the alkahest-第37节

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good　people　of　Douai　believed　that　Mademoiselle　Claes　would　marry　her

great…uncle。　The　rumor　of　this　marriage　reached　Pierquin；　and　brought

him　back　in　hot　haste　to　the　House　of　Claes。



Great　changes　had　taken　place　in　the　ideas　of　that　clever　speculator。

For　the　last　two　years　society　in　Douai　had　been　divided　into　hostile

camps。　The　nobility　formed　one　circle；　the　bourgeoisie　another；　the

latter　naturally　inimical　to　the　former。　This　sudden　separation　took

place；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　all　over　France；　and　divided　the　country

into　two　warring　nations；　whose　jealous　squabbles；　always　augmenting；

were　among　the　chief　reasons　why　the　revolution　of　July；　1830；　was

accepted　in　the　provinces。　Between　these　social　camps；　the　one　ultra…

monarchical；　the　other　ultra…liberal；　were　a　number　of　functionaries

of　various　kinds；　admitted；　according　to　their　importance；　to　one　or

the　other　of　these　circles；　and　who；　at　the　moment　of　the　fall　of　the

legitimate　power；　were　neutral。　At　the　beginning　of　the　struggle

between　the　nobility　and　the　bourgeoisie；　the　royalist　〃cafes〃

displayed　an　unheard…of　splendor；　and　eclipsed　the　liberal　〃cafes〃　so

brilliantly　that　these　gastronomic　fetes　were　said　to　have　cost　the

lives　of　some　of　their　frequenters　who；　like　ill…cast　cannon；　were

unable　to　withstand　such　practice。　The　two　societies　naturally　became

exclusive。



Pierquin；　though　rich　for　a　provincial　lawyer；　was　excluded　from

aristocratic　circles　and　driven　back　upon　the　bourgeoisie。　His　self…

love　must　have　suffered　from　the　successive　rebuffs　which　he　received

when　he　felt　himself　insensibly　set　aside　by　people　with　whom　he　had

rubbed　shoulders　up　to　the　time　of　this　social　change。　He　had　now

reached　his　fortieth　year；　the　last　epoch　at　which　a　man　who　intends

to　marry　can　think　of　a　young　wife。　The　matches　to　which　he　was　able

to　aspire　were　all　among　the　bourgeoisie；　but　ambition　prompted　him　to

enter　the　upper　circle　by　means　of　some　creditable　alliance。



The　isolation　in　which　the　Claes　family　were　now　living　had　hitherto

kept　them　aloof　from　these　social　changes。　Though　Claes　belonged　to

the　old　aristocracy　of　the　province；　his　preoccupation　of　mind

prevented　him　from　sharing　the　class　antipathies　thus　created。　However

poor　a　daughter　of　the　Claes　might　be；　she　would　bring　to　a　husband

the　dower　of　social　vanity　so　eagerly　desired　by　all　parvenus。

Pierquin　therefore　returned　to　his　allegiance；　with　the　secret

intention　of　making　the　necessary　sacrifices　to　conclude　a　marriage

which　should　realize　all　his　ambitions。　He　kept　company　with　Balthazar

and　Felicie　during　Marguerite's　absence；　but　in　so　doing　he

discovered；　rather　late　in　the　day；　a　formidable　competitor　in

Emmanuel　de　Solis。　The　property　of　the　deceased　abbe　was　thought　to　be

considerable；　and　to　the　eyes　of　a　man　who　calculated　all　the　affairs

of　life　in　figures；　the　young　heir　seemed　more　powerful　through　his

money　than　through　the　seductions　of　the　heartas　to　which　Pierquin

never　made　himself　uneasy。　In　his　mind　the　abbe's　fortune　restored　the

de　Solis　name　to　all　its　pristine　value。　Gold　and　nobility　of　birth

were　two　orbs　which　reflected　lustre　on　one　another　and　doubled　the

illumination。



The　sincere　affection　which　the　young　professor　testified　for　Felicie；

whom　he　treated　as　a　sister；　excited　Pierquin's　spirit　of　emulation。

He　tried　to　eclipse　Emmanuel　by　mingling　a　fashionable　jargon　and

sundry　expressions　of　superficial　gallantry　with　anxious　elegies　and

business　airs　which　sat　more　naturally　on　his　countenance。　When　he

declared　himself　disenchanted　with　the　world　he　looked　at　Felicie；　as

if　to　let　her　know　that　she　alone　could　reconcile　him　with　life。

Felicie；　who　received　for　the　first　time　in　her　life　the　compliments

of　a　man；　listened　to　this　language；　always　sweet　however　deceptive；

she　took　emptiness　for　depth；　and　needing　an　object　on　which　to　fix

the　vague　emotions　of　her　heart；　she　allowed　the　lawyer　to　occupy　her

mind。　Envious　perhaps；　though　quite　unconsciously；　of　the　loving

attentions　with　which　Emmanuel　surrounded　her　sister；　she　doubtless

wished　to　be；　like　Marguerite；　the　object　of　the　thoughts　and　cares　of

a　man。



Pierquin　readily　perceived　the　preference　which　Felicie　accorded　him

over　Emmanuel；　and　to　him　it　was　a　reason　why　he　should　persist　in　his

attentions；　so　that　in　the　end　he　went　further　than　he　at　first

