the alkahest-第9节

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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　in

the　clutch　of　some　devilish　power；　he　was　permitted；　sometimes　at

least；　to　return　to　himself。　At　such　moments；　when　her　heaven

brightened；　she　was　too　eager　to　enjoy　its　happiness　to　trouble　him

with　importunate　questions：　later；　when　she　endeavored　to　speak　to

him；　he　would　suddenly　escape；　leave　her　abruptly；　or　drop　into　the

gulf　of　meditation　from　which　no　word　of　hers　could　drag　him。



Before　long　the　reaction　of　the　moral　upon　the　physical　condition

began　its　ravages；at　first　imperceptibly；　except　to　the　eyes　of　a

loving　woman　following　the　secret　thought　of　a　husband　through　all　its

manifestations。　Often　she　could　scarcely　restrain　her　tears　when　she

saw　him；　after　dinner；　sink　into　an　armchair　by　the　corner　of　the

fireplace；　and　remain　there；　gloomy　and　abstracted。　She　noted　with

terror　the　slow　changes　which　deteriorated　that　face；　once；　to　her

eyes；　sublime　through　love：　the　life　of　the　soul　was　retreating　from

it；　the　structure　remained；　but　the　spirit　was　gone。　Sometimes　the

eyes　were　glassy；　and　seemed　as　if　they　had　turned　their　gaze　and　were

looking　inward。　When　the　children　had　gone　to　bed；　and　the　silence　and

solitude　oppressed　her；　Pepita　would　say；　〃My　friend；　are　you　ill？〃

and　Balthazar　would　make　no　answer；　or　if　he　answered；　he　would　come

to　himself　with　a　quiver；　like　a　man　snatched　suddenly　from　sleep；　and

utter　a　〃No〃　so　harsh　and　grating　that　it　fell　like　a　stone　on　the

palpitating　heart　of　his　wife。



Though　she　tried　to　hide　this　strange　state　of　things　from　her

friends；　Madame　Claes　was　obliged　sometimes　to　allude　to　it。　The

social　world　of　Douai；　in　accordance　with　the　custom　of　provincial

towns；　had　made　Balthazar's　aberrations　a　topic　of　conversation；　and

many　persons　were　aware　of　certain　details　that　were　still　unknown　to

Madame　Claes。　Disregarding　the　reticence　which　politeness　demanded；　a

few　friends　expressed　to　her　so　much　anxiety　on　the　subject　that　she

found　herself　compelled　to　defend　her　husband's　peculiarities。



〃Monsieur　Claes；〃　she　said；　〃has　undertaken　a　work　which　wholly

absorbs　him；　its　success　will　eventually　redound　not　only　to　the　honor

of　the　family　but　to　that　of　his　country。〃



This　mysterious　explanation　was　too　flattering　to　the　ambition　of　a

town　whose　local　patriotism　and　desire　for　glory　exceed　those　of　other

places；　not　to　be　readily　accepted；　and　it　produced　on　all　minds　a

reaction　in　favor　of　Balthazar。



The　supposition　of　his　wife　was；　to　a　certain　extent；　well…founded。

Several　artificers　of　various　trades　had　long　been　at　work　in　the

garret　of　the　front　house；　where　Balthazar　went　early　every　morning。

After　remaining；　at　first；　for　several　hours；　an　absence　to　which　his

wife　and　household　grew　gradually　accustomed；　he　ended　by　being　there

all　day。　Butunexpected　shock！Madame　Claes　learned　through　the

humiliating　medium　of　some　women　friends；　who　showed　surprise　at　her

ignorance；　that　her　husband　constantly　imported　instruments　of

physical　science；　valuable　materials；　books；　machinery；　etc。；　from

Paris；　and　was　on　the　highroad　to　ruin　in　search　of　the　Philosopher's

Stone。　She　ought；　so　her　kind　friends　added；　to　think　of　her　children；

and　her　own　future；　it　was　criminal　not　to　use　her　influence　to　draw

Monsieur　Claes　from　the　fatal　path　on　which　he　had　entered。



Though　Madame　Claes；　with　the　tone　and　manner　of　a　great　lady；

silenced　these　absurd　speeches；　she　was　inwardly　terrified　in　spite　of

her　apparent　confidence；　and　she　resolved　to　break　through　her　present

system　of　silence　and　resignation。　She　brought　about　one　of　those

little　scenes　in　which　husband　and　wife　are　on　an　equal　footing；　less

timid　at　such　a　moment；　she　dared　to　ask　Balthazar　the　reason　for　his

change；　the　motive　of　his　constant　seclusion。　The　Flemish　husband

frowned；　and　replied：



〃My　dear；　you　could　not　understand　it。〃



Soon　after；　however；　Josephine　insisted　on　being　told　the　secret；

gently　complaining　that　she　was　not　allowed　to　share　all　the　thoughts

of　one　whose　life　she　shared。



〃Very　well；　since　it　interests　you　so　much；〃　said　Balthazar；　taking

his　wife　upon　his　knee　and　caressing　her　black　hair；　〃I　will　tell　you

that　I　have　returned　to　the　study　of　chemistry；　and　I　am　the　happiest

man　on　earth。〃







CHAPTER　IV



Two　years　after　the　winter　when　Monsieur　Claes　returned　to　chemistry；

