the alkahest-第20章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



it　into　your　furnace；　turn　it　into　smoke'；　and　I　should　laugh　to　see

it　float　away　in　vapor。　Were　you　poor；　I　would　beg　without　shame　for

the　coal　to　light　your　furnace。　Oh！　could　my　body　yield　your　hateful

Alkahest；　I　would　fling　myself　upon　those　fires　with　joy；　since　your

glory；　your　delight　is　in　that　unfound　secret。　But　our　children；

Claes；　our　children！　what　will　become　of　them　if　you　do　not　soon

discover　this　hellish　thing？　Do　you　know　why　Pierquin　came　to…day？　He

came　for　thirty　thousand　francs；　which　you　owe　and　cannot　pay。　I　told

him　that　you　had　the　money；　so　that　I　might　spare　you　the

mortification　of　his　questions；　but　to　get　it　I　must　sell　our　family

silver。〃



She　saw　her　husband's　eyes　grow　moist；　and　she　flung　herself

despairingly　at　his　feet；　raising　up　to　him　her　supplicating　hands。



〃My　friend；〃　she　cried；　〃refrain　awhile　from　these　researches；　let　us

economize；　let　us　save　the　money　that　may　enable　you　to　take　them　up

hereafter；if；　indeed；　you　cannot　renounce　this　work。　Oh！　I　do　not

condemn　it；　I　will　heat　your　furnaces　if　you　ask　it；　but　I　implore

you；　do　not　reduce　our　children　to　beggary。　Perhaps　you　cannot　love

them；　Science　may　have　consumed　your　heart；　but　oh！　do　not　bequeath

them　a　wretched　life　in　place　of　the　happiness　you　owe　them。

Motherhood　has　sometimes　been　too　weak　a　power　in　my　heart；　yes；　I

have　sometimes　wished　I　were　not　a　mother；　that　I　might　be　closer　to

your　soul；　your　life！　And　now；　to　stifle　my　remorse；　must　I　plead　the

cause　of　my　children　before　you；　and　not　my　own？〃



Her　hair　fell　loose　and　floated　over　her　shoulders；　her　eyes　shot

forth　her　feelings　as　though　they　had　been　arrows。　She　triumphed　over

her　rival。　Balthazar　lifted　her；　carried　her　to　the　sofa；　and　knelt　at

her　feet。



〃Have　I　caused　you　such　grief？〃　he　said；　in　the　tone　of　a　man　waking

from　a　painful　dream。



〃My　poor　Claes！　yes；　and　you　will　cause　me　more；　in　spite　of

yourself；〃　she　said；　passing　her　hand　over　his　hair。　〃Sit　here　beside

me；〃　she　continued；　pointing　to　the　sofa。　〃Ah！　I　can　forget　it　all

now；　now　that　you　come　back　to　us；　all　can　be　repairedbut　you　will

not　abandon　me　again？　say　that　you　will　not！　My　noble　husband；　grant

me　a　woman's　influence　on　your　heart；　that　influence　which　is　so

needful　to　the　happiness　of　suffering　artists；　to　the　troubled　minds

of　great　men。　You　may　be　harsh　to　me；　angry　with　me　if　you　will；　but

let　me　check　you　a　little　for　your　good。　I　will　never　abuse　the　power

if　you　will　grant　it。　Be　famous；　but　be　happy　too。　Do　not　love

Chemistry　better　than　you　love　us。　Hear　me；　we　will　be　generous；　we

will　let　Science　share　your　heart；　but　oh！　my　Claes；　be　just；　let　us

have　our　half。　Tell　me；　is　not　my　disinterestedness　sublime？〃



She　made　him　smile。　With　the　marvellous　art　such　women　possess；　she

carried　the　momentous　question　into　the　regions　of　pleasantry　where

women　reign。　But　though　she　seemed　to　laugh；　her　heart　was　violently

contracted　and　could　not　easily　recover　the　quiet　even　action　that　was

habitual　to　it。　And　yet；　as　she　saw　in　the　eyes　of　Balthazar　the

rebirth　of　a　love　which　was　once　her　glory；　the　full　return　of　a　power

she　thought　she　had　lost；　she　said　to　him　with　a　smile：



〃Believe　me；　Balthazar；　nature　made　us　to　feel；　and　though　you　may

wish　us　to　be　mere　electrical　machines；　yet　your　gases　and　your

ethereal　disengaged　matters　will　never　explain　the　gift　we　possess　of

looking　into　futurity。〃



〃Yes；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃by　affinity。　The　power　of　vision　which　makes　the

