the alkahest-第13节

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〃What　can　have　happened？〃　thought　Lemulquinier；　〃why　isn't　it　a

misfortune；　I　should　like　to　know？　has　the　master　found　the　Absolute？〃



〃Good…evening；　Monsieur　Pierquin；〃　said　Madame　Claes；　opening　the

parlor　door。



The　notary　rushed　forward　to　give　her　his　arm；　as　she　never　took　any

but　that　of　her　husband　she　thanked　him　with　a　smile　and　said；



〃Have　you　come　for　the　thirty　thousand　francs？〃



〃Yes；　madame；　when　I　reached　home　I　found　a　letter　of　advice　from

Messieurs　Protez　and　Chiffreville；　who　have　drawn　six　letters　of

exchange　upon　Monsieur　Claes　for　five　thousand　francs　each。〃



〃Well；　say　nothing　to　Balthazar　to…day；〃　she　replied。　〃Stay　and　dine

with　us。　If　he　happens　to　ask　why　you　came；　find　some　plausible

pretext；　I　entreat　you。　Give　me　the　letter。　I　will　speak　to　him　myself

about　it。　All　is　well；〃　she　added；　noticing　the　lawyer's　surprise。　〃In

a　few　months　my　husband　will　probably　pay　off　all　the　sums　he　has

borrowed。〃



Hearing　these　words；　which　were　said　in　a　low　voice；　the　notary　looked

at　Mademoiselle　Claes；　who　was　entering　the　room　from　the　garden

followed　by　Gabriel　and　Felicie；　and　remarked；



〃I　have　never　seen　Mademoiselle　Marguerite　as　pretty　as　she　is　at　this

moment。〃



Madame　Claes；　who　was　sitting　in　her　armchair　with　little　Jean　upon

her　lap；　raised　her　head　and　looked　at　her　daughter；　and　then　at　the

notary；　with　a　pretended　air　of　indifference。



Pierquin　was　a　man　of　middle　height；　neither　stout　nor　thin；　with

vulgar　good　looks；　a　face　that　expressed　vexation　rather　than

melancholy；　and　a　pensive　habit　in　which　there　was　more　of　indecision

than　thought。　People　called　him　a　misanthrope；　but　he　was　too　eager

after　his　own　interests；　and　too　extortionate　towards　others　to　have

set　up　a　genuine　divorce　from　the　world。　His　indifferent　demeanor；　his

affected　silence；　his　habitual　custom　of　looking；　as　it　were；　into　the

void；　seemed　to　indicate　depth　of　character；　while　in　fact　they　merely

concealed　the　shallow　insignificance　of　a　notary　busied　exclusively

with　earthly　interests；　though　he　was　still　young　enough　to　feel　envy。

To　marry　into　the　family　of　Claes　would　have　been　to　him　an　object　of

extreme　desire；　if　an　instinct　of　avarice　had　not　underlain　it。　He

could　seem　generous；　but　for　all　that　he　was　a　keen　reckoner。　And

thus；　without　explaining　to　himself　the　motive　for　his　change　of

manner；　his　behavior　was　harsh；　peremptory；　and　surly；　like　that　of　an

ordinary　business　man；　when　he　thought　the　Claes　were　ruined；

accommodating；　affectionate；　and　almost　servile；　when　he　saw　reason　to

believe　in　a　happy　issue　to　his　cousin's　labors。　Sometimes　he　beheld

an　infanta　in　Margeurite　Claes；　to　whom　no　provincial　notary　might

aspire；　then　he　regarded　her　as　any　poor　girl　too　happy　if　he　deigned

to　make　her　his　wife。　He　was　a　true　provincial；　and　a　Fleming；　without

malevolence；　not　devoid　of　devotion　and　kindheartedness；　but　led　by　a

naive　selfishness　which　rendered　all　his　better　qualities　incomplete；

while　certain　absurdities　of　manner　spoiled　his　personal　appearance。



Madame　Claes　recollected　the　curt　tone　in　which　the　notary　had　spoken

to　her　that　afternoon　in　the　porch　of　the　church；　and　she　took　note　of

the　change　which　her　present　reply　had　wrought　in　his　demeanor；　she

guessed　its　meaning　and　tried　to　read　her　daughter's　mind　by　a

penetrating　glance；　seeking　to　discover　if　she　thought　of　her　cousin；

but　the　young　girl's　manner　showed　complete　indifference。



After　a　few　moments　spent　in　general　conversation　on　the　current

topics　of　the　day；　the　master　of　the　house　came　down　from　his　bedroom；

where　his　wife　had　heard　with　inexpressible　delight　the　creaking　sound

of　his　boots　as　he　trod　the　floor。　The　step　was　that　of　a　young　and

active　man；　and　foretold　so　complete　a　transformation；　that　the　mere

expectation　of　his　appearance　made　Madame　Claes　quiver　as　he　descended

the　stairs。　Balthazar　entered；　dressed　in　the　fashion　of　the　period。

He　wore　highly　polished　top…boots；　which　allowed　the　upper　part　of　the

white　silk　stockings　to　appear；　blue　kerseymere　small…clothes　with

gold　buttons；　a　flowered　white　waistcoat；　and　a　blue　frock…coat。　He

had　trimmed　his　beard；　combed　and　perfumed　his　hair；　pared　his　nails；

and　washed　his　hands；　all　with　such　care　that　he　was　scarcely

recognizable　to　those　who　had　seen　him　lately。　Instead　of　an　old　man

almost　decrepit；　his　children；　his　wife；　and　the　notary　saw　a

