the alkahest- 第6部分

it；　she　refused　to　wear　the　draperies　that　concealed　some　portion　of

her　defects；　and　her　Spanish　eyes　grew　entrancing　when　they　saw　that

Balthazar　thought　her　beautiful　as　before。



Nevertheless；　even　so；　distrust　soiled　the　rare　moments　when　she

yielded　herself　to　happiness。　She　asked　herself　if　Claes　were　not

seeking　a　domestic　slave；one　who　would　necessarily　keep　the　house？

whether　he　had　himself　no　secret　imperfection　which　obliged　him　to　be

satisfied　with　a　poor；　deformed　girl？　Such　perpetual　misgivings　gave　a

priceless　value　to　the　few　short　hours　during　which　she　trusted　the

sincerity　and　the　permanence　of　a　love　which　was　to　avenge　her　on　the

world。　Sometimes　she　provoked　hazardous　discussions；　and　probed　the

inner　consciousness　of　her　lover　by　exaggerating　her　defects。　At　such

times　she　often　wrung　from　Balthazar　truths　that　were　far　from

flattering；　but　she　loved　the　embarrassment　into　which　he　fell　when

she　had　led　him　to　say　that　what　he　loved　in　a　woman　was　a　noble　soul

and　the　devotion　which　made　each　day　of　life　a　constant　happiness；　and

that　after　a　few　years　of　married　life　the　handsomest　of　women　was　no

more　to　a　husband　than　the　ugliest。　After　gathering　up　what　there　was

of　truth　in　all　such　paradoxes　tending　to　reduce　the　value　of　beauty；

Balthazar　would　suddenly　perceive　the　ungraciousness　of　his　remarks；

and　show　the　goodness　of　his　heart　by　the　delicate　transitions　of

thought　with　which　he　proved　to　Mademoiselle　de　Temninck　that　she　was

perfect　in　his　eyes。



The　spirit　of　devotion　which；　it　may　be；　is　the　crown　of　love　in　a

woman；　was　not　lacking　in　this　young　girl；　who　had　always　despaired　of

being　loved；　at　first；　the　prospect　of　a　struggle　in　which　feeling　and

sentiment　would　triumph　over　actual　beauty　tempted　her；　then；　she

fancied　a　grandeur　in　giving　herself　to　a　man　in　whose　love　she　did

not　believe；　finally；　she　was　forced　to　admit　that　happiness；　however

short　its　duration　might　be；　was　too　precious　to　resign。



Such　hesitations；　such　struggles；　giving　the　charm　and　the

unexpectedness　of　passion　to　this　noble　creature；　inspired　Balthazar

with　a　love　that　was　well…nigh　chivalric。







CHAPTER　III



The　marriage　took　place　at　the　beginning　of　the　year　1795。　Husband　and

wife　came　to　Douai　that　the　first　days　of　their　union　might　be　spent

in　the　patriarchal　house　of　the　Claes；the　treasures　of　which　were

increased　by　those　of　Mademoiselle　de　Temninck；　who　brought　with　her

several　fine　pictures　of　Murillo　and　Velasquez；　the　diamonds　of　her

mother；　and　the　magnificent　wedding…gifts；　made　to　her　by　her　brother；

the　Duke　of　Casa…Real。



Few　women　were　ever　happier　than　Madame　Claes。　Her　happiness　lasted

for　fifteen　years　without　a　cloud；　diffusing　itself　like　a　vivid　light

into　every　nook　and　detail　of　her　life。　Most　men　have　inequalities　of

character　which　produce　discord；　and　deprive　their　households　of　the

harmony　which　is　the　ideal　of　a　home；　the　majority　are　blemished　with

some　littleness　or　meanness；　and　meanness　of　any　kind　begets

bickering。　One　man　is　honorable　and　diligent；　but　hard　and　crabbed；

another　kindly；　but　obstinate；　this　one　loves　his　wife；　yet　his　will

is　arbitrary　and　uncertain；　that　other；　preoccupied　by　ambition；　pays

off　his　affections　as　he　would　a　debt；　bestows　the　luxuries　of　wealth

