the quest of the absolute- (la recherche de l'absolu), and other stories

8/11/2019 The Quest of the Absolute- (La Recherche de L'Absolu), And Other Stories

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-quest-of-the-absolute-la-recherche-de-labsolu-and-other-stories 1/416 P u b l

i c D o m a i n

/ h t t p : / / w w w . h

a t h i t r u s t . o r g / a c c e

s s

_ u s e # p d

The Quest of the Absolute and other stories / H. de Balzac ; translated

by Ellen Marriage ; with a preface by George Saintsbury.

Balzac, Honore de, 1799-1850.Philadelphia : The Gebbie Publishing Co., Ltd., 1897.

http://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc2.ark:/13960/t16m35156

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/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-quest-of-the-absolute-la-recherche-de-labsolu-and-other-stories 3/416

S I T

R N I A

B A R A

Y

P u b l i c D o m a i n

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s s

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A R Y


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s s

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s s

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C

H U MA I N E


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s s

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s s

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S I T T N G N A A R G A S Y C H A I R B Y O N E

D OW S .


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s s

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C

E A B S O L U T

R C H E D ' A B S O L U )

TO R I E S

DB Y

R I A G

A C E B Y

N T B U R Y

I A

PU B L I S H I N GC o. td


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s s

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F TH E A B S O L U T i

N MA S T R P E C E

223

N E E S C A U L T 244

L A N D R S 255

O N C I L E D 276

S E 331

A N D TH E D E D 33 5

L E R E TR I B U T O N 3 59


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s s

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U S T R A T O N S .

S I T T N G N A A R G A S Y -C H A I R B Y O N E O F

S rontispiece

MM . C L A E S A T O N C E N H I S A R M . . .A N D

E TA I R C A S E 5 5

D W I T H A W A N - I K E M O V E M N TO F H E R T H R O A T

N C E MOR E A T MMAN U E L ....104

A N ... N OC K E DTH R I C E A TTH E DOO R .225

A W A MA N TA N D N GA TTH E I TT E GR A T D


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dedition ofthe C omedieH umaine "

eQ uestof theA bsolute " together

d TheMaranas c ontainsthe

ac asastory -teller andthef irste -

thefiery heatandglowofthe

tsprincipalc onstituent thetitle

forano elby itself . Thechiefof the

eUnknownMasterpiec e " hasseemed

erpieceof theauthor. J esus-C hrist

o me o t he r s of B a l a c s s h or t s to r ie s i n ti -

f emulatingthecontesfantasti ues

omantic half-V oltairianandhalf-

so m u ch i n f a o r i n 1 3 0 . t i s t h in k

anditshowsitsauthor sgreatmanner

u t u s t as a t t he e n d of ' l i i r

antthetouchofH of fmannratherthan

herewef indsomethingthatisnot uite

otherhand. v enasitis wewouldnot

butweha ethesensethatthesame

mightha ebeene enbetter. Mel-

nferiorthinginitself hasinthesame

d entitiousinterest.

a d mi r e T h e R e d H o u s e u i te s o

rc ontentsof the olume. thas

eobser edthat asindicatingtheorigin

itc onnec tsitselfw iththegeneralsc heme

asfewoftheothersdo. B utitisanat-


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ot h er s o f B a l a c s a t a s ty l e e r y po p ul a r

mbinationofhumorandterror of terne

chisalittledoubtfulinitself which

onewell andforwhic hhehimselfwas

uipped.

th e A b s o lu t e i s a s h as b e en s a id a

inorpointsonly itisamasterpiece.

allelism probablyunconscious be-

altha arC laesasunc onsc iouslyk ills

ichMonsieurGrandetkillshis is

hebook fortherepetition if itis

showgeniuscanrepeat. ndeed

rationcontainedinthe samebooks

edi ersemartyrdomsofMadame

Marguerite fatalintheformerc ase

tter. nnobook isB al ac sfac ulty

rasscenesanddetailsgo morebril-

aretheminorcharactersfromthe

e w ithhisfatalbelief inhismaster s

better whileMargueriteC laesandher

guerite arebycommonconsenttobe

sgreatesttriumphsinportray ing

ughtheyillustratethegeneralprinciple

t centralinterestandfigurewill

restonits surroundings wouldcon-

tletothe effectofthebookifit were

absolutehimself.N owhere per-

tyrannyof thef i edidea theferoc ious

absorptioninthepursuitofac ra e been

esamepowerashere. A ndweknow

thef ire theperfec tionof thehand-

thatB al ac afewgenerationsearlier

Philosopher s tonew iththesamedes-

a ar. Probablynothingbuthisprior


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l

kpre entedhimfromdoingsome-

ually asitwas hekepthimself in

erydifferentpersistenceinthecor-

oble gameofspec ulation.

hatthetyrannyof theidealhasnowhere

ortrayedthanin TheQ uestof the

tthereisperhapsonee c eption anditis

rpiec e whichshouldbec arefully

ction.Theattractionofthiswon-

rall whoha eanythingtodowith

whetherinthewayofcriticismor in

nhardlybee aggerated. remember

halfane eningindisc ussing ina

itsmeritsw iththelateMr. te en-

knowsthec omplimentwhichadistin-

rhaspaiditby attemptingasortof

Thesameinterestis presenthere

butitisalittlec omplic ated alittle

oo thereisthesorc eryof theideal

attainmentandperfection.B uthere

mostas closelyconnectedwith

ualityasthegeneralscheme. Weknowthat

touc hing ofaddingstrokes wasa

thedidac tually indulgeinittoan

icialtohispecuniary interest andperhaps

ustotheef fectofhiswork thoughthe

posedtoanysuchabsolutelyhope-

aseas istheartistin lineand

sis itc annotinitslimitedspace and

atedinterest iewiththeampli-

h e d i gn i ty o f T h e Q u es t . B a l a c mi g ht

g:hewasnotalwaysproofagainstthat

asin ugenieGrandet " w ithwhic h

pred hehashitthee ac tmeanbe-


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.

ongno el hasnotsinnedbydigres-

hardlysinnedbyundueindulgencein

psremoterfromthe general

anthatof E ugenie andoneortwo

w ithe ualmastery andtheeffec t

.

t h at a k n ow l ed g e of B a l a c s o w n pe c u-

esense oftheartisticeminence

ouldbe clearifweknewnothing

erpartof thematter. B utitc annot

ngthatweshould thusknowthe

noblergust ofsympathyanden-

writer consciouslyorunconsciously

esetwogreatand inhisownwork

gs.

b s o lu t e a p pe a re d i n 1 3 4 w i th s e e n

a S c en e d e la i e p ri e e w a s pu b -

byCharpentier andtook itsf inal

o m d i e i n 1 4 5 .


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F TH E A B S O L U T .

Delannoy neeDoumerc.

ntthatthis mybook mayli e

enthegratitudewhic h oweto

pew ille ualyouralmostmaternal

astbeyondthelimitsprescribed

ublimepri ilegeofpro-

tsforatime bythelifeof

nduswouldbe ifwec ould

atlast arewardindeed

enbythosewhoaspireto

tagain sayMayGod

intheR uedeParis ahousethatmay

hersinthec ity forine eryre-

pearance initsinteriorarrangements

tisaperfec te ampleofanold lemish

esallthec haracteristic sofa uaint

turethoroughlyinkeepingwiththe

egoodfolk inthe owCountries.

odesc ribethehouse itmaynotbe

toenter onbehalfofauthors apro-

acticpreliminariesforwhichthe

derhassostrong adislike.There

ensations yetha enotpatienc eto

hichproducethem whowouldfain

eseed thec hildw ithoutgestation.

istoac complishwhatnaturec annot.


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O F TH E A B S O L U T .

anlifeinallitsaspec ts w ideor

connectedwitharchitecture that

bser ationwecanusuallyrecon-

mtheremainsof itspublicmonu-

ouseholdstuf f wec animagineits

asthey li ed. A rc haeology infac t

whatascomparati eanatomyisto

completesocialsystemismadeclear

ustasawholepastorderof things

ofanichthyosaurus.B eholding

eef fec t e enasweproc eedfromthe

edeductionfollowinganotheruntila

mplete untilthemanofsc ienc eraises

f romthedead anddisc o ersforus

hepast bute enthewartsupon

theprodigiousinterestwhichpeopletake

turesolongas thewriterkeepshis

hete tanddoesnot obscurethe

wn fore eryone byasimple

ancallupthepast forhimselfashe

enc e ariessolittlethatthepastseems

andwhenwelearnwhathasbeen

we alsobeholdplainlywhatshall

ofac t wec anseldomseeapic ture

e whereinthecurrentofhuman

utbeingputin mindofourown

ourbrokenresolutions orourblossom-

ntrastbetweenthepresent inwhich

e r g i e n t o us a n d th e f ut u re w h en

e isanine haustiblesourc eof

musings. How isitthat lemish

lemishlife makesanalmostirre-

gswhene erthelittledetails are

rhapsthesecretofthecharmlies in


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F TH E A B S O L U T .3

uncertaintyandperple ityinthis

nyother. uchartcouldhardly

tcomfortwhichcomesofaprosperity

tdepictsane istenc epeacefultothe

ithallitscomplicatedfamilytiesand

utitisnolessthee pressionofatran-

nous ofaprosperitywhichfrankly

dulgence whichhasnothingleft

tse erydesireisgratif iedassoonasitis

atetemperaments thatmeasurethe

ofthesoul cannotseetheseplacid

ed itisonlyshallowpeoplewho

sebeatsso steadilytheheartiscold.

sitselfina suddenand iolent

eatereffectonthepopular imagi-

rc ee ertedslow lyandpersistently .

rthetimenor thepatiencetoestimate

hisuniformlye erted theydonot

theyarebornetooswiftlyalongthe

eforeonlytranscendentpassionthat

onthem andthegreatartist ismost

eedsthelimitsofperfec tion:Mic hel

appello MademoiselledelaV alliere B ee-

umaypasstheirnamesinre iew . tis

erwhichknowsthattheremustbe

imitline thatsetsinthef irstplac e

y thatc ompletenesswhic hstampsa

profoundreposewhichhasso

hoare capableofrecogni ingit.

hispracticalpeopleisinall respects

enasc onc ei edofbythelower

oisparadiseinwhichnothingislacking

felicity.

lismisthedistinguishingcharacter-

reissomethingdull dreary and


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n g li s h c o mf o rt b u t a l e mi s h in t e-

isadelighttotheeyes andthere

he homelinessof lemishlife

f toilisnottoohea ily felt andthe

the lemingsha egraspedandapplied

of farniente whileatran uilappre-

theirsurroundingsisnoless

perof thepeople indeed therearetwo

tionsforthe culti ationofart:

acityfortakingpainswhichisnecessary

oli e thesearepre-eminently

atientandpainstaking leming.

hesubtlebeautyofpoetry areattain-

nceandconscientiousness you

andersmustbeasmonotonously le el

nd andasdrearyastheirc louded

ngof thek ind. Thepowerofc i ili a-

bearine erydirec tione enthe

ebeenmodified.

enc esbetweentheproduc tsof arious

rprisesyouatf irstthatthepre ailing

onesshouldbegraysandtawny-

antcolorsareconfinedtotropical

happliesno lesstohabitsof life.

hernaturallybrownandsoberhues has

enaturallyfoggyand sullenatmos-

nyapolitic alre olution. romher

urgundy shepassedtothe ings

shehasbeenforcedtoseekalliesin

y and lemishlifebearsw itnessto

retracesof panishdominionin

et of lustroussatins inthebold

intheirdroopingfeathersandman-

lyandc eremoniousc ustoms. rom

efortheirlinenandlac es theyrecei ed


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min whichthewineseemstoglow

mA ustriatheyrec ei edthetradition

ratediplomac ywhic h to uotethe

adethreestepsin abushelbasket.

ieshasbroughtthemin abundance

ionsofChinaandthemar elsof apan.

i eness theirpowerofabsorbing

ngoutnothing andofpatientlyenduring

ouldhardlyberegardedasanythingbut

shop amerec onfusionofnationalities

baccoinauguratedanewera.Then

sfusedandformedoutof allthese

ndthefeaturesof thef irst leming

e worldthroughacloudof

sincethattimenomatterfortheir

idedpiec emealthereisno ues-

e lemings theyareonenation

he tobacco-pipe.

tsprac tic alturn hasc onstantlyassimi-

materialwealthofits mastersand

untry originallysodrearyandunro-

eon amodelofits ownchoosing

dmannersbestsuitedtothe lemish

parentlylosingitsownindi iduality

of landers forinstanc e didnot

itwasc ontenttoreproducethereal

eproduc edbefore. tisuselesstoask

alpoetry forthe er eofc omedy

rmusic algenius forthebolderf lights

tsbentisratherfore perimental

putations forworkthatdemandstime

elamp.A lltheirresearchesareof

stconducetophysicalwell-being.

nothingbeyondthem thought

esubser ienttotheneedsof life it


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alities andne ersoarabo eor

onceptionofanationalcareerwas

theirforceininsurrectionwasthe

esiretoha esufficientelbow-room

easebeneaththeea esof their

mfort togetherw iththeindependent

resultofprosperity thatledthem

rlibertywhic h lateron wastoset

Moreo er thereisadoggedtena-

daf i ityof ideawhic hmakeshim

enceofhis rights.Theyarea

whetheritisa uestionofarc hitecture

ragricultureorinsurrec tion they

es. Noonec anapproac hthemin

estodo.Themanufactureof

epatientc ulti ationof fla andthestill

orker togetherwiththeindustry

ha ebeenthesourc esof theirwealth

other.

tability inc arnate perhapsyou

ke somegoodburgomasterofthe

del amannotlac k inginheroism

nseen readytodieinhisc iti enfashion

hts ofhisH ausa.

yof thispatriarchale istenc eis

escriptionofone ofthelastremain-

etimewhenthis storybeginsstill

andthe characteristicsofthatlifein

rtmentof theNord Douai alas )

moderni edmostrapidly mod-

ngingaboutare olutionthere. O ld

daybyday old-worldwaysare

espread ealforsocialprogress.


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itswaysof life anditsfashions

therew illsoonbelittlelef tof theold

eitsassiduousandcordial hospitality

yof pain theopulenc eandc leanli-

brick-builthousesarebeingreplaced

efac ings. ubstantialB ata ianc om-

ewayfor elegantfri olityimported

entstookplace whicharetobe

his story wasalmosthalf-waydown

dhasborneinDouai formorethantwo

meofthe MaisonC laes.

merlybeenamongthemostcelebrated

nwhofoundedthecommercial

ands. ormanygenerationsC laes

Deanofthe greatandpowerfulGuild

W h en C h a r l es V . e n d e a o r e d t o de p ri e

andGhentroseinre olt thewealth-

mselfsodeeplycompromisedthat

leendandthefatereser edforhimand

entawayhisw ifeandc hildrenand alu-

c ort beforethec itywasin estedby

v entspro edthatthefearsof the

ttoowellfounded.W henthe

dsomefewfellow-c iti ensweree c epted

amnesty andthedefenderofthe

Ghentwashangedas arebelagainst

fC laesandhisc ompanionsbore

cometheseuselesscrueltieswereto

nthebestpartof theN etherlands. O f

thebloodofthemartyrsis thesurest

soonestuponthesowing.

sitedthesinsof re oltedGhentuponits

ndruledDouaiw itharodof iron the

fortuneswereunimpaired c onnec tedthem-


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T O F TH E A B S O L U T .

he elderbranchofthenoblehouse

whichrepairedthefortunesofthat

nabledthemtopurchasebacktheir

andsofN ourho inthek ingdomof

ortanemptytitle. A f terthis thec ourse

sufficientlyune entfuluntilthe

hcentury whenthefamilyofC laes

of it wasrepresentedintheper-

l a e s- M ol i na C o u n t o f N o u rh o w h o

simplyB altha arC laes. O fallthe

edbyhisancestorswhohadkeptso

ndsetinmotionso manywheelsof

inedtoB altha araninc omeofabout

deri edf romlandedproperty inand

eintheRuedeParis anditsfurniture

ortune. A sfortheestatesin eon

betweenMolinaof landersand

olinasof eongainedtheday and

untsofNourho althoughintruthit

c h the lemishC laes butbour-

lgianhouserosesuperiortoCastilian

ormaldesignationswereregistered B al-

heragsof panishnobility toshinew ith

tfromciti ensofGhent.The

ostrongin thee iledfamiliesthat

eighteenthc enturytheC laesremained

manners andcustoms.They

ststric tlybourgeoisfamilies re uiring

men burgomasters orthelikeci ic

estorsofthebride-electbefore

em. NowandthenaC laeswould

Ghent orasfarawayas iege or

atsotheolddomestic traditionsmightbe

megraduallymoreandmore


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F TH E A B S O L U T , 9

stheendofthe lastcenturyitwaslimited

tfamiliesofmunicipalnobility wearers

ga-likec loaks whoc ombinedthedigni-

stratew iththatof the panishgrandee

ndhabits wereinharmonywiththeir

fC laeswaslookedonbythe rest

dof awethatwasalmostsupersti-

oyalty thespotlessintegrityof the

heirstaid impressi edemeanorunderall

enrisetoasortof legendof theC laes

es wasasmuc haninstitutioninthe

ynt. Thespiritofold landersseemed

uedeParis inwhichlo ersof

ldf indaperfecte ampleof theun-

hewealthyburghersoftheMiddle

estodwellin.

fthehousefrontwasthe great

a esofoak studdedw ithlarge

psof fi e inthec entretheC laeshad

ms twospindlescon oined. The

ndstone andwassurmountedbya

ne ie ew ithherspindle setina

sabo eit. Thedelic atec ar ing

oorwayhadgrownsomewhatdarker

utsoc arefullyhaditbeenkeptbythe

ate erydetailwas isibleatapassing

ftsinthe amsoneithersidethe

theirdarkgraycolor andshoneasif

ished.Thewindowswereall

edbyarichly -car edbracket the

estoneandin theformofa cross

wasdi idedintofourune ualparts

early twicethesi eoftheupper.

sionswassurmountedbyanarc h

ghtofthe centralmullion.These


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erowofbric ks eac hrow utting

athitbywayofornament thebricks

er alternatelypro ec tedandreceded

formasortofc hec uerpattern. The

anesweresetine c eedinglyslender

werepaintedred.

trengthacourseofwhitestonewas

hebric kwalls whichwere ointedw ith

ornersofthehousewereconstructed

nthegroundfloor oneoneither

nthef irststory andbutthreeinthe

mmediatelybeneaththeroofwas

rw indow di idedintof i ec om-

withsandstone.Thiswindowwasset

likearosew indowo erthearched

dgeoftheroof wasaspindle

osidesof thegreatgablerosestep-

firststory andatthisdeparting

yleoneitherside dischargedtherain-

llaroundthebaseof thehousethere

ofsandstonelikeastep. inally on

ewindowandthedoor layatrap-door

gedw ithironsc roll-work arelic of the

hadbeenbuiltthef ronthadbeen

year notaparticleofmortar

wasimmediatelyreplaced.The

renot keptsocleanandso free

-bars sills andoutsidestoneworkof

hewholehousefrontwasinperfect

ofthesurfaceofthe brickmightbe

me butitwasas carefullykeptasan

-o er sc herishedfoliotreasures


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oldwereitnotfortheno iousgases

re whichnolessthreatentheli es

edsk iesof landers thedamp-

eabsenceoflightorair causedbythe

soondimmedthegloriesofthis pe-

ness and moreo er ga ethehouse

ok.A poetwouldha ewelcomed

eopenworkofthelittle shrine and

aceof thesandstone hemightha e

khereandthereinthosetoo orderly

swallowmightfind aplaceinwhich

theredtriplearchesof the

eneatnessandsmoothnessaboutthe

repeatedscourings anairofsedate

pec tabilitywhic hwouldha edri en

oppositehouseifhehad beenso

phisabodethere. Thisairofpropriety

plyfataltothespirit ofromance.

