the alkahest-第8节

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not　seek　to　retain。　Though　the　feeling　which　united　her　to　Balthazar

Claes　was　such　that　no　thought　of　personal　interest　could　ever　sully

it；　Josephine　felt　a　certain　pleasure　in　possessing　a　fortune　equal　to

that　of　her　husband；　and　was　happy　in　giving　something　to　one　who　had

so　nobly　given　everything　to　her。　Thus；　a　mere　chance　turned　a

marriage　which　worldly　minds　had　declared　foolish；　into　an　excellent

alliance；　seen　from　the　standpoint　of　material　interests。　The　use　to

which　this　sum　of　money　should　be　put　became；　however；　somewhat

difficult　to　determine。



The　House　of　Claes　was　so　richly　supplied　with　furniture；　pictures；

and　objects　of　art　of　priceless　value；　that　it　was　difficult　to　add

anything　worthy　of　what　was　already　there。　The　tastes　of　the　family

through　long　periods　of　time　had　accumulated　these　treasures。　One

generation　followed　the　quest　of　noble　pictures；　leaving　behind　it　the

necessity　of　completing　a　collection　still　unfinished；　and　thus　the

taste　became　hereditary　in　the　family。　The　hundred　pictures　which

adorned　the　gallery　leading　from　the　family　building　to　the　reception…

rooms　on　the　first　floor　of　the　front　house；　as　well　as　some　fifty

others　placed　about　the　salons；　were　the　product　of　the　patient

researches　of　three　centuries。　Among　them　were　choice　specimens　of

Rubens；　Ruysdael；　Vandyke；　Terburg；　Gerard　Dow；　Teniers；　Mieris；　Paul

Potter；　Wouvermans；　Rembrandt；　Hobbema；　Cranach；　and　Holbein。　French

and　Italian　pictures　were　in　a　minority；　but　all　were　authentic　and

masterly。



Another　generation　had　fancied　Chinese　and　Japanese　porcelains：　this

Claes　was　eager　after　rare　furniture；　that　one　for　silver…ware；　in

fact；　each　and　all　had　their　mania；　their　passion；a　trait　which

belongs　in　a　striking　degree　to　the　Flemish　character。　The　father　of

Balthazar；　a　last　relic　of　the　once　famous　Dutch　society；　left　behind

him　the　finest　known　collection　of　tulips。



Besides　these　hereditary　riches；　which　represented　an　enormous

capital；　and　were　the　choice　ornament　of　the　venerable　house；a　house

that　was　simple　as　a　shell　outside　but；　like　a　shell；　adorned　within

by　pearls　of　price　and　glowing　with　rich　color；Balthazar　Claes

possessed　a　country…house　on　the　plain　of　Orchies；　not　far　from　Douai。

Instead　of　basing　his　expenses；　as　Frenchmen　do；　upon　his　revenues；　he

followed　the　old　Dutch　custom　of　spending　only　a　fourth　of　his　income。

Twelve　hundred　ducats　a　year　put　his　costs　of　living　at　a　level　with

those　of　the　richest　men　of　the　place。　The　promulgation　of　the　Civil

Code　proved　the　wisdom　of　this　course。　Compelling；　as　it　did；　the

equal　division　of　property；　the　Title　of　Succession　would　some　day

leave　each　child　with　limited　means；　and　disperse　the　treasures　of　the

Claes　collection。　Balthazar；　therefore；　in　concert　with　Madame　Claes；

invested　his　wife's　property　so　as　to　secure　to　each　child　a　fortune

eventually　equal　to　his　own。　The　house　of　Claes　still　maintained　its

moderate　scale　of　living；　and　bought　woodlands　somewhat　the　worse　for

wars　that　had　laid　waste　the　country；　but　which　in　ten　years'　time；　if

well…preserved；　would　return　an　enormous　value。



The　upper　ranks　of　society　in　Douai；　which　Monsieur　Claes　frequented；

appreciated　so　justly　the　noble　character　and　qualities　of　his　wife

that；　by　tacit　consent　she　was　released　from　those　social　duties　to

which　the　provinces　cling　so　tenaciously。　During　the　winter　season；

when　she　lived　in　town；　she　seldom　went　into　society；　society　came　to

her。　She　received　every　Wednesday；　and　gave　three　grand　dinners　every

month。　Her　friends　felt　that　she　was　more　at　ease　in　her　own　house；

where；　indeed；　her　passion　for　her　husband　and　the　care　she　bestowed

on　the　education　of　her　children　tended　to　keep　her。



Such　had　been；　up　to　the　year　1809；　the　general　course　of　this

household；　which　had　nothing　in　common　with　the　ordinary　run　of

conventional　ideas；　though　the　outward　life　of　these　two　persons；

secretly　full　of　love　and　joy；　was　like　that　of　other　people。

Balthazar　Claes's　passion　for　his　wife；　which　she　had　known　how　to

perpetuate；　seemed；　to　use　his　own　expression；　to　spend　its　inborn

vigor　and　fidelity　on　the　cultivation　of　happiness；　which　was　far

better　than　the　cultivation　of　tulips　（though　to　that　he　had　always

had　a　leaning）；　and　dispensed　him　from　the　duty　of　following　a　mania

like　his　ancestors。



At　the　close　of　this　year；　the　mind　and　the　manners　of　Balthazar　Claes

