the alkahest-第13章

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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

fears。　When　she　saw　Balthazar　about　to　leave　the　room；　her　impulse　was

to　spring　towards　him；　then　a　cruel　thought　restrained　hershe　should

stand　before　him！　would　she　not　seem　ridiculous　in　the　eyes　of　a　man

no　longer　under　the　glamour　of　lovewho　might　see　true？　She　resolved

to　avoid　all　dangerous　chances　at　so　solemn　a　moment；　and　remained

seated；　saying　in　a　clear　voice；



〃Balthazar。〃



He　turned　mechanically　and　coughed；　then；　paying　no　attention　to　his

wife；　he　walked　to　one　of　the　little　square　boxes　that　are　placed　at

intervals　along　the　wainscoting　of　every　room　in　Holland　and　Belgium；

and　spat　in　it。　This　man；　who　took　no　thought　of　other　persons；　never

forgot　the　inveterate　habit　of　using　those　boxes。　To　poor　Josephine；

unable　to　find　a　reason　for　this　singularity；　the　constant　care　which

her　husband　took　of　the　furniture　caused　her　at　all　times　an

unspeakable　pang；　but　at　this　moment　the　pain　was　so　violent　that　it

put　her　beside　herself　and　made　her　exclaim　in　a　tone　of　impatience；

which　expressed　her　wounded　feelings；



〃Monsieur；　I　am　speaking　to　you！〃



〃What　does　that　mean？〃　answered　Balthazar；　turning　quickly；　and

casting　a　look　of　reviving　intelligence　upon　his　wife；　which　fell　upon

her　like　a　thunderbolt。



〃Forgive　me；　my　friend；〃　she　said；　turning　pale。　She　tried　to　rise　and

put　out　her　hand　to　him；　but　her　strength　gave　way　and　she　fell　back。

〃I　am　dying！〃　she　cried　in　a　voice　choked　by　sobs。



At　the　sight　Balthazar　had；　like　all　abstracted　persons；　a　vivid

reaction　of　mind；　and　he　divined；　so　to　speak；　the　secret　cause　of

this　attack。　Taking　Madame　Claes　at　once　in　his　arms；　he　opened　the

door　upon　the　little　antechamber；　and　ran　so　rapidly　up　the　ancient

wooden　staircase　that　his　wife's　dress　having　caught　on　the　jaws　of

one　of　the　griffins　that　supported　the　balustrade；　a　whole　breadth　was

torn　off　with　a　loud　noise。　He　kicked　in　the　door　of　the　vestibule

between　their　chambers；　but　the　door　of　Josephine's　bedroom　was

locked。



He　gently　placed　her　on　a　chair；　saying　to　himself；　〃My　God！　the　key；

where　is　the　key？〃



〃Thank　you；　dear　friend；〃　said　Madame　Claes；　opening　her　eyes。　〃This

is　the　first　time　for　a　long；　long　while　that　I　have　been　so　near　your

heart。〃



〃Good　God！〃　cried　Claes；　〃the　key！here　come　the　servants。〃



Josephine　signed　to　him　to　take　a　key　that　hung　from　a　ribbon　at　her

waist。　After　opening　the　door；　Balthazar　laid　his　wife　on　a　sofa；　and

left　the　room　to　stop　the　frightened　servants　from　coming　up　by　giving

them　orders　to　serve　the　dinner；　then　he　went　back　to　Madame　Claes。



〃What　is　it；　my　dear　life？〃　he　said；　sitting　down　beside　her；　and

taking　her　hand　and　kissing　it。



〃Nothingnow；〃　she　answered。　〃I　suffer　no　longer。　Only；　I　would　I　had

the　power　of　God　to　pour　all　the　gold　of　the　world　at　thy　feet。〃



〃Why　gold？〃　he　asked。　He　took　her　in　his　arms；　pressed　her　to　him　and

kissed　her　once　more　upon　the　forehead。　〃Do　you　not　give　me　the

greatest　of　all　riches　in　loving　me　as　you　do　love　me；　my　dear　and

precious　wife？〃



〃Oh！　my　Balthazar；　will　you　not　drive　away　the　anguish　of　our　lives　as

your　voice　now　drives　out　the　misery　of　my　heart？　At　last；　at　last；　I

see　that　you　are　still　the　same。〃



〃What　anguish　do　you　speak　of；　dear？〃




〃My　friend；　we　are　ruined。〃



〃Ruined！〃　he　repeated。　Then；　with　a　smile；　he　stroked　her　hand；

holding　it　within　his　own；　and　said　in　his　tender　voice；　so　long

unheard：　〃To…morrow；　dear　love；　our　wealth　may　perhaps　be　limitless。

Yesterday；　in　searching　for　a　far　more　important　secret；　I　think　I

found　the　means　of　crystallizing　carbon；　the　substance　of　the　diamond。

Oh；　my　dear　wife！　in　a　few　days'　time　you　will　forgive　me　all　my

forgetfulnessI　am　forgetful　sometimes；　am　I　not？　Was　I　not　harsh　to

you　just　now？　Be　indulgent　for　a　man　who　never　ceases　to　think　of　you；

whose　toils　are　full　of　youof　us。〃



〃Enough；　enough！〃　she　said；　〃let　us　talk　of　it　all　to…night；　dear

friend。　I　suffered　from　too　much　grief；　and　now　I　suffer　from　too　much

joy。〃



〃To…night；〃　he　resumed；　〃yes；　willingly：　we　will　talk　of　it。　If　I　fall

into　meditation；　remind　me　of　this　promise。　To…night　I　desire　to　leave

my　work；　my　researches；　and　return　to　family　joys；　to　the　delights　of

the　heartPepita；　I　need　them；　I　thirst　for　them！〃



〃You　will　tell　me　what　it　is　you　seek；　Balthazar？〃



〃Poor　child；　you　cannot　understand　it。〃



〃You　think　so？　Ah！　my　friend；　listen；　for　nearly　four　months　I　have

studied　chemistry　that　I　might　talk　of　it　with　you。　I　have　read

Fourcroy；　Lavoisier；　Chaptal；　Nollet；　Rouelle；　Berthollet；　Gay…Lussac；

Spallanzani；　Leuwenhoek；　Galvani；　Volta；in　fact；　all　the　books　about

the　science　you　worship。　You　can　tell　me　your　secrets；　I　shall

understand　you。〃



〃Oh！　you　are　indeed　an　angel；〃　cried　Balthazar；　falling　at　her　feet；

and　shedding　tears　of　tender　feeling　that　mad