　future　existence？　Why　do　they　so　ably　foresee　the

catastrophes　of　fortune　and　the　crises　of　fate？　Perhaps　the　sentiment

which　unites　them　to　the　men　they　love　gives　them　a　sense　by　which

they　weigh　force；　measure　faculties；　understand　tastes；　passions；

vices；　virtues。　The　perpetual　study　of　these　causes　in　the　midst　of

which　they　live　gives　them；　no　doubt；　the　fatal　power　of　foreseeing

effects　in　all　possible　relations　of　earthly　life。　What　they　see　of

the　present　enables　them　to　judge　of　the　future　with　an　intuitive

ability　explained　by　the　perfection　of　their　nervous　system；　which

allows　them　to　seize　the　lightest　indications　of　thought　and　feeling。

Their　whole　being　vibrates　in　communion　with　great　moral　convulsions。

Either　they　feel；　or　they　see。



Now；　although　separated　from　her　husband　for　over　two　years；　Madame

Claes　foresaw　the　loss　of　their　property。　She　fully　understood　the

deliberate　ardor；　the　well…considered；　inalterable　steadfastness　of

Balthazar；　if　it　were　indeed　true　that　he　was　seeking　to　make　gold；　he

was　capable　of　throwing　his　last　crust　into　the　crucible　with　absolute

indifference。　But　what　was　he　really　seeking？　Up　to　this　time　maternal

feeling　and　conjugal　love　had　been　so　mingled　in　the　heart　of　this

woman　that　the　children；　equally　beloved　by　husband　and　wife；　had

never　come　between　them。　Suddenly　she　found　herself　at　times　more

mother　than　wife；　though　hitherto　she　had　been　more　wife　than　mother。

However　ready　she　had　been　to　sacrifice　her　fortune　and　even　her

children　to　the　man　who　had　chosen　her；　loved　her；　adored　her；　and　to

whom　she　was　still　the　only　woman　in　the　world；　the　remorse　she　felt

for　the　weakness　of　her　maternal　love　threw　her　into　terrible

alternations　of　feeling。　As　a　wife；　she　suffered　in　heart；　as　a

mother；　through　her　children；　as　a　Christian；　for　all。



She　kept　silence；　and　hid　the　cruel　struggle　in　her　soul。　Her　husband；

sole　arbiter　of　the　family　fate；　was　the　master　by　whose　will　it　must

be　guided；　he　was　responsible　to　God　only。　Besides；　could　she　reproach

him　for　the　use　he　now　made　of　his　fortune；　after　the

disinterestedness　he　had　shown　to　her　for　many　happy　years？　Was　she　to

judge　his　purposes？　And　yet　her　conscience；　in　keeping　with　the　spirit

of　the　law；　told　her　that　parents　were　the　depositaries　and　guardians

of　property；　and　possessed　no　right　to　alienate　the　material　welfare

of　the　children。　To　escape　replying　to　such　stern　questions　she

preferred　to　shut　her　eyes；　like　one　who　refuses　to　see　the　abyss　into

whose　depths　he　knows　he　is　about　to　fall。



For　more　than　six　months　her　husband　had　given　her　no　money　for　the

household　expenses。　She　sold　secretly；　in　Paris；　the　handsome　diamond

ornaments　her　brother　had　given　her　on　her　marriage；　and　placed　the

family　on　a　footing　of　the　strictest　economy。　She　sent　away　the

governess　of　her　children；　and　even　the　nurse　of　little　Jean。　Formerly

the　luxury　of　carriages　and　horses　was　unknown　among　the　burgher

families；　so　simple　were　they　in　their　habits；　so　proud　in　their

feelings；　no　provision　for　that　modern　innovation　had　therefore　been

made　at　the　House　of　Claes；　and　Balthazar　was　obliged　to　have　his

stable　and　coach…house　in　a　building　opposite　to　his　own　house：　his

present　occupations　allowed　him　no　time　to　superintend　that　portion　of

his　establishment；　which　belongs　exclusively　to　men。　Madame　Claes

suppressed　the　whole　expense　of　equipages　and　servants；　which　her

present　isolation　from　the　world　rendered　unnecessary；　and　she　did　so

without　pretending　to　conceal　the　retrenchment　under　any　pretext。　So

far；　facts　had　contradicted　her　assertions；　and　silence　for　the　future

was　more　becoming：　indeed　the　change　in　the　family　mode　of　living

called　for　no　explanation　in　a　country　where；　as　in　Flanders；　any　one

who　lives　up　to　his　income　is　considered　a　madman。



And　yet；　as　her　eldest　daughter；　Marguerite；　approached　her　sixteenth

birthday；　Madame　Claes　longed　to　procure　for　her　a　good　marriage；　and

to　place　her　in　society　in　a　manner　suitable　to　a　daughter　of　the

Molinas；　the　Van　Ostron…Temnincks；　and　the　Casa…Reals。　A　few　days

before　the　one　on　which　this　story　opens；　the　money　derived　from　the

sale　of　the　diamonds　had　been　exhausted。　On　the　very　day；　at　three

o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　as　Madame　Claes　was　taking　her　children　to

