the alkahest- 第7部分

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

she　had　no　memory　but　that　of　the　heart。　Josephine　never　forgot

anything　that　Claes　told　her　relating　to　themselves；　she　remembered

the　most　trifling　circumstances　of　their　happy　life；　but　of　her

evening　studies　nothing　remained　to　her　on　the　morrow。



This　ignorance　might　have　caused　much　discord　between　husband　and

wife；　but　Madame　Claes's　understanding　of　the　passion　of　love　was　so

simple　and　ingenuous；　she　loved　her　husband　so　religiously；　so

sacredly；　and　the　thought　of　preserving　her　happiness　made　her　so

adroit；　that　she　managed　always　to　seem　to　understand　him；　and　it　was

seldom　indeed　that　her　ignorance　was　evident。　Moreover；　when　two

persons　love　one　another　so　well　that　each　day　seems　for　them　the

beginning　of　their　passion；　phenomena　arise　out　of　this　teeming

happiness　which　change　all　the　conditions　of　life。　It　resembles

childhood；　careless　of　all　that　is　not　laughter；　joy；　and　merriment。

Then；　when　life　is　in　full　activity；　when　its　hearths　glow；　man　lets

the　fire　burn　without　thought　or　discussion；　without　considering

either　the　means　or　the　end。



No　daughter　of　Eve　ever　more　truly　understood　the　calling　of　a　wife

than　Madame　Claes。　She　had　all　the　submission　of　a　Flemish　woman；　but

her　Spanish　pride　gave　it　a　higher　flavor。　Her　bearing　was　imposing；

she　knew　how　to　command　respect　by　a　look　which　expressed　her　sense　of

birth　and　dignity：　but　she　trembled　before　Claes；　she　held　him　so

high；　so　near　to　God；　carrying　to　him　every　act　of　her　life；　every

thought　of　her　heart；　that　her　love　was　not　without　a　certain

respectful　fear　which　made　it　keener。　She　proudly　assumed　all　the

habits　of　a　Flemish　bourgeoisie；　and　put　her　self…love　into　making　the

home　life　liberally　happy；preserving　every　detail　of　the　house　in

scrupulous　cleanliness；　possessing　nothing　that　did　not　serve　the

purposes　of　true　comfort；　supplying　her　table　with　the　choicest　food；

and　putting　everything　within　those　walls　into　harmony　with　the　life

of　her　heart。



The　pair　had　two　sons　and　two　daughters。　The　eldest；　Marguerite；　was

born　in　1796。　The　last　child　was　a　boy；　now　three　years　old；　named

Jean…Balthazar。　The　maternal　sentiment　in　Madame　Claes　was　almost

equal　to　her　love　for　her　husband；　and　there　rose　in　her　soul；

especially　during　the　last　days　of　her　life；　a　terrible　struggle

between　those　nearly　balanced　feelings；　of　which　the　one　became；　as　it

were；　an　enemy　of　the　other。　The　tears　and　the　terror　that　marked　her

face　at　the　moment　when　this　tale　of　a　domestic　drama　then　lowering

over　the　quiet　house　begins；　were　caused　by　the　fear　of　having

sacrificed　her　children　to　her　husband。



In　1805；　Madame　Claes's　brother　died　without　children。　The　Spanish　law

does　not　allow　a　sister　to　succeed　to　territorial　possessions；　which

follow　the　title；　but　the　duke　had　left　her　in　his　will　about　sixty

thousand　ducats；　and　this　sum　the　heirs　of　the　collateral　branch　did

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

tim