lledthewrought- ironbellhandle

hedoor andamaidser antf rom

nedthehea yfolding-doors

angthatechoedupinto thelofty

allery anddiedawayinremotemur-

ouwouldha ethoughtthatthe

ron e. romthegallery whichwas

llspaintedtoresemblemarble and

wthf inesand youenteredalarge

edw ithgla edtilesofagreenishc olor.

s laundry andser ants hall to

e thec oal-c ellars and ariousof f ices.

orwasornamentedw ithc ar ing which

spotlessandfreef romdust. Thewhole

edwallsstripedwithbars ofwhite

htwhichpenetratedintoit seemedin


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redtint whichwasreflectedby

eamysteriousc harmandstrangeunfa-

tdetail.

scourtyardstoodthatportionof

mily li ed the uartierdederriere

es abuildinge ac tlysimilartothe

rst roomonthegroundfloor

urwindows twolookedoutupon

ouponagarden aspac eofground

whichthehousewasbuilt.A ccess

ourtyardwasgi enbytwoopposite

c upiedthesamerelati epositionasthe

ssoonasastrangerenteredthewhole

swellasadistant istaof thegreenery

ardenbeyondit.

dinthatportionof thehousewhic h

andstrangerswerelodgedin

story butthoughtheseroomscon-

tlyfurniture therewasnothing

laeshimself c ouldbec omparedw ith

theroomswhichhadbeenthe

turies andadiscerningtastewould

dgment. Thehistorianshouldnotomit

hodiedforthe causeoffreedomin

umulatednearly fortythousandsil er

manufactureofsail-clothsfortheall-

c e. The lemishc raf tsmanwasaman

forhisfriendthecelebratedwood-

um ofB ruges. Manytimestheartisthad

spurse. WhenGhentroseinre olt

nhimselfawealthyman hadsecretly

dapiec eofpanelingofmassi eebony

thestoryofV anA rte elde the

ileruledo er landers. Thispiec e

si typanels andc ontainedabout


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s s

_ u s e # p d




itwasc onsideredtobeV anH uy-

deuphismindtoc elebratehisentry

himbirthbyhangingtwenty-si of

timswerec onsignedtothec ustodyofa

assaid hadof feredtoc onni eatC laes

panelsofV anHuysium s butthe

lysenttheminto rance.

heR uedePariswaswainscoted

. V anH uysium outof respec tfor

hadcomehimselftosetthem in

paintedw ithultramarine andc o -

sothatthisis themostcomplete

oseleastfragmentsarenow worth

sportraitofC laesintherobes

f theTribunaldesParchonslooked

ece hestillseemedtobe thehead

edhimwith enerationasitsgreat

itselforiginallyplainstone had

temarbleduringtheeighteenth

timepiecestoodupontheledgebe-

edc andle-sconc es tortuous elaborate

taste butallofmassi esil er. The

withcrimsonbrocadeddamask

hadark f loweredpattern andlinedw ith

rehadbeenre-c o eredw iththesame

ouisX I V . Thepolishedf loorwas

s uaresofwhitewood w ithslipsof

m butthec eilingyetpreser edthe

tchoak.Perhapsithad beenre-

uysiumhadc ar edthemasksonthe

scrollswhichadornedit.

ersof theparlorstoodashort

branc hedsil ersc onc euponit likethose

andaroundtableoccupiedthe


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



T O F TH E A B S O L U 7 E .

eralc ard-tableswererangedalong

on andonthewhitemarbleslabs

sstood atthetimewhenthisstory

esfullofwater inwhichgoldandsil er

eabedofsandandshells.

andyetaglowwithcolor.The

dtoabsorbthelight andtogi e

om. f thesunlightpouringin

kedoutintothe gardenscintillated

bonyf igureontheoppositewall the

urtyardwasalwayssofaint that

ontheothersidelookeddiminthe

tallthegloriesof theplace but

uesweresubduedandsof t and likethe

fautumnforests theytookbrighter

sunnecessarytodescribethe

furtherlength. Manyof thesc enesin

ll ofc ourse takeplac einother

twillbe sufficientforthepresentto

eneralarrangement.

ontowardstheendofA ugust inthe

wassittinginalargeeasy-chairbyone

outon thegarden. twasafter

eraysofsunlightfallingontheside

sthe roominbroadbeams played

eoppositewall anddiedaway

figuresofthepanels butthe

adowcast bythedamaskcurtain.

reabilityc ouldnotha efailedtomake

faithfullyportrayedafacewithso

ession.Thewomanwassittingwith

reherin alistlessattitude appar-

ciousnessofherphysicale istence

ghthadcompletepossessionofher


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




eemedtoopenupthe pathsofthe

unlightpiercingthroughtheclouds

onthehori onof thesea. H er

msof thec hair herhead asthough

oohea y hadfallenbackagainst

ealoosec ambric gown erysimply

hershoulderswascarelesslyknottedon

nes ofherfigurewerealmostconcealed.

dtocallattentiontoher facerather

itwasafac ewhic h e enif ithad

ongreliefbythelight wouldha e

attentionofanybeholder foritse -

pelessmiserywouldha estruck themost

smoreterribleto witnessthansuch

oseldomgi eswaytoit theburning

otimeseemedlikethefiery la aflood

htadyingmotherweepwhoisc om-

reninthe lowestdepthsofwretched-

nprotector.

ut fortyyearsofage. hewasmore

shehade erbeeninher girlhood.

ghterof theland. H erhairwasthic k

urlso erhershouldersandabouther

s eryprominent narrowatthetemples

blackeyesflashedfirefrombeneathher

hedarkpallorof thetypical paniard.

ceattracteda secondglance the

addestroyedthedelicac yof itsoutlines

ciousnessanddignity attimesit

powertorestoreto itallits pristine

ofbirthwasre ealedinthethick

rewasalsonaturalkindlinessandgra-

ession butthefeaturewhic hga emost

ypeoffacewasan a uilinenose.

hattoostronglymarked theresult


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




eriordefect buttherewasasubtle

inthethinseptumandfinetranspa-

nthelightw ithabrightred. he

ormightnot bec onsideredbeauti-

altonoticethe igorousyetfeminine

e anddeformed shehadmarriedlater

andthispartlybecauseit wasinsisted

wasstupidity yetmorethanone

nsofardent passionandofine -

rface andhadfallencompletely

mthatwasdifficulttoreconcilewith

reinmanywaysa strongresemblance

herancestor theDukeofCasa-Real.

armwhichromanticnatureshad

us thepowerofafascinationthat

butispowerlesstoruletheirdestinies had

reaterthannow whenitwaswasted

yspace. heseemedtobewatc hingthe

reher butintruthhereyessaw

dthemfromtimetotime asif implor-

itwouldseemthatsuc htroubleashers

one.

entsa eforthechirpingof the

rillnotesof afewcicadascamein

mthelittle garden whichwaslike

sun. romaneighboringroom

unds sil erorc hinarattled or

stheser antslaidthec lothfordinner.

edandseemedtolisten shetook

dhereyes andendea oredtosmile so

ealltracesofsorrow thatfromher

a ebeenthoughtthatshe had

etyorac areinherlife. twasthe

stepthathadwroughtthec hange. t


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




built o erthekitchensandtheser-

whichunitedthef rontpartof thehousew ith

thefamily li ed. Whetheritwas

solongconfinedherto thehouse

etheleastnoiseinitatonce or

ttemperamente eronthewatchcan

erceptibletoordinaryears orbe-

ensationforsomanyphysicaldisad an-

iftof sense-perceptionseldomaccorded

lymorehappilyconstituted this

rmallyacuteinher.The soundof

randnearer.A ndsoon notonlyfor

ashers whichcanannilhilatetime

tmayf inditsotherself butforany

eponthestairc asewhic hledtotheparlor

esoundof thatfootstepwhich

mostc arelessmortal itwasimpossible

e. Wearee c itedbythemere

whenamanspringsupandraises

hisfeetareatleastaselo uentashis

ssionlef tbyaslow measuredtreadis

. Thedeliberate hea y laggingfoot-

odoubtha eirritatedimpatient

usperson oranobser erofhuman

lyha ehearditwithoutfeelingathrillof

ad. Wasthereany lifeinthosefeet

ic al l y t w as a d u ll h e a y s o u n d a s

enstruckbyaniron weight.The

lledup isionsofamanbendingunder

thinkerwalkingma esticallybeneath

manreachedthelowest stair

ementslow lyandirresolutely . n

oramoment.A passageledthence

arters adoorc onc ealedinthewainscot


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




parlor andthroughasecondparallel

g-room.

edbyasensationlikeanelectricshock

e womanintheeasy-chair buta

erlips herfacelightedupwith

ndgrewfairandradiantlikethefaceof

hesummonedallherstrength and

osomeinner depth thenshe

sthedoorset inthepanelsin the

ewopenso suddenlythatthestart-

ff ic ienttoac countforandtoc o erher

earedandmadese eralpacesforward

ewomaninthelowchair orifhe

ithunseeingeyes. H estoodupright

r hisheadslightlybent andsup-

Thesmilefadedfromthewoman s

erc edbyahorriblepang feltnonethe

cometobe apartofher daily

kbrowsc ontractedw ithpain deepening

bythef re uente pressionofstrong

lledw ithtears whichshehastily

okedc tB altha ar.

ceedinglyimpressi eaboutthehead

nhisyoungerdayshehadbornea

heroicmartyrwhohadthreatened

eldeanddef iedthe mperor

thepresentmomentthemanof f iftyor

beensi tyyearsofageandmore

a prematureoldage thelikeness

torhadceased.H istallfigurewas

ehadcontractedthehabit bystoop-

rperhapsthec ur aturewasduetothe

hea yforthespine. Hewasbroad-

ouldered hislowere tremities though


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




youc ouldnothelpc astingaboutfor

ispu z lingsingularity inaf ramewhich

nperfectlyproportioned.H isthick

erhisshouldersin theGerman

hichwas uiteinkeepingwitha

essandgeneralneglect.H isforehead

heprominenceoftheregiontowhich

was erystronglymarked.The

eemedtoha eapowerofkeenan d

rac teristic oftennotedinstudentsofoc cult

nosehaddoubtlessoncebeen

ong thenostrilshadapparentlygrown

nsionofthemusclesinthe continual

mell.The hollowsinafacewhich

medallthe deeperbyforceofcon-

bones thic klyc o eredw ithshort

ciousoutlines seemed asit

betweenthenoseandashort sharply

oha eafanc yfordisc erninganimal

ountenances wouldha eseeninthe

a l f a ce o f B a l t ha a r C l a e s a li k en e ss t o

ewasnosoftnessorroundness

sk inwastightlydrawno erthebones

escorchinginfluenceofafire

ereweremomentswhentheeyes

seekingforthereali ationofhis

sthis firethatconsumedhimseemed

hichseemtobe li ingforcesof

mbodiment somesuchthought

pressedinthepalefac ew ithitsdeeply -

a esc oredthefurrowsonabrow like

ofc ares andtoshineforthmost

es thefireinthem seemedtobe


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




hichis theresultofthetyrannous

andbythefires ofamightyintelli-

setandsurroundedbydarkcircles

g igilsandofterribleprostration

reiterateddisappointments ofhopes

ytobeblighted ofwearandtearof

sc ienc eare ealousdi inities their

el esbyunmistakablesigns. Therewas

essandaloofnessinB altha arC laes

hwas uiteinkeepingwiththe

nginhuman uality . Hislarge

hair weresoiled therewere et-blac k

finger-nails.Therewasanair of

asterofthe housewhichwouldnot

nyof itsotherinmates.

c leaned orthelaceswerebrokenor

breecheswereco eredwithstains

swaistc oat hisc ra atwasaskew

enishtint hereandtheretheseams

erythingabouthim downtothesmallest

uceanuncoutheffect whichinanother

helowestdepthsofoutc astmisery but

twastheneglec tofgenius.

outresults sosimilarthatordinary

them.W hatisgeniusbut aform

mestimeandmoneyandhealthand

enshorterroadtothehospitalthanthe

moreo er appeartopaymore

enius fortheydec linetogi eit

ouldseemthatgeniusconcernsitself

thatsocietyisshyofcastingaccounts

c hpo ertyandwretchednessare

oc ietypreferstoha enothingtodo

tswhenitwouldha ebeenhard


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




altha arC laesmomentswhen in

nessandmysteriouspreoccupation

his fellows andthefaceofthe

kindlythoughte pressedinthe

themdisappeared andhelooked

sotospeak tolifeanditsrealities

nattrac ti ebeauty inhisfac e a

fromit.A nyonewhosawhim

ha manshouldleadthelife ofa

hemustha ebeen eryhandsomein

r e rr o r. B a l t h a a r C l a e s ha d n e e r

hanatthismoment. a ater

udiedthenoblehead ha erec og-

atienc e thestainlesscharacter the

leming thegreatandmagnanimous

assionthatseemedcalmbecauseitwas

oldha ebeenac onstantandde-

alswouldha ebeenpure hisword

alitiesshouldha ebeendedic atedtothe

tohisowncirc leof friends andto

w illof themanwhic hhadgi enthem

ndtheciti en theresponsibleheadof

ofalargefortune whoshouldha e

drentowardsafairfuture li ed

inc on ersew ithafamiliarspirit

sandaffectionscountedfornothing.

eeninhimamaninspiredbyGod an

dhimasagreatmaster anenthusiast

orsomeseeraf terthepatternof

dow hisragged disordered and

nstrangecontrastwiththegraceful

whowatchedhimso sadly.A

stinguishespersonsofmentalability

ufferfrom bodilydeformity.They


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




autyisthe beautyofmindand

odresssimply ortheydisc o erhow

heirphysicaldefectsbya studied

. A ndthewomaninthelowc hair

oul butshelo edB altha arC laes

tionwhichisa foretasteoftheintel-

adbeenbroughtupinoneof the

um sothate enifhertastehadnot

d ha e b e en a c u i re d a n d t u to r ed

opleasetheeyesofthe manshe

edtodressherselfadmirably andtoadopt

effectofher deformity.Moreo er

scertainlylargerthantheother

n herfigure. heglancedthrough

yard andthenintothegarden as

ewaswithinhearing turned

andspokeinthelowtonesthat lemish

ebetweenthesetwohadlongsinc e

ride.

y de e p in y ou r w or k B a l t h a a r T h is

aysinc eyouha ebeentomassor

sw ifebowedherhead c lasped

watchinghimthewhile. heknew

ther tocontemptnortoindiffer-

nyofanall-absorbingthought. nthe

esensiti edelicacyofyouthlingers

ated andB altha arC laeswouldha e

houghtthatmightwound howe er

owasalwaysoppressedwiththepainful

icaldeformity.And thisdreadwas

eunderstood asfewmendo how

asthepowerto effacethehappiness

thatsuchwordsha eamorec ruel

eyareutterlyat arianc ew iththec onstant


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




forwearesomade thatourhappiness

esiti etopain whilesorrowhasno

gatransitorygleamof oy. A f tera

a a r r ou s ed h i ms e lf g a e a u i ck g l an c e

V e s p e rs A h t h e ch i ld r en h a e

windowandlookedoutinto the

ipsbla edinalltheirglory . Thenhe

hehad comeintocollisionwithawall

hyshouldtheynotc ombineinagi en

d " histerrif iedwifeaskedherself .

estandtheinterestof thisscene and

arose itwillbe necessaryto

oushistoryofB altha arC laesandof the

eofC asa-R eal.

r 17 3 M.B altha arC lacs-

entwenty-twoyearsofage mightha e

tleman " aswesay in rance. He had

cationinParis hismannershadbeen

Mme. d E gmont asetc omposedof

originallyofB elgianfamilies orof

itherbybirthor byfortune.Great

ehighestfashion suc hastheC ount

fA remberg the panishA mbassador

mongtheB elgianresidentsinParis.

ationsandfriendsthere whointro-

orld ustasthegreatworldwas

but likemanyyoungmen hewas

nd byknowledgeratherthanby

ntedthesocietyof learnedmen wa ed

andbecameanardentdiscipleof

thenbetterknownforthe astfortunehe

rgeneralof ta esthanforthesc ientif ic


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




omakethenameof thegreatchemist

er-generalwasforgotten.

andashandsomeasHel etius and

sonly instruc tor. Underthetuitionof

arnedtodistilthemore olatile

nry andalthoughhehadpre iously

dieswith anenthusiasmthathad

ofhismaster hedeserted a oisier s

ssonsinsa oir- i rc undertheguid-

oodmannersand goodtaste the

tywhichformsa sortoffamilyall

msofsuccessdidnotlast long

arC laesbreathedtheairofParisfora

olongtime heturnedhisbackonthe

eempty life whichhadnothinginitto

affectionatenature. tseemedto

nessof family life a isioncalledup

nati e landers wasthelifebest

to theaspirationsofhisheart.The

adnot effacedoldmemoriesofthe

arlorin theoldhouseinDouai of

hehappydaysofhischildhood.

linParis shouldha enotiesof

sis thechosencityofthecosmo-

oareweddedtosoc ialambition by

orpolitic alpower theygainaholdon

errela .

entbacktothehousein Douaias

onflewhometoitsnest. twastheday

dtearsc ameintohiseyesatthesight

the uc kof thecity theembodi-

lemishtraditions hadbeenintro-

amilyhad beendri entotake

laeswasemptyandsilent his


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

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dduring hisabsence andforsome

redhispresencethere.

hislosshis thoughtsturnedto

ies whichboundhimtohishome

rthhadreawakenedastrongdesire

py e istenceofwhichhehad

edtodoashis forefathershaddone

ruges andtoA ntwerpinsearchofa

ideasofhisownastomarriage for

himfromhisearliestyouththat he

ebeatentrac k ordoasotherpeople

aywhileona isittooneofhis

heardofayounglady inB russels

sdifferedconsiderably. omecon-

ck sbeautywas uitespoiledbyher

insistedthatshewasperfection.

altha arC laes somewhatelderly

eststhat beautifulorno Mile. Tem-

ldha einducedhimtomarryher

wife.A ndwiththathe toldhow

rc laimsonthefamilyestatesothat

makeamarriagebefittinghis rank

ghishappinessbeforeherown and

foritwasscarc elytobee pec ted

marrynowthatshehadno fortune

s past whennosuitorhadpresented

ergirlhood.

a arC laeshadobtainedanintroduc -

nowawomantwenty- fi eyearsof

eply inlo ew ithher. osephinede

thisasa passingfancy andrefused

buttheinfluenceofpassionis ery

eforherinamanwhohadyouthand

well-knitframe therewassomething


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




lameanddeformedgirlthatshe

suf f icetotellthestoryof thelo e

rl sheart Theworldhadpro-

andshehadmeeklyac uiescedin

thoughshewasofpossessingthe irre-

sforthtrueandlastinglo e. A nd

ppiness whatf ierc e ealousyawoke

ec tsof engeanc eifari alstolea

sandfearssuchasseldomfall tothelot

otbutlosebybeingpassedo erina

nalysismustbeminute. Doubt the

e wouldbethekeynoteofastory in

findoncemorethepoetryof those

longsincelostbutnotforgotten.

