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ostensible　sum　of　eighty…five　thousand　Dutch　ducats　and　fifteen

thousand　more　which　were　paid　over　secretly　to　Madame　Claes。　The

pictures　were　so　well　known　that　nothing　was　needed　to　complete　the

sale　but　an　answer　from　Balthazar　to　the　letter　which　Messieurs　Happe

and　Duncker　addressed　to　him。　Emmanuel　de　Solis　was　commissioned　by

Claes　to　receive　the　price　of　the　pictures；　which　were　thereupon

packed　and　sent　away　secretly；　to　conceal　the　sale　from　the　people　of

Douai。



Towards　the　end　of　September；　Balthazar　paid　off　all　the　sums　that　he

had　borrowed；　released　his　property　from　encumbrance；　and　resumed　his

chemical　researches；　but　the　House　of　Claes　was　deprived　of　its

noblest　ornament。　Blinded　by　his　passion；　the　master　showed　no　regret；

he　felt　so　sure　of　repairing　the　loss　that　in　selling　the　pictures　he

reserved　the　right　of　redemption。　In　Josephine's　eyes　a　hundred

pictures　were　as　nothing　compared　to　domestic　happiness　and　the

satisfaction　of　her　husband's　mind；　moreover；　she　refilled　the　gallery

with　other　paintings　taken　from　the　reception…rooms；　and　to　conceal

the　gaps　which　these　left　in　the　front　house；　she　changed　the

arrangement　of　the　furniture。



When　Balthazar's　debts　were　all　paid　he　had　about　two　hundred　thousand

francs　with　which　to　carry　on　his　experiments。　The　Abbe　de　Solis　and

his　nephew　took　charge　secretly　of　the　fifteen　thousand　ducats

reserved　by　Madame　Claes。　To　increase　that　sum；　the　abbe　sold　the

Dutch　ducats；　to　which　the　events　of　the　Continental　war　had　given　a

commercial　value。　One　hundred　and　sixty…five　thousand　francs　were

buried　in　the　cellar　of　the　house　in　which　the　abbe　and　his　nephew

resided。



Madame　Claes　had　the　melancholy　happiness　of　seeing　her　husband

incessantly　busy　and　satisfied　for　nearly　eight　months。　But　the　shock

he　had　lately　given　her　was　too　severe；　she　sank　into　a　state　of

languor　and　debility　which　steadily　increased。　Balthazar　was　now　so

completely　absorbed　in　science　that　neither　the　reverses　which　had

overtaken　France；　nor　the　first　fall　of　Napoleon；　nor　the　return　of

the　Bourbons；　drew　him　from　his　laboratory；　he　was　neither　husband；

father；　nor　citizen；solely　chemist。



Towards　the　close　of　1814　Madame　Claes　declined　so　rapidly　that　she

was　no　longer　able　to　leave　her　bed。　Unwilling　to　vegetate　in　her　own

chamber；　the　scene　of　so　much　happiness；　where　the　memory　of　vanished

joys　forced　involuntary　comparisons　with　the　present　and　depressed

her；　she　moved　into　the　parlor。　The　doctors　encouraged　this　wish　by

declaring　the　room　more　airy；　more　cheerful；　and　therefore　better

suited　to　her　condition。　The　bed　in　which　the　unfortunate　woman　ended

her　life　was　placed　between　the　fireplace　and　a　window　looking　on　the

garden。　There　she　passed　her　last　days；　sacredly　occupied　in　training

the　souls　of　her　young　daughters；　striving　to　leave　within　them　the

fire　of　her　own。　Conjugal　love；　deprived　of　its　manifestations；

allowed　maternal　love　to　have　its　way。　The　mother　now　seemed　the　more

delightful　because　her　motherhood　had　blossomed　late。　Like　all

generous　persons；　she　passed　through　sensitive　phases　of　feeling　that

she　mistook　for　remorse。　Believing　that　she　had　defrauded　her　children

of　the　tenderness　that　should　have　been　theirs；　she　sought　to　redeem

those　imaginary　wrongs；　bestowing　attentions　and　tender　cares　which

made　her　precious　to　them；　she　longed　to　make　her　children　live；　as　it

were；　within　her　heart；　to　shelter　them　beneath　her　feeble　wings；　to

cherish　them　enough　in　the　few　remaining　days　to　redeem　the　time

during　which　she　had　neglected　them。　The　sufferings　of　her　mind　gave

to　her　words　and　her　caresses　a　glowing　warmth　that　issued　from　her

soul。　Her　eyes　caressed　her　children；　her　voice　with　its　yearning

intonations　touched　their　hearts；　her　hand　showered　blessings　on　their

heads。







CHAPTER　IX



The　good　people　of　Douai　were　not　surprised　that　visitors　were　no

longer　received　at　the　House　of　Claes；　and　that　Balthazar　gave　no　more

fetes　on　the　anniversary　of　his　marriage。　Madame　Claes's　state　of

health　seemed　a　sufficient　reason　for　the　change；　and　the　payment　of

her　husband's　debts　put　a　stop　to　the　current　gossip；　moreover；　the

political　vicissitudes　to　which　Flanders　was　subjected；　the　war　of　the

Hundred…days；　and　the　occupation　of　the　Allied　armies；　put　the　chemist

and　his　researches　completely　out　of　people's　minds。　During　those　two