the　aspect　of　his　house　was　changed。　Whether　it　were　that　society　was

affronted　by　his　perpetual　absent…mindedness　and　chose　to　think　itself

in　the　way；　or　that　Madame　Claes's　secret　anxieties　made　her　less

agreeable　than　before；　certain　it　is　that　she　no　longer　saw　any　but

her　intimate　friends。　Balthazar　went　nowhere；　shut　himself　up　in　his

laboratory　all　day；　sometimes　stayed　there　all　night；　and　only

appeared　in　the　bosom　of　his　family　at　dinner…time。



After　the　second　year　he　no　longer　passed　the　summer　at　his　country…

house；　and　his　wife　was　unwilling　to　live　there　alone。　Sometimes　he

went　to　walk　and　did　not　return　till　the　following　day；　leaving　Madame

Claes　a　prey　to　mortal　anxiety　during　the　night。　After　causing　a

fruitless　search　for　him　through　the　town；　whose　gates；　like　those　of

other　fortified　places；　were　closed　at　night；　it　was　impossible　to

send　into　the　country；　and　the　unhappy　woman　could　only　wait　and

suffer　till　morning。　Balthazar；　who　had　forgotten　the　hour　at　which

the　gates　closed；　would　come　tranquilly　home　next　day；　quite　unmindful

of　the　tortures　his　absence　had　inflicted　on　his　family；　and　the

happiness　of　getting　him　back　proved　as　dangerous　an　excitement　of

feeling　to　his　wife　as　her　fears　of　the　preceding　night。　She　kept

silence　and　dared　not　question　him；　for　when　she　did　so　on　the

occasion　of　his　first　absence；　he　answered　with　an　air　of　surprise：



〃Well；　what　of　it？　Can　I　not　take　a　walk？〃



Passions　never　deceive。　Madame　Claes's　anxieties　corroborated　the

rumors　she　had　taken　so　much　pains　to　deny。　The　experience　of　her

youth　had　taught　her　to　understand　the　polite　pity　of　the　world。

Resolved　not　to　undergo　it　a　second　time；　she　withdrew　more　and　more

into　the　privacy　of　her　own　house；　now　deserted　by　society　and　even　by

her　nearest　friends。



Among　these　many　causes　of　distress；　the　negligence　and　disorder　of

Balthazar's　dress；　so　degrading　to　a　man　of　his　station；　was　not　the

least　bitter　to　a　woman　accustomed　to　the　exquisite　nicety　of　Flemish

life。　At　first　Josephine　endeavored；　in　concert　with　Balthazar's

valet；　Lemulquinier；　to　repair　the　daily　devastation　of　his　clothing；

but　even　that　she　was　soon　forced　to　give　up。　The　very　day　when

Balthazar；　unaware　of　the　substitution；　put　on　new　clothes　in　place　of

those　that　were　stained；　torn；　or　full　of　holes；　he　made　rags　of　them。



The　poor　wife；　whose　perfect　happiness　had　lasted　fifteen　years；

during　which　time　her　jealousy　had　never　once　been　roused；　was

apparently　and　suddenly　nothing　in　the　heart　where　she　had　lately

reigned。　Spanish　by　race；　the　feelings　of　a　Spanish　woman　rose　within

her　when　she　discovered　her　rival　in　a　Science　that　allured　her

husband　from　her：　torments　of　jealousy　preyed　upon　her　heart　and

renewed　her　love。　What　could　she　do　against　Science？　Should　she　combat

that　tyrannous；　unyielding；　growing　power？　Could　she　kill　an　invisible

rival？　Could　a　woman；　limited　by　nature；　contend　with　an　Idea　whose

delights　are　infinite；　whose　attractions　are　ever　new？　How　make　head

against　the　fascination　of　ideas　that　spring　the　fresher　and　the

lovelier　out　of　difficulty；　and　entice　a　man　so　far　from　this　world

that　he　forgets　even　his　dearest　loves？



At　last　one　day；　in　spite　of　Balthazar's　strict　orders；　Madame　Claes

resolved　to　follow　him；　to　shut　herself　up　in　the　garret　where　his

life　was　spent；　and　struggle　hand　to　hand　against　her　rival　by　sharing

her　husband's　labors　during　the　long　hours　he　gave　to　that　terrible

mistress。　She　determined　to　slip　secretly　into　the　mysterious

laboratory　of　seduction；　and　obtain　the　right　to　be　there　always。

Lemulquinier　alone　had　that　right；　and　she　meant　to　share　it　with　him；

but　to　prevent　his　witnessing　the　contention　with　her　husband　which

she　feared　at　the　outset；　she　waited　for　an　opportunity　when　the　valet

should　be　out　of　the　way。　For　a　while　she　studied　the　goings　and

comings　of　the　man　with　angry　impatience；　did　he　not　know　that　which

was　denied　to　herall　that　her　husband　hid　from　her；　all　that　she

dared　not　inquire　into？　Even　a　servant　was　preferred　to　a　wife！



The　day　came；　she　approached　the　place；　trembling；　yet　almost　happy。

For　the　first　time　in　her　life　she　encountered　Balthazar's　anger。　She

had　hardly　opened　the　door　before　he　sprang　upon　her；　seized　her；

threw　her　roughly　on　the　staircase；　so　that　she　narrowly　escaped

rolling　to　the　bottom。



〃God　be　praised！　you　are　still　al