ofthe heartwhichthefacene er

beingunderstood andtheunspeakable

themisgi ingswhic hleadthesoul

hemomentswhen asifdrawnforth

thesoulre ealsitself intheeyesby

wildthoughtsofsuicidethatarise ata

orestbyatoneina oic ewhose ibra-

eddepthsoffeeling tremulousglances

sw ift passionatelongingstospeak

bytheir ery ehemenc e c ommun-

mmonplacephraseswhichoweall

alteringof the oic e mysteriouswork -

etionandmodestyofsoulwhichis

andf indse q uisitedelightinsac rific es

og n i e d y o ut h fu l l o e i n s ho r t w i th

gth.

ninckwasac o uettethroughlof ti-

nsciousnessofherdeformity

bleandhardtopleaseas theprettiest

thatadaywould comewhenher


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




reforher andthethoughtawakened

rconfidenceinherself.W ith

kedawayinherinmostheart thefirst

ichotherwomenlo etodeck

of theworld. Themorelo edrewher

t h e le s s sh e d ar e d to g i e e p r es s io n t o

e st u re a u e st i on o r a r es p on s e fr o m a

ebeenf latteringtoaman butfor

anc eahumiliatingspeculation A

elf peoplelooklenientlyonher

asingleglancehas powertostopthe

plainwoman sfeatures tomakeher

andawkward. Doesshenotknowthat

dno blunders thatnoindulgence

r n a y t h at n o o ne w i ll g i e h e r an y

em hemustalwaysbefaultless

nd disheartenherwhilethecon-

rpowers uc hawomanc anonly

ofdi ineindulgence andwherec anthe

dulgenceis notpoisonedbya

ationmorepainfultosensiti e

eunk indness foritaggra atestheir

ygi ingthemprominence.The

wasintolerabletoMile deTem-

selfintoself-repression forcedback

most beautifulthoughtsthatrosein

geinanic yreser eofmannerand

tolo einsec ret andwaselo uent

e. hewasplainandinsignificant

tshewouldha ebeenabeautifulwoman

dbyc andlelight. N otseldomshehad

altha ar slo e risk ingherwhole

rof it disdainingtheaidofdressand

eeffectofdeformitycouldbesoftened


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




paniard seyesgrewfullofw itc hery

nthusshewasbeautifulforB altha ar

mentswhenshe enturedtogi eher-

inglo edwereembitteredbydistrust

ebeganto askherselfwhetherC laes

hemightha eadoc ilesla e whether

ichmadehim contenttoweda

ubtsandan ietieswhichcon-

ethosehoursunspeakablyprecious

tthiswasatrueandlastinglo e

endsforallthe slightsoftheworld.

ionsonthedelicatesub ec tofherown

onitande aggeratingitthatshemight

er snature andc ameinthiswayby

ering yetshelo edhimforthe

und himselfwhenshehadledhim

smostbelo edforabeautifulsoul

ic hmakesthedaysof lifef lowonin

thataf terafewyearsofmarriageaw ifemay

nonearthortheplainest itmakesno

nsupportofthis theoryhehad

uhasliesin ariousparado ic alasser-

ery littlec onse uence tillhesuddenly

aciousnessofhisarguments.A ll

as re ealedbythetactand delicacy

angedhisgroundandmadeMile.

hat forhimshewasperfect.

de otionisthehighestheightof

otwantinginthisgirlwhodidnot

ouldnotfail. hefeltattrac tedby

n whichsentimentwastotriumph

wassomethinggreat shethought in

w ithnoblindfaiththatlo ewouldlast

ess briefasitmightpro e mustc ost


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




dnotrefusetotasteit. These ues-

glesga eallthec harm allthe

ontothise altednature andinspired

hatwasalmostc hi alrous.

thebeginningof theyear1795.

ospend thefirstweeksoftheir

ralhomeoftheC laes.Thehouse-

eenincreased.Mile deTemninck

alf inepaintingsbyMurilloandV elas-

sdiamonds andthesplendidweddingpres-

whohadsuc c eededtothetitle and

eal. ewwomenwereashappyas

ottheslightestcloudin thehappi-

eyears ahappinessthat likeabright

enthemosttri ia ldetailsofdaily life.

eine ualitiesofc harac terwhic hc ause

smallweaknessesthatleadtobicker-

ofdomestic lifeisspoiled andthefair

maybeconscientiousandhardwork-

stern anotherisgood-natured but

o ehisw ifesinc erely buthene er

whileafourthissoabsorbedinhisam-

fectionasadebttobe discharged

anitiesof fortunehetakesall oyout

sby its erynatureinc omplete

nandcommissionarenotheinous.

ngeableasthebarometer geniusalone

thappinessisaccordinglyonlytobe

of theintellec tualsc ale thereisa

ramentinthegood-naturedidiotand

risingintheone casefromweakness

ngthofcharacter.B otharecapable

temper whichsoftenstherough-

eits sourceisaneasygood-natured


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




theritspringsf romindulgenc e a

er istheinterpreterofasublimethought

s wholelifeintoconformitywith

simpleandtransparent theone

s theotherbyreasonof itsdepth.

erefore aresuff ic ientlyreadytotakeadunc e

amanofgenius.

nessofc harac tershoweditself f romthe

etailsof life. C on ugallo ewasa

yes hedeterminedtode elopall

allpowerfulc harac ters hec ouldnot

anyfallingshortinattainment.H is

riedthecalmmonotonyofhappiness

didborethestampofanoblenature.

ghhewasinsympathyw iththephilo-

heeighteenthc entury heinstalleda

niltheyear1 01 astepwhic hlaid

penaltiesof theR e olutionarycode ,

atholicismwhichhis panishwifehad

smilk . A f tertheRomanC atholic

rance hewentw ithhere ery un-

uittedtheformsofpassion. He

ectingpowerthatwomenlo esowell

wifeitwouldha eseemedlikepity.

mostingeniousformof flattery he

andwouldbreak intoplayfulrebellion

asamanwillsometimespermithimself

ywomanatdefiance.A smileof

reduponhislips andhistoneswere

hineforhersakeandforhisownwith

chisa constanttributetothe

w ife. idelity of tentheresultof

nterestedconsiderations seemedinhis


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




andwasalwaysac c ompaniedbythe

gtimeoflo e.Dutywasthesole

chwasunknowntothesetwoe ually

a l th a a r C l a e s fo u nd i n o s ep h in e d e

completereali ationofhishopes.

tisf iedtothefull hewasalwayshappy

happiness. A smightha ebeene -

hterof thehouseofC asa-Real w ith

ossessedthesec retofan inf inite ariety "

ity foralimitlessde otion anda

de otion asallherbeautyc onsistsin

blindfanatic ism atasignf romhim

oyfully toherdeath. B altha ar sdeli-

e womanlygenerosityofhernature

morethansherec ei ed. Thismutual

sswhic heachinturnla isheduponthe

erlifewithouther andf illedher

dac tionsw ithalo ethatonlygrew

lsidesgratitudeenrichedand

eart ustasthec ertaintythateac hli ed

eness impossible andtheleast

easedtobe tri ialities.

ecreationare thereanyhappier

dwifewhoisnot crookedforthe

amewomanwhenherhusbandwouldnot

eis andthew ifegrownoldandgray

H umanpassionc angonofurther

nisadoredfor whatisusually

snotthishergreatestglory tiseasy

fascinationthatawomandoesnot

ensheislo edbec ausesheislame itis

mity . nthee angelofwomen

psbewritten B lessedaretheim-

ek ingdomof lo e. A ndofatruth

nefora woman fortheflowerof


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_ u s e # p d




ncountsfor somuchinthefeeling

enotlo edforherbeautyasanheiress

B utawomanwithoutthisperishable

thec hildrenofA damseeksoeagerly

o eindeed theinmostmysteryof

ulwith soul.Thedayofdisillusion

. Herc harmisnotrec ogni edbythe

legiance andisfairforonealone

glorythatherdefectsshouldbe

butsucceedinheraim.

t- lo edwomeninhistoryha ebeenby

fulforordinaryeyes Cleopatra

DianaofPoitiers Mile delaV alliere

ndnearlyallwomenfamousthrough-

ewhichtheyonceinspired ha ehad

mings whileothersofwhomit is

of law intheirlo elinessha eo er

eendinpiteoustragedy. Doman-

ratherbysentimentthanbypleasure

thecharmofmerephysicalbeauty

oulisinf inite snotthisthe

ormsasettingtothe A rabian

r y V I I I . h ad f o un d a h ar d -f e at u re d w if e

thea eandretainedthewandering

ated ac uriousc ircumstanc e but

hedaughterofa panishgrandee.

e butuntilherparentstookherf rom

girlhoodwasspent thatistosay until

shehadreadnothing buttheworks

herentranceintosociety andfora

adbeentooeagerforamusementto

olousartsof thetoilet and

eeplymortifiedby herignorancethat

otakeanypartinc on ersation andwas


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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ceasanunintelligentgirl. B utone

mysticaleducationhadbeenthat

houghtandfeelinghadbeen

ewasas plainanduninterestingas

usbandshe grewbeautifuland

eattempt itistrue intheearlyyears

is wife sothatshemightnot feel

sway butdoubtlesshewastoolate

memorysa ethatof theheart. he

hatheletfallc oncerningthemsel es

eirhappy lifewasf reshinhermind

onwasforgotten. Thisin inc ible

oughtaboutseriousdiscordsbetween

e butMme. C laes lo eforher

ion andtheintuitionofpassionate

r eherhappinesshadmadeher uic k-

edmattersthatshealwaysappearedto

noranc ewas eryseldomtooapparent.

ntwolo eeac hothersowellthate ery

rstdayof theirlo e suc h ital

ouspoweroftransformingthewhole

ot becomelikechildhood care-

snotlo eor oyandlaughter

anditsf iresburnf ierc ely welet

setoursel estomeasurethemeansor

Mme. C laesunderstoodherposition

daughterof v e. Herc harac ter

ionof panishpridew iththesub-

amandewhichmakesthedomestic hearth

sdignif ied shec ouldc ommandrespect

aledac onsc iousnessofherown alue

butbeforeC laesshetrembled. he

nhigh soneartoGod thatthe

ayor thinkcontrolledhere ery


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s s

_ u s e # p d




erlo ehadc ometoha eatingeof

hehadmadeitapointofhonor

mishbourgeoistraditionsofthe

erselfonthe plentyandcomfortof

hec lassic c leanlinessofe erydetail

hebest e erydishatdinnermustbe

dser ed. hesoruledthingsinher

erlife wasinharmonywiththe

ogirls. Theoldestchild agirl

sbornin1796 theyoungest athree-

c alled eanB altha ar. Motherly lo e

me.C laesasheraffectionforher

especially inthelastyearsofherlife

betweenlo eforherhusbandand

whentwoc laimsuponherheartso

einsomesort antagonistic.Thiswas

nawayinthesleepyold house and

storyopenshertearsandthe

ausedbya fearthatshehadsacri-

sband.

e s b r ot h er h a d di e d l e a i n g n o c hi l dr e n.

to panishlaw c ouldnotinheritthe

w iththetitletotheheir-at-law but

boutsi ty thousandducats andthe

ngerbranchof thehousedidnot

oughtof interesthade ermingled

osephinefoundac ertainsatisfac tionin

enowe ualedthatofherhus-

in herturnshebroughtsomethingto

engenerouslycontenttorecei e

n ce d t ha t B a l t ha a r s m a rr i ag e w h ic h

mned turnedouttobea good

tof iew .

cultproblemtoknowwhatto do


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s s

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uc c essions whichdi idestheestate

hec hildren eac hchild ssharewould

dthetreasuresstoredforsolonginthe

eonedaybeendispersed. Withhis

altha arin estedMme. C laes fortunein

retoeachoftheirchildrena position

eyhadbeenbroughtup andthe

eptup ontheoldfooting.They

ufferedsomewhatintherecent

years time w ithduec are werelikely

alue.

laesmo edconsistedofthe

isw ife snoble ualitiesandc har-

ppreciated thatbyasort oftacit

lationssostringentlyenforcedin

somewhatrela edinher case.

whichwerealwaysspentinDouai

e andwent ery littleintosociety

erec ei ede eryWednesday and

partiese erymonth. twasgenerally

laesfeltmoreateaseinherown

fwaslittleinclinedtolea eit herlo e

hildren whomshewasbringingup

herathome.

erewasnoc hangeinthewaysof the

egedtoformane c eptiontoac cepted

e twobeings withitshidden

y f lowedontoallappearanc elikeother

a e s p a ss i on f o r hi s w if e w h ic h s he h a d

emed ashehimselfsaid toha edeter-

sinnateperse erancewasemployedin

ness ashehadc ulti atedtulipsinhis

mfromthenecessity foramaniatradi-

ttheend oftheyearachange

r itc ameaboutsoimperc eptibly thatat


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s s

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hink itnecessarytoaskthereason

nee eningheseemedpreoccupied

dsheconscientiouslyrespectedhis

ac tandhabitsofsubmissionhad

altha ar sc onf idence shefeltfar

ogi ewayto ealousy . etthough

rywouldmeetwithapromptanswer

y lifehadgi enheraninstinc ti e

usband smoralmaladywentthrough

byslowdegreesdid itassumeanacute

lerably iolentthatatlastthehappi-

wasdestroyed.H owe erengross-

ughtsmightbe hewasreadyformany

etotalkw ithher andtherewasno

hisf re uentsilentmoodswerethe

ngethatwasbeing wroughtinhis

. C laesga eupthehopethather

thesub ecthimselfandtellherabout

tions. ometimesshethoughtthat

hould besome practicalresultof

k indofprideinsomanymenwhic h

attlesaloneandtoappearonlyas

otriumphthelightofhappinesswould

forbeingwithdrawnforawhile

ewouldf illupalltheblankspacesinthe

whichhisheartwasnot toblame.

bandwellenoughtoknowthathe

imself ifhedisco eredthathisPc pita s

erc astforsomanymonths. oshe

ak indof oytosuf ferthroughhim

passiontherewasatrac eof thepiety

chc anne erdistinguishbetweenreligion

tunderstandalo ew ithoutsuf fering.

ofaf fec tion say ingtoherselfe ery


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




s u re l y co m e to - mo r ro w a s i f lo e w er e

gallthesesecrettroublesshe was

child.Therehadbeenahorrible

dfuture. v erythingseemedtodraw

ande eninhislo ehewaspreoc c u-

ide woundedforthef irsttime

mysteriousgulfwhichseparated

heirearlymarriedlife. romthat

ndworse. C laes whobutlatelyhad

appiness whoplayedwithhis

getheratrompinggameson the

orinthegardenwalks whoseemedas

eaththedarkeyesofhisPepita did

ndition forgottoshareinthefamily

gethisowne istenc e.

elayedtoaskthereasonof his

ehercouragefailedher.H erblood

ught andher oic ediedinher

on inc edthatherhusbandhad

andgrewseriouslyalarmed.This

shebroodedo erittillherhourswere

gsandfe erishe c itement andshe

ustifiedB altha aratherowne pense

old andugly.Thenitseemed

erousmoti e humiliatingthoughit

nhisabsorptioninhiswork itwasa

ness shedeterminedtogi ehim

ybringingaboutasec retdi orc e that

nessofnot afewhouseholds. et

dlife shemadeanefforttoread

ndfounditshut.

ar byslowdegrees bec ameindifferent

onc ebeendeartohim hec aredno

wer heseemedtoha eforgottenthe

c hildren. C learly thispassionwasone


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




hepaleof theheart saf fections but

nthink dryupthespringsofaffec -

uthadnotf led. Thiswassomec omfort

mainedasheretofore andhope

iuationslikethese prolongedthe

sthepoorw ife sdespairhadgrownto

gatheredcourageto uestionher

beabrief inter alofhappiness and

eitc leartoherthatthoughhemightbe

bolicalthought itwasathought

obe himselfagainattimes. n

henherskygrewbrighter shewastoo

mofhappiness tooaf raidtoloseany

toask forane planation and ust

ospeak hewouldesc apeher. While

s B altha arwouldsuddenly lea e

deepmusingsfromwhichnothing

esetinareac tionof thementalonthe

ha oc thuswroughtwassc arc ely

e t o t he e y es o f a l o i n g wo ma n w ho

husband sinmostthoughtsintheir

hecouldoftenscarcelykeepback

inghimselfdownafterdinnerinto

de andsittherew ithhiseyesf i ed

gloomy abstrac ted utterlyheed-

bouthim. hewatched too w ith

lchangesforthe worseintheface

limeforher itseemedasif thelifeof

ithdrawingitselfandlea ingan

ttimeshiseyesgrewglassy asif the

adbeenc on ertedtoapowerof

echildrenhadgonetobed af terlong

andsolitarybrooding poorPepita


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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_ u s e # p d




Doyoufeelill dear ometimes

nsweratall orhec ametohimselfw ith

yawakenedfromsleep andsaid

s e pu l ch r al t o ne s w h ic h fe l l he a i l y on h i s

ea r t.

keepthisanomalousstateof

secretfromtheouterworld but

sible. B altha ar sbeha iorwasknown

co t er i e i n e e r y sa l on a n d a s f re -

towns certaincircleswerebetter

s af fairsthanMme. C laesherself.

brokethroughthesilenceprescribedby

dsomuchsolicitudeonheraccount

plainherhusband ssingularc onduc t.

s h e sa i d w as e n ga g ed o n a g re a t wo r k.

ndenergies butif itsucc eeded it

andhisnati etownwouldha e

.

highinDouai youwouldbe

wnmoreeagerfordistinc tion the

ify ingtoloc al anity therewasa

nds andM. C laes proceedingswere

ly.

erenotso eryfarf romthetruth.

loyedforsometimepastinthe garret

ments whitherB altha arwente ery

andmore ofhistimeupthere now

egarretallday long andhisw ifeand

withthe newwaysbydegrees.

yettolearn toherunspeakablean-

wasalwaysbuyingscientificapparatus

mac hines andc ostlymaterialsofall

him andthathewasbentondis-

er sstone. A llthisshemusthear

nessoffriendswhoweresurprised


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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fherhusband sdoings. twasa

iendsproceededtosaythatshe

renandofherownfuture andthat

ywrongifshedidnotuseherinflu-

urn himfromthepathsof error

Mme.C laesmightsummona

oheraid/and silencethisabsurdtalk

edherinspiteofherc onf identtone

hewouldno longereffaceherself.

round andspeaktoherhusbandon

so feelinglesstremulous she entured

hec auseof thec hangeinhimandthe

usion.The lemingfrownedas

notunderstanditintheleast.

adbeggedhardtoknowthissec ret

ewhosharedhislife mightnot

a b ou t i t so m u ch B a l t h a a r a n-

eonherknees w illtellyou. am

hesaid strokingherblac khair and

nintheworld.

n whichM.C laesbeganhis

usewasnolongerthesame. Perhapsthe

wayshadgi enof fenc e perhapshis

msel estobeintheway oritmay

ietiesofwhic hMme. C laesne erspoke

eoplefoundherlesscharmingthan

thec ausemightbe sheonlyrec ei ed

matef riends andB altha arwentno-

upinhislaboratoryallday and

sfamilyne ersawhime c eptat

yearthewinterand summerwere

sw ifehadnodesiretolea eB altha ar

ntryhouse.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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longsolitarywalks sometimesonly

day.Thosewerelongnights of

isw ife. nDouai asinmostfortif ied

c itywereshutataf i edhour when

nthewallshadbeenmadein ain

ote enthesupportofe pec tation

andmustwaittillmorningasbest

orningB altha arwouldreturnasif

e hadsimply forgotton inhisab-

hic hthegateswerec losed andhadno

chhehad inflictedonhisfamily.

earlyas perilousforMme.C laesas

been. hemadenoc omment she

iswanderings. O nc eshehadbegun

dshehadnotforgottenthetoneof

eanswered

t ak e a wa l k

cei ed.Mme.C laes ownmis-

he truthofthereportswhichshe had

cted. hehadsufferedsomuchfrom

pathyinheryouththatshe hadno

secondtime. hethereforeimmured

e erinherhome herac uaintanc es

wremainingfriendssoonfollowed

dtoherdisc omfiture andga eher

worriment.

enlyattirewasbynomeanstheleastofher

omethingdegradinginneglectof

belongstotheupperc lasses andshe

bec auseshehadbeenusedtoa

eanliness. Withthehelpof emul-

s alet osephinetriedforawhileto

htbythesepursuits butthenewgar-

houtC laes knowledge shereplac edthe

inedc lothing werelittlebetterthanrags


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s s

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andshega euptheattemptin

ppiness itseemedtothew ife who

gof ealousy thatshecountedfor

she hadreignedbutlately andthe

woke. c ienc ewasherri al. c ience

heartf romher andlo erenewedits

ealousythatconsumedherheart.

