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climate　and　the　effect　of　gases；　whose　pernicious　breath　threatens　our

own　health。



The　cloudy　skies　and　humid　atmosphere　of　Flanders；　and　the　shadows

produced　by　the　narrowness　of　the　street；　sometimes　diminished　the

brilliancy　which　the　old　house　derived　from　its　cleanliness；　moreover；

the　very　care　bestowed　upon　it　made　it　rather　sad　and　chilling　to　the

eye。　A　poet　might　have　wished　some　leafage　about　the　shrine；　a　little

moss　in　the　crevices　of　the　freestone；　a　break　in　the　even　courses　of

the　brick；　he　would　have　longed　for　a　swallow　to　build　her　nest　in　the

red　coping　that　roofed　the　arches　of　the　windows。　The　precise　and

immaculate　air　of　this　facade；　a　little　worn　by　perpetual　rubbing；

gave　the　house　a　tone　of　severe　propriety　and　estimable　decency　which

would　have　driven　a　romanticist　out　of　the　neighborhood；　had　he

happened　to　take　lodgings　over　the　way。



When　a　visitor　had　pulled　the　braided　iron　wire　bell…cord　which　hung

from　the　top　of　the　pilaster　of　the　doorway；　and　the　servant…woman；

coming　from　within；　had　admitted　him　through　the　side　of　the　double…

door　in　which　was　a　small　grated　loop…hole；　that　half　of　the　door

escaped　from　her　hand　and　swung　back　by　its　own　weight　with　a　solemn；

ponderous　sound　that　echoed　along　the　roof　of　a　wide　paved　archway　and

through　the　depths　of　the　house；　as　though　the　door　had　been　of　iron。

This　archway；　painted　to　resemble　marble；　always　clean　and　daily

sprinkled　with　fresh　sand；　led　into　a　large　court…yard　paved　with

smooth　square　stones　of　a　greenish　color。　On　the　left　were　the　linen…

rooms；　kitchens；　and　servants'　hall；　to　the　right；　the　wood…house；

coal…house；　and　offices；　whose　doors；　walls；　and　windows　were

decorated　with　designs　kept　exquisitely　clean。　The　daylight；　threading

its　way　between　four　red　walls　chequered　with　white　lines；　caught　rosy

tints　and　reflections　which　gave　a　mysterious　grace　and　fantastic

appearance　to　faces；　and　even　to　trifling　details。



A　second　house；　exactly　like　the　building　on　the　street；　and　called　in

Flanders　the　〃back…quarter；〃　stood　at　the　farther　end　of　the　court…

yard；　and　was　used　exclusively　as　the　family　dwelling。　The　first　room

on　the　ground…floor　was　a　parlor；　lighted　by　two　windows　on　the　court…

yard；　and　two　more　looking　out　upon　a　garden　which　was　of　the　same

size　as　the　house。　Two　glass　doors；　placed　exactly　opposite　to　each

other；　led　at　one　end　of　the　room　to　the　garden；　at　the　other　to　the

court…yard；　and　were　in　line　with　the　archway　and　the　street　door；　so

that　a　visitor　entering　the　latter　could　see　through　to　the　greenery

which　draped　the　lower　end　of　the　garden。　The　front　building；　which

was　reserved　for　receptions　and　the　lodging…rooms　of　guests；　held　many

objects　of　art　and　accumulated　wealth；　but　none　of　them　equalled　in

the　eyes　of　a　Claes；　nor　indeed　in　the　judgment　of　a　connoisseur；　the

treasures　contained　in　the　parlor；　where　for　over　two　centuries　the

family　life　had　glided　on。



The　Claes　who　died　for　the　liberties　of　Ghent；　and　who　might　in　these

days　be　thought　a　mere　ordinary　craftsman　if　the　historian　omitted　to

say　that　he　possessed　over　forty　thousand　silver　marks；　obtained　by

the　manufacture　of　sail…cloth　for　the　all…powerful　Venetian　navy；

this　Claes　had　a　friend　in　the　famous　sculptor　in　wood；　Van　Huysum　of

Bruges。　The　artist　had　dipped　many　a　time　into　the　purse　of　the　rich

craftsman。　Some　time　before　the　rebellion　of　the　men　of　Ghent；　Van

Huysum；　grown　rich　himself；　had　secretly　carved　for　his　friend　a　wall…

decoration　in　ebony；　representing　the　chief　scenes　in　the　life　of　Van

Artevelde；that　brewer　of　Ghent　who；　for　a　brief　hour；　was　King　of

Flanders。　This　wall…covering；　of　which　there　were　no　less　than　sixty

panels；　contained　about　fourteen　hundred　principal　figures；　and　was

held　to　be　Van　Huysum's　masterpiece。　The　officer　appointed　to　guard

the　burghers　whom　Charles　V。　determined　to　hang　when　he　re…entered　his

native　town；　proposed；　it　is　said；　to　Van　Claes　to　let　him　escape　if

he　would　give　him　Van　Huysum's　great　work；　but　the　weaver　had　already

despatched　it　to　Douai。



The　parlor；　whose　walls　were　entirely　panelled　with　this　carving；

which　Van　Huysum；　out　of　regard　for　the　martyr's　memory；　came　to　Douai

to　frame　in　wood　painted　in　lapis…lazuli　with　threads　of　gold；　is

therefore　the　most　complete　work　of　this　master；　whose　least　carvings

now　sell　for　nearly　their　weight　in　gold。　Hanging　over　the　fire…place；

