the alkahest-第15章

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the　stairs。　Balthazar　entered；　dressed　in　the　fashion　of　the　period。

He　wore　highly　polished　top…boots；　which　allowed　the　upper　part　of　the

white　silk　stockings　to　appear；　blue　kerseymere　small…clothes　with

gold　buttons；　a　flowered　white　waistcoat；　and　a　blue　frock…coat。　He

had　trimmed　his　beard；　combed　and　perfumed　his　hair；　pared　his　nails；

and　washed　his　hands；　all　with　such　care　that　he　was　scarcely

recognizable　to　those　who　had　seen　him　lately。　Instead　of　an　old　man

almost　decrepit；　his　children；　his　wife；　and　the　notary　saw　a

Balthazar　Claes　who　was　forty　years　old；　and　whose　courteous　and

affable　presence　was　full　of　its　former　attractions。　The　weariness　and

suffering　betrayed　by　the　thin　face　and　the　clinging　of　the　skin　to

the　bones；　had　in　themselves　a　sort　of　charm。



〃Good…evening；　Pierquin；〃　said　Monsieur　Claes。



Once　more　a　husband　and　a　father；　he　took　his　youngest　child　from　his

wife's　lap　and　tossed　him　in　the　air。



〃See　that　little　fellow！〃　he　exclaimed　to　the　notary。　〃Doesn't　such　a

pretty　creature　make　you　long　to　marry？　Take　my　word　for　it；　my　dear

Pierquin；　family　happiness　consoles　a　man　for　everything。　Up；　up！〃　he

cried；　tossing　Jean　into　the　air；　〃down；　down！　up！　down！〃



The　child　laughed　with　all　his　heart　as　he　went　alternately　to　the

ceiling　and　down　to　the　carpet。　The　mother　turned　away　her　eyes　that

she　might　not　betray　the　emotion　which　the　simple　play　caused　her；

simple　apparently；　but　to　her　a　domestic　revolution。



〃Let　me　see　how　you　can　walk；〃　said　Balthazar；　putting　his　son　on　the

floor　and　throwing　himself　on　a　sofa　near　his　wife。



The　child　ran　to　its　father；　attracted　by　the　glitter　of　the　gold

buttons　which　fastened　the　breeches　just　above　the　slashed　tops　of　his

boots。



〃You　are　a　darling！〃　cried　Balthazar；　kissing　him；　〃you　are　a　Claes；

you　walk　straight。　Well；　Gabriel；　how　is　Pere　Morillon？〃　he　said　to

his　eldest　son；　taking　him　by　the　ear　and　twisting　it。　〃Are　you

struggling　valiantly　with　your　themes　and　your　construing？　have　you

taken　sharp　hold　of　mathematics？〃



Then　he　rose；　and　went　up　to　the　notary　with　the　affectionate　courtesy

that　characterized　him。



〃My　dear　Pierquin；〃　he　said；　〃perhaps　you　have　something　to　say　to

me。〃　He　took　his　arm　to　lead　him　to　the　garden；　adding；　〃Come　and　see

my　tulips。〃



Madame　Claes　looked　at　her　husband　as　he　left　the　room；　unable　to

repress　the　joy　she　felt　in　seeing　him　once　more　so　young；　so　affable；

so　truly　himself。　She　rose；　took　her　daughter　round　the　waist　and

kissed　her；　exclaiming：



〃My　dear　Marguerite；　my　darling　child！　I　love　you　better　than　ever　to…

day。〃



〃It　is　long　since　I　have　seen　my　father　so　kind；〃　answered　the　young

girl。



Lemulquinier　announced　dinner。　To　prevent　Pierquin　from　offering　her

his　arm；　Madame　Claes　took　that　of　her　husband　and　led　the　way　into

the　next　room；　the　whole　family　following。



The　dining…room；　whose　ceiling　was　supported　by　beams　and　decorated

with　paintings　cleaned　and　restored　every　year；　was　furnished　with

tall　oaken　side…boards　and　buffets；　on　whose　shelves　stood　many　a

curious　piece　of　family　china。　The　walls　were　hung　with　violet

leather；　on　which　designs　of　game　and　other　hunting　objects　were

stamped　in　gold。　Carefully　arranged　here　and　there　above　the　shelves；

shone　the　brilliant　plumage　of　strange　birds；　and　the　lustre　of　rare

shells。　The　chairs；　which　evidently　had　not　been　changed　since　the

beginning　of　the　sixteenth　century；　showed　the　square　shape　with

twisted　columns　and　the　low　back　covered　with　a　fringed　stuff；　common

to　that　period；　and　glorified　by　Raphael　in　his　picture　of　the　Madonna

della　Sedia。　The　wood　of　these　chairs　was　now　black；　but　the　gilt

nails　shone　as　if　new；　and　the　stuff；　carefully　renewed　from　time　to

time；　was　of　an　admirable　shade　of　red。



The　whole　life　of　Flanders　with　its　Spanish　innovations　was　in　this

room。　The　decanters　and　flasks　on　the　dinner…table；　with　their