Whatresistanc ec ouldshemake

gtyrannouspowerthatne errela ed

alwhoc ouldnotbeslain A

edbynature howc ansheengagein

withtheinfinitedelightsofthought

srenewed Whatcouldsheattempt

triesofideaswhichtakenewforms

ulties whichbeckontotheseeker

mtheworld thathegrowsforgetful

umanlo eandhumantiesareas

e inspiteofstric tordersf romB al-

terminedthatatleastinbodilypresenc eshe

ealsowouldli einthegarretwherehe

dmeetherri althereonherownground

shewouldbew ithherhusbandduring

ishedontheterriblemistresswho

er. hemeanttostealintothe

ndtoearntheright ofremaining

edane plosionofwrath andfeared

shewaitedforaday whenherhusband

emak ingheref forttosharew ith emul-

y intothelaboratory . orsome

eman sc omingsandgoings andal-

otintolerablethattheser ant

ged tolearn allthatherhusband

hedidnotdaretoask tseemedto


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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ewasmorepri ileged andstoodhigher

ationthanshe hisownwife.

ret trembling yetalmosthappy and

ewasmadetofeelB altha ar sanger.

dthedoor whenherushedforward

pushedheroutontothestaircaseso

escapedaheadlongfall.

o u a re s t il l a li e c r ie d B a l t ha a r

glass maskfellaboutMme.

pandsawherhusband sfac e white hag-

nottoc omehere " hegasped sink ing

sstrengthhadlef thim. The

urlife. wonderhow itc hanc edthatmy

door ustthen. We wereallbut

en e r y ha p py t o d ie s o " s h e sa i d.

t er l y ru i ne d B a l t h a a r w en t o n.

eanyoneelseforc ausingmesucha

nt itistoopainful. nanothermo-

ha edec omposednitrogen There

rs " andB altha arreturnedtohis

a edec omposednitrogen " thepoor

shewentbac k toherownroom and

totears.

omeaningtoher.Men whose

ertainreadinesstodeal withnew

wpainfulitistoawomantolac k the

oughtsofthe manshelo es.

remoreindulgentthanweare they

iltofindresponseto thelanguage

rinkfrommakingusfeelthesuperiority

sembletheirpain oyfully andare


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




hatwe donotenterinto.B utthey

ethanweare theymustdomore

rt theymustsharehisthoughtsaswell.

nd ssc ientif ic pursuitsga eMme.

eheartachethanari al sbeautycould

anwholo esthemostisatleastc on-

eo erherri al butsuc hneglec tas

w ithherutterhelplessness itwasa

oalltheaffectionsthathelpus to

utshedidnotknow andherwantof

fromherhusband.B utbesidesthis

elayalaste tremityof torture hewas

ath itseemed underthesameroof

ewasrisk inghislifew ithouther

whichshemightnotshare. twaslike

omwhichtherewasno wayof

wasnohopeleft. Mme. C laesdeter-

ewouldlearninwhatthe attractions

andpri atelysetherself toread

thehousebecamelikeacon ent.

hadpassedthroughallthesesucces-

bythetimethatthisstorycommenc eswas

rld.

plicated. ikeallimpassioned

ne erthoughtofherself andthosewho

thatwhereaf fectionisc onc ernedmoney is

nterestandaffectionarealmostincom-

wthoutac ruelpangthat osephine

ortgageof threehundredthousand

sestates.Thereweredocuments

ndadoubt andga eoc c asionfor

ectureinthetown.Mme.C laes

c ompelled proudthoughshewas tomake

d snotary toc onf ideheran ietiesto


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




oguessthem andwasforc edtohear

businessthehumiliatingin uiry

sasyetsaidanythingtoyouabout

r snotarywasalmostarelation. M.

admarriedoneof thePier uinsofA nt-

ilyasthePier uinsofDouai ande er

erbranch thoughscarcelyac-

es hadlookeduponthemasc ousins.

ma n o f si - a nd - tw e nt y h a d u s t su c-

osition healone inhis ualityof

dtherightof entrytothehouse.

eshadli edformanymonthsinsuc h

hewasobligedtogoto himfor

hichwasalreadyknowntoe ery

allprobabilitylargesums were

ppliedher husbandwithchemicals.

n uiries hade ecutedallM.C laes

andlethimha eunlimitedc redit.

nedPier uintoaskthemfor anaccount

erhusband.Twomonthslater MM.

lle manfac turingc hemists sentinastate-

thata hundredthousandfrancs

uinstudiedthedoc umentw ithama e-

achfreshitem.A mongenigmatical

pressions andundec ipherablesc ientif ic

ethemashoc k tof indmentionofdiamonds

beitinsmall uantities andofmyste-

rentlysodifficulttoprocureorto pro-

mously aluable. The astnumber

ec ostofc arriageandofpac k ing aluable

delicatelyad ustedmachineryfor

eofalltheapparatus togetherw iththe


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




icalcompoundshadbeenspecially

directions ac countedsuf f ic iently for

total.

ousin thenotarymadein uiries

andChif f re ille andtheacc ounts

emcon inc edhimthattheyhadbeen

ealingsw ithM. C laes indeed they

t theyhadgoneoutof theirway

e disco eriesofParisianchemists

pense.

Per uintokeepthesingularnature

ret. ftheywereknowninthe

yat oncethatherhusbandwasmad.

hatthiswasimpossible thathehad

already andthatasthe billsfor

eenformallynoted thesecretwas

idbarethewholee tentof the

usinthatifshec ouldnotc ontri eto

oms uanderinghismoney inthis

lyestateswouldbemortgagedupto

si months. A s tomakinganyeffort

he P ier uin hadspokentohisc ousin

duedeferenc e morethanonce andthat

ss. B altha arhadansweredonc efor

eshisob ec twastomakeafortune

sfamily . oinadditiontothe

edat osephine sheartforthepast

torture inwhiche erysadorhappy

to thepainofthepresent she

easingdreadof worsetofollow

mentsareof tenmar elouslyc orrec t.

arsofaroftenerthantheyhope inall

resentlife. Whydotheyreser eall

iefsinafutureworld H ow isit


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




odiscerncomingtroubleoranyturn-

Perhapsthe eryc losenessof the

themanshelo esmakesheran

scapacityandw iththeinstinc tof lo e

andknowshistastes hispassions

ualities. heisalwaysstudyingthese

andw iththeintimateknow ledgeof

giftof foreseeingtheireffectsunder

ons. Womenderi etheirinsightinto

sightednessinsuchthingsas they

dtheaccuracyoftheirforecastsisdue

ner ousorgani ation whichenables

etthe slightestsignofthoughtor

tstormsthat shakeanothersoul

m ibratesinharmony. Theyfeelor

aes thoughestrangedfromherhus-

thatthelossof theirfortunewasim-

assionatepersistenc eshehadseentheref lec -

m. f itweretruethathewastry ing

fmak inggold hewouldc ertainly

adintothecruciblewithperfect

washeseek ingtodisc o er

husbandandc hildrenwithoutattempt-

sof eitheruponherheart.B al-

c hildrenasshedid thec hildrenhad

em. N ow allatonceshedisco ered

eamotherthana wife asheretofore

erthanamother. etshefeltthat

ttosacrif iceherself herfortune and

eof themanwhohadlo edand

themanforwhomshewasstill the

andthencameremorsethatshe

nsolittle anddespairatbeing

ousalternati es.H erheartsuffered


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




hesuf feredinherc hildren andasa

oritall. hesaidnothingof the

. A f terall herhusbandwasthe

hewasthemasterwhomustshape

saccountabletoGodandto noneother.

himwithputtingher fortunetosuch

estednesswhichhadbeensoamply

tenyearsof theirmarriedlife Was

gns A ndyetherconscienc easserted

epingwithalllawswrittenand

possesstheirfortunenotfor themsel es

ndha enorighttoalienatetheworldly

rust forthem.

nherself tosol etheseintric ate

sentoshuthereyestothem likea

ipice whowillnotlookintothe

hheknowsthathemust sooneror

nthsherhusbandhadallowedhernoth-

penses.Themagnificentdiamonds

entoheronthedayofhermarriage

aris andshehadput thewhole

onomicalfooting. hehaddis-

o e r ne s s a n d e e n l it t le e a n s n u r s e.

ofac arriagehadbeen uiteunknown

ghers wholi edsosimplyandheld

herehadbeennopro isioninthe

hismoderninno ation andB altha ar

ehisstablesand coach-houseonthe

incehehadbeenabsorbedin

osuperintendthatpartof themenage

inc e andMme. C laesputdownthe

uc hofarec lusethatthee pensewas

y andthiswouldha ebeenreason

rretrenchments butshedidnot


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_ u s e # p d



T O F TH E A B S O L U T ,

othembyanyprete ts. Hithertofacts

words andnowsilencebec ameher

moreo er werealmostine c usable

yonewholi esuptohisincomeis

nlyasheroldestgirl Marguerite

nyearsold osephinewouldw ishher

itwasthought andtoestablishherin

ttingthedaughterofthehouseof

twasw iththeMolinas theV anO strom-

asa-R eals.Themoneyreali edbythe

een e haustedsomefewdays

of thisstory . O nthat eryaf ter-

hadmetPier uinonherwayto espers

dturnedandwalkedwiththemas far

tP ierre talk ingc onfidentially thewhile.

hof thef riendshipwhic hattac hesme

aid if weretoattempttoc onceal

erisksyouarerunning. mustimplore

r husband.Who elsehasinfluence

he brinkoftheprecipice our

ortgagedthattheywillscarcelypay

owed. A tthismomentyouha eno

youoncec utdownthewoods your

wllbegone. C ousinB altha arowes

rote andChif f re ille inParis

H o w a r e yo u g oi n g to l i e A n d

laeskeepsonbuyingacidsand

and oltaic batteries andsuchlike

urfortunehasf lownoff ingasandsmuts

ehouseandthefurniturelef t. A

assometalk ofmortgagingthe

oyouthinkC laessaid The

f irstsignofsensehehasshownthesethree


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




essc lutc hedPier uin sarm.

sheentreated raisinghereyesto

thunderbolt. hesat uietly

hildren soo erc omethatshec ould

ok layopenonherknee butshe

herpainfulthoughtswereasall-absorb-

usings.Thesoundsofthe organfell

nishprideand lemishintegritysent

soul.Theruin ofherchildren

ouldnolongerhesitatebetweentheir

shonor.Theimmediateprospectof

ppalledher hewassogreatinher

her thatthebareideaofhisangerwas

hethoughtofthe wrathofGod.

sode outlysubmissi e ac hangehad

rherc hildren ssakeshemustthwart

whomshe idoli ed.

ongthefar-offheightsof science

owntotheproblemsofe ery-day

ak inuponhisdreamsofafairfuture and

entin itsmostprosaicaspect with

ngtoartistsandgreatmen. orhis

aeswasagiantintellect amanwhosegreat-

edayrec ogni e hec ouldonlyha e

plendidhopes andthenhewasso

eing shehadheardhimspeaksowell

thatshefeltnodoubtthathespokethe

sresearchesweretobringfameand

slo eforhisw ifeandc hildrenwas

oundless howc ouldsuchlo ec ome

twasstrongeranddeeperthane er

wasc hanged andshewhowasso

generousandsensiti e mustc on-

money inthegreatman sears


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erty initsugliestshape andtherattle

ssmustbreakinonthe sweet oices

ha ar saf fectionforhershouldgrow

dhadnoc hildren howbra elyandgladly

echangehehadwroughtin herdes-

ebeenbroughtupamidwealthysur-

ptinessofthe lifethatlu urymay

l itpallsonthem buttheirheartsare

onc etheyha edisc o eredforthem-

tlies inaconstantinterchangeof

t whentheyarecertainofbeing

rink f romanarrowmonotonouse istenc e

theonebestsuitedtothebeingwho

ownideasandpleasuresaresubordinated

hat lifewithouttheirown and

readforthemthedreadof separa-

tthat herchildrenstoodbetween

sc ienc ehadseparatedB altha arC laes

urnedfrom espersshef lungherself

dismissedthechildrenwithacaution

senttoaskherhusbandtocometo

spiteof theinsistenceof theoldman-

e r B a l t h a a r h ad n o t st i rr e d fr o m hi s l ab o -

imetothinko erherposition and

gs forgetfulofthehourand the

owedthirtythousandfrancs

ousedpainfulmemories allthe

up tomeetthetroublesof the

hewaso erwhelmedbytheprob-

oohea yforher andshega ewayto

meatlast helookedmoreabstrac ted

edistraughtthanshehade erseenhim


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oanswer shesatforawhilelikeone

ntunseeingga e theremorseless

ropsof sweatfromhisbrow

lo erheralso. Withthef irstshoc k

ightdie. B utthesc ientif ic in uiry

srousedher courage ustasher

shewouldgrapplewiththishideous

c hhadrobbedherofherlo er her

andthe familyof theirwealth had

appiness and eopardi edthefairname

etshec ouldnothelptrembling

throughher wasitnot themost

a momentthatheldallherfuture

llherpast

ak-mindedpeople timidsouls orthose

ture arepronetoe aggeratelittletrials

s pi t e of t h em s el e s f e el a n e r o u s

eforethearbitersof theirfate may

htsthatcrowdedupin hermind.

dherheartgrewhea yw ithpent-up

husbandgo slowlytowardsthegar-

a enotknownthemiseryofsuch

sothate enthosewhoseheartsha e

o erac onfessionofe tra agance or

er w illha esomefaintideaofhow

enlife isatstake.A prettywoman

sband sfeet thegracefulattitudesof

her butMme. C laeswaspainfully

y andthisaddedto herfears.

arabouttolea eher herf irstimpulse

de butacruelthoughtrestrained

andstandbeforehim hewould

esof amanwhohadlost theold

nowwouldseeherasshewas. R ather

power osephinewouldha elost


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ewoulda oidallpossiblee ilinf lu-

ofher oic eandc oughed. Then

ontohiswife heturnedinthe

l s uarespittoonswhichareplaced

ainsc otinallDutc hand lemish

habitand associationwassostrongin

owashardlyconsc iousof thee istenc e

alwayscarefulofthefurniture.This

f intolerablepaintopoor

dnotunderstandit atthismomentshe

self andheragonyofminddrewfrom

ng ane c lamationinwhic hallher

pression.

sp e ak i ng t o y ou

y a n sw e re d B a l t ha a r t u rn i ng

inghisw ifea uic kglanc e. The

nderbolt.

a r s h e s a id w i th a w hi t e fa c e. h e

andheldoutherhandtohim but

sted.

shesaid ina oic ebrokenbysobs.

are ulsioninB altha ar asin

ple itwasasif asuddenlighthad

mysteryofthiscrisis.H etook

nhisarms openedadoorwhic hled

er andsprangupthestaircaseso

ressc aughtononeof thec ar ed

alusters therewasasharpsound and

way.H ekickedopenthedoorof

eirapartmentsopened andfound

sroomwasloc ked. He set osephine

ar say ingtohimself Good

he k e y


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s s

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/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

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MM . C L A E S A T O N C E N H I S A R M

E TA I R C A S E .


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

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s s

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s a id M me . C l a e s a s s he o p en e d he r

i le s i nc e h a e f e lt s o n ea r t o yo u r

c r ie d C l a e s. W h e r e is t h e ke y

totake thekeywhichhungsus-

erside. B altha aropenedthedoor

nthesofa thenhewentouttobid

emaindownstairs orderedthemtoser e

rriedbacktohiswife.

eart heasked seatinghimselfbeside

andk issedit.

s h e sa i d t h e pa i n is o e r n ow o n l y

spower andc ouldpourallthegold

e a sk e d a s h e d r ew h i s wi f e to h i m h e ld

andkissedheragainon theforehead.

younotgi emethegreatestofallwealth

r w h ys h ou l d yo u n ot p u t an e n d to a l l

your oic e ustnowdispelledthetrouble

notchangedatall seethatnow "

h a t d o yo u m ea n d e ar e st

e ar .

ch o ed . H e b e g an t o s mi l e a n d fo n dl y

yin his.W henhespokeagain

edtendernessinhis oice.

wemayf indoursel espossessedof

esterday whiletry ingtodisc o erfar

nk foundouthowtocrystalli ec arbon

mond. O h dearw ife inafew

forgi emeformywanderingw its for

times itseems. spokehastily

t B u t y o u w il l m ak e a ll o wa n ce s f or m e


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

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yspresentwithme andrayworkis

shesaid wew illsaynomorenow

illtalko eritall. Mytrouble

ouldbear andnow oyisalmosttoo

seetheoldtendere pressioninhis

tletonesagaininhis oic e torec o er

adlost.

s a id . e t u s ta l k it o e r t hi s e e n in g .

orbedinsomethingelse remindmeof

ketoforgetmycalculationsthis

roundmyselfw ithfamilyhappiness w ith

t for needthem Pepita amlong-

whatyouaretry ingtodisc o er

o t un d er s ta n d it a l l if d i d p o or

k B utforthesefourmonthspast

aboutc hemistry dear sothat c ould

h a e r e ad o u rc r oy a o i si e r

o u el l e B e r th o ll e t G a y- u s sa c p a ll a n a n i

a n i V o l t a - al l t he b o ok s i n f ac t a b ou t t hi s

ome youcantellmeyour secrets

g el c r ie d B a l t ha a r f a l l in g o n hi s

andsheddingtearsthatmadeher

derstandeac hotherine erything

wouldflingmyself intoyourfurnac e

omyou toseeyouasyouarenow.

r sfootstepsinthene troom and

erite sheaskedofhereldestgirl.

m ot h er d e ar . o u f or g ot t o g i e


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ning andifhestays todinner

hofsmall keysfromherpocket

daughter indicatingasshedidsothe

dswhichlinedtheante-chamber.

dorgelinen " shesaid onthe

a arofmineistocomeback tome

toha ehimallc omplete " shesaid

h mischie oussweetnessinher

g o t o yo u r ro o m a n d d o me a f a o r

er uinishere. ustc hangethoseragged

okatthestains A ndisitmuri-

hhasburnedthose holeswiththe

f reshenyourselfupalittle assoon

ydress w illsendMul uiniertoyou.

sintohisroombythedoorwhich

ngthatitwaslockedonthe otherside.

tthroughtheante-chamber.

e d Mm e .C l a e s l e a e t h e li n en o n t he

omeandhelpmetodress would

handonMarguerite sshoulder and

sayingmerrily

tt l e on e o u a re e r y ch a rm i ng t o -d a y

e-coloredsash.

shandinhis andk issedherfore-

hegirl asshewentintohermother s

me ustnow andhelookedsopleased

erygreatman dearc hild hehasbeen

this familymayberichandillus-

efeelssurethathehasreac hedtheendof

dbe agreatdayforus all.


