the alkahest-第23章

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breakfast…table　or　the　dinner…table；　she　guessed　that　Balthazar's

experiments　were　satisfactory；　and　there　were　prospects　of　a　coming

success；　if；　on　the　other　hand；　the　man　were　morose　and　gloomy；　she

looked　at　him　and　trembled；Balthazar　must　surely　be　dissatisfied。

Mistress　and　valet　ended　by　understanding　each　other；　notwithstanding

the　proud　reserve　of　the　one　and　the　reluctant　submission　of　the

other。



Feeble　and　defenceless　against　the　terrible　prostrations　of　thought；

the　poor　woman　at　last　gave　way　under　the　alternations　of　hope　and

despair　which　increased　the　distress　of　the　loving　wife；　and　the

anxieties　of　the　mother　trembling　for　her　children。　She　now　practised

the　doleful　silence　which　formerly　chilled　her　heart；　not　observing

the　gloom　that　pervaded　the　house；　where　whole　days　went　by　in　that

melancholy　parlor　without　a　smile；　often　without　a　word。　Led　by　sad

maternal　foresight；　she　trained　her　daughters　to　household　work；　and

tried　to　make　them　skilful　in　womanly　employments；　that　they　might

have　the　means　of　living　if　destitution　came。　The　outward　calm　of　this

quiet　home　covered　terrible　agitations。　Towards　the　end　of　the　summer

Balthazar　had　used　the　money　derived　from　the　diamonds；　and　was　twenty

thousand　francs　in　debt　to　Messieurs　Protez　and　Chiffreville。



In　August；　1813；　about　a　year　after　the　scene　with　which　this　history

begins；　although　Claes　had　made　a　few　valuable　experiments；　for　which；

unfortunately；　he　cared　but　little；　his　efforts　had　been　without

result　as　to　the　real　object　of　his　researches。　There　came　a　day　when

he　ended　the　whole　series　of　experiments；　and　the　sense　of　his

impotence　crushed　him；　the　certainty　of　having　fruitlessly　wasted

enormous　sums　of　money　drove　him　to　despair。　It　was　a　frightful

catastrophe。　He　left　the　garret；　descended　slowly　to　the　parlor；　and

threw　himself　into　a　chair　in　the　midst　of　his　children；　remaining

motionless　for　some　minutes　as　though　dead；　making　no　answer　to　the

questions　his　wife　pressed　upon　him。　Tears　came　at　last　to　his　relief；

and　he　rushed　to　his　own　chamber　that　no　one　might　witness　his

despair。



Josephine　followed　him　and　drew　him　into　her　own　room；　where；　alone

with　her；　Balthazar　gave　vent　to　his　anguish。　These　tears　of　a　man；

these　broken　words　of　the　hopeless　toiler；　these　bitter　regrets　of　the

husband　and　father；　did　Madame　Claes　more　harm　than　all　her　past

sufferings。　The　victim　consoled　the　executioner。　When　Balthazar　said

to　her　in　a　tone　of　dreadful　conviction：　〃I　am　a　wretch；　I　have

gambled　away　the　lives　of　my　children；　and　your　life；　you　can　have　no

happiness　unless　I　kill　myself；〃the　words　struck　home　to　her　heart；

she　knew　her　husband's　nature　enough　to　fear　he　might　at　once　act　out

the　despairing　wish：　an　inward　convulsion；　disturbing　the　very　sources

of　life　itself；　seized　her；　and　was　all　the　more　dangerous　because　she

controlled　its　violent　effects　beneath　a　deceptive　calm　of　manner。



〃My　friend；〃　she　said；　〃I　have　consulted；　not　Pierquin；　whose

friendship　does　not　hinder　him　from　feeling　some　secret　satisfaction

at　our　ruin；　but　an　old　man　who　has　been　as　good　to　me　as　a　father。

The　Abbe　de　Solis；　my　confessor；　has　shown　me　how　we　can　still　save

ourselves　from　ruin。　He　came　to　see　the　pictures。　The　value　of　those

in　the　gallery　is　enough　to　pay　the　sums　you　have　borrowed　on　your

property；　and　also　all　that　you　owe　to　Messieurs　Protez　and

Chiffreville；　who　have　no　doubt　an　account　against　you。〃



Claes　made　an　affirmative　sign　and　bowed　his　head；　the　hair　of　which

was　now　white。



〃Monsieur　de　Solis　knows　the　Happe　and　Duncker　families　of　Amsterdam；

they　have　a　mania　for　pictures；　and　are　anxious；　like　all　parvenus；　to

display　a　luxury　which　ought　to　belong　only　to　the　old　families：　he

thinks　they　will　pay　the　full　value　of　ours。　By　this　means　we　can

recover　our　independence；　and　out　of　the　purchase　money；　which　will

