the alkahest-第34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！



was　really　bound　not　to　continue　his　researches；　and　remembered　that

his　wife　had　refused　his　oath。　Though　he　had　pledged　his　word　to

himself　that　he　would　never　pursue　the　solution　of　the　great　Problem；

might　he　not　change　that　determination　at　a　moment　when　he　foresaw

success？　He　was　now　fifty…nine　years　old。　At　that　age　a　predominant

idea　contracts　a　certain　peevish　fixedness　which　is　the　first　stage　of

monomania。



Circumstances　conspired　against　his　tottering　loyalty。　The　peace　which

Europe　now　enjoyed　encouraged　the　circulation　of　discoveries　and

scientific　ideas　acquired　during　the　war　by　the　learned　of　various

countries；　who　for　nearly　twenty　years　had　been　unable　to　hold

communication。　Science　was　making　great　strides。　Claes　found　that　the

progress　of　chemistry　had　been　directed；　unknown　to　chemists

themselves；　towards　the　object　of　his　researches。　Learned　men　devoted

to　the　higher　sciences　thought；　as　he　did；　that　light；　heat；

electricity；　galvanism；　magnetism　were　all　different　effects　of　the

same　cause；　and　that　the　difference　existing　between　substances

hitherto　considered　simple　must　be　produced　by　varying　proportions　of

an　unknown　principle。　The　fear　that　some　other　chemist　might　effect

the　reduction　of　metals　and　discover　the　constituent　principle　of

electricity；two　achievements　which　would　lead　to　the　solution　of　the

chemical　Absolute；increased　what　the　people　of　Douai　called　a　mania；

and　drove　his　desires　to　a　paroxysm　conceivable　to　those　who　devote

themselves　to　the　sciences；　or　who　have　ever　known　the　tyranny　of

ideas。



Thus　it　happened　that　Balthazar　was　again　carried　away　by　a　passion

all　the　more　violent　because　it　had　lain　dormant　so　long。　Marguerite；

who　watched　every　evidence　of　her　father's　state　of　mind；　opened　the

long…closed　parlor。　By　living　in　it　she　recalled　the　painful　memories

which　her　mother's　death　had　caused；　and　succeeded　for　a　time　in　re…

awaking　her　father's　grief；　and　retarding　his　plunge　into　the　gulf　to

the　depths　of　which　he　was；　nevertheless；　doomed　to　fall。　She

determined　to　go　into　society　and　force　Balthazar　to　share　in　its

distractions。　Several　good　marriages　were　proposed　to　her；　which

occupied　Claes's　mind；　but　to　all　of　them　she　replied　that　she　should

not　marry　until　after　she　was　twenty…five。　But　in　spite　of　his

daughter's　efforts；　in　spite　of　his　remorseful　struggles；　Balthazar；

at　the　beginning　of　the　winter；　returned　secretly　to　his　researches。

It　was　difficult；　however；　to　hide　his　operations　from　the　inquisitive

women　in　the　kitchen；　and　one　morning　Martha；　while　dressing

Marguerite；　said　to　her：



〃Mademoiselle；　we　are　as　good　as　lost。　That　monster　of　a　Mulquinier

who　is　a　devil　disguised；　for　I　never　saw　him　make　the　sign　of　the

crosshas　gone　back　to　the　garret。　There's　monsieur　on　the　high…road

to　hell。　Pray　God　he　mayn't　kill　you　as　he　killed　my　poor　mistress。〃



〃It　is　not　possible！〃　exclaimed　Marguerite。



〃Come　and　see　the　signs　of　their　traffic。〃



Mademoiselle　Claes　ran　to　the　window　and　saw　the　light　smoke　rising

from　the　flue　of　the　laboratory。



〃I　shall　be　twenty…one　in　a　few　months；〃　she　thought；　〃and　I　shall

know　how　to　oppose　the　destruction　of　our　property。〃



In　giving　way　to　his　passion　Balthazar　necessarily　felt　less　respect

for　the　interests　of　his　children　than　he　formerly　had　felt　for　the

happiness　of　his　wife。　The　barriers　were　less　high；　his　conscience　was

more　elastic；　his　passion　had　increased　in　strength。　He　now　set　forth

in　his　career　of　glory；　toil；　hope；　and　poverty；　with　the　fervor　of　a

man　profoundly　trustful　of　his　convictions。　Certain　of　the　result；　he

worked　night　and　day　with　a　fury　that　alarmed　his　daughters；　who　did

not　know　how　little　a　man　is　injured　by　work　that　gives　him　pleasure。



Her　father　had　no　sooner　recommenced　his　experiments　than　Marguerite

retrenched　the　superfluities　of　the　table；　showing　a　parsimony　worthy

