the alkahest-第5章

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like　the　sensation　caused　by　an　electric　spark；　shook　the　woman　seated

in　the　armchair；　then　a　soft　smile　brightened　her　lips；　and　her　face；

moved　by　the　expectation　of　a　pleasure；　shone　like　that　of　an　Italian

Madonna。　She　suddenly　gained　strength　to　drive　her　terrors　back　into

the　depths　of　her　heart。　Then　she　turned　her　face　to　the　panel　of　the

wall　which　she　knew　was　about　to　open；　and　which　in　fact　was　now

pushed　in　with　such　brusque　violence　that　the　poor　woman　herself

seemed　jarred　by　the　shock。



Balthazar　Claes　suddenly　appeared；　made　a　few　steps　forward；　did　not

look　at　the　woman；　or　if　he　looked　at　her　did　not　see　her；　and　stood

erect　in　the　middle　of　the　parlor；　leaning　his　half…bowed　head　on　his

right　hand。　A　sharp　pang　to　which　the　woman　could　not　accustom

herself；　although　it　was　daily　renewed；　wrung　her　heart；　dispelled　her

smile；　contracted　the　sallow　forehead　between　the　eyebrows；　indenting

that　line　which　the　frequent　expression　of　excessive　feeling　scores　so

deeply；　her　eyes　filled　with　tears；　but　she　wiped　them　quickly　as　she

looked　at　Balthazar。



It　was　impossible　not　to　be　deeply　impressed　by　this　head　of　the

family　of　Claes。　When　young；　he　must　have　resembled　the　noble　family

martyr　who　had　threatened　to　be　another　Artevelde　to　Charles　V。；　but

as　he　stood　there　at　this　moment；　he　seemed　over　sixty　years　of　age；

though　he　was　only　fifty；　and　this　premature　old　age　had　destroyed　the

honorable　likeness。　His　tall　figure　was　slightly　bent；either　because

his　labors；　whatever　they　were；　obliged　him　to　stoop；　or　that　the

spinal　column　was　curved　by　the　weight　of　his　head。　He　had　a　broad

chest　and　square　shoulders；　but　the　lower　parts　of　his　body　were　lank

and　wasted；　though　nervous；　and　this　discrepancy　in　a　physical

organization　evidently　once　perfect　puzzled　the　mind　which　endeavored

to　explain　this　anomalous　figure　by　some　possible　singularities　of　the

man's　life。



His　thick　blond　hair；　ill　cared…for；　fell　over　his　shoulders　in　the

Dutch　fashion；　and　its　very　disorder　was　in　keeping　with　the　general

eccentricity　of　his　person。　His　broad　brow　showed　certain

protuberances　which　Gall　identifies　with　poetic　genius。　His　clear　and

full　blue　eyes　had　the　brusque　vivacity　which　may　be　noticed　in

searchers　for　occult　causes。　The　nose；　probably　perfect　in　early　life；

was　now　elongated；　and　the　nostrils　seemed　to　have　gradually　opened

wider　from　an　involuntary　tension　of　the　olfactory　muscles。　The　cheek…

bones　were　very　prominent；　which　made　the　cheeks　themselves；　already

withered；　seem　more　sunken；　his　mouth；　full　of　sweetness；　was　squeezed

in　between　the　nose　and　a　short　chin；　which　projected　sharply。　The

shape　of　the　face；　however；　was　long　rather　than　oval；　and　the

scientific　doctrine　which　sees　in　every　human　face　a　likeness　to　an

animal　would　have　found　its　confirmation　in　that　of　Balthazar　Claes；

which　bore　a　strong　resemblance　to　a　horse's　head。　The　skin　clung

closely　to　the　bones；　as　though　some　inward　fire　were　incessantly

drying　its　juices。　Sometimes；　when　he　gazed　into　space；　as　if　to　see

the　realization　of　his　hopes；　it　almost　seemed　as　though　the　flames

that　devoured　his　soul　were　issuing　from　his　nostrils。



The　inspired　feelings　that　animate　great　men　shone　forth　on　the　pale

face　furrowed　with　wrinkles；　on　the　brow　haggard　with　care　like　that

of　an　old　monarch；　but　above　all　they　gleamed　in　the　sparkling　eye；

whose　fires　were　fed　by　chastity　imposed　by　the　tyranny　of　ideas　and

by　the　inward　consecration　of　a　great　intellect。　The　cavernous　eyes

seemed　to　have　sunk　in　their　orbits　through　midnight　vigils　and　the

terrible　reaction　of　hopes　destroyed；　yet　ceaselessly　reborn。　The

zealous　fanaticism　inspired　by　an　art　or　a　science　was　evident　in　this

man；　it　betrayed　itself　in　the　strange；　persistent　abstraction　of　his

mind　expressed　by　his　dress　and　bearing；　which　were　in　keeping　with

the　anomalous　peculiarities　of　his　person。



