the alkahest-第4节

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

very　prominent；　and　narrow　at　the　temples；　was　yellow　in　tint；　but

beneath　it　sparkled　two　black　eyes　that　were　capable　of　emitting

flames。　Her　face；　altogether　Spanish；　dark　skinned；　with　little　color

and　pitted　by　the　small…pox；　attracted　the　eye　by　the　beauty　of　its

oval；　whose　outline；　though　slightly　impaired　by　time；　preserved　a

finished　elegance　and　dignity；　and　regained　at　times　its　full

perfection　when　some　effort　of　the　soul　restored　its　pristine　purity。

The　most　noticeable　feature　in　this　strong　face　was　the　nose；　aquiline

as　the　beak　of　an　eagle；　and　so　sharply　curved　at　the　middle　as　to

give　the　idea　of　an　interior　malformation；　yet　there　was　an　air　of

indescribable　delicacy　about　it；　and　the　partition　between　the

nostrils　was　so　thin　that　a　rosy　light　shone　through　it。　Though　the

lips；　which　were　large　and　curved；　betrayed　the　pride　of　noble　birth；

their　expression　was　one　of　kindliness　and　natural　courtesy。



The　beauty　of　this　vigorous　yet　feminine　face　might　indeed　be

questioned；　but　the　face　itself　commanded　attention。　Short；　deformed；

and　lame；　this　woman　remained　all　the　longer　unmarried　because　the

world　obstinately　refused　to　credit　her　with　gifts　of　mind。　Yet　there

were　men　who　were　deeply　stirred　by　the　passionate　ardor　of　that　face

and　its　tokens　of　ineffable　tenderness；　and　who　remained　under　a　charm

that　was　seemingly　irreconcilable　with　such　personal　defects。



She　was　very　like　her　grandfather；　the　Duke　of　Casa…Real；　a　grandee　of

Spain。　At　this　moment；　when　we　first　see　her；　the　charm　which　in

earlier　days　despotically　grasped　the　soul　of　poets　and　lovers　of

poesy　now　emanated　from　that　head　with　greater　vigor　than　at　any

former　period　of　her　life；　spending　itself；　as　it　were；　upon　the　void；

and　expressing　a　nature　of　all…powerful　fascination　over　men；　though

it　was　at　the　same　time　powerless　over　destiny。



When　her　eyes　turned　from　the　glass　globes；　where　they　were　gazing　at

the　fish　they　saw　not；　she　raised　them　with　a　despairing　action；　as　if

to　invoke　the　skies。　Her　sufferings　seemed　of　a　kind　that　are　told　to

God　alone。　The　silence　was　unbroken　save　for　the　chirp　of　crickets　and

the　shrill　whirr　of　a　few　locusts；　coming　from　the　little　garden　then

hotter　than　an　oven；　and　the　dull　sound　of　silver　and　plates；　and　the

moving　of　chairs　in　the　adjoining　room；　where　a　servant　was　preparing

to　serve　the　dinner。



At　this　moment；　the　distressed　woman　roused　herself　from　her

abstraction　and　listened　attentively；　she　took　her　handkerchief；　wiped

away　her　tears；　attempted　to　smile；　and　so　resolutely　effaced　the

expression　of　pain　that　was　stamped　on　every　feature　that　she

presently　seemed　in　the　state　of　happy　indifference　which　comes　with　a

life　exempt　from　care。　Whether　it　were　that　the　habit　of　living　in

this　house　to　which　infirmities　confined　her　enabled　her　to　perceive

certain　natural　effects　that　are　imperceptible　to　the　senses　of

others；　but　which　persons　under　the　influence　of　excessive　feeling　are

keen　to　discover；　or　whether　Nature；　in　compensation　for　her　physical

defects；　had　given　her　more　delicate　sensations　than　better　organized

beings；it　is　certain　that　this　woman　had　heard　the　steps　of　a　man　in

a　gallery　built　above　the　kitchens　and　the　servants'　hall；　by　which

the　front　house　communicated　with　the　〃back…quarter。〃　The　steps　grew

more　distinct。　Soon；　without　possessing　the　power　of　this　ardent

creature　to　abolish　space　and　meet　her　other　self；　even　a　stranger

would　have　heard　the　foot…fall　of　a　man　upon　the　staircase　which　led

down　from　the　gallery　to　the　parlor。



The　sound　of　that　step　would　have　startled　the　most　heedless　being

into　thought；　it　was　impossible　to　hear　it　coolly。　A　precipitate；

headlong　step　produces　fear。　When　a　man　springs　forward　and　cries；

〃Fire！〃　his　feet　speak　as　loudly　as　his　voice。　If　this　be　so；　then　a

contrary　gait　ought　not　to　cause　less　powerful　emotion。　The　slow

approach；　the　dragging　step　of　the　coming　man　might　have　irritated　an

unreflecting　spectator；　but　an　observer；　or　a　nervous　person；　would

undoubtedly　have　felt　something　akin　to　terror　at　the　measured　tread

of　feet　that　seemed　devoid　of　life；　and　under　which　the　stairs　creaked

loudly；　as　though　two　iron　weights　were　striking　them　alternately。　The

mind　recognized　at　once　either　the　heavy；　undecided　step　of　an　old　man

or　the　majestic　tread　of　a　great　thinker　bearing　the　worlds　with　him。