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e i n ou r o y m a mm a d ea r a l l th e

oo toseehimlooksogloomyO h

mpandfaded.

m u st b e u i ck . m u st g o d ow n an d

e r e is h e

isplay ingw ith ean.

nd e l ic i e

esoutinthegarden.

ustrunawaydownstairsandseeafterthem

s yourfatherhasnote enseen

perhapshewouldliketogooutand

ndtellMul uiniertotake

wantsuptohisroom.

ether Mme. C laeswenttothe

erchildrenplayingbelow inthe

edinwatchingoneofthosegleam-

gold-bespangledwingsthatarepopu-

eetles.

ings " shesaid throw ingupthew indow

othe room.Thenshetapped

enedintoherhusband sapartment

notlostoncemorein awaking

andwhenshesawthathewasdressing

metoentertainPier uinallbymyself

ouw illc omedownassoonasyou

pedawaydownstairssolightly thata

tepswouldnotha ethoughtthat

downthestaircaseshemetMul-

riedmadameupstairs " saidtheman

yoneof thebalusters notthatthe

al butthedragon sheadisbroken

stomendit. t uitespoilsthe

somepiec eofcar ingasitwastoo "


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s s

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e r d o n ot h a e i t m en d ed i t i s no t a

s a id M u l u i ni e r to h i ms e lf . H o w

pp e ne d C a n t h e m as t er h a e d i sc o -

u i n " s a id M me . C l a e s a s s he o p en e d

erhisarm tohiscousin butshe

therhusband s andthankedhimbya

Perhapsyouha ec omeforthethirty

h e n r e ac he d h om e f o un d a m em o -

andChif f re ille whoha edrawn

e t h ou s an d f ra n cs o n M . C l a es .

eanswered saynothingto-dayabout

yanddinew ithus andifheshould

ec alled pleasein entsome

meha etheletter willtellhim

tw illbeallright " shewenton

onishment ina eryfewmonthsmy

backallthe moneywhichhehas

nin alow oice.Thenotary

laes whowascomingfromthe

abrieland elicie.

eenMile. Margueritelooksoc harming "

herlowc hair w ithlittle eanonher

ndlookedfromher daughtertothe

essness.

hortnortall stoutnorthin hewas

nplaceway withadiscontented

e pression itwasnotathoughtful

edreaminess. Hehadthenameofbeing


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hadane c ellentappetite andwastoo

worldtostand eryfaraloof f rom

ingintospac e anattitudeof indif -

ti atedtalentforsilence whichseemed

hsofc haracter butwhic h asa

dtoc oncealtheshallownessandinsig-

ewholemindwasentirelyabsorbed

ewasstillsufficientlyyoungto be

theprospectofmarryingintothe

ebeen uiteenoughtoc allforthall

ehadhadnoulteriormoti eintheshapeof

otpreparedtoac tagenerouspartuntil

ac tly. WhenC laesseemedtobeina

thenotarygrewstif f c urt andun-

arymanofbusiness butassoon

thingafterall mightcomeofhis

oncebec ameaf fectionate ac c ommodating

yethene ersoundedhisownmoti es

sofmanner. ometimeshelookedon

aprincess towhosehandapoor

sometimesshewasonlyapenniless

herself luc ky ifPier uinc ondescended

wasathoroughpro inc ialanda

oharminhim buthistransparent

hisbetter ualities ashispersonal

yhisabsurdaffectations.

atthenotaryshe rememberedthe

spokenthatday intheporchof t.

dnotic edthec hangeinhismannerwrought

n ersation. hereadthethoughtsinthe

ndga eakeenglanc eatherdaughter

nothoughtofhercousininthegirl s

erespentindiscussingtowntalk

ehousecamedownfromhisroom.

mo ingaboutintheroomabo ew ith


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hisstepwasso uic kandlightthat

nyouthfulagain andawaitedhis

essthatinspiteofherselfa ui er

erashecamedownthe staircase.

a arentered dressedinac ostumeof

reachingalmosttotheknee were

topswereturneddown lea ingwhite

eworebluekerseymerebreeches

s awhite-floweredwaistcoat anda

sha edhimselfandc ombedand

nailshadbeenpared andhishands

thatanyone whohadseenhiman

ha erec ogni edhimagain. nstead

sdotage hisw ifeandc hildren

n offorty withanirresistibleair

y . Hisfac ewasthinandworn but

ssofoutline whichtoldatale of

abor ga eac ertainairof ref inement

i n " s a i d B a l th a a r C l a e s.

afatherandhusbandagain.H e

and tossedhimupanddown.

ngster " hesaidtothenotary.

c hildlikethismakeyouw ishyouwere

dforit mydearboy familypleasures

a s e a n we n t up t o t he c ei l in g . D o wn

esetthec hildonthef loor. Gleeful

omthelittle oneashefoundhim-

emomentandsolowthene t. The

nyonemightseehow deeplyshe

eofplay. twassuchalittlething

ninherlife.

w y ou a r e ge t ti n g on s a id B a l t h a a r

e polishedfloor andflinginghim-


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butthelittleone rantohimat once

onspeepedoutabo ehisfather s

resistibleway.

saidhisfather tak inghiminhis

e e r y in c h of y o u o u r un s t ra i gh t .

ow isPereMorillon " hesaidtohis

edtheboy sear. Doyoumanage

againste erc isesand atintrans-

goodgriponyourmathematic s

wento ertoPier uinw iththec ourteous

turaltohim. Perhapsyouha e

ydearfellow hesaid ashetook

rewhimoutintothegarden adding

meandha ealookatmytulips.

herhusband andcouldscarcely

okedsoyoung sok indly somuc h

osefromherc hair putherarm

aist andk issedher.

s h e s ai d d a rl i ng c hi l d l o e y ou

nic eforalong longtime.

oannounc ethatdinnerwasser ed.

ha ar sarmbeforePier uinc ouldof fer

hewholefamilywentinto thedining-

ndraf tershadbeenlef t isibleinthe

ewoodworkwascleanedandcarefully

ndtheinter eningspac eswereadorned

eboardslinedtheroom themore

amilychinawerearrangedonthe

purpleleatherwhic hc o eredthewalls

ingold representinghunting

abo ethesideboardsagroupof

ght-coloredfeathersofraretropical

esombrebackground.


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are-shapedkindwithtwistedlegs

edw ithf ringedstuf f whichonc ewere

od a ll o e r r a nc e an d t a ly . n o n e

dhis Madonnaof theChair. They

ethebeginningof thesi teenth

workwasblac kw ithage butthegold-

heywerenewonlyyesterday and

ewedfromtimetotime wasaric h

of thesi teenthc entury w ithits

seemedtoha erisenoutof thepast.

tersonthetable preser edin

thegraceanddignityof anti ue

erethesameold-fashionedgobletswith

eseen inoldDutchpictures.The

sdecoratedwithcoloredfiguresin

d swareandPalissy sdesigns. The

s u a re - si d ed a n d ri c hl y o rn a me n te d i t

nsefamilyplate fornotwopiec eswere

ogress ofthefortunesofthehouse

eentrac edfromitsbeginningsinthe

eirlooms.

edthataC laeswouldmakeita

ble-linenofthemostmagnificent

pk insweref ringedinthe panish

kedawayinthestateapartments

efesti aldays theirglorieswere

speak byfamiliarity . Thiswasthe

rhenwareindailyuse ande erythingin

sewherethefamily li edborethe

uaintness.A ddonemorecharming

urea ineclamberingaboutthe

eworkofgreen lea es.

odtraditions madame " saidPier-

daplatefulof thymysoup inwhic hthere

eofmeatandfried bread accord-


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tchand lemishrec ipe thisisthe

madepartof the undaydinnerin

hasbeenastandingdishinthe ow

ut ne ermeetw ithitnowe c epthere

u e t s h o us e . O h s t ay a m om e nt

a r on d e a a r us a t T ou r na i s ti l l ta k es a

ed butold lemishwaysarerapidly

mustbealagrec uenowadays

es lances helmets andfasc esone ery

dy isrebuildinghishouse sellinghis

ownhisplate orgettingridof itfor

whichisnothinglikeasbeautifulasold

a. O h myselfama lemingto

my hearttoseecoppersmithsbuy-

e atthepriceoffirewoodforthe

rought-incrustedcopperwork orthe

etyhasamindtochangeitssk in

gesaremorethansk indeep weare

cingalongwiththe oldworksof

anythingconscientiouslywhen

c hahurry . Thelasttime wasinParis

e pi c tu r es e h i bi t ed i n t he o u r e a n d

reonly f itforf irescreens ardsof

pere nodepthof tone. Painters

f theirc olors. A ndthey intend so

oldschoolHea enhelpthem

dtostudytheirpigments " said

yusedtotestthemsinglyandinc ombina-

totheactionofsunlight andrain.

nowadaysthematerialresourc esofart

anformerly.

eningtothec on ersation. The

nahadcomeinto fashionhadsether

dabrightidea hadatonceoccurred

hemassi esil erplatewhic hher


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erhapsinthatwayshemightpaythe

s oic esoundedthroughhermus-

a l t h a a r w as s a yi n g s o t he y t al k a bo u t my

P i er u i n e e r yb o dy i s w on d er i ng

endingsomuc hmoneyo er.

nt yesterday lamentingthatamanof

tofindthephilosopher sstone.

thatyouweretoolearnednot to

mptingthe impossible toogooda

atyouc ouldpre ailo erGod and

oshrewdtogi ehardc ashforpowder

mustc onfessthat shareinthe

o eryourwithdrawalfromsociety.

dtobelosttothetown. ndeed

a ebeenpleasedifyouknewhow

ofyouandofM. C laes.

ofyoutoputastoptosuc habsurd

makemeridiculousifnoworsecameof

ha a r . O h s o t he g o od f o lk o f Do u ai

V e r y g o od m y d ea r P ie r u i n o n

wo m o nt h s t i me w i ll g i e a f e t e o n a

hallreinstatemeinthe esteemofour

ellow-townsmen.

.C laes face forthepasttwo

adbeenforgotten. Thise eningwas

ar slifeofenthusiasmwhichmightbe

ucidmomentsin insanitywhenthe

ith unwontedbrilliancyforalittle

erebeensuc hpointandpithandspark le

tohisc hildrenhadne erbeenmore

safatheroncemore andnofesti al

w ifesuc h oyasthis. O nc emorehis

onstante pressionofsympathyin


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usconsciousnessthatthesamefeeling

edin thedepthsofeitherheart.

eemedtoha egrownyoungagain

hebeenknowntobeinsuc hspirits.

smannerhade enmoresignificance

ss.Mme.C laeswasdreamingof

nsof fortunef illedtheoldser ingman s

erehigh. Hehadbeenwonttohelp

fthework andperhapssome

erwhenane perimenthadfailed

erandfarther off hadnotbeenlost

hehadbecomeinfectedwithhis

oraninnatefac ultyof imitationhadled

milatetheideasof thosew ithwhomhe

masterwitha half-superstitiousaweand

wasatraceof selfishness.The

erymuchwhatalottery-officeis

gani ed. v erynightashelay

mself To-morrow whoknowsbut

A ndinthemorningheawoke

h.

eming ashisnameindic ated. n

opleweredistinguishedmerelyby

calledafterthe placehecamefrom

somemoral ualityorpersonaltrait.

oplewasenfranchised hisnickname

andwastransmittedtohisburgher

ders dealersinf la threadwerec alled

e o ld a l et s a n ce s to r w h o pa s se d f ro m

c lass had doubtless dealtinlinen

egenerationsago andnowthe

fla wasreducedtotheoldcondi-

eit unlikehisgrandsire herec ei ed

anders itsf la trade itsindustries

sinamannerepitomi edintheold


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encalledMul uinierforthesakeof

uaintinhisappearanceandcharac-

allandthin hisbroad triangular

badlyscarredbythesmallpo that

eitagrotes ueappearance the

hiche ac tlymatc hedthec olorofhis

e seemedtolookaskanceate erything.

mysteriouslyaboutthehouse his

re cusedthecuriositywhichhe

e ed moreo er thatasanassistantin

ndkepthismaster ssec rets andhe

estedw ithasortofhaloof romanc e.

ariswatchedhimas hecameand

notunmi edw ithawe forwhen ues-

erhimselfofDelphicutterances

ehintsof fabulouswealth. H ewas

tohismaster ande erc ised onthe

yrannyo erhisfellow-ser ants tak ing

nto makehimselfmasterbelowstairs.

ants whobecomegreatlyattac hedtothe

ec aredfornooneinthehousebutB al-

smightbeintrouble somepiec eofgood

usehold butitwasall oneto

oatehisbreadandbutteranddrankhis

ountenance.

laessuggestedthattheyshouldtake

ethecentrebed oftulips.The

ylabeledandplantedinpots which

thandarrangedpyramidfashion

ofparrot-tulipatthehighest point.

ssedabulbof theTulipaC laesiana.

admanytimesrefusedtenthousandf lorins

hhadallthese enc olors theedgesof

ikegold inthesun.Theolder


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aordinaryprec autions keepingitinthe

sa singleseedshouldbestolenfrom

edentiredaysin admiringit.The

tc erec t andabeautifulgreenc olor

heperfectformandpure brilliancy

esomuchsoughtafterin these

dfrancs worththere wasthe

shiseyeswanderedfromthemassof

fac e butshewastoomuc hdelighted

whichglowedlikepreciousstones

toc atchthedrif tof thisbusiness-

tall yououghttosellthem "

rn i ng t o B a l t ha a r .

t he m o ne y t o me a n sw er e d C l a es w i th

homfortythousandfrancsisa mere

filledbythechildren se clama-

m am m a

y

ed m a mm a

ehumanmind " e c laimedB al-

handsw ithadespairinggesture. O ne

ando ygen indif ferentpropor-

mec onditions andallthosedif ferent

hesamematerials

ere uitefamiliartohiswife but

hedidnotgrasphismeaning B al-

thatshehadstudiedhisfa oritescience

ysterioussign oushouldunderstand

tyetunderstandallthat meant " and

ne ofhisusualmusingfits.

" saidPier uin tak ingthec upofc of fee


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s s

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him. Dri enatureoutbythe

hew indow " hewenton speak ing

oic e. ouw illperhapsbesogood

lf thede ilhimselfwouldnotrouse

ns.H ewillkeepon likethistill

suppose.

aes whoappearednottoheara

eaninhismother sarms madeapro-

es andwent. A s soonasthegreat

isitor B altha arthrewhisarmround

dispelledallheruneasinesso erhis

peringinherear knewe ac tlyhow

cetoher husbandwithoutattempt-

swhichfilledhereyes.Thenshe

ground andlaidherheadonB al-

eparlor " shesaidafterapause.

wildestspiritsthate ening hein-

amesforthec hildren and oinedin

athe didnotnoticethathis wife

etimes. A thalf -pastnineo c lock

uttobed andMargueritehadhelped

ress shec amedownstairsintothe

othersittingin thelowchairtalking

wthatherhandlay inhis. heturned

fearingtodisturbher fatherand

aessawher.

M a rg u er i te d e ar c h il d " s h e sa i d

er andkissingheraffectionately

outoyourroom " sheadded and

c h il d " s a id B a l t h a a r .

theragood-nightkissand anished.

one forawhile.Theywatchedthe


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




ay inthegarden thelea esturned

dimand shadowyinthesummer

stdark B altha arspokeinanun

u s go u p st a ir s " h e s ai d .

uc tionof the nglishcustomofre-

entasasortof innersanc tuary a

dbeenimpenetrable. Thisisduetono

nthepartof thegoodhousew i es it

ndac uiredinearlyc hildhood a

ichlooksonabedroomasa deli-

ethereshouldbeanatmosphereof

gs wheresimplicityiscombined

ost sacredassociationsofsocial

aes positionwouldha edoneher

thdainty belongings butMme.

nedtastetothetask andaknow ledge

ic he ternalse ertuponourmoods.

nlu ury foraprettywomanwasforher

ne sownpowertobeaprettywoman "

adsaid buttherehadbeensomething

ew ifeof the irstConsul who

erma imforamoment Mme. C laes

andwasalwayssimpleand

hisw ife sroomwastoB altha ar

ulofthe thingsabouthimthata

oughhim asifhesaw itnowfor

dc olorsof thetulips c arefullyar-

derporc elain ars seemedtobepart

n striumph thebla eof thelights

lyasaflourishof trumpets.The

ridelinsilkenstuffs broughttheir

hthe brilliantsurroundings break-

dengleams where eritcaughtthe


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s s

_ u s e # p d




alsof theflowerstilltheyglowed

ndthesepreparationshadbeenmade

orhim

foundnomoreelo uentwayof telling

eofallher oysandsorrows. There

ysoothingtothesoulin thisroom

e erythoughtofsadness tillnothing

erfectandserenehappinesswasleft.

oftheO rientalhangingsfilledtheair

nses the eryc urtains soc arefully

ealousan ietytotreasurethelowestword

oute erythingbeyondfromtheeyes

back.

estryhangingsacrossthedoor that

mfromwithout.Then asshestood

loosedressing-gownwithdeep

herbeautifulhair blackandglossy

mak ingasettingforherfac e osephine

at herhusband whowassitting

oman whoattimesgrowsbeautiful

oherfac e c ane pressirresistible

harmconsistsina constantappealto

inagrac efuladmissionofhelplessness

andawakenshisnoblestfeelings.

powerinsuchaconfessionofweakness

noiselesslyo erthec urtain-rod she

layingherhandona chairas

ortomo emoregrac efullyanddis-

twasamutere uestforhelp. B al-

hought hiseyesrestedonthepale

kybackgroundwithasense ofperfect

hookof fhismusings sprangup took

dc arriedhertothesofa. Thiswas

tended.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




shesaid tak inghishands whic hthrilled

meinto thesecretofyourresearches.

r that amworthyof thec onf idenc e

eenoughtostudyascienc ewhic hthe

hat mayunderstandallthatyousay.

anythingf romme amc urious.

lmehow itc hancedthatonemorning

en hadlef tyousohappythe

ooco uettishly totalkaboutc hemistry .

rnasec retwhic hwillletmealittle

isnotthatthegreatestofall oysfor

ssof lifeisc omprised andhasitssourc e

etweentwosouls.A ndnow when

solelymine wanttoknowthis

wyouawayfrommeforso long.

ealousofathoughtthanallthewomen

a s t b u t lo e i s n ot i n fi n it e a n d in

mabledepths cannotletyougo

hatee erythingthatc anc ome

hefamethatyouare seekingso

nd shallbemiserable. amewould

re woulditnot and aloneshould

ures monsieur.

itwasnotathoughtthatsetmeonthis

saman.

cr i ed a g ha s t.