years　Douai　was　so　often　on　the　point　of　being　taken；　it　was　so

constantly　occupied　either　by　the　French　or　by　the　enemy；　so　many

foreigners　came　there；　so　many　of　the　country…people　sought　refuge

within　its　walls；　so　many　lives　were　in　peril；　so　many　catastrophes

occurred；　that　each　man　thought　only　of　himself。



The　Abbe　de　Solis　and　his　nephew；　and　the　two　Pierquins；　doctor　and

lawyer；　were　the　only　persons　who　now　visited　Madame　Claes；　for　whom

the　winter　of　1814…1815　was　a　long　and　dreary　death…scene。　Her　husband

rarely　came　to　see　her。　It　is　true　that　after　dinner　he　remained　some

hours　in　the　parlor；　near　her　bed；　but　as　she　no　longer　had　the

strength　to　keep　up　a　conversation；　he　merely　said　a　few　words；

invariably　the　same；　sat　down；　spoke　no　more；　and　a　dreary　silence

settled　down　upon　the　room。　The　monotony　of　this　existence　was　broken

only　on　the　days　when　the　Abbe　de　Solis　and　his　nephew　passed　the

evening　with　Madame　Claes。



While　the　abbe　played　backgammon　with　Balthazar；　Marguerite　talked

with　Emmanuel　by　the　bedside　of　her　mother；　who　smiled　at　their

innocent　joy；　not　allowing　them　to　see　how　painful　and　yet　how

soothing　to　her　wounded　spirit　were　the　fresh　breezes　of　their　virgin

love；　murmuring　in　fitful　words　from　heart　to　heart。　The　inflection　of

their　voices；　to　them　so　full　of　charm；　to　her　was　heart…breaking；　a

glance　of　mutual　understanding　surprised　between　the　two　threw　her；

half…dead　as　she　was；　back　to　the　young　and　happy　past　which　gave　such

bitterness　to　the　present。　Emmanuel　and　Marguerite　with　intuitive

delicacy　of　feeling　repressed　the　sweet　half…childish　play　of　love；

lest　it　should　hurt　the　saddened　woman　whose　wounds　they　instinctively

divined。



No　one　has　yet　remarked　that　feelings　have　an　existence　of　their　own；

a　nature　which　is　developed　by　the　circumstances　that　environ　them；

and　in　which　they　are　born；　they　bear　a　likeness　to　the　places　of

their　growth；　and　keep　the　imprint　of　the　ideas　that　influenced　their

development。　There　are　passions　ardently　conceived　which　remain

ardent；　like　that　of　Madame　Claes　for　her　husband：　there　are

sentiments　on　which　all　life　has　smiled；　these　retain　their　spring…

time　gaiety；　their　harvest…time　of　joy；　seasons　that　never　fail　of

laughter　or　of　fetes；　but　there　are　other　loves；　framed　in　melancholy；

circled　by　distress；　whose　pleasures　are　painful；　costly；　burdened　by

fears；　poisoned　by　remorse；　or　blackened　by　despair。　The　love　in　the

heart　of　Marguerite　and　Emmanuel；　as　yet　unknown　to　them　for　love；　the

sentiment　that　budded　into　life　beneath　the　gloomy　arches　of　the

picture…gallery；　beside　the　stern　old　abbe；　in　a　still　and　silent

moment；　that　love　so　grave　and　so　discreet；　yet　rich　in　tender　depths；

in　secret　delights　that　were　luscious　to　the　taste　as　stolen　grapes

snatched　from　a　corner　of　the　vineyard；　wore　in　coming　years　the

sombre　browns　and　grays　that　surrounded　the　hour　of　its　birth。



Fearing　to　give　expression　to　their　feelings　beside　that　bed　of　pain；

they　unconsciously　increased　their　happiness　by　a　concentration　which

deepened　its　imprint　on　their　hearts。　The　devotion　of　the　daughter；

shared　by　Emmanuel；　happy　in　thus　uniting　himself　with　Marguerite　and

becoming　by　anticipation　the　son　of　her　mother；　was　their　medium　of

communication。　Melancholy　thanks　from　the　lips　of　the　young　girl

supplanted　the　honeyed　language　of　lovers；　the　sighing　of　their

hearts；　surcharged　with　joy　at　some　interchange　of　looks；　was　scarcely

distinguishable　from　the　sighs　wrung　from　them　by　the　mother's

sufferings。　Their　happy　little　moments　of　indirect　avowal；　of

unuttered　promises；　of　smothered　effusion；　were　like　the　allegories　of

Raphael　painted　on　a　black　ground。　Each　felt　a　certainty　that　neither

avowed；　they　knew　the　sun　was　shining　over　them；　but　they　could　not

know　what　wind　might　chase　away　the　clouds　that　gathered　about　their

heads。　They　doubted　the　future；　fearing　that　pain　would　ever　follow

them；　they　stayed　timidly　among　the　shadows　of　the　twilight；　not

daring　to　say　to　each　other；　〃Shall　we　end　our　days　together？〃



The　tenderness　which　Madame　Claes　now　testified　for　her　children　nobly

concealed　much　that　she　endeavored　to　hide　from　herself。　Her　children

caused　her　neither　fear　nor　passionate　emotion：　they　were　her

comforters；　but　they　were　not　her　life：　she　lived　by　them；　she　died

through　Balthazar。　However　painful　her　husband's　presence　might　be　to

her；　lost　as　he　was　for　hours　together　in　depths　of　thought　from　which