amount　to　over　one　hundred　thousand　ducats；　you　will　have　enough　to

continue　the　experiments。　Your　daughters　and　I　will　be　content　with

very　little；　we　can　fill　up　the　empty　frames　with　other　pictures　in

course　of　time　and　by　economy；　meantime　you　will　be　happy。〃



Balthazar　raised　his　head　and　looked　at　his　wife　with　a　joy　that　was

mingled　with　fear。　Their　roles　were　changed。　The　wife　was　the

protector　of　the　husband。　He；　so　tender；　he；　whose　heart　was　so　at　one

with　his　Pepita's；　now　held　her　in　his　arms　without　perceiving　the

horrible　convulsion　that　made　her　palpitate；　and　even　shook　her　hair

and　her　lips　with　a　nervous　shudder。



〃I　dared　not　tell　you；〃　he　said；　〃that　between　me　and　the

Unconditioned；　the　Absolute；　scarcely　a　hair's　breadth　intervenes。　To

gasify　metals；　I　only　need　to　find　the　means　of　submitting　them　to

intense　heat　in　some　centre　where　the　pressure　of　the　atmosphere　is

nil；in　short；　in　a　vacuum。〃



Madame　Claes　could　not　endure　the　egotism　of　this　reply。　She　expected

a　passionate　acknowledgment　of　her　sacrificesshe　received　a　problem

in　chemistry！　The　poor　woman　left　her　husband　abruptly　and　returned　to

the　parlor；　where　she　fell　into　a　chair　between　her　frightened

daughters；　and　burst　into　tears。　Marguerite　and　Felicie　took　her

hands；　kneeling　one　on　each　side　of　her；　not　knowing　the　cause　of　her

grief；　and　asking　at　intervals；　〃Mother；　what　is　it？〃



〃My　poor　children；　I　am　dying；　I　feel　it。〃



The　answer　struck　home　to　Marguerite's　heart；　she　saw；　for　the　first

time　on　her　mother's　face；　the　signs　of　that　peculiar　pallor　which

only　comes　on　olive…tinted　skins。



〃Martha；　Martha！〃　cried　Felicie；　〃come　quickly；　mamma　wants　you。〃



The　old　duenna　ran　in　from　the　kitchen；　and　as　soon　as　she　saw　the

livid　hue　of　the　dusky　skin　usually　high…colored；　she　cried　out　in

Spanish；



〃Body　of　Christ！　madame　is　dying！〃



Then　she　rushed　precipitately　back；　told　Josette　to　heat　water　for　a

footbath；　and　returned　to　the　parlor。



〃Don't　alarm　Monsieur　Claes；　say　nothing　to　him；　Martha；〃　said　her

mistress。　〃My　poor　dear　girls；〃　she　added；　pressing　Marguerite　and

Felicie　to　her　heart　with　a　despairing　action；　〃I　wish　I　could　live

long　enough　to　see　you　married　and　happy。　Martha；〃　she　continued；

〃tell　Lemulquinier　to　go　to　Monsieur　de　Solis　and　ask　him　in　my　name

to　come　here。〃



The　shock　of　this　attack　extended　to　the　kitchen。　Josette　and　Martha；

both　devoted　to　Madame　Claes　and　her　daughters；　felt　the　blow　in　their

own　affections。　Martha's　dreadful　announcement；〃Madame　is　dying；

monsieur　must　have　killed　her；　get　ready　a　mustard…bath；〃forced

certain　exclamations　from　Josette；　which　she　launched　at　Lemulquinier。

He；　cold　and　impassive；　went　on　eating　at　the　corner　of　a　table　before

one　of　the　windows　of　the　kitchen；　where　all　was　kept　as　clean　as　the

boudoir　of　a　fine　lady。



〃I　knew　how　it　would　end；〃　said　Josette；　glancing　at　the　valet　and

mounting　a　stool　to　take　down　a　copper　kettle　that　shone　like　gold。

〃There's　no　mother　could　stand　quietly　by　and　see　a　father　amusing

himself　by　chopping　up　a　fortune　like　his　into　sausage…meat。〃



Josette；　whose　head　was　covered　by　a　round　cap　with　crimped　borders；

which　made　it　look　like　a　German　nut…cracker；　cast　a　sour　look　at

Lemulquinier；　which　the　greenish　tinge　of　her　prominent　little　eyes

made　almost　venomous。　The　old　valet　shrugged　his　shoulders　with　a

motion　worthy　of　Mirobeau　when　irritated；　then　he　filled　his　large

mouth　with　bread　and　butter　sprinkled　with　chopped　onion。



〃Instead　of　thwarting　monsieur；　madame　ought　to　give　him　more　money；〃

he　said；　〃and　then　we　should　soon　be　rich　enough　to　swim　in　gold。

There's　not　the　thickness　of　a　farthing　between　us　and〃



〃Well；　you've　got　twenty　thousand　francs　laid　by；　why　don't　you　give

'em　to　monsieur？　he's　your　master；　and　if　you　are　so　sure　of　his

doings〃



〃You　don't　know　anything　about　them；　Josette。　Mind　your　pots　and　pans；

and　heat　the　water；〃　remarked　the　old　Fleming；　interrupting　the　cook。