Polishof f icer Pepita whospenta

1 0 9

m a m e e d w it h m ys e lf b e ca u se

aldhead thec urlingendsofhis

ornfeatures andthoseeyesofhis

ll shiningoutofthecoal-black

Therewassomethingappallingin

yofwalking falltheinns had


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




nlyshouldne erha espentthenight

gentlemanwasaM. A damdeWier -

B a l th a a r . T h at e e n in g w he n y ou

rbyoursel es wefellsomehowto

ehadbeenforcedtorelin uish

y andhadbec omeasoldier. f

aso eraglassofc ausuc reethatwe

asadepts. When toldMul uinierto

ndnotinpowder thec aptainga e

e r s tu d ie d ch e mi s tr y " h e a s ke d .

a o is ie r ' t ol d hi m.

lu c ky ' h e e c l ai m ed y o u ar e r ic h y ou

hosegroansthatre ealahellofmisery

aman sheartorbrain asighof

ageofwhichwordscannotgi eany

sentencewithaglancethat mademe

hetoldmethat sincewhatmightbe

hehadtakenrefugein weden

olationinthe studyofchemistry

resistibleattractionforhim.

dd e d s e e th a t yo u h a e r e c o gn i e d a s

bic sugar andstarc harereduc edtoa

mostindistinguishable and ifanaly ed

sult.

ause. He eyedmekeenly fora

onf identiallyandinalow oic e. To-

fthegeneralsenseof thosesolemn

buttherewassomethingsoearnest

eenergy inhisgestures thate ery

throughme tobebeatenintomy

es.These inbrief werehisreason-

kethe coalwhichtheseraphimlaid


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




saiah foraf termystudiesw ith

nderstandallthattheymeant.

tityof thesethreesubstances toall

' hewenton suggestedtheidea

smightbereducedto asingleele-

nsofmodernc hemistryha epro ed

oalargee tent. Chemistryc lassi-

istinctheadingsorganicnature

ganicnaturecomprisese eryanimal

e eryorganic struc turehowe erele-

akmoreacc urately e erythingwhic h

pacityofmotion whichisthemeasure

rganicnatureisthereforethemost

.N ow analysishasreducedall

turetofour elements threeof

o ygen andhydrogen andthe

on-metallic solid.

e ontheotherhandw ithsolittle

ms w ithnopowerofmo ementorof

perhaps of thepowerofgrowth c on-

groundsby innaeusinorganic

esimplebodies andallitsproducts

ousc ombinations. sitlikely that

mostnumerouswhentheresults are

Myoldmasterusedtoholdthatthere

montoall thesefifty-threebodies

forc e nolongere erted brought

c ations thisunknownforc e inhis

ntellec tmightdisco erandapplyonc e

maginethatforc edisc o eredandonc e

emistrywouldbethescienceofa single

ganicnatureareprobablyalikebased

tifweshouldsucceedindecomposing

whichwemaylookuponasanegation


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




duc edtothree. Weareonthe ery

aryof theanc ientswe whoare

noranc e atthealchemistsof the

chemistryhasgonenofurtherthan

yetitis ery little. Muchhasbeen

istryhaslearnedtoshrink beforeno

causewhathasbeenaccomplishedisas

hatremainstodo. Tisafair

muchtochance.

ond forinstanc e thatc rystalli ed

e ery lastsubstanc e onewould

create. Thealchemiststhemsel es

ages whothoughtthatgoldcould

erentelements andmadeupagain

eshrunk indismayfromtheattemptto

weha edisc o ereditsnatureand

tion.

h ea dd ed h a e g on e fa rt he r ye t

periment onc emade thatthemys-

hasfilledmen simaginationsfromtime

erbedisco eredbyanyanalytic alpro-

sinnoonespec ialdirec tion. B ut

ldesc ribethee periment. ou

ectingasingleonefromamongthe

nic nature andsowtheminf lowers

simpleinorganic body. Waterthe

tomakecertainthatnounknown

productsofgermination.U nder

swillsproutand grow drawingall

ementsascertainedbyanalysis.

ec ressandburnit untilyouha e

antityofashforyouranalysis and

lic a alumina c alcic phosphateand

arbonate potassicsulphateandcar-

de ustasif thecresshadsprungupin


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




etnoneofthesesubstancesare

hthec ressesgrew sulphurisa

positionofdistilledwaterisdefinitely

e istintheseedsthemsel es. Wec an

oneelementcommontothecress

thattheair thedistilledwater the

dthe arioussubstanc esdetec tedbyan

ess thatistosay thepotassium

mina andsoforth areall ariousforms

whichisf reeintheatmosphere and

ac ti eagent.

c i l a t th i s e p e ri m en t ' h e e c l ai m ed

c e th e e i s te n ce o f t he A b s o l ut e O n e

ubstanc es modif iedbyauni ueforce

moftheA bsoluteinitssimplest

hehumanintellec tc ansol e orsoit

edattheoutsetbythemysterious

umanityhaskneltine eryage

eagenc y andtheresult. Throughout

oufindtheawfulnumber three "

s andlaws. A ndthere ' hesaid war

tomyresearc hes

o f a o i si e r s y o u ar e r ic h an d ca n

l w illsharemyguessesattruth

thee perimentswhic hga emeglimpses

rchshouldbedirected.Theprimi-

elementc ommontoo ygen hydrogen

theagenc ymustbethec ommonprin-

gati eelec tric ity . faf terin enting

tyou canestablishthesetwotheories

illbeinpossessionof the f irstc ause "

enaofnature.

r w h en y o u ca r ry t h er e 1 h e s ai d s t ri k in g

astwordofc reation aforeshadow ingof


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




oc allitli ingtobedraggedhitherand

tobeoneamongblindmassesofmen

poneac hotheratagi ensignalw ithout

glifeisanin erteddream. My

doesthisandthat amidmenand

e andmarc hesacross uropeatthe

despise and ha enoc onsc ious-

ulisrapt inthecontemplation

grossedbyoneall-absorbingthought

ute todetec ttheforc ethatisseenat

whichcannotbetoldonefromanother

ons willspringupandblossom

hiteand somewillbeyellow. ou

rationininsects byfeedingsilk-

einstruc ture onthesamelea es and

othersayellowcoc oon youc an

nhisownchildrenbearno resem-

mother. Henc e maywenotlogi-

ecauseunderlyingtheseeffects

aofnature sitnotinc on-

tsof GodtoimaginethatH ehas

assbythe simplestmeansandinthe

thagorasofoldadoredthe one

theire pressionfortheprimiti e

e r e e r en c ed t h e nu m be r t w o " t h e fi r st

althatfollow andine eryageand

ee hasrepresentedGod thatisto

andresult throughallthesec onfused

dthereis adimperceptionofthe

ndB ec her Parac elsusandA grippa all

uses hadforpasswordTrismegistus

ndTernary . gnorantpeople who

ondemnationsofalchemy that

y ha edoubtlessnosuspicionthat


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




fytheimpassionedresearc hesof those

e s ec r et o f t he A b s o l ut e i s fo u nd t h e

emainstobegrappledw ith. A h me

ydaily fare while amc ommand-

irli esfornothing myoldmaster

disc o ery soaringhigherandfaster

nd shalldie likeadog in

greatmanhadgrownsomewhat

therlyfashionthattouchedme

inkofanye perimentworthmak ing

re die.

a l t h a a r p r es s in g h is w i fe s h a nd

air courseddownhishollowcheeksas

sk indledaf ireinme. omewhatin

d r ea s on e d be f or e b u t a o i si e r ha d n ot

edMme. C laes interrupting inspiteof

hisman whoonlyspentonenightunder

ofyouraffec tion onephrase one

edourchildren shappinessand

ar B a l t h a a r d i d he m ak e t he s i gn o f t he

imc losely O nlytheTempter

weyes bla ingw iththef ireofProme-

e ilhimselfc ouldha esnatched

ersincethatdayyouha ebeenneither

dof thehousehold

ai m ed B a l t h a a r s p r i ng i ng t o h is f e et a n d

wife doyoublameyourhusband

men thathemayspreadthedi ine

urfeet apoortributecompared

heart. Why doyouknowwhat

sethreeyears ha emadegiant

hec ried inhisenthusiasm.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




thatmomentthattheglowof

ac easlo ehadne erdone and

tened.

c hlorineandnitrogen ha edec om-

eshithertobelie edtobeelements

w me t al s . N a y h e s ai d a s h e lo o ke d a t

ha edec omposedtears. Tearsarecom-

eoflime chlorideofsodium

thoutseeingthat osephine sfac e

ithpain hehadmountedthe

andwasfarfromtheactualworld.

isoneof thestrongestproofsof the

A lllife ofc ourse impliesc ombustion

esasthefire burnsrapidlyorslowly.

eralisprolongedindefinitely forin

tential latent orimperceptible.

ts thiswasteisso constantlyrepaired

sture thattheirlifeseemsto be

ereareli ing egetablegrowthswhic h

esincethelastc atac lysm. B utwhen

naturemakesamoredelicateandper-

endowingitwithsentience instinct

ark threesucc essi estagesoforganic

ec ombustionof itality insuc horganisms

mountperformed.

hehighestpointof intelligenc e isa

hpossessesthefacultyofthought

er.A ndcombustionisaccordingly

n anyotheranimalorganism its

etracedby thepresenceofphosphates

atesinthesystem whicharere ealedby

substancesbuttracesoftheaction

e-gi ingprinc iple houldwenotlook

ducedbyelectricityingreater a-


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




otheranimal Wasitnottobe

dpossessgreaterfacilitiesforabsorb-

heabsoluteelement greaterpowers

rgani ationmoreperfec tlyadaptedfor

uses fordraw ingfromithisphysic al

er amsureof it. Manisa

theidiot sbrainc ontainslessphos-

roductsofelectro-magnetism which

man theyarepresentinsmall

ybrain andarefoundintheirright

hemanofgenius.Theporter

ersallo er andthegluttonmisdirec tthe

stemsthroughtheagencyofelec-

entiments

l t h a a r o u t er r i fy m e t h es e a re

mylo eforyouis

a n d gi e n o ff " a n sw er e d C l a es t h e

bsolute. O nlythinkof it f

ef irstif f inditoutif

threedifferenttonesof oice

entachange helookedlikeaman

willmakediamonds allthatnature

i er c r ie d o s ep h in e i n h er d e -

nc e A c c ursedf iend ouarefor-

tthisisthesinofpridebywhich atan

gonGod

shec ried wringingherhands.

sapowerwhichw illne erbeyours.

o edsc ienc eC laeslookedathis

seemedtopassthroughhim.

e s ai d .


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



F TH E A B S O L U T . 1

ement. Thatiswhat ha e

ha ereadforyoursake. ouc an

ruit orMalagaw ine andofc oursedis-

emic alc omposition andf indelementsin

enottobe foundinthesurround-

youspokeof possiblybydintofef fort

mentstogether butwouldyou

orMalagaw inef romthem C ould

ousactionofthesun ofthe

c ompositionisonething c reationis

erthec ompellingforce c ouldc reate.

m " c riedPepita w ithdespair

m y lo e l o e i s sl ai n. h a e l os t

ndthroughhertearshereyesseemed

rforthesorrow andpity andlo e

s o b b in g y ou a r e de a d to e e r yt h in g

nceisstrongerinyouthanyouyourself

randtoohigh youc anne erdropto

panionofapoorwoman.What

e y o u no w A h t r ie d t o be l ie e t h at

owforthHisworksandtosingHis

tibleand tyrannouspowerhadbeen

sownhand. twasamelanc holy

Godisgood H ewouldha elef ta

orthew ifewhoidoli esyou and

myoushouldwatch. Thede ilonly

oneamongthosebottomlesspits

tbyfaithinhea en butbyahideous

O therw ise youwouldha eseen

throughninehundredthousandfrancs

o m e u s ti c e m y G o d on e a rt h d o

udo. fwehadonlyeachother


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




urfortunesatyourfeet wouldpray

nyourfurnac e andlaughtoseeit

eThen ifwewerepoor should

sothatyoumightha ec oalforyour

rethanthat would oyfully f ling

ouldhelpyoutof indyoure ec rable

tseemsthatallyourhappinessandhopesare

edriddle. B utthereareourc hildren

omeofourc hildrenifyoudonotf ind

erysoon DoyouknowwhyPier uin

twastoask forthirty thousandfranc s

y. ourestatesareyoursno

ouhad thethirtythousandfrancs

ofansweringthe uestionhewas

asocc urredtomethatwemightraise

d-fashionedsil er.

ttogatherinherhusband seyes

andraisedherclaspedhandsimplor-

red ifyouc annotgi eupyourstudies

ntilwec ansa emoneyenoughforyou

h donotc ondemnthem To

blowyourfurnacef ires butdonotdrag

ertyandwant. ouc annotlo e

sc ienc ehaseatenawayyourheart but

etheirli esunc louded youmust

eofwretc hedness. ha enotlo ed

of tenw ishedthat hadbornenoc hil-

mightbeknitmorecloselytogether

innerlife A ndnow tostif lethe

mustpleadmyc hildren sc ausebefore

und andfello erhershoulders

edupwithin herseemedtoflash

hetriumphedo erherri al.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




inhisarms laidheronthesofa andsat

e c au s ed y o ur g r ie f h e s ai d s p ea k -

fromapainfuldream.

hurtus itwasinspiteofyourself "

andthroughhishair. C ome sit

eadded pointingtoaplaceonthesofa.

f o rg o tt e n al l a bo u t it n o w th a t we h a e y o u

ear weshallretrie eallourlosses

farfromyourwifeagain Promise

reat handsomeC laes. ou

erthatnobleheartofyoursthe

artistsandgreat menneedtosoothe

ointment. oumustletmecross

urowngood. w illne erabusethe

swersharplyandgrumbleat me.

mous butyoumustbehappytoo Do

isten wew illnotask toomuc h

urheart withus butyoumustdeal

ourheartmustbereallyours N ow

f ishnesssublime

altha ar. Withawoman swon-

ngedthesolemntoneoftheir talk

uestionintothedomainsof est a

B ute enw iththelaughteronher

dtoclutchtightlyatherheart andher

se enlyandgentlyasusual but

d i n B a l th a a r s e y es t h e e p r es s io n w hi c h

ghtande ultation andknewthat

slost shesmiledagainathimas

a l th a a r n a t u re m a de u s t o fe e l a n d

atwe arenothingbutanelectrical

sandethereali edmatterw illne er

reseeingthefuture.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




ered bymeansofaf f inities. Thepower

hepoetandthededuc ti epowerof

othbasedon isibleaf f inities though

mponderable sothatordinary

al phenomena butinrealitythey

erydreamerofdreamsseesand

athesees.U nluckily suchaffin-

andtheindicationsaretooslight

and obser ation.

sa i d c o mi n g cl o se r f or a k i ss t o p ut

eturnedsoinopportunelyather ues-

isthistobeanaff inity

n twosubstanceswhichha ethesame

action.

s h e sa i d i f y ou d o n ot w i sh m e t o di e

t o s ee m y r i a l a lw a ys b e fo r e me e e n

s morethan c anbear.

at youarealwaysine erythoughtof

akeournamefamous youarethe

i nt o m y ey es

ghtbackallthebeautyofyouthto

bandsawnothingbutherfac eabo ea

es did erywrongtoneglec t

Pepita when falltomusingagain

ustrouseme w ishit.

elethimtakeherhand hergreatest

satoncestronganddelicatelyshaped.

sf i ed y e t " s h e sa i d.

tingly lo ely thatyouc anaskand

rlaboratoryandbind thisscienceof

esaid f iref lashingf romhereyes.

de i l t ak e ch e mi s tr y " e a rn e st l y e -


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




ent. Withsolimitedaretinueitwas

earistoc rac yofDouai butMme.

ualtotheemergenc y suggestedthatac hef

aris thattheirgardener ssonshould

ic e andthattheyshouldborrow

hingbetrayedthestraitsthattheywerein.

preparationMine.C laeskepther

ployedthathedidnot misshisold

issionedhimtochoosetheflowers

hedec orationof thestairc ase the

y atanothertimeshesenthimto

fthehuge fish withoutwhicha

wouldbeshornofallitsglory . A fete

asa ery importantfunc tion demanding

ethoughtandahea ycorrespond-

ountries wherefamily traditionsof

maintained formastersandser ants

erisatriumphscoredatthee pense

stend f ruitwassentforf romParis

ad nodetailwasneglec ted theMaison

ontheoldla ishsc ale. Moreo er the

wasawell-knownsociale entw ith

penedinDouai andDouaiatthat

he department. orfifteenyears

edB altha artodistinguishhimselfon

wellhadheac uittedhimselfasahost

fortwentyleaguesround.The

ssentout andanyno eltythatap-

alestdetails weredisc ussedallo erthe

eftC laeslittletimeformedita-

eA bsolute. Histhoughtshadbeen

s olddomestic instinctsre i edthe

eming thehouseholderawoke and


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




mselfheartand soulintothetask

edeterminedthatsomenewre-

ethise eningac harac terof itsown

tra agancehec hosethefairest the

eting f ill inghishousewithsc ented

andpreparingbou uetsfortheladies.

epingwiththisunprec edentedlu ury

atcouldensuresuccesswerelacking.

n bearingthepartic ularsof theroutof

theterriblepassageof theB eresina

oon.Thenewsmadeadeepand

Douaisians andoutofpatriotism

ance.

achedDouaifromPoland there

r. twasf romM. deWier c hownia

Dresden dyingofthewounds

gagement. e eralideashadocc urred

cetheyhadspokentogetherof theQ uest

theseideashedesiredtolea easalegacy

ago. A f terreadingtheletterC laes

whichdidhonortohispatriotism but

shesawthatasecondanddeepershadow

t al. Thegloryof theMaisonC laes

were by itsapproac hingec lipse there

heatmosphereinspiteofthe mag-

displayofallthetreasuresof bric-a-

nerationsofamateurs andnowbeheld

miringeyesofthe Douaisians.

ningwasMarguerite whomadeher

y.A lleyeswereturnedonher

simplicityandthe innocentfrank-

partlybec ausetheyounggirlseemed

dhouse.W iththesoftrounded

chestnuthairpartedin themiddle

ithersideofherbrow c learha el


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



S T O F TH E A B S O L U T .

rmsandplumpyetslenderform she

tof thecan asofoneof theold lemish

ucouldreadindicationsofa firm

head gentle shy andsedateasshe

erewasnothingsador languidabout

girlish gleefulnessinherface.

andthrift andasenseofduty all

s and onasec ondglanc e therewasa

sofoutlineanda meekpridewhich

ation andga epromiseofdomestic

kofnature whichphysiologistsas

heborenolikenesstoeitherfatheror

eli ingimageofhermaternalgreat-

ync ksofB ruges whoseportraithadbeen

andborew itnesstotheresemblanc e.

fetotheball. f thedisastersthathad

yforbadetherela ationofdancing

the prohibitionneedapplytothe

odpatriots howe er lef tearly

pirits remained withsomefew

eintimatefriendsof thefamily . ittle

brilliantly-lightedhouse towhich

of lock andbyoneo c lock inthe

mpty thecandlesweree tinguished

r andthec ourtyarditself solately

hadsettleddownintoitswonted

waslikea foreshadowingofthe

eturnedtotheirrooms B altha ar

hof f icer slettertoread shega eit

sheforesawtheend.

tediumofhislifebegan isibly to

sspirits. nthemorning afterbreak fast

eanforawhileintheparlor and

whowerebusyw iththeirsew ing or


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




ork buthesoonweariedof theplay

erythingseemedtobeasettask .

wn ha ingc hangedherwrapperfora

stillsittinginthelowc hair ga ing

elic ie therattleof theirbobbins

him.W henthenewspapercame

ugh likearetiredtradesmanat a

nhewouldrisetohisfeet lookat

hthewindowpanes listlesslymend

gaininhisc hair asif thetyrannous

edhimofall consciousnessofhis

ettedherdefecti eeducationand

ifficultforher tosustainaninter-

perhapsitisalwaysdif f ic ultfortwoper-

erythingtoeachothertof indanything

ookforitamongindifferenttopics.

