the alkahest-第6章

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

garden；　as　if　to　make　sure　she　was　alone　with　Balthazar；　and　presently

said；　in　a　gentle　voice　and　with　a　look　full　of　a　Flemish　woman's

submissiveness；for　between　these　two　love　had　long　since　driven　out

the　pride　of　her　Spanish　nature：



〃Balthazar；　are　you　so　very　busy？　this　is　the　thirty…third　Sunday

since　you　have　been　to　mass　or　vespers。〃



Claes　did　not　answer；　his　wife　bowed　her　head；　clasped　her　hands；　and

waited：　she　knew　that　his　silence　meant　neither　contempt　nor

indifference；　only　a　tyrannous　preoccupation。　Balthazar　was　one　of

those　beings　who　preserve　deep　in　their　souls　and　after　long　years　all

their　youthful　delicacy　of　feeling；　he　would　have　thought　it　criminal

to　wound　by　so　much　as　a　word　a　woman　weighed　down　by　the　sense　of

physical　disfigurement。　No　man　knew　better　than　he　that　a　look；　a

word；　suffices　to　blot　out　years　of　happiness；　and　is　the　more　cruel

because　it　contrasts　with　the　unfailing　tenderness　of　the　past：　our

nature　leads　us　to　suffer　more　from　one　discord　in　our　happiness　than

pleasure　coming　in　the　midst　of　trouble　can　bring　us　joy。



Presently　Balthazar　appeared　to　waken；　he　looked　quickly　about　him；

and　said；



〃Vespers？　Ah；　yes！　the　children　are　at　vespers。〃



He　made　a　few　steps　forward；　and　looked　into　the　garden；　where

magnificent　tulips　were　growing　on　all　sides；　then　he　suddenly　stopped

short　as　if　brought　up　against　a　wall；　and　cried　out；



〃Why　should　they　not　combine　within　a　given　time？〃



〃Is　he　going　mad？〃　thought　the　wife；　much　terrified。



To　give　greater　interest　to　the　present　scene；　which　was　called　forth

by　the　situation　of　their　affairs；　it　is　absolutely　necessary　to

glance　back　at　the　past　lives　of　Balthazar　Claes　and　the　granddaughter

of　the　Duke　of　Casa…Real。



Towards　the　year　1783；　Monsieur　Balthazar　Claes…Molina　de　Nourho；　then

twenty…two　years　of　age；　was　what　is　called　in　France　a　fine　man。　He

came　to　finish　his　education　in　Paris；　where　he　acquired　excellent

manners　in　the　society　of　Madame　d'Egmont；　Count　Horn；　the　Prince　of

Aremberg；　the　Spanish　ambassador；　Helvetius；　and　other　Frenchmen

originally　from　Belgium；　or　coming　lately　thence；　whose　birth　or

wealth　won　them　admittance　among　the　great　seigneurs　who　at　that　time

gave　the　tone　to　social　life。　Young　Claes　found　several　relations　and

friends　ready　to　launch　him　into　the　great　world　at　the　very　moment

when　that　world　was　about　to　fall。　Like　other　young　men；　he　was　at

first　more　attracted　by　glory　and　science　than　by　the　vanities　of

life。　He　frequented　the　society　of　scientific　men；　particularly

Lavoisier；　who　at　that　time　was　better　known　to　the　world　for　his

enormous　fortune　as　a　〃fermier…general〃　than　for　his　discoveries　in

chemistry；though　later　the　great　chemist　was　to　eclipse　the　man　of

wealth。



Balthazar　grew　enamored　of　the　science　which　Lavoisier　cultivated；　and

became　his　devoted　disciple；　but　he　was　young；　and　handsome　as

Helvetius；　and　before　long　the　Parisian　women　taught　him　to　distil　wit

and　love　exclusively。　Though　he　had　studied　chemistry　with　such　ardor

that　Lavoisier　commended　him；　he　deserted　science　and　his　master　for

those　mistresses　of　fashion　and　good　taste　from　whom　young　men　take

finishing　lessons　in　knowledge　of　life；　and　learn　the　usages　of　good

society；　which　in　Europe　forms；　as　it　were；　one　family。



The　intoxicating　dream　of　social　success　lasted　but　a　short　time。

Balthazar　left　Paris；　weary　of　a　hollow　existence　which　suited　neither

his　ardent　soul　nor　his　loving　heart。　Domestic　life；　so　calm；　so

tender；　which　the　very　name　of　Flanders　recalled　to　him；　seemed　far

more　fitted　to　his　character　and　to　the　aspirations　of　his　heart。　No

gilded　Parisian　salon　had　effaced　from　his　mind　the　harmonies　of　the

panelled　parlor　and　the　little　garden　where　his　happy　childhood　had

slipped　away。　A　man　must　needs　be　without　a　home　to　remain　in　Paris；