intended。　Emmanuel　watched　the　beginning　of　this　passion；　false

perhaps　in　the　lawyer；　artless　in　Felicie；　whose　future　was　at　stake。

Soon；　little　colloquies　followed；　a　few　words　said　in　a　low　voice

behind　Emmanuel's　back；　trifling　deceptions　which　give　to　a　look　or　a

word　a　meaning　whose　insidious　sweetness　may　be　the　cause　of　innocent

mistakes。　Relying　on　his　intimacy　with　Felicie；　Pierquin　tried　to

discover　the　secret　of　Marguerite's　journey；　and　to　know　if　it　were

really　a　question　of　her　marriage；　and　whether　he　must　renounce　all

hope；　but；　notwithstanding　his　clumsy　cleverness　in　questioning　them；

neither　Balthazar　nor　Felicie　could　give　him　any　light；　for　the　good

reason　that　they　were　in　the　dark　themselves：　Marguerite　in　taking　the

reins　of　power　seemed　to　have　followed　its　maxims　and　kept　silence　as

to　her　projects。



The　gloomy　sadness　of　Balthazar　and　his　great　depression　made　it

difficult　to　get　through　the　evenings。　Though　Emmanuel　succeeded　in

making　him　play　backgammon；　the　chemist's　mind　was　never　present；

during　most　of　the　time　this　man；　so　great　in　intellect；　seemed　simply

stupid。　Shorn　of　his　expectations；　ashamed　of　having　squandered　three

fortunes；　a　gambler　without　money；　he　bent　beneath　the　weight　of　ruin；

beneath　the　burden　of　hopes　that　were　betrayed　rather　than

annihilated。　This　man　of　genius；　gagged　by　dire　necessity　and

upbraiding　himself；　was　a　tragic　spectacle；　fit　to　touch　the　hearts　of

the　most　unfeeling　of　men。　Even　Pierquin　could　not　enter　without

respect　the　presence　of　that　caged　lion；　whose　eyes；　full　of　baffled

power；　now　calmed　by　sadness　and　faded　from　excess　of　light；　seemed　to

proffer　a　prayer　for　charity　which　the　mouth　dared　not　utter。

Sometimes　a　lightning　flash　crossed　that　withered　face；　whose　fires

revived　at　the　conception　of　a　new　experiment；　then；　as　he　looked

about　the　parlor；　Balthazar's　eyes　would　fasten　on　the　spot　where　his

wife　had　died；　a　film　of　tears　rolled　like　hot　grains　of　sand　across

the　arid　pupils　of　his　eyes；　which　thought　had　made　immense；　and　his

head　fell　forward　on　his　breast。　Like　a　Titan　he　had　lifted　the　world；

and　the　world　fell　on　his　breast　and　crushed　him。



This　gigantic　grief；　so　manfully　controlled；　affected　Pierquin　and

Emmanuel　powerfully；　and　each　felt　moved　at　times　to　offer　this　man

the　necessary　money　to　renew　his　search；so　contagious　are　the

convictions　of　genius！　Both　understood　how　it　was　that　Madame　Claes

and　Marguerite　had　flung　their　all　into　this　gulf；　but　reason　promptly

checked　the　impulse　of　their　hearts；　and　their　emotion　was　spent　in

efforts　at　consolation　which　still　further　embittered　the　anguish　of

the　doomed　Titan。



Claes　never　spoke　of　his　eldest　daughter；　and　showed　no　interest　in

her　departure　nor　any　anxiety　as　to　her　silence　in　not　writing　either

to　him　or　to　Felicie。　When　de　Solis　or　Pierquin　asked　for　news　of　her

he　seemed　annoyed。　Did　he　suspect　that　Marguerite　was　working　against

him？　Was　he　humiliated　at　having　resigned　the　majestic　rights　of

paternity　to　his　own　child？　Had　he　come　to　love　her　less　because　she

was　now　the　father；　he　the　child？　Perhaps　there　were　many　of　these

reasons；　many　of　these　inexpressible　feelings　which　float　like　vapors

through　the　soul；　in　the　mute　disgrace　which　he　laid　upon　Marguerite。

However　great　may　be　the　great　men　of　earth；　be　they　known　or　unknown；

fortunate　or　unfortunate　in　their　endeavors；　all　have　likenesses　which

belong　to　human　nature。　By　a　double　misfortune　they　suffer　through

their　greatness　not　less　than　through　their　defects；　and　perhaps

Balthazar　needed　to　grow　accustomed　to　the　pangs　of　wounded　vanity。

The　life　he　was　leading；　the　evenings　when　these　four　persons　met

together　in　Marguerite's　absence；　were　full　of　sadness　and　vague；

uneasy　apprehensions。　The　days　were　barren　like　a　parched…up　soil；

where；　nevertheless；　a　few　flowers　grew；　a　few　rare　consolations；

though　without　Marguerite；　the　soul；　the　hope；　the　strength　of　the

family；　the　atmosphere　seemed　misty。



Two　months　went　by　in　this　way；　during　which　Balthazar　awaited　the

return　of　his　daughter。　Marguerite　was　brought　back　to　Douai　by　her

uncle　who　remained　at　the　house　instead　of　returning　to　Cambrai；　no

doubt　to　lend　the　weight　of　his　authority　to　some　coup　d'etat　planned

by　his　niece。　Marguerite's　return　was　made　a　family　fete。　Pierquin　and

Monsieur　de　Solis　were　invited　to　dinner　by　Felicie　and　Balthazar。

When　the　travelling…carriage　stopped　before　the　house；　the　four　went

to　meet　it　with　demonstrations　of　joy。