moments andwantscontrasts

ofdailylifearesoon disposedofby

medtomakepromptdecisions and

urabletotwosoulswholo e. uc h

whoknoweachotherthoroughly should

nthehighestregionsof thought forit

inglittle againstsomethingthatis

henamanhasdweltforlongongreat

asytoamuse unlessthereissomethingof

thepowerofflinginghimselfintothe

mplefresh-heartednessthatmakesmen

mingchildren butisnotthisyouth-

damongthose whoha esetthem-

andunderstandallthings

e. C laestriedallthee pedients

yc ouldsuggest shee enlearnedto

amethathadalwayspresentedinsuper-

d shetriedtointerestB altha ar


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n c onsultinghimabouttheirstudies

s butalltheseresourcescameto

osephineandB altha arwereinsomewhat

e. deMaintenonand ouisX I V .

couldbringthepomps ofpowerto

ourtierswholentthemsel estoher

partsasambassadorsf rom iam and

o p hi t o d i e r t a we a ry k i ng a n d

te r d ra i ni n g th e we a lt h o f r a nc e h a d kn o wn

toayoungerbrother sshif tsfor

outli edyouthandsucc ess andhad

dfailure and inspiteofhis

senseofhisownhelplessness andshe

adsoothedhisc hildren wasnotalways

e whohads uanderedwealthand

whohadgi enhislifefor anityand

wasnowpay ingthepenaltyof itall.

feringf rome haustion butf romunem-

oughtpossessedhim. H ewasdream-

e ofaddingtotheknowledgeof

mightha ebeenhis. H ewassuf fer-

suffers like amsonboundtothe

ePhilistines. otheresultwas

oso ereigns thoughtheintellec tual

oughhisstrength andtheother

unaided forthisk indofsc ientif ic

etriede erymeansthatfamily life

ecalledsoc ietytotherescue andga e

week . Cafeshadrecentlysuperseded

hesesocialfunctions thein ited

swinesandli uorswithwhichthe

nthatfa oredland drank theirc afe

andpartookof arious lemish


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omensangballads discussedeach

etailedallthegossipof thetown. t

meofMierisorTerburg alwaysthe

meofthedetailsarealtered thedroop-

ayhigh-crownedhatsarewanting

ndthepictures uecostumesofthe

uousef fortstoac thispartasmaster

nstrainedcourtesyandforcedanima-

nguor whichshowedbuttoo

aladyhadmade andthesedissipa-

le iatethesymptoms. B altha ar

ce mightcatchatbranchafter

thoughdelayed wassomuc hthehea ier.

oldocc upations hene eruttered

titwas uiteimpossibletoc ontinuehis

ndmo ementswerelanguid his itality

b.Thisdepressioncouldbeseen

nwhic hhewouldtakeupthetongs

dswiththeglowingcoals.

wh e n th e e e n in g w as o e r s l ee p

orawhile fromtheimportunitiesof

morningcamethethoughtthatanother

ugh andhec ountedthehoursofcon-

stedtra elermightrec konouttheleagues

himandhis ourney send.

thec ausesof thisweariness shetried

ec ts shewouldnotseetheha oc

ghshemightsteelherself against

tress hiskindnessofheartleft her

arlistenedto ean slaughterorthe

eemedallthewhiletohearaninner

hisc hildren s oic es Mme. C laes

atthatthoughtwas butwhenshe

ness andtrytoseemc heerful that


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mo erothers hisgenerositymade

isrompsw ithlittle eanand

e girlsbroughtafloodof tears

yes andshehadtohurry f romtheroom

erheroismwasc ostingherdear itwas

weretimeswhenMme.C laes

l me a n d d o as y o u li k e

eemedtodieoutofB altha ar s

hhuesofagec repto erthem. v ery-

w ithanef fort therewasadull

ofhis oic eandinhismannere en

theendofA prilthingshadgrown

. C laestookalarm. hehadblamed

santly forha inge ac tedthispromise

emishfaithandloyaltywithwhichit

nB altha arlookedmoredepressed

tednolonger shewouldsac rif ic ee ery-

.

ou r w or d d e ar " s h e sa i d.

erinama ement forthemomenthe

hermeaning.

youre periments areyounot she

iblereadiness byagesture but

ghtof reproac h shehadhadtime

eabyssintowhichtheywereboth

hetookhishandinhersand

thim.

" shesaid amsureofmypower

hatwasdearerthanlifeformysake. Now

. h a e s o ld a g o od m a ny o f m y

esomelef t andw iththosethatmy

draisemoneyenoughfor youtocon-

s. thought wouldkeepthe ewels

urfamewillmorethanmakeup for


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nd besides youw illgi ethemf iner

o erherhusband sfacewaslikea

e slasthopes andshesawwithanguish

erthan himself.C laeshadabelief

withoutfalteringina pathwhich

ythebrinkofaprec ipice. Hehadthis

ttoherwhohadnofaithfellthehea ier

doesnota womanalwayssufferfortwo

setobelie einhissuc cess seeking

orhersharein thecertainwreckof

lelifewouldne errepayyourde o-

l a e s d e ep l y mo e d .

thewordsbeforeMargueriteand

mtowish theirfatherandmother

eslookeddown foramomentshe

etwochildren shefeltthatshe

toa wilddelusion butherhusband

talkedandlaughedwiththem

c ra ede pression. Thenc eforthMme.

sband slifeofenthusiasm. c ience

wase erythingtoC laes shenot

hisaims butallherhopesofherc hil-

wboundupinhispursuits. etwhen

e olishadsoldherdiamondsforher

sbegantoarri ef romthef irmof

alltheunhappywife speaceofmind

if therestlessmale olentspiritthat

rmentedheralso andsheli edin

ge pec tation. twasshewhonow

adall daylonginherlow chair

romthe ery ehemenc eofher

satwork thewhileinhislaboratory

erenergies thepent-upforc esof


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ulas doubtsandfears. ometimes

klyhumoringapassionwhichshe

less shewouldrememberM. de

ndrisefromherc hairandwalk tothe

thelaboratorychimneywithdismay

mokewentupfromit shewould

andc onf lictingideasstro ew ithinher

rc hildren sfuturewas anishing

wassa ingtheirfather slife. Wasit

himhappy Thislastthought

e space.

thelaboratorynow andmight

pleased bute enthismelancholy

enup. twastoopainfultosee

dinhiswork thathedidnote ennotice

mes too shefeltthatshewasac tually in

ealousybec ameintolerable e ery little

adeadlywound awilddesirewould

emightbeblownup andsoputanendto

meter therefore ofold eMul uinier.

istleashec ameandwent orlaidthe

nner sheauguredthatherhusband s

doutwell thattherewassomehope

ure butif eMul uinierwassador

w istfuleyesonhim:wasB altha ar

rtoftacitunderstandingwasestablished

nspiteof theproudreser eof themis-

endenceofthemanser ant.

herself nopowerof throwingof f

edher shee perienc edtothefull

espair theloadofan iety forthe

hatshel o edweighedmoreand

emblingw ifeandmother. hesc arc ely

usewas orthesilenceandgloom

eart asshesatin theparlorallday


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andoneof thosere ulsionsof feeling

swepto erher are ulsionallthe

Pepitaallowednosignofagitation

becalmanddispassionate.

n o t co n su l te d P ie r u i n d e ar " s h e sa i d

buthewouldnotbeabo efeelinga

ereruined so ha etakenthe

hohasafather sk indnessforus. My

e olis suggestedawayofa erting

etoseeyourpic tures andhethinks

allerywe couldpayoffallthe

rdebtstoProte andChif f re ille for

methingow ingtothem.

signofassent alreadyhishairhad

heHappesandtheDunckersofA m-

on theyha eamaniaforbuy ingpic -

sonlymadeyesterday andasthey

tare onlytobefoundin oldfamily

lybetoogladtogi etheirfull a lue

nwhenourestatesarec lear therewill

er forthepic turesw illbringinat

ucats andthenyoucangoon with

ery little thetwogirlsand wew ill

intimewewillsa emoneyenoughtofill

thotherpictures andinthemean-

ac etohisw ife s hefelthalf -doubtful

e c hangedroles. Thew ifehadbe-

r andhe inspiteof thesympathy

held osephineinhisarms anddid

ulsedwithanguish didnotseehow

reshakenbythethrobbingofher

er ous ui eringofherlips.

o t el l y ou " h e c ri e d t h at a m


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heA bsolutebyahair s-breadth.

ameansofsubmittingmetalstointense

thepressureof theatmosphereisnil

a cu u m an d s h al l o l at i li e t h em .

edown theegoisticanswerwas

ade pec tedpassionategratitudefor

erecei edaprobleminc hemistry. he

wentdownstairsintotheparlor

ain andburstintotears. Hertwo

nd elic ie eac htookoneofherhands

eithersideofher wonderingather

theyaskedheragainandagain.

a m d yi n g f e el t h at h a e n o t lo n g

helookedather mother sface

edaghastlypallorbeneaththe

kn.

c a ll e d e l ic i e. C o m e h e re m a mm a

merunningfromthekitchen.

dc olorthathadreplacedthedusky

ess face

s h e cr i ed i n p a ni s h m a da me i s

osetteheatsomawaterforafoot-

ndthenreturned.

master Martha saynothingabout

s . P o or d e ar g i rl s s h e ad d ed c o n-

Margueriteand elicietoherheart. f

genoughtoseeyoubothhappyand

e we n t on t e ll e M ul u i ni e r to g o

mtoc ometoseeme.

kdownthemistressof thehouse

nthekitchen. osetteandMartha


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ants weresodeeplyattac hedtoMme.

htersthattheblowwasashea yasit

rriblewords: ' Madameisdy ing

ledher B e uic kandgetreadya

ddrawnsundrye ac ulationsf rom osette

M u l u i n i er . e M u l u i ni e r c al m a nd

waseatinghisbreak fastatac ornerof the

fthe windowswhichlookedouton

nwasasspickand spanasthe

d en d " r e ma r ke d o s et t e l o ok i ng

shespoke. hehadc limbedontoa

erkettlewhichshone likeburnished

couldlookonandseeherc hildren s

fritteringawayafortune likethe

erythingf lyingawayinsmoke.

e f ramedinitsf rilledc ap wasnotun-

t-c rac kersthatGermansc ar e she

asharpglanc eoutofherlittlebloodshot

t enomous. orallanswertheold

orthyofasorely - triedMirabeau and

outh butonlytoputapiec eofbread

edbyamorselof redherring intoit.

etmonsieurha esomemoney " he

eadofbotheringhim weshouldallbe

soon Thereisnotthethic knessof

he

u w ithyourtwentythousandfranc sof

t y o u ha n d th e m o e r t o t h e ma s te r H e

eyouputsuchfaith inhissayingsand

boutthem osette. ustmindyour

thewater " saidthe leming inter-

now knowthatweoncehadse eral


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s s

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e dayswhenthefamilystoodin

e.

rbec amesoabsorbedthathedidnot

s. Hega elittle eanarideonhis

ereall thewhilewiththeproblem

emoretosol e. Hesawthewater

oot-bath forshehadnotstrengthto

thelowchairintowhic hshehadsunk.

sastheybusiedthemsel esabouttheir

ytoac countfortheiran ietyandcare

erfingerson herlipsifMarguerite

ospeak . A sc eneof thisnaturewas

irlthink andMarguerite standing

other wasoldenoughandsensible

hatitmeant. hereali edthather

oncernedinhermother stroubles.

inthehistoryofe ery familywhen

uslyorunconsciouslyto udgetheir

thatthiscriticaltime hadcome

withherstrongsenseof ustice would

ohertobeherfather sfaults ery

essetherself to ustifyhisc onduc t.

chsheshowedforhimat thismo-

sheeffacedherselfforfear ofdisturb-

tadeepimpressiononherc hildren s

theirfatherwithsomethinglikeawe.

iousnatureof thisde otion Mar-

ogni ingit andheradmirationin-

whomshewas boundsocloselyby

ife. Theyounggirl saf fectionhad

ehaddimlydi inedhermother s

do erthem nohumanpowercould

eof themfromMarguerite aword

setteorMarthahadenlightenedher

it e o f Mm e . C l a es r e se r e h e r


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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threadbythreadthemysteryof this

eritewouldbehermother sac ti e

and perhaps intheendaformidable

atchedMargueritean iously andtried

wnde otion shesawtheyoung

nd udgment andshudderedto

weenfatheranddaughterwhen

andMargueritehadtakenherplace.

adedthec onse uencesofherdeathfar

eresolutionshehad usttakenhad

oughtforB altha ar. B yf reeingher

allliabilities sheleftitindependent

sputesbyseparatinghis interests

shehopedtoseehim happyuntil

ndwhenthatdayc ame Marguerite

elwhowatchedo erthefamily.

ertendernessinMarguerite sheart and

a e herlo eshouldstillshineupon

tsheshrank f romloweringC laesin

ndwouldnotimparthermisgi ingsand

emomentc ame shewatc hedMar-

e er wonderingwhetherofherown

dbea mothertoherbrothersand

ender helpmeettoherfather.

tdayswereembitteredbyfearsandsad

ouldspeaktonoone. hefelt

endealther inthatlastfatal scene

tothefuture whileB altha ar now

sof propertyandtheinterestsof

ofnothingbuttheA bsolute.The

wasonlybrokenbythemonotonous

sfoot hedidnotnotic ethatlittle ean

andc limbeddownfromhisfather s

ngbesidehermother lookedather


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andthenglancedfromtimetotimeat

redwhyheshowednofeeling.Pres-

towithaclangthat echoedthrough

ilysawtheoldA bbede olisslow ly

onhis nephew sarm.

m ma nu el " c ri ed e li ci e.

m u re d M me . C l a e s a s s h e s aw m -

amgladtoseehimagain.

edathermother spraise. O nlytwo

bbe snephewhadstirredmyste-

andawakenedthoughtsthathad

lytwodaysagohermother sc on-

picturesinthegallery andoneof

passunheeded andalterthewhole

entakenplac e forthisreasonabrief

osmustbegi enhere.

e ofconducttoperformtheduties

e. Herdirec tor whonowentered

me wasscarcelyknownbysightto

mpossibleto seetheuncleandnephew

ouc hedandre erent andtheir isit

sionone eryone.

sanoldman ofeighty withsil er

einthefeeble wastedfac eseemedto

alkedw ithdiff ic ulty foroneofhis

napainfullydeformedfootencased

sothathealwaysneededthesupportof

sarm. etwhenyousawthebent

me youfeltthatan ironwillsustained

ody andthatapure andreligious

panishpriest distinguishedfor

know ledgeof theworld andhissinc ere

si elyaDominic anfriar c ardinal-peni-

d ic ar-generalof thearchbishopric of

hehouseofC asa-Real would


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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hehighestdignitariesofthechurch

R e olutionhadnotputanendtohis

iefforthedeathof theyoungDuke

been hadledhimtoretiref romac ti e

mselfentirely totheeduc ationofa

lef tanorphanata eryearlyage.

uestof theN etherlandshehadset-

me. C laes. nhisyouthhehad

rencefor aintTheresa andhad

owardsthemoremysticalsideof

ealwaysbeen lluministsand

Mile. B ourignonmademostofher

l e mi n gs a n d th e o ld A b b 6 d e o l is

tholic sinDouai whostillc lung

ure tothedoctrinesof enelonand

hemoregladto stayamongthem

masa fatherinthefaith.H is

slifehadbeene emplary itwassaid

ac e andhadseen isions. B utthe

ydi orcedfromthethingsofthis

hisnephewwasalink thatboundhimto

hrifty for mmanuel ssake. Helaid

nforaworkof charitybeforeha -

rse andhewassowidelyknown

erestedness hisperspicacitywasso

eryonewasreadytoanswerhis

eaofthe contrastbetweenuncle

manmightbecomparedtoa hollow

andtheyoungertoabriar-rose

cen-c o eredtree andc o eringit

whichseemtosupportit.

dlybroughtup.H isunclehardly

ssight nodamselwase ermore

ermother and mmanuelwasalmost

ndinnocentlyromantic. oulsthat


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




gion retainthebloomofyouth

andtheoldpriesthad checkedthe

re- lo inginstinc tsinhispupil c on-

monasticdisciplinehadbeen his

of life. uc habringingup which

otheworldwithall hisyouthful

ghtmakehishappinessifhisaffections

utset andhadendowedhimwith

estedhimwithsomethingofthe

egentleeyes eiledabra eand

rewasalightinthemthatthrilledother

enoutbyc rystal ibratesontheear.

t yethisfeatureswereregular noone

heirflawlessdelicacyofoutline

freposewhichcomesfrominward

ionseemedstillmorebrilliantby

arkeyesandhair. v erything

y his oic edidnotdisappointthe

sobeautifulaface andhisalmost

mentandc lear sof tga ewerein

edidnotseemtobeawarethat

e hisself- repression hisrespec tful

isuncle e c itedinterestinhim

hetwotogethertheyoungerman

ftotheoldA bba stotteringgait

orthesmoothestpath anda oiding

theeldermightstumble c ouldfailto

elthosegenerous ualitiesofheartand

ble acreature.

eatnessshoweditself inhislo eforhis

owronginhiseyes towhomhe

ingobedienc e someprophetic in-

uggestedthegrac iousnamegi entohim

teorabroadtheoldA bbe ertedthe

tyofa Dominicanfather m-


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s s

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D W I TH A W A N - I K E MO V E M N T O F H E R

A N C E O N C E MOR E A T MMAN U E L .