vespers；　she　met　Pierquin；　who　was　on　his　way　to　see　her；　and　who

turned　and　accompanied　her　to　the　church；　talking　in　a　low　voice　of

her　situation。



〃My　dear　cousin；〃　he　said；　〃unless　I　fail　in　the　friendship　which

binds　me　to　your　family；　I　cannot　conceal　from　you　the　peril　of　your

position；　nor　refrain　from　begging　you　to　speak　to　your　husband。　Who

but　you　can　hold　him　back　from　the　gulf　into　which　he　is　plunging？　The

rents　from　the　mortgaged　estates　are　not　enough　to　pay　the　interest　on

the　sums　he　has　borrowed。　If　he　cuts　the　wood　on　them　he　destroys　your

last　chance　of　safety　in　the　future。　My　cousin　Balthazar　owes　at　this

moment　thirty　thousand　francs　to　the　house　of　Protez　and　Chiffreville。

How　can　you　pay　them？　What　will　you　live　on？　If　Claes　persists　in

sending　for　reagents；　retorts；　voltaic　batteries；　and　other　such

playthings；　what　will　become　of　you？　Your　whole　property；　except　the

house　and　furniture；　has　been　dissipated　in　gas　and　carbon；　yesterday

he　talked　of　mortgaging　the　house；　and　in　answer　to　a　remark　of　mine；

he　cried　out；　'The　devil！'　It　was　the　first　sign　of　reason　I　have

known　him　show　for　three　years。〃



Madame　Claes　pressed　the　notary's　arm；　and　said　in　a　tone　of

suffering；　〃Keep　it　secret。〃



Overwhelmed　by　these　plain　words　of　startling　clearness；　the　poor

woman；　pious　as　she　was；　could　not　pray；　she　sat　still　on　her　chair

between　her　children；　with　her　prayer…book　open；　but　not　turning　its

leaves；　her　mind　was　sunk　in　meditations　as　absorbing　as　those　of　her

husband。　The　Spanish　sense　of　honor；　the　Flemish　integrity；　resounded

in　her　soul　with　a　peal　louder　than　any　organ。　The　ruin　of　her

children　was　accomplished！　Between　them　and　their　father's　honor　she

must　no　longer　hesitate。　The　necessity　of　a　coming　struggle　with　her

husband　terrified　her；　in　her　eyes　he　was　so　great；　so　majestic；　that

the　mere　prospect　of　his　anger　made　her　tremble　as　at　a　vision　of　the

divine　wrath。　She　must　now　depart　from　the　submission　she　had　sacredly

practised　as　a　wife。　The　interests　of　her　children　compelled　her　to

oppose；　in　his　most　cherished　tastes；　the　man　she　idolized。　Must　she

not　daily　force　him　back　to　common　matters　from　the　higher　realms　of

Science；　drag　him　forcibly　from　a　smiling　future　and　plunge　him　into　a

materialism　hideous　to　artists　and　great　men？　To　her；　Balthazar　Claes

was　a　Titan　of　science；　a　man　big　with　glory；　he　could　only　have

forgotten　her　for　the　riches　of　a　mighty　hope。　Then　too；　was　he　not

profoundly　wise？　she　had　heard　him　talk　with　such　good　sense　on　every

subject　that　he　must　be　sincere　when　he　declared　he　worked　for　the

glory　and　prosperity　of　his　family。　His　love　for　his　wife　and　family

was　not　only　vast；　it　was　infinite。　That　feeling　could　not　be　extinct；

it　was　magnified；　and　reproduced　in　another　form。



Noble；　generous；　timid　as　she　was；　she　prepared　herself　to　ring　into

the　ears　of　this　noble　man　the　word　and　the　sound　of　money；　to　show

him　the　sores　of　poverty；　and　force　him　to　hear　cries　of　distress　when

he　was　listening　only　for　the　melodious　voice　of　Fame。　Perhaps　his

love　for　her　would　lessen！　If　she　had　had　no　children；　she　would

bravely　and　joyously　have　welcomed　the　new　destiny　her　husband　was

