the alkahest-第14节

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

to　things　which　are；　as　it　were；　made　common　by　daily　use。　Here；　in

the　home　quarter；　everything　bore　the　impress　of　patriarchal　use　and

simplicity。　Andfor　a　final　and　delightful　detaila　vine　grew

outside　the　house　between　the　windows；　whose　tendrilled　branches

twined　about　the　casements。



〃You　are　faithful　to　the　old　traditions；　madame；〃　said　Pierquin；　as　he

received　a　plate　of　that　celebrated　thyme　soup　in　which　the　Dutch　and

Flemish　cooks　put　little　force…meat　balls　and　dice　of　fried　bread。

〃This　is　the　Sunday　soup　of　our　forefathers。　Your　house　and　that　of　my

uncle　des　Racquets　are　the　only　ones　where　we　still　find　this　historic

soup　of　the　Netherlands。　Ah！　pardon　me；　old　Monsieur　Savaron　de

Savarus　of　Tournai　makes　it　a　matter　of　pride　to　keep　up　the　custom；

but　everywhere　else　old　Flanders　is　disappearing。　Now…a…days

everything　is　changing；　furniture　is　made　from　Greek　models；　wherever

you　go　you　see　helmets；　lances；　shields；　and　bows　and　arrows！

Everybody　is　rebuilding　his　house；　selling　his　old　furniture；　melting

up　his　silver　dishes；　or　exchanging　them　for　Sevres　porcelain；which

does　not　compare　with　either　old　Dresden　or　with　Chinese　ware。　Oh！　as

for　me；　I'm　Flemish　to　the　core；　my　heart　actually　bleeds　to　see　the

coppersmiths　buying　up　our　beautiful　inlaid　furniture　for　the　mere

value　of　the　wood　and　the　metal。　The　fact　is；　society　wants　to　change

its　skin。　Everything　is　being　sacrificed；　even　the　old　methods　of　art。

When　people　insist　on　going　so　fast；　nothing　is　conscientiously　done。

During　my　last　visit　to　Paris　I　was　taken　to　see　the　pictures　in　the

Louvre。　On　my　word　of　honor；　they　are　mere　screen…painting；no　depth；

no　atmosphere；　the　painters　were　actually　afraid　to　put　colors　on

their　canvas。　And　it　is　they　who　talk　of　overturning　our　ancient

school　of　art！　Ah；　bah！〃



〃Our　old　masters；〃　replied　Balthazar；　〃studied　the　combination　of

colors　and　their　endurance　by　submitting　them　to　the　action　of　sun　and

rain。　You　are　right　enough；　however；　the　material　resources　of　art　are

less　cultivated　in　these　days　than　formerly。〃



Madame　Claes　was　not　listening　to　the　conversation。　The　notary's

remark　that　porcelain　dinner…services　were　now　the　fashion；　gave　her

the　brilliant　idea　of　selling　a　quantity　of　heavy　silver…ware　which

she　had　inherited　from　her　brother；hoping　to　be　able　thus　to　pay　off

the　thirty　thousand　francs　which　her　husband　owed。



〃Ha！　ha！〃　Balthazar　was　saying　to　Pierquin　when　Madame　Claes's　mind

returned　to　the　conversation；　〃so　they　are　discussing　my　work　in

Douai；　are　they？〃



〃Yes；〃　replied　the　notary；　〃every　one　is　asking　what　it　is　you　spend

so　much　money　on。　Only　yesterday　I　heard　the　chief…justice　deploring

that　a　man　like　you　should　be　searching　for　the　Philosopher's　stone。　I

ventured　to　reply　that　you　were　too　wise　not　to　know　that　such　a

scheme　was　attempting　the　impossible；　too　much　of　a　Christian　to　take

God's　work　out　of　his　hands；　and；　like　every　other　Claes；　too　good　a

business　man　to　spend　your　money　for　such　befooling　quackeries。　Still；

I　admit　that　I　share　the　regret　people　feel　at　your　absence　from

society。　You　might　as　well　not　live　here　at　all。　Really；　madame；　you

would　have　been　delighted　had　you　heard　the　praises　showered　on

Monsieur　Claes　and　on　you。〃



〃You　acted　like　a　faithful　friend　in　repelling　imputations　whose　least

evil　is　to　make　me　ridiculous；〃　said　Balthazar。　〃Ha！　so　they　think　me

ruined？　Well；　my　dear　Pierquin；　two　months　hence　I　shall　give　a　fete

in　honor　of　my　wedding…day　whose　magnificence　will　get　me　back　the

respect　my　dear　townsmen　bestow　on　wealth。〃



Madame　Claes　colored　deeply。　For　two　years　the　anniversary　had　been

forgotten。　Like　madmen　whose　faculties　shine　at　times　with　unwonted

brilliancy；　Balthazar　was　never　more　gracious　and　delightful　in　his

tenderness　than　at　this　moment。　He　was　full　of　attention　to　his

children；　and　his　conversation　had　the　charms　of　grace；　and　wit；　and

pertinence。　This　return　of　fatherly　feeling；　so　long　absent；　was

certainly　the　truest　fete　he　could　give　his　wife；　for　whom　his　looks

and　words　expressed　once　more　that　unbroken　sympathy　of　heart　for

heart　which　reveals　to　each　a　delicious　oneness　of　sentiment。



Old　Lemulquinier　seemed　to　renew　his　youth；　he　came　and　went　about　the

table　with　unusual　liveliness；　caused　by　the　accomplishment　of　his

secret　hopes。　The　sudden　change　in　his　master's　ways　was　even　more