Balthazar　Claes　who　was　forty　years　old；　and　whose　courteous　and

affable　presence　was　full　of　its　former　attractions。　The　weariness　and

suffering　betrayed　by　the　thin　face　and　the　clinging　of　the　skin　to

the　bones；　had　in　themselves　a　sort　of　charm。



〃Good…evening；　Pierquin；〃　said　Monsieur　Claes。



Once　more　a　husband　and　a　father；　he　took　his　youngest　child　from　his

wife's　lap　and　tossed　him　in　the　air。



〃See　that　little　fellow！〃　he　exclaimed　to　the　notary。　〃Doesn't　such　a

pretty　creature　make　you　long　to　marry？　Take　my　word　for　it；　my　dear

Pierquin；　family　happiness　consoles　a　man　for　everything。　Up；　up！〃　he

cried；　tossing　Jean　into　the　air；　〃down；　down！　up！　down！〃



The　child　laughed　with　all　his　heart　as　he　went　alternately　to　the

ceiling　and　down　to　the　carpet。　The　mother　turned　away　her　eyes　that

she　might　not　betray　the　emotion　which　the　simple　play　caused　her；

simple　apparently；　but　to　her　a　domestic　revolution。



〃Let　me　see　how　you　can　walk；〃　said　Balthazar；　putting　his　son　on　the

floor　and　throwing　himself　on　a　sofa　near　his　wife。



The　child　ran　to　its　father；　attracted　by　the　glitter　of　the　gold

buttons　which　fastened　the　breeches　just　above　the　slashed　tops　of　his

boots。



〃You　are　a　darling！〃　cried　Balthazar；　kissing　him；　〃you　are　a　Claes；

you　walk　straight。　Well；　Gabriel；　how　is　Pere　Morillon？〃　he　said　to

his　eldest　son；　taking　him　by　the　ear　and　twisting　it。　〃Are　you

struggling　valiantly　with　your　themes　and　your　construing？　have　you

taken　sharp　hold　of　mathematics？〃



Then　he　rose；　and　went　up　to　the　notary　with　the　affectionate　courtesy

that　characterized　him。



〃My　dear　Pierquin；〃　he　said；　〃perhaps　you　have　something　to　say　to

me。〃　He　took　his　arm　to　lead　him　to　the　garden；　adding；　〃Come　and　see

my　tulips。〃



Madame　Claes　looked　at　her　husband　as　he　left　the　room；　unable　to

repress　the　joy　she　felt　in　seeing　him　once　more　so　young；　so　affable；

so　truly　himself。　She　rose；　took　her　daughter　round　the　waist　and

kissed　her；　exclaiming：



〃My　dear　Marguerite；　my　darling　child！　I　love　you　better　than　ever　to…

day。〃



〃It　is　long　since　I　have　seen　my　father　so　kind；〃　answered　the　young

girl。



Lemulquinier　announced　dinner。　To　prevent　Pierquin　from　offering　her

his　arm；　Madame　Claes　took　that　of　her　husband　and　led　the　way　into

the　next　room；　the　whole　family　following。



The　dining…room；　whose　ceiling　was　supported　by　beams　and　decorated

with　paintings　cleaned　and　restored　every　year；　was　furnished　with

tall　oaken　side…boards　and　buffets；　on　whose　shelves　stood　many　a

curious　piece　of　family　china。　The　walls　were　hung　with　violet

leather；　on　which　designs　of　game　and　other　hunting　objects　were

stamped　in　gold。　Carefully　arranged　here　and　there　above　the　shelves；

shone　the　brilliant　plumage　of　strange　birds；　and　the　lustre　of　rare

shells。　The　chairs；　which　evidently　had　not　been　changed　since　the

beginning　of　the　sixteenth　century；　showed　the　square　shape　with

twisted　columns　and　the　low　back　covered　with　a　fringed　stuff；　common

to　that　period；　and　glorified　by　Raphael　in　his　picture　of　the　Madonna

della　Sedia。　The　wood　of　these　chairs　was　now　black；　but　the　gilt

nails　shone　as　if　new；　and　the　stuff；　carefully　renewed　from　time　to

time；　was　of　an　admirable　shade　of　red。



The　whole　life　of　Flanders　with　its　Spanish　innovations　was　in　this

room。　The　decanters　and　flasks　on　the　dinner…table；　with　their

graceful　antique　lines　and　swelling　curves；　had　an　air　of

respectability。　The　glasses　were　those　old　goblets　with　stems　and　feet

which　may　be　seen　in　the　pictures　of　the　Dutch　or　Flemish　school。　The

dinner…service　of　faience；　decorated　with　raised　colored　figures；　in

the　manner　of　Bernard　Palissy；　came　from　the　English　manufactory　of

Wedgwood。　The　silver…ware　was　massive；　with　square　sides　and　designs

in　high　relief；genuine　family　plate；　whose　pieces；　in　every　variety

of　form；　fashion；　and　chasing；　showed　the　beginnings　of　prosperity　and

the　progress　towards　fortune　of　the　Claes　family。　The　napkins　were

fringed；　a　fashion　altogether　Spanish；　and　as　for　the　linen；　it　will

readily　be　supposed　that　the　Claes's　household　made　it　a　point　of

honor　to　possess　the　best。



All　this　service　of　the　table；　silver；　linen；　and　glass；　were　for　the

daily　use　of　the　family。　The　front　house；　where　the　social

entertainments　were　given；　had　its　own　especial　luxury；　whose　marvels；

being　reserved　for　great　occasions；　wore　an　air　of　dignity　often　lost

to　thin