His　large；　hairy　hands　were　dirty；　and　the　nails；　which　were　very

long；　had　deep　black　lines　at　their　extremities。　His　shoes　were　not

cleaned　and　the　shoe…strings　were　missing。　Of　all　that　Flemish

household；　the　master　alone　took　the　strange　liberty　of　being

slovenly。　His　black　cloth　trousers　were　covered　with　stains；　his

waistcoat　was　unbuttoned；　his　cravat　awry；　his　greenish　coat　ripped　at

the　seams；completing　an　array　of　signs；　great　and　small；　which　in

any　other　man　would　have　betokened　a　poverty　begotten　of　vice；　but

which　in　Balthazar　Claes　was　the　negligence　of　genius。



Vice　and　Genius　too　often　produce　the　same　effects；　and　this　misleads

the　common　mind。　What　is　genius　but　a　long　excess　which　squanders　time

and　wealth　and　physical　powers；　and　leads　more　rapidly　to　a　hospital

than　the　worst　of　passions？　Men　even　seem　to　have　more　respect　for

vices　than　for　genius；　since　to　the　latter　they　refuse　credit。　The

profits　accruing　from　the　hidden　labors　of　the　brain　are　so　remote

that　the　social　world　fears　to　square　accounts　with　the　man　of

learning　in　his　lifetime；　preferring　to　get　rid　of　its　obligations　by

not　forgiving　his　misfortunes　or　his　poverty。



If；　in　spite　of　this　inveterate　forgetfulness　of　the　present；

Balthazar　Claes　had　abandoned　his　mysterious　abstractions；　if　some

sweet　and　companionable　meaning　had　revisited　that　thoughtful

countenance；　if　the　fixed　eyes　had　lost　their　rigid　strain　and　shone

with　feeling；　if　he　had　ever　looked　humanly　about　him　and　returned　to

the　real　life　of　common　things；　it　would　indeed　have　been　difficult

not　to　do　involuntary　homage　to　the　winning　beauty　of　his　face　and　the

gracious　soul　that　would　then　have　shone　from　it。　As　it　was；　all　who

looked　at　him　regretted　that　the　man　belonged　no　more　to　the　world　at

large；　and　said　to　one　another：　〃He　must　have　been　very　handsome　in

his　youth。〃　A　vulgar　error！　Never　was　Balthazar　Claes's　appearance

more　poetic　than　at　this　moment。　Lavater；　had　he　seen　him；　would　fain

have　studied　that　head　so　full　of　patience；　of　Flemish　loyalty；　and

pure　morality；where　all　was　broad　and　noble；　and　passion　seemed　calm

because　it　was　strong。



The　conduct　of　this　man　could　not　be　otherwise　than　pure；　his　word　was

sacred；　his　friendships　seemed　undeviating；　his　self…devotedness

complete：　and　yet　the　will　to　employ　those　qualities　in　patriotic

service；　for　the　world　or　for　the　family；　was　directed；　fatally；

elsewhere。　This　citizen；　bound　to　guard　the　welfare　of　a　household；　to

manage　property；　to　guide　his　children　towards　a　noble　future；　was

living　outside　the　line　of　his　duty　and　his　affections；　in　communion

with　an　attendant　spirit。　A　priest　might　have　thought　him　inspired　by

the　word　of　God；　an　artist　would　have　hailed　him　as　a　great　master；　an

enthusiast　would　have　taken　him　for　a　seer　of　the　Swedenborgian　faith。



At　the　present　moment；　the　dilapidated；　uncouth；　and　ruined　clothes

that　he　wore　contrasted　strangely　with　the　graceful　elegance　of　the

woman　who　was　sadly　admiring　him。　Deformed　persons　who　have　intellect；

or　nobility　of　soul；　show　an　exquisite　taste　in　their　apparel。　Either

they　dress　simply；　convinced　that　their　charm　is　wholly　moral；　or　they

make　others　forget　their　imperfections　by　an　elegance　of　detail　which

diverts　the　eye　and　occupies　the　mind。　Not　only　did　this　woman　possess

a　noble　soul；　but　she　loved　Balthazar　Claes　with　that　instinct　of　the

woman　which　gives　a　foretaste　of　the　communion　of　angels。　Brought　up

in　one　of　the　most　illustrious　families　of　Belgium；　she　would　have

learned　good　taste　had　she　not　possessed　it；　and　now；　taught　by　the

desire　of　constantly　pleasing　the　man　she　loved；　she　knew　how　to

clothe　herself　admirably；　and　without　producing　incongruity　between

her　elegance　and　the　defects　of　her　conformation。　The　bust；　however；

was　defective　in　the　shoulders　only；　one　of　which　was　noticeably　much

larger　than　the　other。



She　looked　out　of　the　window　into　the　court…yard；　then　towards　the

garden；　as　if　to　make