Paris；　the　city　of　cosmopolitans；　of　men　who　wed　the　world；　and　clasp

her　with　the　arms　of　Science；　Art；　or　Power。



The　son　of　Flanders　came　back　to　Douai；　like　La　Fontaine's　pigeon　to

its　nest；　he　wept　with　joy　as　he　re…entered　the　town　on　the　day　of　the

Gayant　procession；Gayant；　the　superstitious　luck　of　Douai；　the　glory

of　Flemish　traditions；　introduced　there　at　the　time　the　Claes　family

had　emigrated　from　Ghent。　The　death　of　Balthazar's　father　and　mother

had　left　the　old　mansion　deserted；　and　the　young　man　was　occupied　for

a　time　in　settling　its　affairs。　His　first　grief　over；　he　wished　to

marry；　he　needed　the　domestic　happiness　whose　every　religious　aspect

had　fastened　upon　his　mind。　He　even　followed　the　family　custom　of

seeking　a　wife　in　Ghent；　or　at　Bruges；　or　Antwerp；　but　it　happened

that　no　woman　whom　he　met　there　suited　him。　Undoubtedly；　he　had

certain　peculiar　ideas　as　to　marriage；　from　his　youth　he　had　been

accused　of　never　following　the　beaten　track。



One　day；　at　the　house　of　a　relation　in　Ghent；　he　heard　a　young　lady；

then　living　in　Brussels；　spoken　of　in　a　manner　which　gave　rise　to　a

long　discussion。　Some　said　that　the　beauty　of　Mademoiselle　de　Temninck

was　destroyed　by　the　imperfections　of　her　figure；　others　declared　that

she　was　perfect　in　spite　of　her　defects。　Balthazar's　old　cousin；　at

whose　house　the　discussion　took　place；　assured　his　guests　that；

handsome　or　not；　she　had　a　soul　that　would　make　him　marry　her　were　he

a　marrying　man；　and　he　told　how　she　had　lately　renounced　her　share　of

her　parents'　property　to　enable　her　brother　to　make　a　marriage　worthy

of　his　name；　thus　preferring　his　happiness　to　her　own；　and　sacrificing

her　future　to　his　interests；for　it　was　not　to　be　supposed　that

Mademoiselle　de　Temninck　would　marry　late　in　life　and　without　property

when；　young　and　wealthy；　she　had　met　with　no　aspirant。



A　few　days　later；　Balthazar　Claes　made　the　acquaintance　of

Mademoiselle　de　Temninck；　with　whom　he　fell　deeply　in　love。　At　first；

Josephine　de　Temninck　thought　herself　the　object　of　a　mere　caprice；

and　refused　to　listen　to　Monsieur　Claes；　but　passion　is　contagious；

and　to　a　poor　girl　who　was　lame　and　ill…made；　the　sense　of　inspiring

love　in　a　young　and　handsome　man　carries　with　it　such　strong　seduction

that　she　finally　consented　to　allow　him　to　woo　her。



It　would　need　a　volume　to　paint　the　love　of　a　young　girl　humbly

submissive　to　the　verdict　of　a　world　that　calls　her　plain；　while　she

feels　within　herself　the　irresistible　charm　which　comes　of　sensibility

and　true　feeling。　It　involves　fierce　jealousy　of　happiness；　freaks　of

cruel　vengeance　against　some　fancied　rival　who　wins　a　glance；

emotions；　terrors；　unknown　to　the　majority　of　women；　and　which　ought；

therefore；　to　be　more　than　indicated。　The　doubt；　the　dramatic　doubt　of

love；　is　the　keynote　of　this　analysis；　where　certain　souls　will　find

once　more　the　lost；　but　unforgotten；　poetry　of　their　early　struggles；

the　passionate　exaltations　of　the　heart　which　the　face　must　not

betray；　the　fear　that　we　may　not　be　understood；　and　the　boundless　joy

of　being　so；　the　hesitations　of　the　soul　which　recoils　upon　itself；

and　the　magnetic　propulsions　which　give　to　the　eyes　an　infinitude　of

shades；　the　promptings　to　suicide　caused　by　a　word；　dispelled　by　an

intonation；　trembling　glances　which　veil　an　inward　daring；　sudden

desires　to　speak　and　act　that　are　paralyzed　by　their　own　violence；　the

secret　eloquence　of　common　phrases　spoken　in　a　quivering　voice；　the

mysterious　workings　of　that　pristine　modesty　of　soul　and　that　divine

discernment　which　lead　to　hidden　generosities；　and　give　so　exquisite　a

flavor　to　silent　devotion；　in　short；　all　the　loveliness　of　young　love；

and　the　weaknesses　of　its　power。



Mademoiselle　Josephine　de　Temninck　was　coquettish　from　nobility　of

soul。　The　sense　of　her　obvious　imperfections　made　her　as　difficult　to

win　as　the　handsomest　of　women。　The　fear　of　some　day　displeasing　the

eye　roused　her　pride；　destroyed　h