significant　to　him　than　to　Madame　Claes。　Where　the　family　saw

happiness　he　saw　fortune。　While　helping　Balthazar　in　his　experiments

he　had　come　to　share　his　beliefs。　Whether　he　really　understood　the

drift　of　his　master's　researches　from　certain　exclamations　which

escaped　the　chemist　when　expected　results　disappointed　him；　or　whether

the　innate　tendency　of　mankind　towards　imitation　made　him　adopt　the

ideas　of　the　man　in　whose　atmosphere　he　lived；　certain　it　is　that

Lemulquinier　had　conceived　for　his　master　a　superstitious　feeling　that

was　a　mixture　of　terror；　admiration；　and　selfishness。　The　laboratory

was　to　him　what　a　lottery…office　is　to　the　masses；organized　hope。

Every　night　he　went　to　bed　saying　to　himself；　〃To…morrow　we　may　float

in　gold〃；　and　every　morning　he　woke　with　a　faith　as　firm　as　that　of

the　night　before。



His　name　proved　that　his　origin　was　wholly　Flemish。　In　former　days　the

lower　classes　were　known　by　some　name　or　nickname　derived　from　their

trades；　their　surroundings；　their　physical　conformation；　or　their

moral　qualities。　This　name　became　the　patronymic　of　the　burgher　family

which　each　established　as　soon　as　he　obtained　his　freedom。　Sellers　of

linen　thread　were　called　in　Flanders；　〃mulquiniers〃；　and　that　no　doubt

was　the　trade　of　the　particular　ancestor　of　the　old　valet　who　passed

from　a　state　of　serfdom　to　one　of　burgher　dignity；　until　some　unknown

misfortune　had　again　reduced　his　present　descendant　to　the　condition

of　a　serf；　with　the　addition　of　wages。　The　whole　history　of　Flanders

and　its　linen…trade　was　epitomized　in　this　old　man；　often　called；　by

way　of　euphony；　Mulquinier。　He　was　not　without　originality；　either　of

character　or　appearance。　His　face　was　triangular　in　shape；　broad　and

long；　and　seamed　by　small…pox　which　had　left　innumerable　white　and

shining　patches　that　gave　him　a　fantastic　appearance。　He　was　tall　and

thin；　his　whole　demeanor　solemn　and　mysterious；　and　his　small　eyes；

yellow　as　the　wig　which　was　smoothly　plastered　on　his　head；　cast　none

but　oblique　glances。



The　old　valet's　outward　man　was　in　keeping　with　the　feeling　of

curiosity　which　he　everywhere　inspired。　His　position　as　assistant　to

his　master；　the　depositary　of　a　secret　jealously　guarded　and　about

which　he　maintained　a　rigid　silence；　invested　him　with　a　species　of

charm。　The　denizens　of　the　rue　de　Paris　watched　him　pass　with　an

interest　mingled　with　awe；　to　all　their　questions　he　returned

sibylline　answers　big　with　mysterious　treasures。　Proud　of　being

necessary　to　his　master；　he　assumed　an　annoying　authority　over　his

companions；　employing　it　to　further　his　own　interests　and　compel　a

submission　which　made　him　virtually　the　ruler　of　the　house。　Contrary

to　the　custom　of　Flemish　servants；　who　are　deeply　attached　to　the

families　whom　they　serve；　Mulquinier　cared　only　for　Balthazar。　If　any

trouble　befell　Madame　Claes；　or　any　joyful　event　happened　to　the

family；　he　ate　his　bread　and　butter　and　drank　his　beer　as

phlegmatically　as　ever。



Dinner　over；　Madame　Claes　proposed　that　coffee　should　be　served　in　the

garden；　by　the　bed　of　tulips　which　adorned　the　centre　of　it。　The

earthenware　pots　in　which　the　bulbs　were　grown　（the　name　of　each

flower　being　engraved　on　slate　labels）　were　sunk　in　the　ground　and　so

arranged　as　to　form　a　pyramid；　at　the　summit　of　which　rose　a　certain

dragon's…head　tulip　which　Balthazar　alone　possessed。　This　flower；

named　〃tulipa　Claesiana；〃　combined　the　seven　colors；　and　the　curved

edges　of　each　petal　looked　as　though　they　were　gilt。　Balthazar's

father；　who　had　frequently　refused　ten　thousand　florins　for　this

treasure；　took　such　precautions　against　the　theft　of　a　single　seed

that　he　kept　the　plant　always　in　the　parlor　and　often　spent　whole　days

in　contemplating　it。　The　stem　was　enormous；　erect；　firm；　and　admirably

green；　the　proportions　of　the　plant　were　in　harmony　with　the

proportions　of　the　flower；　whose　seven　colors　were　distinguishable

from　each　other　with　the　clearly　defined　brilliancy　which　formerly

gave　such　fabulous　value　to　these　dazzling　plants。



〃Here　you　have　at　least　thirty　or　forty　thousand　francs'　worth　of

tulips；〃　said　the　notary；　looking　alternately　at　Madame　Claes　and　at

the　many…colored　pyramid。　The　former　was　too　enthusiastic　over　the

beauty　of　the　flowers；　which　the　setting　sun　was　just　then

transforming　into　jewels；　to　observe　the　meaning　of　the　notary's

words。



〃What　good　do　they　do　you？〃　continued　P