graceful　antique　lines　and　swelling　curves；　had　an　air　of

respectability。　The　glasses　were　those　old　goblets　with　stems　and　feet

which　may　be　seen　in　the　pictures　of　the　Dutch　or　Flemish　school。　The

dinner…service　of　faience；　decorated　with　raised　colored　figures；　in

the　manner　of　Bernard　Palissy；　came　from　the　English　manufactory　of

Wedgwood。　The　silver…ware　was　massive；　with　square　sides　and　designs

in　high　relief；genuine　family　plate；　whose　pieces；　in　every　variety

of　form；　fashion；　and　chasing；　showed　the　beginnings　of　prosperity　and

the　progress　towards　fortune　of　the　Claes　family。　The　napkins　were

fringed；　a　fashion　altogether　Spanish；　and　as　for　the　linen；　it　will

readily　be　supposed　that　the　Claes's　household　made　it　a　point　of

honor　to　possess　the　best。



All　this　service　of　the　table；　silver；　linen；　and　glass；　were　for　the

daily　use　of　the　family。　The　front　house；　where　the　social

entertainments　were　given；　had　its　own　especial　luxury；　whose　marvels；

being　reserved　for　great　occasions；　wore　an　air　of　dignity　often　lost

to　things　which　are；　as　it　were；　made　common　by　daily　use。　Here；　in

the　home　quarter；　everything　bore　the　impress　of　patriarchal　use　and

simplicity。　Andfor　a　final　and　delightful　detaila　vine　grew

outside　the　house　between　the　windows；　whose　tendrilled　branches

twined　about　the　casements。



〃You　are　faithful　to　the　old　traditions；　madame；〃　said　Pierquin；　as　he

received　a　plate　of　that　celebrated　thyme　soup　in　which　the　Dutch　and

Flemish　cooks　put　little　force…meat　balls　and　dice　of　fried　bread。

〃This　is　the　Sunday　soup　of　our　forefathers。　Your　house　and　that　of　my

uncle　des　Racquets　are　the　only　ones　where　we　still　find　this　historic

soup　of　the　Netherlands。　Ah！　pardon　me；　old　Monsieur　Savaron　de

Savarus　of　Tournai　makes　it　a　matter　of　pride　to　keep　up　the　custom；

but　everywhere　else　old　Flanders　is　disappearing。　Now…a…days

everything　is　changing；　furniture　is　made　from　Greek　models；　wherever

you　go　you　see　helmets；　lances；　shields；　and　bows　and　arrows！

Everybody　is　rebuilding　his　house；　selling　his　old　furniture；　melting

up　his　silver　dishes；　or　exchanging　them　for　Sevres　porcelain；which

does　not　compare　with　either　old　Dresden　or　with　Chinese　ware。　Oh！　as

for　me；　I'm　Flemish　to　the　core；　my　heart　actually　bleeds　to　see　the

coppersmiths　buying　up　our　beautiful　inlaid　furniture　for　the　mere

value　of　the　wood　and　the　metal。　The　fact　is；　society　wants　to　change

its　skin。　Everything　is　being　sacrificed；　even　the　old　methods　of　art。

When　people　insist　on　going　so　fast；　nothing　is　conscientiously　done。

During　my　last　visit　to　Paris　I　was　taken　to　see　the　pictures　in　the

Louvre。　On　my　word　of　honor；　they　are　mere　screen…painting；no　depth；

no　atmosphere；　the　painters　were　actually　afraid　to　put　colors　on

their　canvas。　And　it　is　they　who　talk　of　overturning　our　ancient

school　of　art！　Ah；　bah！〃



〃Our　old　masters；〃　replied　Balthazar；　〃studied　the　combination　of

colors　and　their　endurance　by　submitting　them　to　the　action　of　sun　and

rain。　You　are　right　enough；　however；　the　material　resources　of　art　are

less　cultivated　in　these　days　than　formerly。〃



Madame　Claes　was　not　listening　to　the　conversation。　The　notary's

remark　that　porcelain　dinner…services　were　now　the　fashion；　gave　her

the　brilliant　idea　of　selling　a　quantity　of　heavy　silver…ware　which

she　had　inherited　from　her　brother；hoping　to　be　able　thus　to　pay　off

the　thirty　thousand　francs　which　her　husband　owed。



〃Ha！　ha！〃　Balthazar　was　saying　to　Pierquin　when　Madame　Claes's　mind

returned　to　the　conversation；　〃so　they　are　discussing　my　work　in

Douai；　are　they？〃



〃Yes；〃　replied　the　notary；　〃every　one　is　asking　what　it　is　you　spend

so　much　money　on。　Only　yesterday　I　heard　the　chief…justice　deploring

that　a　man　like　you　should　be　searching　for　the　Philosopher's　stone。　I

ventured　to　reply　that　you　were　too　wise　not　to　know　that　such　a

scheme　was　attempting　the　impossible；　too　much　of　a　Christian　to　take

God's　work　out