but　deprives　the　daily　life　of　happiness；in　short；　the　average　man

of　social　life　is　essentially　incomplete；　without　being　signally　to

blame。　Men　of　talent　are　as　variable　as　barometers；　genius　alone　is

intrinsically　good。



For　this　reason　unalloyed　happiness　is　found　at　the　two　extremes　of

the　moral　scale。　The　good…natured　fool　and　the　man　of　genius　alone　are

capablethe　one　through　weakness；　the　other　by　strengthof　that

equanimity　of　temper；　that　unvarying　gentleness；　which　soften　the

asperities　of　daily　life。　In　the　one；　it　is　indifference　or　stolidity；

in　the　other；　indulgence　and　a　portion　of　the　divine　thought　of　which

he　is　the　interpreter；　and　which　needs　to　be　consistent　alike　in

principle　and　application。　Both　natures　are　equally　simple；　but　in　one

there　is　vacancy；　in　the　other　depth。　This　is　why　clever　women　are

disposed　to　take　dull　men　as　the　small　change　for　great　ones。



Balthazar　Claes　carried　his　greatness　into　the　lesser　things　of　life。

He　delighted　in　considering　conjugal　love　as　a　magnificent　work；　and

like　all　men　of　lofty　aims　who　can　bear　nothing　imperfect；　he　wished

to　develop　all　its　beauties。　His　powers　of　mind　enlivened　the　calm　of

happiness；　his　noble　nature　marked　his　attentions　with　the　charm　of

grace。　Though　he　shared　the　philosophical　tenets　of　the　eighteenth

century；　he　installed　a　chaplain　in　his　home　until　1801　（in　spite　of

the　risk　he　ran　from　the　revolutionary　decrees）；　so　that　he　might　not

thwart　the　Spanish　fanaticism　which　his　wife　had　sucked　in　with　her

mother's　milk：　later；　when　public　worship　was　restored　in　France；　he

accompanied　her　to　mass　every　Sunday。　His　passion　never　ceased　to　be

that　of　a　lover。　The　protecting　power；　which　women　like　so　much；　was

never　exercised　by　this　husband；　lest　to　that　wife　it　might　seem　pity。

He　treated　her　with　exquisite　flattery　as　an　equal；　and　sometimes

mutinied　against　her；　as　men　will；　as　though　to　brave　the　supremacy　of

a　pretty　woman。　His　lips　wore　a　smile　of　happiness；　his　speech　was

ever　tender；　he　loved　his　Josephine　for　herself　and　for　himself；　with

an　ardor　that　crowned　with　perpetual　praise　the　qualities　and　the

loveliness　of　a　wife。



Fidelity；　often　the　result　of　social　principle；　religious　duty；　or

self…interest　on　the　part　of　a　husband；　was　in　this　case　involuntary；

and　not　without　the　sweet　flatteries　of　the　spring…time　of　love。　Duty

was　the　only　marriage　obligation　unknown　to　these　lovers；　whose　love

was　equal；　for　Balthazar　Claes　found　the　complete　and　lasting

realization　of　his　hopes　in　Mademoiselle　de　Temninck；　his　heart　was

satisfied　but　not　wearied；　the　man　within　him　was　ever　happy。



Not　only　did　the　daughter　of　Casa…Real　derive　from　her　Spanish　blood

the　intuition　of　that　science　which　varies　pleasure　and　makes　it

infinite；　but　she　possessed　the　spirit　of　unbounded　self…devotion；

which　is　the　genius　of　her　sex　as　grace　is　that　of　beauty。　Her　love

was　a　blind　fanaticism　which；　at　a　nod；　would　have　sent　her　joyously

to　her　death。　Balthazar's　own　delicacy　had　exalted　the　generous

emotions　of　his　wife；　and　inspired　her　with　an　imperious　need　of

giving　more　than　she　received。　This　mutual　exchange　of　happiness　which

each　lavished　upon　the　other；　put　the　mainspring　of　her　life　visibly

