the alkahest-第21章

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

from　Ostend；　grouse　were　imported　from　Scotland；　fruits　came　from

Paris；　in　short；　not　the　smallest　accessory　was　lacking　to　the

hereditary　luxury。



A　ball　at　the　House　of　Claes　had　an　importance　of　its　own。　The

government　of　the　department　was　then　at　Douai；　and　the　anniversary

fete　of　the　Claes　usually　opened　the　winter　season　and　set　the　fashion

to　the　neighborhood。　For　fifteen　years；　Balthazar　had　endeavored　to

make　it　a　distinguished　occasion；　and　had　succeeded　so　well　that　the

fete　was　talked　of　throughout　a　circumference　of　sixty　miles；　and　the

toilettes；　the　guests；　the　smallest　details；　the　novelties　exhibited；

and　the　events　that　took　place；　were　discussed　far　and　wide。　These

preparations　now　prevented　Claes　from　thinking；　for　the　time　being；　of

the　Alkahest。　Since　his　return　to　social　life　and　domestic　bliss；　the

servant　of　science　had　recovered　his　self…love　as　a　man；　as　a　Fleming；

as　the　master　of　a　household；　and　he　now　took　pleasure　in　the　thought

of　surprising　the　whole　country。　He　resolved　to　give　a　special

character　to　this　ball　by　some　exquisite　novelty；　and　he　chose；　among

all　other　caprices　of　luxury；　the　loveliest；　the　richest；　and　the　most

fleeting；he　turned　the　old　mansion　into　a　fairy　bower　of　rare　plants

and　flowers；　and　prepared　choice　bouquets　for　all　the　ladies。



The　other　details　of　the　fete　were　in　keeping　with　this　unheard…of

luxury；　and　nothing　seemed　likely　to　mar　the　effect。　But　the　Twenty…

ninth　Bulletin　and　the　news　of　the　terrible　disasters　of　the　grand

army　in　Russia；　and　at　the　passage　of　the　Beresina；　were　made　known　on

the　afternoon　of　the　appointed　day。　A　sincere　and　profound　grief　was

felt　in　Douai；　and　those　who　were　present　at　the　fete；　moved　by　a

natural　feeling　of　patriotism；　unanimously　declined　to　dance。



Among　the　letters　which　arrived　that　day　in　Douai；　was　one　for

Balthazar　from　Monsieur　de　Wierzchownia；　then　in　Dresden　and　dying；　he

wrote；　from　wounds　received　in　one　of　the　late　engagements。　He

remembered　his　promise；　and　desired　to　bequeath　to　his　former　host

several　ideas　on　the　subject　of　the　Absolute；　which　had　come　to　him

since　the　period　of　their　meeting。　The　letter　plunged　Claes　into　a

reverie　which　apparently　did　honor　to　his　patriotism；　but　his　wife　was

not　misled　by　it。　To　her；　this　festal　day　brought　a　double　mourning：

and　the　ball；　during　which　the　House　of　Claes　shone　with　departing

lustre；　was　sombre　and　sad　in　spite　of　its　magnificence；　and　the　many

choice　treasures　gathered　by　the　hands　of　six　generations；　which　the

people　of　Douai　now　beheld　for　the　last　time。



Marguerite　Claes；　just　sixteen；　was　the　queen　of　the　day；　and　on　this

occasion　her　parents　presented　her　to　society。　She　attracted　all　eyes

by　the　extreme　simplicity　and　candor　of　her　air　and　manner；　and

especially　by　the　harmony　of　her　form　and　countenance　with　the

characteristics　of　her　home。　She　was　the　embodiment　of　the　Flemish

girl　whom　the　painters　of　that　country　loved　to　represent；the　head

perfectly　rounded　and　full；　chestnut　hair　parted　in　the　middle　and

laid　smoothly　on　the　brow；　gray　eyes　with　a　mixture　of　green；　handsome

arms；　natural　stoutness　which　did　not　detract　from　her　beauty；　a　timid

air；　and　yet；　on　the　high　square　brow　an　expression　of　firmness；

hidden　at　present　under　an　apparent　calmness　and　docility。　Without

being　sad　or　melancholy；　she　seemed　to　have　little　natural　enjoyment。

Reflectiveness；　order；　a　sense　of　duty；　the　three　chief　expressions　of

Flemish　nature；　were　the　characteristics　of　a　face　that　seemed　cold　at

first　sight；　but　to　which　the　eye　was　recalled　by　a　certain　grace　of

outline　and　a　placid　pride　which　seemed　the　pledges　of　domestic

happiness。　By　one　of　those　freaks　which　physiologists　have　not　yet

explained；　she　bore　no　likeness　to　either　father　or　mother；　but　was

the　living　image　of　her　maternal　great…grandmother；　a　Conyncks　of