Van　Claes　the　martyr；　painted　by　Titian　in　his　robes　as　president　of

the　Court　of　Parchons；　still　seemed　the　head　of　the　family；　who

venerated　him　as　their　greatest　man。　The　chimney…piece；　originally　in

stone　with　a　very　high　mantle…shelf；　had　been　made　over　in　marble

during　the　last　century；　on　it　now　stood　an　old　clock　and　two

candlesticks　with　five　twisted　branches；　in　bad　taste；　but　of　solid

silver。　The　four　windows　were　draped　by　wide　curtains　of　red　damask

with　a　flowered　black　design；　lined　with　white　silk；　the　furniture；

covered　with　the　same　material；　had　been　renovated　in　the　time　of

Louis　XIV。　The　floor；　evidently　modern；　was　laid　in　large　squares　of

white　wood　bordered　with　strips　of　oak。　The　ceiling；　formed　of　many

oval　panels；　in　each　of　which　Van　Huysum　had　carved　a　grotesque　mask；

had　been　respected　and　allowed　to　keep　the　brown　tones　of　the　native

Dutch　oak。



In　the　four　corners　of　this　parlor　were　truncated　columns；　supporting

candelabra　exactly　like　those　on　the　mantle…shelf；　and　a　round　table

stood　in　the　middle　of　the　room。　Along　the　walls　card…tables　were

symmetrically　placed。　On　two　gilded　consoles　with　marble　slabs　there

stood；　at　the　period　when　this　history　begins；　two　glass　globes　filled

with　water；　in　which；　above　a　bed　of　sand　and　shells；　red　and　gold　and

silver　fish　were　swimming　about。　The　room　was　both　brilliant　and

sombre。　The　ceiling　necessarily　absorbed　the　light　and　reflected　none。

Although　on　the　garden　side　all　was　bright　and　glowing；　and　the

sunshine　danced　upon　the　ebony　carvings；　the　windows　on　the　court…yard

admitted　so　little　light　that　the　gold　threads　in　the　lapis…lazuli

scarcely　glittered　on　the　opposite　wall。　This　parlor；　which　could　be

gorgeous　on　a　fine　day；　was　usually；　under　the　Flemish　skies；　filled

with　soft　shadows　and　melancholy　russet　tones；　like　those　shed　by　the

sun　on　the　tree…tops　of　the　forests　in　autumn。



It　is　unnecessary　to　continue　this　description　of　the　House　of　Claes；

in　other　parts　of　which　many　scenes　of　this　history　will　occur：　at

present；　it　is　enough　to　make　known　its　general　arrangement。







CHAPTER　II



Towards　the　end　of　August；　1812；　on　a　Sunday　evening　after　vespers；　a

woman　was　sitting　in　a　deep　armchair　placed　before　one　of　the　windows

looking　out　upon　the　garden。　The　sun's　rays　fell　obliquely　upon　the

house　and　athwart　the　parlor；　breaking　into　fantastic　lights　on　the

carved　panellings　of　the　wall；　and　wrapping　the　woman　in　a　crimson

halo　projected　through　the　damask　curtains　which　draped　the　window。

Even　an　ordinary　painter；　had　he　sketched　this　woman　at　this

particular　moment；　would　assuredly　have　produced　a　striking　picture　of

a　head　that　was　full　of　pain　and　melancholy。　The　attitude　of　the　body；

and　that　of　the　feet　stretched　out　before　her；　showed　the　prostration

of　one　who　loses　consciousness　of　physical　being　in　the　concentration

of　powers　absorbed　in　a　fixed　idea：　she　was　following　its　gleams　in

the　far　future；　just　as　sometimes　on　the　shores　of　the　sea；　we　gaze　at

a　ray　of　sunlight　which　pierces　the　clouds　and　draws　a　luminous　line

to　the　horizon。



The　hands　of　this　woman　hung　nerveless　outside　the　arms　of　her　chair；

and　her　head；　as　if　too　heavy　to　hold　up；　lay　back　upon　its　cushions。

A　dress　of　white　cambric；　very　full　and　flowing；　hindered　any　judgment

as　to　the　proportions　of　her　figure；　and　the　bust　was　concealed　by　the

folds　of　a　scarf　crossed　on　the　bosom　and　negligently　knotted。　If　the

light　had　not　thrown　into　relief　her　face；　which　she　seemed　to　show　in

preference　to　the　rest　of　her　person；　it　would　still　have　been

impossible　to　escape　riveting　the　attention　exclusively　upon　it。　Its

expression　of　stupefaction；　which　was　cold　and　rigid　despite　hot　tears

that　were　rolling　from　her　eyes；　would　have　struck　the　most

thoughtless　mind。　Nothing　is　more　terrible　to　behold　than　excessive

grief　that　is　rarely　allowed　to　break　forth；　of　which　traces　were　left

on　this　woman's　face　like　lava　congealed　about　a　crater。　She　might

have　been　a　dying　mother　compelled　to　leave　her　children　in　abysmal

depths　of　wretchedness；　unable　to　bequeath　them　to　any　human

protector。



The　countenance　of　this　lady；　then　about　forty　years　of　age　and　not

nearly　so　far　from　handsome　as　she　had　been　in　her　youth；　bore　none　of

the　characteristics　of　a　Flemish　woman。　Her　thick　black　hair　fell　in

heavy　curls　upon　her　shoulders　and　about　her　cheeks。　The　forehead；

very　prominent；　and　narrow　at　the　temples；　was　yellow