making　for　her。　Women　who　are　brought　up　in　opulence　are　quick　to　feel

the　emptiness　of　material　enjoyments；　and　when　their　hearts；　more

wearied　than　withered；　have　once　learned　the　happiness　of　a　constant

interchange　of　real　feelings；　they　feel　no　shrinking　from　reduced

outward　circumstances；　provided　they　are　still　acceptable　to　the　man

who　has　loved　them。　Their　wishes；　their　pleasures；　are　subordinated　to

the　caprices　of　that　other　life　outside　of　their　own；　to　them　the　only

dreadful　future　is　to　lose　him。



At　this　moment；　therefore；　her　children　came　between　Pepita　and　her

true　life；　just　as　Science　had　come　between　herself　and　Balthazar。　And

thus；　when　she　reached　home　after　vespers；　and　threw　herself　into　the

deep　armchair　before　the　window　of　the　parlor；　she　sent　away　her

children；　directing　them　to　keep　perfectly　quiet；　and　despatched　a

message　to　her　husband；　through　Lemulquinier；　saying　that　she　wished

to　see　him。　But　although　the　old　valet　did　his　best　to　make　his　master

leave　the　laboratory；　Balthazar　scarcely　heeded　him。　Madame　Claes　thus

gained　time　for　reflection。　She　sat　thinking；　paying　no　attention　to

the　hour　nor　the　light。　The　thought　of　owing　thirty　thousand　francs

that　could　not　be　paid　renewed　her　past　anguish　and　joined　it　to　that

of　the　present　and　the　future。　This　influx　of　painful　interests；

ideas；　and　feelings　overcame　her；　and　she　wept。



As　Balthazar　entered　at　last　through　the　panelled　door；　the　expression

of　his　face　seemed　to　her　more　dreadful；　more　absorbed；　more

distracted　than　she　had　yet　seen　it。　When　he　made　her　no　answer　she

was　magnetized　for　a　moment　by　the　fixity　of　that　blank　look　emptied

of　all　expression；　by　the　consuming　ideas　that　issued　as　if　distilled

from　that　bald　brow。　Under　the　shock　of　this　impression　she　wished　to

die。　But　when　she　heard　the　callous　voice；　uttering　a　scientific　wish

at　the　moment　when　her　heart　was　breaking；　her　courage　came　back　to

her；　she　resolved　to　struggle　with　that　awful　power　which　had　torn　a

lover　from　her　arms；　a　father　from　her　children；　a　fortune　from　their

home；　happiness　from　all。　And　yet　she　could　not　repress　a　trepidation

which　made　her　quiver；　in　all　her　life　no　such　solemn　scene　as　this

had　taken　place。　This　dreadful　momentdid　it　not　virtually　contain

her　future；　and　gather　within　it　all　the　past？



Weak　and　timid　persons；　or　those　whose　excessive　sensibility　magnifies

the　smallest　difficulties　of　life；　men　who　tremble　involuntarily

before　the　masters　of　their　fate；　can　now；　one　and　all；　conceive　the

rush　of　thoughts　that　crowded　into　the　brain　of　this　woman；　and　the

feelings　under　the　weight　of　which　her　heart　was　crushed　as　her

husband　slowly　crossed　the　room　towards　the　garden…door。　Most　women

know　that　agony　of　inward　deliberation　in　which　Madame　Claes　was

writhing。　Even　one　whose　heart　has　been　tried　by　nothing　worse　than

the　declaration　to　a　husband　of　some　extravagance；　or　a　debt　to　a

dress…maker；　will　understand　how　its　pulses　swell　and　quicken　when　the

matter　is　one　of　life　itself。



A　beautiful　or　graceful　woman　might　have　thrown　herself　at　her

husband's　feet；　might　have　called　to　her　aid　the　attitudes　of　grief；

but　to　Madame　Claes　the　sense　of　physical　defects　only　added　to　her

fea