When　the　man　had　reached　the　lowest　stair；　and　had　planted　both　feet

upon　the　tiled　floor　with　a　hesitating；　uncertain　movement；　he　stood

still　for　a　moment　on　the　wide　landing　which　led　on　one　side　to　the

servants'　hall；　and　on　the　other　to　the　parlor　through　a　door

concealed　in　the　panelling　of　that　room；as　was　another　door；　leading

from　the　parlor　to　the　dining…room。　At　this　moment　a　slight　shudder；

like　the　sensation　caused　by　an　electric　spark；　shook　the　woman　seated

in　the　armchair；　then　a　soft　smile　brightened　her　lips；　and　her　face；

moved　by　the　expectation　of　a　pleasure；　shone　like　that　of　an　Italian

Madonna。　She　suddenly　gained　strength　to　drive　her　terrors　back　into

the　depths　of　her　heart。　Then　she　turned　her　face　to　the　panel　of　the

wall　which　she　knew　was　about　to　open；　and　which　in　fact　was　now

pushed　in　with　such　brusque　violence　that　the　poor　woman　herself

seemed　jarred　by　the　shock。



Balthazar　Claes　suddenly　appeared；　made　a　few　steps　forward；　did　not

look　at　the　woman；　or　if　he　looked　at　her　did　not　see　her；　and　stood

erect　in　the　middle　of　the　parlor；　leaning　his　half…bowed　head　on　his

right　hand。　A　sharp　pang　to　which　the　woman　could　not　accustom

herself；　although　it　was　daily　renewed；　wrung　her　heart；　dispelled　her

smile；　contracted　the　sallow　forehead　between　the　eyebrows；　indenting

that　line　which　the　frequent　expression　of　excessive　feeling　scores　so

deeply；　her　eyes　filled　with　tears；　but　she　wiped　them　quickly　as　she

looked　at　Balthazar。



It　was　impossible　not　to　be　deeply　impressed　by　this　head　of　the

family　of　Claes。　When　young；　he　must　have　resembled　the　noble　family

martyr　who　had　threatened　to　be　another　Artevelde　to　Charles　V。；　but

as　he　stood　there　at　this　moment；　he　seemed　over　sixty　years　of　age；

though　he　was　only　fifty；　and　this　premature　old　age　had　destroyed　the

honorable　likeness。　His　tall　figure　was　slightly　bent；either　because

his　labors；　whatever　they　were；　obliged　him　to　stoop；　or　that　the

spinal　column　was　curved　by　the　weight　of　his　head。　He　had　a　broad

chest　and　square　shoulders；　but　the　lower　parts　of　his　body　were　lank

and　wasted；　though　nervous；　and　this　discrepancy　in　a　physical

organization　evidently　once　perfect　puzzled　the　mind　which　endeavored

to　explain　this　anomalous　figure　by　some　possible　singularities　of　the

man's　life。



His　thick　blond　hair；　ill　cared…for；　fell　over　his　shoulders　in　the

Dutch　fashion；　and　its　very　disorder　was　in　keeping　with　the　general

eccentricity　of　his　person。　His　broad　brow　showed　certain

protuberances　which　Gall　identifies　with　poetic　genius。　His　clear　and

full　blue　eyes　had　the　brusque　vivacity　which　may　be　noticed　in

searchers　for　occult　causes。　The　nose；　probably　perfect　in　early　life；

was　now　elongated；　and　the　nostrils　seemed　to　have　gradually　opened

wider　from　an　involuntary　tension　of　the　olfactory　muscles。　The　cheek…

bones　were　very　prominent；　which　made　the　cheeks　themselves；　already

withered；　seem　more　sunken；　his　mouth；　full　of　sweetness；　was　squeezed

in　between　the　nose　and　a　short　chin；　which　projected　sharply。　The

shape　of　the　face；　however；　was　long　rather　than　oval；　and　the

scientific　doctrine　which　sees　in　every　human　face　a　likeness　to　an

animal　would　have　found　its　confirmation　in　that　of　Balthazar　Claes；

which　bore　a　strong　resemblance　to　a　horse's　head。　The　skin　clung

closely　to　the　bones；　as　though　some　inward　fire　were　incessantly

drying　its　juices。　Sometimes；　when　he　gazed　into　space；　as　if　to　see

the　realization　of　his　hopes；　it　almost　seemed　as　though　the　flames

that　devoured　his　soul　were　issuing　from　his　nostrils。



The　inspired　feelings　that　animate　great　men　shone　forth　on　the　pale

face　furrowed　with　wrinkles；　on　the　brow　haggard　with　care　like　that

of　an　old　monarch；　but　above　all　they　gleamed　in　the　sparkling　eye；

whose　fires　were　fed　by　chastity　imposed　by　the　tyranny　of　ideas　and

by　the　inward　consecration　of　a　great　intellect。　The　cavernous　eyes

seemed　to　have　sunk　in　their　orbits　through　midnight　vigils　and　the

terrible　reaction　of　hopes　destroyed；　yet　ceaselessly　reborn。　The

zealous　fanaticism　inspired　by　an　art　or　a　science　was　evident　in　this

man；　it　betrayed　itself　in　the　strange；　persistent　abstraction　of　his

mind　expressed　by　his　dress　and　bearing；　which　were　in　keeping　with

the　anomalous　peculiarities　of　his　person。



His　large；　hairy　hands　were　dirty；　and　the　nails；　which　were　very

long；　had　deep　black　lines　at　t