of　a　miser；　in　which　Josette　and　Martha　admirably　seconded　her。　Claes

never　noticed　the　change　which　reduced　the　household　living　to　the

merest　necessaries。　First　he　ceased　to　breakfast　with　the　family；　then

he　only　left　his　laboratory　when　dinner　was　ready；　and　at　last；　before

he　went　to　bed；　he　would　sit　some　hours　in　the　parlor　between　his

daughters　without　saying　a　word　to　either　of　them；　when　he　rose　to　go

upstairs　they　wished　him　good…night；　and　he　allowed　them　mechanically

to　kiss　him　on　both　cheeks。　Such　conduct　would　have　led　to　great

domestic　misfortunes　had　Marguerite　not　been　prepared　to　exercise　the

authority　of　a　mother；　and　if；　moreover；　she　were　not　protected　by　a

secret　love　from　the　dangers　of　so　much　liberty。



Pierquin　had　ceased　to　come　to　the　house；　judging　that　the　family　ruin

would　soon　be　complete。　Balthazar's　rural　estates；　which　yielded

sixteen　thousand　francs　a　year；　and　were　worth　about　six　hundred

thousand；　were　now　encumbered　by　mortgages　to　the　amount　of　three

hundred　thousand　francs；　for；　in　order　to　recommence　his　researches；

Claes　had　borrowed　a　considerable　sum　of　money。　The　rents　were　exactly

enough　to　pay　the　interest　of　the　mortgages；　but；　with　the

improvidence　of　a　man　who　is　the　slave　of　an　idea；　he　made　over　the

income　of　his　farm　lands　to　Marguerite　for　the　expenses　of　the

household；　and　the　notary　calculated　that　three　years　would　suffice　to

bring　matters　to　a　crisis；　when　the　law　would　step　in　and　eat　up　all

that　Balthazar　had　not　squandered。　Marguerite's　coldness　brought

Pierquin　to　a　state　of　almost　hostile　indifference。　To　give　himself　an

appearance　in　the　eyes　of　the　world　of　having　renounced　her　hand；　he

frequently　remarked　of　the　Claes　family　in　a　tone　of　compassion：



〃Those　poor　people　are　ruined；　I　have　done　my　best　to　save　them。　Well；

it　can't　be　helped；　Mademoiselle　Claes　refused　to　employ　the　legal

means　which　might　have　rescued　them　from　poverty。〃



Emmanuel　de　Solis；　who　was　now　principal　of　the　college…school　in

Douai；　thanks　to　the　influence　of　his　uncle　and　to　his　own　merits

which　made　him　worthy　of　the　post；　came　every　evening　to　see　the　two

young　girls；　who　called　the　old　duenna　into　the　parlor　as　soon　as

their　father　had　gone　to　bed。　Emmanuel's　gentle　rap　at　the　street…door

was　never　missing。　For　the　last　three　months；　encouraged　by　the

gracious；　though　mute　gratitude　with　which　Marguerite　now　accepted　his

attentions；　he　became　at　his　ease；　and　was　seen　for　what　he　was。　The

brightness　of　his　pure　spirit　shone　like　a　flawless　diamond；

Marguerite　learned　to　understand　its　strength　and　its　constancy　when

she　saw　how　inexhaustible　was　the　source　from　which　it　came。　She　loved

to　watch　the　unfolding；　one　by　one；　of　the　blossoms　of　his　heart；

whose　perfume　she　had　already　breathed。　Each　day　Emmanuel　realized

some　one　of　Marguerite's　hopes；　and　illumined　the　enchanted　regions　of

love　with　new　lights　that　chased　away　the　clouds　and　brought　to　view

the　serene　heavens；　giving　color　to　the　fruitful　riches　hidden　away　in

the　shadow　of　their　lives。　More　at　his　ease；　the　young　man　could

display　the　seductive　qualities　of　his　heart　until　now　discreetly

hidden；　the　expansive　gaiety　of　his　age；　the　simplicity　which　comes　of

a　life　of　study；　the　treasures　of　a　delicate　mind　that　life　has　not

adulterated；　the　innocent　joyousness　which　goes　so　well　with　loving

youth。　His　soul　and　Marguerite's　understood　each　other　better；　they

went　together　to　the　depths　of　their　hearts　and　found　in　each　the　same

thoughts；pearls　of　equal　lustre；　sweet　fresh　harmonies　like　those

the　legends　tell　of　beneath　the　waves；　which　fascinate　the　divers。

They　made　themselves　known　to　one　another　by　an　interchange　of

thought；　a　reciprocal　introspection　which　bore　the　signs；　in　both；　of

exquisite　sensibility。　It　was　done　without　false　shame；　but　not

without　mutual　coquetry。　The　two　hours　which　Emmanuel　spent　with　the

sisters　and　old　Martha　enabled　Marguerite　to　accept　the　life　of

anguish　and　renunciation　on　which　she　had　en