the alkahest-第26节

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Marguerite　looked　at　her　mother　and　said；　〃Have　you　nothing　else　to

say　to　me　about　my　marriage？〃



〃Can　you　hesitate；　my　child？〃　cried　the　dying　woman　in　alarm。



〃No；〃　the　daughter　answered；　〃I　promise　to　obey　you。〃



〃Poor　girl！　I　did　not　sacrifice　myself　for　you；〃　said　the　mother；

shedding　hot　tears。　〃Yet　I　ask　you　to　sacrifice　yourself　for　all。

Happiness　makes　us　selfish。　Be　strong；　preserve　your　own　good　sense　to

guard　others　who　as　yet　have　none。　Act　so　that　your　brothers　and　your

sister　may　not　reproach　my　memory。　Love　your　father；　and　do　not　oppose

himtoo　much。〃



She　laid　her　head　on　her　pillow　and　said　no　more；　her　strength　was

gone；　the　inward　struggle　between　the　Wife　and　the　Mother　had　been　too

violent。



A　few　moments　later　the　clergy　came；　preceded　by　the　Abbe　de　Solis；

and　the　parlor　was　filled　by　the　children　and　the　household。　When　the

ceremony　was　about　to　begin；　Madame　Claes；　awakened　by　her　confessor；

looked　about　her　and　not　seeing　Balthazar　said　quickly；



〃Where　is　my　husband？〃



Those　wordssumming　up；　as　it　were；　her　life　and　her　deathwere

uttered　in　such　lamentable　tones　that　all　present　shuddered。　Martha；

in　spite　of　her　great　age；　darted　out　of　the　room；　ran　up　the

staircase　and　through　the　gallery；　and　knocked　loudly　on　the　door　of

the　laboratory。



〃Monsieur；　madame　is　dying；　they　are　waiting　for　you；　to　administer

the　last　sacraments；〃　she　cried　with　the　violence　of　indignation。



〃I　am　coming；〃　answered　Balthazar。



Lemulquinier　came　down　a　moment　later；　and　said　his　master　was

following　him。　Madame　Claes's　eyes　never　left　the　parlor　door；　but　her

husband　did　not　appear　until　the　ceremony　was　over。　When　at　last　he

entered；　Josephine　colored　and　a　few　tears　rolled　down　her　cheeks。



〃Were　you　trying　to　decompose　nitrogen？〃　she　said　to　him　with　an

angelic　tenderness　which　made　the　spectators　quiver。



〃I　have　done　it！〃　he　cried　joyfully；　〃Nitrogen　contains　oxygen　and　a

substance　of　the　nature　of　imponderable　matter；　which　is　apparently

the　principle　of〃



A　murmur　of　horror　interrupted　his　words　and　brought　him　to　his

senses。



〃What　did　they　tell　me？〃　he　demanded。　〃Are　you　worse？　What　is　the

matter？〃



〃This　is　the　matter；　monsieur；〃　whispered　the　Abbe　de　Solis；　indignant

at　his　conduct；　〃your　wife　is　dying；　and　you　have　killed　her。〃



Without　waiting　for　an　answer　the　abbe　took　the　arm　of　his　nephew　and

went　out　followed　by　the　family；　who　accompanied　him　to　the　court…

yard。　Balthazar　stood　as　if　thunderstruck；　he　looked　at　his　wife；　and

a　few　tears　dropped　from　his　eyes。



〃You　are　dying；　and　I　have　killed　you！〃　he　said。　〃What　does　he　mean？〃



〃My　husband；〃　she　answered；　〃I　only　lived　in　your　love；　and　you　have

taken　my　life　away　from　me；　but　you　knew　not　what　you　did。〃



〃Leave　us；〃　said　Claes　to　his　children；　who　now　re…entered　the　room。

〃Have　I　for　one　moment　ceased　to　love　you？〃　he　went　on；　sitting　down

beside　his　wife；　and　taking　her　hands　and　kissing　them。



〃My　friend；　I　do　not　blame　you。　You　made　me　happytoo　happy；　for　I

have　not　been　able　to　bear　the　contrast　between　our　early　married

life；　so　full　of　joy；　and　these　last　days；　so　desolate；　so　empty；　when

you　are　not　yourself。　The　life　of　the　heart；　like　the　life　of　the

body；　has　its　functions。　For　six　years　you　have　been　dead　to　love；　to

the　family；　to　all　that　was　once　our　happiness。　I　will　not　speak　of

our　early　married　days；　such　joys　must　cease　in　the　after…time　of

life；　but　they　ripen　into　fruits　which　feed　the　soul；confidence

unlimited；　the　tender　habits　of　affection：　you　have　torn　those

treasures　from　me！　I　go　in　time：　we　live　together　no　longer；　you　hide

your　thoughts　and　actions　from　me。　How　is　it　that　you　fear　me？　Have　I

ever　given　you　one　word；　one　look；　one　gesture　of　reproach？　And　yet；

you　have　sold　your　last　pictures；　you　have　sold　even　the　wine　in　your

cellar；　you　are　borrowing　money　on　your　property；　and　have　said　no

word　to　me。　Ah！　I　go　from　life　weary　of　life。　If　you　are　doing　wrong；

if　you　delude　yourself　in　following　the　unattainable；　have　I　not　shown

you　that　my　love　could　share　your　faults；　could　walk　beside　you　and　be

happy；　though　you　led　me　in　the　paths　of　crime？　You　loved　me　too　well；

that　was　my　glory；　it　is　now　my　death。　Balthazar；　my　illness　has

lasted　long；　it　began　on　the　day　when　here；　in　this　place　where　I　am

about　to　die；　you　showed　me　that　Science　was　more　to　you　than　Family。