underwent　a　fatal　change；a　change　which　began　so　gradually　that　at

first　Madame　Claes　did　not　think　it　necessary　to　inquire　the　cause。

One　night　her　husband　went　to　bed　with　a　mind　so　preoccupied　that　she

felt　it　incumbent　on　her　to　respect　his　mood。　Her　womanly　delicacy　and

her　submissive　habits　always　led　her　to　wait　for　Balthazar's

confidence；　which；　indeed；　was　assured　to　her　by　so　constant　an

affection　that　she　had　never　had　the　slightest　opening　for　jealousy。

Though　certain　of　obtaining　an　answer　whenever　she　should　make　the

inquiry；　she　still　retained　enough　of　the　earlier　impressions　of　her

life　to　dread　a　refusal。　Besides；　the　moral　malady　of　her　husband　had

its　phases；　and　only　came　by　slow　degrees　to　the　intolerable　point　at

which　it　destroyed　the　happiness　of　the　family。



However　occupied　Balthazar　Claes　might　be；　he　continued　for　several

months　cheerful；　affectionate；　and　ready　to　talk；　the　change　in　his

character　showed　itself　only　by　frequent　periods　of　absent…mindedness。

Madame　Claes　long　hoped　to　hear　from　her　husband　himself　the　nature　of

the　secret　employment　in　which　he　was　engaged；　perhaps；　she　thought；

he　would　reveal　it　when　it　developed　some　useful　result；　many　men　are

led　by　pride　to　conceal　the　nature　of　their　efforts；　and　only　make

them　known　at　the　moment　of　success。　When　the　day　of　triumph　came；

surely　domestic　happiness　would　return；　more　vivid　than　ever　when

Balthazar　became　aware　of　this　chasm　in　the　life　of　love；　which　his

heart　would　surely　disavow。　Josephine　knew　her　husband　well　enough　to

be　certain　that　he　would　never　forgive　himself　for　having　made　his

Pepita　less　than　happy　during　several　months。



She　kept　silence　therefore；　and　felt　a　sort　of　joy　in　thus　suffering

by　him　for　him：　her　passion　had　a　tinge　of　that　Spanish　piety　which

allows　no　separation　between　religion　and　love；　and　believes　in　no

sentiment　without　suffering。　She　waited　for　the　return　of　her

husband's　affection；　saying　daily　to　herself；　〃To…morrow　it　may　come；〃

treating　her　happiness　as　though　it　were　an　absent　friend。



During　this　stage　of　her　secret　distress；　she　conceived　her　last

child。　Horrible　crisis；　which　revealed　a　future　of　anguish！　In　the

midst　of　her　husband's　abstractions　love　showed　itself　on　this

occasion　an　abstraction　even　greater　than　the　rest。　Her　woman's　pride；

hurt　for　the　first　time；　made　her　sound　the　depths　of　the　unknown

abyss　which　separated　her　from　the　Claes　of　earlier　days。　From　that

time　Balthazar's　condition　grew　rapidly　worse。　The　man　formerly　so

wrapped　up　in　his　domestic　happiness；　who　played　for　hours　with　his

children　on　the　parlor　carpet　or　round　the　garden　paths；　who　seemed

able　to　exist　only　in　the　light　of　his　Pepita's　dark　eyes；　did　not

even　perceive　her　pregnancy；　seldom　shared　the　family　life；　and　even

forgot　his　own。



The　longer　Madame　Claes　postponed　inquiring　into　the　cause　of　his

preoccupation　the　less　she　dared　to　do　so。　At　the　very　idea；　her　blood

ran　cold　and　her　voice　grew　faint。　At　last　the　thought　occurred　to　her

that　she　had　ceased　to　please　her　husband；　and　then　indeed　she　was

seriously　alarmed。　That　fear　now　filled　her　mind；　drove　her　to

despair；　then　to　feverish　excitement；　and　became　the　text　of　many　an

hour　of　melancholy　reverie。　She　defended　Balthazar　at　her　own　expense；

calling　herself　old　and　ugly；　then　she　imagined　a　generous　though

humiliating　consideration　for　her　in　this　secret　occupation　by　which

he　secured　to　her　a　negative　fidelity；　and　she　resolved　to　give　him

back　his　independence　by　allowing　one　of　those　unspoken　divorces　which

make　the　happiness　of　many　a　marriage。



Before　bidding　farewell　to　conjugal　life；　Madame　Claes　made　some

attempt　to　read　her　husband's　heart；　and　found　it　closed。　Little　by

little；　she　saw　him　become　indifferent　to　all　that　he　had　formerly

loved；　he　neglected　his　tulips；　he　cared　no　longer　for　his　children。

There　could　be　no　doubt　that　he　was　given　over　to　some　passion　that

was　not　of　the　heart；　but　which；　to　a　woman's　mind；　is　not　less

withering。　His　love　was　dormant；　not　lost：　this　might　be　a

consolation；　but　the　misfortune　remained　the　same。



The　continuance　of　such　a　state　of　things　is　explained　by　one　word；

hope；　the　secret　of　all　conjugal　situations。　It　so　happened　that

whenever　the　poor　woman　reached　a　depth　of　despair　which　gave　her

courage　to　question　her　husband；　she　met　with　a　few　brief　moments　of

happiness　when　she　was　able　to　feel　that　if　Balthazar　was　indeed