outside　of　her　personality；　and　filled　her　words；　her　looks；　her

actions；　with　an　ever…growing　love。　Gratitude　fertilized　and　varied

the　life　of　each　heart；　and　the　certainty　of　being　all　in　all　to　one

another　excluded　the　paltry　things　of　existence；　while　it　magnified

the　smallest　accessories。



The　deformed　woman　whom　her　husband　thinks　straight；　the　lame　woman

whom　he　would　not　have　otherwise；　the　old　woman　who　seems　ever　young

are　they　not　the　happiest　creatures　of　the　feminine　world？　Can　human

passion　go　beyond　it？　The　glory　of　a　woman　is　to　be　adored　for　a

defect。　To　forget　that　a　lame　woman　does　not　walk　straight　may　be　the

glamour　of　a　moment；　but　to　love　her　because　she　is　lame　is　the

deification　of　her　defects。　In　the　gospel　of　womanhood　it　is　written：

〃Blessed　are　the　imperfect；　for　theirs　is　the　kingdom　of　Love。〃　If

this　be　so；　surely　beauty　is　a　misfortune；　that　fugitive　flower　counts

for　too　much　in　the　feeling　that　a　woman　inspires；　often　she　is　loved

for　her　beauty　as　another　is　married　for　her　money。　But　the　love

inspired　or　bestowed　by　a　woman　disinherited　of　the　frail　advantages

pursued　by　the　sons　of　Adam；　is　true　love；　the　mysterious　passion；　the

ardent　embrace　of　souls；　a　sentiment　for　which　the　day　of

disenchantment　never　comes。　That　woman　has　charms　unknown　to　the

world；　from　whose　jurisdiction　she　withdraws　herself：　she　is　beautiful

with　a　meaning；　her　glory　lies　in　making　her　imperfections　forgotten；

and　thus　she　constantly　succeeds　in　doing　so。



The　celebrated　attachments　of　history　were　nearly　all　inspired　by

women　in　whom　the　vulgar　mind　would　have　found　defects；Cleopatra；

Jeanne　de　Naples；　Diane　de　Poitiers；　Mademoiselle　de　la　Valliere；

Madame　de　Pompadour；　in　fact；　the　majority　of　the　women　whom　love　has

rendered　famous　were　not　without　infirmities　and　imperfections；　while

the　greater　number　of　those　whose　beauty　is　cited　as　perfect　came　to

some　tragic　end　of　love。



This　apparent　singularity　must　have　a　cause。　It　may　be　that　man　lives

more　by　sentiment　than　by　sense；　perhaps　the　physical　charm　of　beauty

is　limited；　while　the　moral　charm　of　a　woman　without　beauty　is

infinite。　Is　not　this　the　moral　of　the　fable　on　which　the　Arabian

Nights　are　based？　An　ugly　wife　of　Henry　VIII。　might　have　defied　the

axe；　and　subdued　to　herself　the　inconstancy　of　her　master。



By　a　strange　chance；　not　inexplicable；　however；　in　a　girl　of　Spanish

origin；　Madame　Claes　was　uneducated。　She　knew　how　to　read　and　write；

but　up　to　the　age　of　twenty；　at　which　time　her　parents　withdrew　her

from　a　convent；　she　had　read　none　but　ascetic　books。　On　her　first

entrance　into　the　world；　she　was　eager　for　pleasure　and　learned　only

the　flimsy　art　of　dress；　she　was；　moreover；　so　deeply　conscious　of　her

ignorance　that　she　dared　not　join　in　conversation；　for　which　reason

she　was　supposed　to　have　little　mind。　Yet；　the　mystical　education　of　a

convent　had　one　good　result；　it　left　her　feelings　in　full　force　and

her　natural　powers　of　mind　uninjured。　Stupid　and　plain　as　an　heiress

in　the　eyes　of　the　world；　she　became　intellectual　and　beautiful　to　her

husband。　During　the　first　years　of　their　married　life；　Balthazar

endeavored　to　give　her　at　least　the　knowledge　that　she　needed　to

appear　to　advantage　in　good　society：　but　he　was　doubtless　too　late；

she　had　no　memory　but　that　of　the　h