And　now　the　end　has　come；　your　wife　is　dying；　and　your　fortune　lost。

Fortune　and　wife　were　yours；you　could　do　what　you　willed　with　your

own；　but　on　the　day　of　my　death　my　property　goes　to　my　children；　and

you　cannot　touch　it；　what　will　then　become　of　you？　I　am　telling　you

the　truth；　I　owe　it　to　you。　Dying　eyes　see　far；　when　I　am　gone　will

anything　outweigh　that　cursed　passion　which　is　now　your　life？　If　you

have　sacrificed　your　wife；　your　children　will　count　but　little　in　the

scale；　for　I　must　be　just　and　own　you　loved　me　above　all。　Two　millions

and　six　years　of　toil　you　have　cast　into　the　gulf；and　what　have　you

found？〃



At　these　words　Claes　grasped　his　whitened　head　in　his　hands　and　hid

his　face。



〃Humiliation　for　yourself；　misery　for　your　children；〃　continued　the

dying　woman。　〃You　are　called　in　derision　'Claes　the　alchemist'；　soon

it　will　be　'Claes　the　madman。'　For　myself；　I　believe　in　you。　I　know

you　great　and　wise；　I　know　your　genius：　but　to　the　vulgar　eye　genius

is　mania。　Fame　is　a　sun　that　lights　the　dead；　living；　you　will　be

unhappy　with　the　unhappiness　of　great　minds；　and　your　children　will　be

ruined。　I　go　before　I　see　your　fame；　which　might　have　brought　me

consolation　for　my　lost　happiness。　Oh；　Balthazar！　make　my　death　less

bitter　to　me；　let　me　be　certain　that　my　children　will　not　want　for

bread　Ah；　nothing；　nothing；　not　even　you；　can　calm　my　fears。〃



〃I　swear；〃　said　Claes；　〃to〃



〃No；　do　not　swear；　that　you　may　not　fail　of　your　oath；〃　she　said；

interrupting　him。　〃You　owed　us　your　protection；　we　have　been　without

it　seven　years。　Science　is　your　life。　A　great　man　should　have　neither

wife　nor　children；　he　should　tread　alone　the　path　of　sacrifice。　His

virtues　are　not　the　virtues　of　common　men；　he　belongs　to　the　universe；

he　cannot　belong　to　wife　or　family；　he　sucks　up　the　moisture　of　the

earth　about　him；　like　a　majestic　treeand　I；　poor　plant；　I　could　not

rise　to　the　height　of　your　life；　I　die　at　its　feet。　I　have　waited　for

this　last　day　to　tell　you　these　dreadful　thoughts：　they　came　to　me　in

the　lightnings　of　desolation　and　anguish。　Oh；　spare　my　children！　let

these　words　echo　in　your　heart。　I　cry　them　to　you　with　my　last　breath。

The　wife　is　dead；　dead；　you　have　stripped　her　slowly；　gradually；　of

her　feelings；　of　her　joys。　Alas！　without　that　cruel　care　could　I　have

lived　so　long？　But　those　poor　children　did　not　forsake　me！　they　have

grown　beside　my　anguish；　the　mother　still　survives。　Spare　them！　Spare

my　children！〃



〃Lemulquinier！〃　cried　Claes　in　a　voice　of　thunder。



The　old　man　appeared。



〃Go　up　and　destroy　allinstruments；　apparatus；　everything！　Be

careful；　but　destroy　all。　I　renounce　Science；〃　he　said　to　his　wife。



〃Too　late；〃　she　answered；　looking　at　Lemulquinier。　〃Marguerite！〃　she

cried；　feeling　herself　about　to　die。



Marguerite　came　through　the　doorway　and　uttered　a　piercing　cry　as　she

saw　her　mother's　eyes　now　glazing。



〃MARGUERITE！〃　repeated　the　dying　woman。



The　exclamation　contained　so　powerful　an　appeal　to　her　daughter；　she

invested　that　appeal　with　such　authority；　that　the　cry　was　like　a

dying　bequest。　The　terrified　family　ran　to　her　side　and　saw　her　die；

the　vital　forces　were　exhausted　in　that　last　conversation　with　her

husband。



Balthazar　and　Marguerite　stood　motionless；　she　at　the　head；　he　at　the

foot　of　the　bed；　unable　to　believe　in　the　death　of　the　woman　whose

virtues　and　exhaustless　tenderness　were　known　fully　to　them　alone。

Father　and　daughter　exchanged　looks　freighted　with　meaning：　the

daughter　judged　the　father；　and　already　the　father　trembled；　seeing　in

his　daughter　an　instrument　of　vengeance。　Though　memories　of　the　love

with　which　his　Pepita　had　filled　his　life　crowded　upon　his　mind；　and

gave　to　her　dying　words　a　sacred　authority　whose　voice　his　soul　must

ever　hear；　yet　Balthazar　knew　himself　helpless　in　the　grasp　of　his

attendant　genius；　he　heard　the　terrible　mutterings　of　his　passion；

denying　him　the　strength　to　carry　his　repentance　into　action：　he

feared　himself。



When　the　grave　had　closed　upon　Madame　Claes；　one　thought　filled　the

minds　of　all；the　house　had　had　a　soul；　and　that　soul　was　now

departed。　The　grief　of　the　family　was　so　intense　that　the　parlor；

where　the　noble　woman　still　seemed　to　linger；　was　closed；　no　one　had

the　courage　to　enter　it。







CHAPTER　X



Society　practises　none　of　the　virtues　it　demands　from　individuals：

every　hour　it　commits　crimes；　but　the　crimes　are　committed　in　words；