Bruges；　whose　portrait；　religiously　preserved；　bore　witness　to　the

resemblance。



The　supper　gave　some　life　to　the　ball。　If　the　military　disasters

forbade　the　delights　of　dancing；　every　one　felt　that　they　need　not

exclude　the　pleasures　of　the　table。　The　true　patriots；　however；

retired　early；　only　the　more　indifferent　remained；　together　with　a　few

card　players　and　the　intimate　friends　of　the　family。　Little　by　little

the　brilliantly　lighted　house；　to　which　all　the　notabilities　of　Douai

had　flocked；　sank　into　silence；　and　by　one　o'clock　in　the　morning　the

great　gallery　was　deserted；　the　lights　were　extinguished　in　one　salon

after　another；　and　the　court…yard；　lately　so　bustling　and　brilliant；

grew　dark　and　gloomy；prophetic　image　of　the　future　that　lay　before

the　family。　When　the　Claes　returned　to　their　own　appartement；

Balthazar　gave　his　wife　the　letter　he　had　received　from　the　Polish

officer：　Josephine　returned　it　with　a　mournful　gesture；　she　foresaw

the　coming　doom。



From　that　day　forth；　Balthazar　made　no　attempt　to　disguise　the

weariness　and　the　depression　that　assailed　him。　In　the　mornings；　after

the　family　breakfast；　he　played　for　awhile　in　the　parlor　with　little

Jean；　and　talked　to　his　daughters；　who　were　busy　with　their　sewing；　or

embroidery　or　lace…work；　but　he　soon　wearied　of　the　play　and　of　the

talk；　and　seemed　at　last　to　get　through　with　them　as　a　duty。　When　his

wife　came　down　again　after　dressing；　she　always　found　him　sitting　in

an　easy…chair　looking　blankly　at　Marguerite　and　Felicie；　quite

undisturbed　by　the　rattle　of　their　bobbins。　When　the　newspaper　was

brought　in；　he　read　it　slowly　like　a　retired　merchant　at　a　loss　how　to

kill　the　time。　Then　he　would　get　up；　look　at　the　sky　through　the

window　panes；　go　back　to　his　chair　and　mend　the　fire　drearily；　as

though　he　were　deprived　of　all　consciousness　of　his　own　movements　by

the　tyranny　of　ideas。



Madame　Claes　keenly　regretted　her　defects　of　education　and　memory。　It

was　difficult　for　her　to　sustain　an　interesting　conversation　for　any

length　of　time；　perhaps　this　is　always　difficult　between　two　persons

who　have　said　everything　to　each　other；　and　are　forced　to　seek　for

subjects　of　interest　outside　the　life　of　the　heart；　or　the　life　of

material　existence。　The　life　of　the　heart　has　its　own　moments　of

expansion　which　need　some　stimulus　to　bring　them　forth；　discussions　of

material　life　cannot　long　occupy　superior　minds　accustomed　to　decide

promptly；　and　the　mere　gossip　of　society　is　intolerable　to　loving

natures。　Consequently；　two　isolated　beings　who　know　each　other

thoroughly　ought　to　seek　their　enjoyments　in　the　higher　regions　of

thought；　for　it　is　impossible　to　satisfy　with　paltry　things　the

immensity　of　the　relation　between　them。　Moreover；　when　a　man　has

accustomed　himself　to　deal　with　great　subjects；　he　becomes　unamusable；

unless　he　preserves　in　the　depths　of　his　heart　a　certain　guileless

simplicity　and　unconstraint　which　often　make　great　geniuses　such

charming　children；　but　the　childhood　of　the　heart　is　a　rare　human

phenomenon　among　those　whose　mission　it　is　to　see　all；　know　all；　and

comprehend　all。



During　these　first　months；　Madame　Claes　worked　her　way　through　this

critical　situation；　by　unwearying　efforts；　which　love　or　necessity

suggested　to　her。　She　tried　to　learn　backgammon；　which　she　had　never

been　able　to　play；　but　now；　from　an　impetus　easy　to　understand；　she

ended　by　mastering　it。　Then　she　interested　Balthazar　in　the　education

of　his　daughters；　and　asked　him　to　direct　their　studies。　All　such

resources　were；　however；　soon　exhausted。　There　came　a　time　when

Josephine's　relation　to　Balthazar　was　like　that　of　Madame　de　Maintenon

to　Louis　XIV。；　she　had　to　amuse　the　unamusable；　but　without　the　pomps

of　power　or　the　wiles　of　a　court　which　could　play　comedies　like　the

sham　embassies　from　the　King　of　Siam　and　the　Shah　of　Persia。　After

wasting　the　revenues　of　France；　Louis　XIV。；　no　longer　young　or

successful；　was　reduced　to　the　expedients　of　a　fa