poet；　the　power　of　deduction　which　makes　the　man　of　science；　are　based

on　invisible　affinities；　intangible；　imponderable；　which　vulgar　minds

class　as　moral　phenomena；　whereas　they　are　physical　effects。　The

prophet　sees　and　deduces。　Unfortunately；　such　affinities　are　too　rare

and　too　obscure　to　be　subjected　to　analysis　or　observation。〃



〃Is　this；〃　she　said；　giving　him　a　kiss　to　drive　away　the　Chemistry　she

had　so　unfortunately　reawakened；　〃what　you　call　an　affinity？〃



〃No；　it　is　a　compound；　two　substances　that　are　equivalents　are

neutral；　they　produce　no　reaction〃



〃Oh！　hush；　hush；〃　she　cried；　〃you　will　make　me　die　of　grief。　I　can

never　bear　to　see　my　rival　in　the　transports　of　your　love。〃



〃But；　my　dear　life；　I　think　only　of　you。　My　work　is　for　the　glory　of

my　family。　You　are　the　basis　of　all　my　hopes。〃



〃Ah；　look　me　in　the　eyes！〃



The　scene　had　made　her　as　beautiful　as　a　young　woman；　of　her　whole

person　Balthazar　saw　only　her　head；　rising　from　a　cloud　of　lace　and

muslin。



〃Yes；　I　have　done　wrong　to　abandon　you　for　Science；〃　he　said。　〃If　I

fall　back　into　thought　and　preoccupation；　then；　my　Pepita；　you　must

drag　me　from　them；　I　desire　it。〃



She　lowered　her　eyes　and　let　him　take　her　hand；　her　greatest　beauty；

a　hand　that　was　both　strong　and　delicate。



〃But　I　ask　more；〃　she　said。



〃You　are　so　lovely；　so　delightful；　you　can　obtain　all；〃　he　answered。



〃I　wish　to　destroy　that　laboratory；　and　chain　up　Science；〃　she　said；

with　fire　in　her　eyes。



〃So　be　itlet　Chemistry　go　to　the　devil！〃



〃This　moment　effaces　all！〃　she　cried。　〃Make　me　suffer　now；　if　you

will。〃



Tears　came　to　Balthazar's　eyes；　as　he　heard　these　words。



〃You　were　right；　love；〃　he　said。　〃I　have　seen　you　through　a　veil；　I

have　not　understood　you。〃



〃If　it　concerned　only　me；〃　she　said；　〃willingly　would　I　have　suffered

in　silence；　never　would　I　have　raised　my　voice　against　my　sovereign。

But　your　sons　must　be　thought　of；　Claes。　If　you　continue　to　dissipate

your　property；　no　matter　how　glorious　the　object　you　have　in　view　the

world　will　take　little　account　of　it；　it　will　only　blame　you　and

yours。　But　surely；　it　is　enough　for　a　man　of　your　noble　nature　that

his　wife　has　shown　him　a　danger　he　did　not　perceive。　We　will　talk　of

this　no　more；〃　she　cried；　with　a　smile　and　a　glance　of　coquetry。　〃To…

night；　my　Claes；　let　us　not　be　less　than　happy。〃







CHAPTER　VII



On　the　morrow　of　this　evening　so　eventful　for　the　Claes　family；

Balthazar；　from　whom　Josephine　had　doubtless　obtained　some　promise　as

to　the　cessation　of　his　researches；　remained　in　the　parlor；　and　did

not　enter　his　laboratory。　The　succeeding　day　the　household　prepared　to

move　into　the　country；　where　they　stayed　for　more　than　two　months；

only　returning　to　town　in　time　to　prepare　for　the　fete　which　Claes

determined　to　give；　as　in　former　years；　to　commemorate　his　wedding…

day。　He　now　began　by　degrees　to　obtain　proof　of　the　disorder　which　his

experiments　and　his　indifference　had　brought　into　his　business

affairs。



Madame　Claes；　far　from　irritating　the　wound　by　remarking　on　it；

continually　found　remedies　for　the　evil　that　was　done。　Of　the　seven

servants　who　customarily　served　the　family；　there　now　remained　only

Lemulquinier；　Josette　the　cook；　and　an　old　waiting…woman；　named

Martha；　who　had　never　left　her　mistress　since　the　latter　left　her

convent。　It　was　of　course　impossible　to　give　a　fete　to　the　whole

society　of　Douai　with　so　few　servants；　but　Madame　Claes　overcame　all

difficulties　by　proposing　to　send　to　Paris　for　a　cook；　to　train　the

gardener's　son　as　a　waiter；　and　to　borrow　Pierquin's　manservant。　Thus

the　pinched　circumstances　of　the　family　passed　unnoticed　by　the

community。



During　the　twenty　days　of　preparation　for　the　fete；　Madame　Claes　was

cleverly　able　to　outwit　her　husband's　listlessness。　She　commissioned

him　to　select　the　rarest　plants　and　flowers　to　decorate　the　grand

staircase；　the　gallery；　and　the　salons；　then　she　sent　him　to　Dunkerque

to　order　one　of　those　monstrous　fish　which　are　the　glory　of　the

burgher　tables　in　the　northern　departments。　A　fete　like　that　the　Claes

were　about　to　give　is　a　serious　affair；　involving　thought　and　care　and

active　correspondence；　in　a　land　where　traditions　of　hospitality　put

the　family　honor　so　much　at　stake　that　to　servants　as　well　as　masters

a　grand　dinner　is　like　a　victory　won　over　the　guests。　Oysters　arrived