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s s

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s s

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F TH E A B S O L U T , 105

raisehisheadinsuch nobleprotest-

edtosay ifanothermanhad en-

ewouldha eshownhisspiritthat

hedby it aspaintersaremo edby

ofart forabeautifulthoughthas

rsouls whetheritisre ealedina

rmaderealforusbythepowerofart.

thhisuncletosee thepicturesin

dMarguerite ha inglearnedfromMar-

oliswasinthepic turegallery found

speakingtohermother sothatshe

whomshehadheardsomuch.

hinkingly hidingherlittlestratagem

rbywhichyounggirlsso effec-

oughts andbythesideof theold

withhisdeathlypallorand bentand

dseen mmanuel syoungandbeautiful

ureshadga edateachotherwith

intheireyes mmanuelandMar-

emeteachotherbeforein theirdreams.

andmetagainwiththesame uncon-

er sarmandspoketoherina

epretenceofhererrand andfrom

her sw ing asitwere sheturned

entofherthroat toglanceonc emore

tillstoodsupportinghisunc le.

hadbeen distributedsothatall

pictures andthedimnessofthe

englsmceswhicharethe delightof

hemhad ofc ourse ad anc ede en

fwithwhic hpassionbegins but

irheartswerestirredw itha ague

stoitself shrinkingperhapsfrom

orw ishingtolingero eritssweetness.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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callsforththe long-dormantemo-

aysfollowedbyamutewonder

e forthef irsttime theyhearmusic .

f irst andthengrowthoughtful others

e andthenbegintolaugh butthere

edtoli eforpoetryorlo e andthey

ere uesttohearthemusic again their

easure orwithadawningsenseof

fwearealwaysboundw ithallthe

othespot wherewefirstunderstood

sound ifwerememberthemusi-

umentw ithdelight howc anwehelp

hatforthef irsttimere ealsthemusic

heheartf romwhic hwedrawour

ome asitwere ournati ec ountry

ritewereeachforeachthatmusical

leepingsense itwasasifahandhad

oudandpointedouttothemthe

noondaybla eof light.

detheA bbepauseforamomentbe-

elbyGuido Margueriteleaned

at mmanuelthoughtof it and

arguerite comparingthemutethought

inter sc an asw iththethought

stoodthereinlifebeforehim. he

consciousanddeliciousflattery.

praisedthebeautifulcomposition and

theyoungpeopleweresilent.

egallery the uietthatbrooded

presenc eof theirelders allthec irc um-

ser edtostampitonthememory

ueoutlinesofashadowydream. A ll

tfelllikerain inMarguerite ssoul

dthemsel esoutlikeaw ide c learsea

rayoflightwhen mmanuelstam-


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hetook lea eofMrae. C laes. The

tedamysteriousspello erherheart

plete itonlyrestedw ith mmanuel

utforhim forthemanwhof irst

sheartisoftenanunconsciousinstru-

eshisworkunf inished. Marguerite

ergood-byewasaglancethatseemed

tlosingthispureandc harming ision.

wantedtohearhermusic onc eagain.

aceatthefootof theoldstaircase

andfromtheparlorwindowshe

phewcrossthecourt andfollowed

hestreetdoorclosedonthem.

deeplyengrossedwiththe weighty

rhadcometodiscuss thatshehad

erdaughter sfac e andonthe

isitshewasagainfull ofsuchterrible

eeintheredf lushonMarguerite s

pinessandtheworkingsofa girlish

bbewasannouncedMargueritehad

andapparentlyfounditsointerest-

ncleandnephewwithoutraising

esreturnedtheA bbede olis bow

heparloras ifhispresencewere

e enerableDominicanseatedhim-

withoneofthosekeenglancesby

hedepths ofsouls hehadscarcely

ebeforehe guessedthatsomecatas-

c hildren " saidthemother. Mar-

nueltoseeyourfather stulips.

tembarrassed took elicie shandin

he isitor whoreddenedandfol-

r c atchinguplittle eantokeep


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

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henall fourofthemwereoutin

d eliciesc amperedof f andMarguerite

de olis wenttowardsthebedof

inieralwaysplantedoutinthesame

s " M a rg u er i te a s ke d a s m -

tobreakthesilence.

mademoiselle butalo eof tulips

e fl o we r s da z l e m e e p e ct t h at i t

etowork inginmydark littleroom

kesoftercolorsbetter.

iteasheutteredtheselastwords but

onfusedlongings therewasnosug-

acebeforehim w ithitswhite el et

waslikeaflower.

ard " Margueriteasked mmanuel

en-paintedgardenseat. ouwill

pshere " sheadded theyw ill

yes. ouareright thec olorsare

ak e o ne s e y es a c he .

ard " theyoungmanansweredafterashort

ingthegra elonthepathw ithhis

rtsof things.Myuncleintendedto

i te e c l ai m ed n a i e l y.

f e lt t h at h a d n o o ca t io n . B u t i t to o ka

rossmyunc le sw ishes. He isso

fme. Q uitelatelyhepaidfora

omthec onscription and amonlya

antodo askedMarguerite w ith

hseemedasifshewouldfaintake the

headded

ur youmustthinkme ery in-


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ee nobodybutmyunc lehase erasked

said mmanuel look ingatheradmiringly

mtobeasc hoolmaster. Thereisno

r i ch y o u se e . f c a n ob t ai n a h ea d -

lin landers shallha eenoughto

rysomewomanwhowillbec ontent

whom shalllo e. Thatisthesortof

me. Perhapsthatiswhy would

syf romthef ieldsaboutO rc hies af lower

antheseglowingtulips allpurpleand

pphire.Thetulipsseemto mea

ntandlu uriouslife ustasthe

et old- fashionedlife apoorsc hool-

new illbe.

ealwaysc alledthemoon-daisiesmar-

usheduptotheeyes herac kedhis

andtormentedthegra elw ithhisboots.

edtohim andwerere ec tedassilly

rrassing andhewasforcedtosay

o enturetopronounc eyourname

tnofurther.

shewenton.

easchoolmasterforthesakeofasec ureposi-

but wanttodootherthingsaswell

tsdoing.1shouldlike somebit

hseemedtoco erthespeaker spri ate

eyoungman sembarrassment. He

andsaid

etalkaboutmyownaf fairs made-

ouldspeaktoyouofyourself .

ndyourunc lemustha ef inished

lookingattheparlorw indows.


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erymuchaltered thought.

andsaysnothingtousabouther

nly feelsorry forher thatisallwe

me. C laeshad ustc onsultedthe

ff ic ultc aseofconscienc e whichhealone

sc learly impending andnowthat

be sold shethoughtofkeeping

rc hasemoneyasasortof reser e

nagainstwant. B altha artookso

atitwouldbe easytodothiswith-

rmaturedeliberation andafter

aseintoconsideration theold

ssanctiontothis prudentcourse.

ol edonhim andthewhole

ately forfearof in uringM. C laes

phewtoA msterdamdulyarmed

n andtheyoungman delightedto

fdoingaser ic etothehouseofC laes

ollectioninthepicturegallery tothe

ppeandDuncker ostensibly forthe

tchducats butfifteenthousand

c retlyo erandabo ethisamountto

sweresowellknownthata single

cceptingtheproposalsmadebyMes-

ercompletedthebargain. mmanuel

onedtorecei ethepriceof thepic tures

rthanthe ordinarychannels so

hingofthe transactionwhichhad

ber B altha arhadpaidhisdebts

ndwasatworkoncemore butthe

eshaddeparted. etB altha arwas

hatheseemedtofeelno regrets


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F TH E A B S O L U T . ll

hec ouldretrie eallhislossesina

reser edtherighttorepurchasehis

osephine inhereyesthepaintings

dwiththehappinessofher husband

theblankspacesin thegallerywith

rtments andrearrangedthefurni-

hefamilysat sothattheempty

not benoticed.

wohundredthousandfranc swith

rimentsaf resh hisdebtswereallpaid

ephewbecametrusteesforMme.

d whichwasswelledsomewhatfurther for

thosedaysof uropeanwars and

theduc ats rec ei ingforthemsi ty -si

whichwerestoredawayinthe

laeshadthesadsatisfactionof

yengrossedinhis work butshe

theshockrec ei edthatA ugustaf ter-

cline f romwhic htherewasnoreco -

ha arinitsc lutc hes thedisastersthat

nce thef irstfallofNapoleon the

urbons allthee entsof thosee entful

tentionfromhis studies hewasno

ehadc easedtobeahusbandandafather.

r 1 14thewastingdiseasethat

eshadmadesuchprogressthatshe

d. hewouldnotdragoutthis

mwhereshehadli edinherhappier

memories andshec ouldnothelp

weenthepresentandthepast which

despair soshelaydownstairsinthe

moredthedesireof herheart

bemoreairy c heerful andc on en-


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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nt herbedhadbeenplaced

ceandthewindow sothatshecould

e lastdaysofherlife werespent

arth implantinginherdaughters

otionofherown. hec ouldno

rherhusband butshewasf reeto

herdaughters andthec harmofthis

etweenmotheranddaughterswas

ad begunsolate.

sensiti eaffectionweighedupon

usnatures likeremorse. Herc hildren

shethought thelo ewhichwastheir

oneforalltheseimaginarywrongs

tendernessinherc onstantthoughtand

ldfainha eshelteredtheminher

mbeneathherfailingw ings gi enthem

ttheyshouldha ehadinthosedays

em.H ersoulwasfullof remorse

warmthtoherwordsandc aresses her

ildrenbeforethe kindtonesof

hearts herhandseemedalwaystobe

on.

onC laeshadcometoanend

ort B altha arne erga eanother

ofhismarriage andsawno isitors

hane er butthisocc asionednosur-

e. C laes illnesswasasuf f ic ientreason

edebtshadbeenpaid andthis

andduringtheforeignoccupation

of theHundredDaysthec hemist

. ortwoyearsDouaiwasalmost

upiedinturnby renchtroopsor

ameacityofrefugefor allnationali-

edto flyfromtheopencountry

heirproperty ande eninterrorof


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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chatimeofc alamityandan ietynoone

rothers. TheA bbede olisand

oPier uins wereMme. C laes only

15wasalong andmostpainful

andseldomcametoseeher. H e

itistrue forafewhours butshe

nowtokeepup alongcon ersa-

repeatedtwoorthreeremarks which

esatbesideherw ithoutspeak ing andthe

was unbroken.Theonlybreaks

erethee eningswhentheA bbede

metotheMaisonC laes. Theold

onw ithB altha ar whileMarguerite

bedside talkedw ith mmanuel. Mme.

ocenthappiness andwouldnotlet

owpainfulit wastoherachingheart

f thedawnof lo einthewordsthat

thetwoyoung oic es sofullof

almostbrokeherheart shesurpriseda

e changedbetweenthem andmem-

happypastbroughtherthoughts

hefeltallitsbitternesstothefullasshe

ead. mmanuelandMarguerite

hersuf ferings anddelic acyof feelingled

ayfulnessoflo elestit shouldadd

ha edisc o eredthatoursentiments

andtaketheirc harac terf romthe

ethembirth theplac esinwhic hthey

houghtsthatfilledour mindsatthe

e elopmentandlea etheirimpressupon

kethatofMme. C laes passionatein

ssionatetotheend thereisalo e on

smilesf romtheoutset thatne erloses


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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morning andreapsitshar estof

andre oic ing butthereisalsoalo e

nessorsurroundedbymisfortune its

early-bought snatchedamidfears

orc loggedw ithdespair. Thislo ein

whichneitherMargueritenor

dasyet thisfeelingthathadbeen

stillnessandsilencebeneaththe

llery inthepresenceoftheaustere

w ithsomethingof thesobertwilight

udings itwasgra eandreticent

fsweetness andfurti e oyso er

etaso erstolengrapessnatched

theyne erdaredtogi ee pression

lunconsciouslytheiremotiongathered

pressedinthe depthsoftheirhearts

f intheirc areforthein alid. t

hatthisdrewthemmorecloselyto-

wasalreadyasontoMarguerite smother

eetlanguageof lo ersherecei ed

ksfromMarguerite.Theirsighsof

angedglanceswerescarcelydistinguish-

rom thembythesightof the

theirbriefmomentsof felic ity implied

kenpromises momentswhentheir

ac hother stoodout likethe A lle-

phael againstadarkbackground.

nfidenceintheotherthoughnowords

tthatthesunstillshone though

atheredo erhead andtheyknewnot

em thefutureseemeddoubtful

gthemalltheirli es sotheysat

shadowswithoutdaringtoask

daytogether


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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dernessthatMme. C laesshowedfor

concealedotherthoughtstowhichshe

erc hildrenne erc ausedherappre-

eywereherc omfort buttheywerenot

ot h em b u t sh e w as d y in g f or B a l t h a a r .

eforhertoha eherhusbandbyher

forwholehours torec ei eanunseeing

yetshewasunconsciousofhersuf-

ithher. B altha ar sindif ferenceto

eseemedunpardonabletoanystranger

butMme. C laesandherdaughters

understoodhimsowell thattheyfor-

omedangeroussei ureinthec ourseof

seorseemedtobeatthepointofdeath

oninthehouse orindeedinthewhole

thatthe wifewhohadoncebeenso

indanger. eMul uinierknew it but

adbeenforbiddenbytheir mother

llness.

whensheheardhis footstepsinthe

seditonhiswaytodinner shewas

ummonedallherstrengthto meetthe

shedtothe palefaceofthedying

shealmostlookedasshehadbeenwont

manofsciencec ametoherbedsideand

ndne ersawherasshereallywas: for

swell. nreplytohis H oware

s h e wo u ld a n sw e r B e t t e r d e a r

dmoodreadilybelie edherwhenshe

ofbeing uitewellto-morrow. H e

e ersawthattherewas anything

fe andthoughtthediseaseofwhich

passingailment. v eryoneelseknew

utforhimshewasfullof life.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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and wifecompletelyse ered.

oom li edinhislaboratoryorstudy

ndne ersawPepitasa einthe

andthefew friendsofthehouse

ehadlearnedtodow ithouther.

rede erythoughtdriftedfarther

emomentsofc losec ommunion of rap-

whicharethelifeof theheart c amesel-

andtheraremomentsofblissceased

ufferinghadnotcometoher aidand

theanguishofherisolationmight

e butshewasdy ing. hewassometimes

shewasgladthathe whomshe

wasnottheretobeaw itnessofhersuf -

tof thee eningthatB altha arspent

hinghim feelingthathewashappyaf ter

ppinesswhichshehadprocuredfor

s meagresatisfactionmustsuffice

ngeraskedifshewasbelo ed she

andwentsof tly fearingthatthisthin

wayandherheartandallherhopes

ark depthsthatyawnedbeneath.

edtobreak themonotonyof theday

me.C laes strengthperhapscon-

ace forheraffectioncouldonly

ndweaknessmadeiteasiertowaitand

r1 16openedunderthesegloomy

bruaryc amethesuddenshoc kwhic h

n who sotheA bbede olissaid

hegra e. Theblowc amefrom

tunitywhenthetwogirls were

hisperinherear Madame M.

dmetoborrowthreehundredthousand


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




owsasife haustedbytheeffort

ndsleptforse eralhours. Whenshe

enwerekneelingaroundherinfer ent

ay Gabrieland eanhad ustc ome

mmanuelde oliswhoforthepastsi

e mastersthere teachinghistory

withthem.

mustbideac hotherfarewell " she

ithmetothelast andhe he

e.

saidMarguerite whosawthedeathly

ac e w illyoutellourfatherthat

ptothelaboratory andthrough e

fc essawB altha arforamoment the

man surgententreaties andan-

ming.

. C laessaidwhen mmanuelreturned

illyoutakemytwoboysaway andask

musttakethelastsacraments

uldliketorecei ethemfromhishand.

morewiththe twogirlsshemadea

erstood. eliciewassentaway

terwerealone.

saytoyou mammadear " said

treali ehow illhermotherwas and

kwhic hPier uin sill-ad isedre ela-

ha ebeenw ithoutmoneyforhouse-

etendayspast andtheser ants wages

si months. ha etw ic emadeupmy

money andbothtimesmycourage

whathashappened. A llthew ine

resinthegalleryha ebeensold

ordaboutittome c riedMme.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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g me t o H i m s el f i n ti m e b u t o h m y

bec omeofyou

etsinfer entprayer remorseseemed

wenton draw ingthesealeden elope

i f w h en a m d ea d y o u sh o ul d e e r b e

tistosay ifyoushouldwantbread

readit. Margueritedear lo eyour

ofyoursisterandbrothers. nafew

hours youw illbetheheadof the

r ef u l a n d M a rg u er i te i t m ay e r y li k el y

etoopposeyourfather sw ishes for

lreadyonthisefforttolearn asecret

w illmakehimfamousandbringhim

heissuretowantmoneyagain per-

oney andthen whileyoumust

esoleguardian ofthosewhosein-

yourc are youmustne erforget

r toagreatmanwhoisspending

andhiswholelifeinataskwhichw ill

s andyoumustgi ehimalla

s ewouldne erwronghisc hildren

uchanobleheart heissogood so

ou whoarelef t w illseehimak ind

cemore.Thesethingsmustbe

wthat amonthebrinkof thegra e.

thatyouwillf il lmyplac e ifyou

metodie promisethatyouw ill

er stroublesbyasinglereproac h that

h i m ha r sh l y n s h or t y o u mu s t be a

atoruntilyourtaskis finished until

eshisplaceas headofthefamily.

arestmother " saidMarguerite asshe

sredeyelids. I w illdoasyou


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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arry darling untilGabrielisold

e " Mme. C laeswenton. fyou

band ery likelywouldnotshareyour

ketroubleinthefamily andharass

rmother seyesandsaid H a e

gi emewithregardtomymarriage "

arc hild " askedthedy ingmother

we r ed p r om i se t o o be y y ou .

saidhermother assheshedhottears

myself tosac rif ic emyself foryou and

osac rif ic eyourself forthemall. H ap-

es Marguerite wasweak bec ause

stbestrong youmustthink forthe

ourbrothersandyoursistershallne er

ourfather anddonotthwarthimmore

onthepillow herstrengthhadfailed

notherword.Thestrugglebetween

ade haustedher. A fewmoments

sandhisassistantsenteredtheparlor

edin. TheA bbe spresenc erec alled

andastheritebeganshelookedabout

aramongthefac esaboutherbed.

" sheaskedinapiteoustone

orthroughthoseassembled her

edtobe summedupinthatcry.

oom and oldasshewas ranupto

ockedloudlyatthedoor.

ried inangry indignation madameis

toadministerthesacraments and

di r ec t ly " s a id B a l t h a a r .

edamomentlater andsaidthathis


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ow. Mme. C laesne ertookhereyes

thec eremony butitwaso erbefore

bbede olisandthec hildrenwere

af lushc ameo erthedy ingwoman s

sband thetearsrolleddownher

intofdec omposingnitrogen ' 1she

ess thatsentathrill throughthose

h e c ri e d tr i um p ha n tl y . N i t r o ge n i s

gen partlyofsomeimponderablesub-

anceistheessentialprinciple

interruptedbyamurmurofhorror

nses.

y t ol d m e h e b eg a n. A r e y o u

shappened

b b e de o l is i n di g na n tl y i n B a l th a a r s

sdy ing andyouha ek illedher "

answer theA bbetook mmanuel s

thechildrenwentwithhimacrossthe

stoodforawhileasif thunderstruc k

htearsinhiseyes.

d h a e k i ll e d yo u " h e c r ie d .

n

we r ed y o ur l o e w as m y l if e a n d wh e n

edtolo eme mylifec easedtoo.

ckagain C laessentthemaway

s p i ll o w. H a e e e r c ea s ed t o

moment " heasked tak ingher

ohislips.

ch e s to m a ke d e ar e st . o u h a e m ad e

happy indeed forthec ontrastbetween

riage whichweresofullof oy and

youha enolongerbeenyourself and


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empty hasbeenmorethan c ould

keourphysicallife hasits ital

yearsyouha ebeendeadtolo e

atmakesthehappinessof life. am

andblisswhic haretheappanageof

ewithyouth butwhichlea esbehind

thesoulli esaf terwards an

ndsweetestablisheduses youha e

esolac esof theaf ter-time. A h

ogo thisisnotalifetogetherinany

denyourthoughtsandyourac tionsf rom

e c om e t o fe e l af r ai d o f me H a e

ygesture orword ordeed Well

remainingpic tures youha ee en

r andyouha ebeguntoborrow

erty withoutawordofallthis to

bo u t to t a ke l e a e o f l if e a n d a m s ic k of

stakes if instri ingaf tertheimpossible

thingelse ha e notshownthatthere

hearttofinditsweettoshareyour

y yo u r si d e e e n i f n ee d b e i n t he

a elo edmeonlytoowell therein

ery.Thisillnessbeganlongago

sf romthedaywhenyouf irstmadeitc lear

mwhere amabouttodie thatthe

ongerthanfamilyties.A ndnow

youha erunthroughyourfortune.

w ifewereyourowntodisposeof but

e allmypropertywillpasstoyour

otbeabletotouchit. Whatw illbe-

ttellyouthetruth anddy ingeyessee

oing whatwillc ounter-balancethis

chisasstronginyouaslifeitself f

it yourc hildrenw illc ountfor ery

e to y o u m us t a ll o w th a t c a me f i rs t


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dsi yearsof toilha ebeen

sspit andyouha edisc o ered

nk hehidhisfac ew ithhishand.

othingbutshameforyourselfand

" continuedthedyingwoman.

u C laesthealc hemist ' a littlelater

h e ma d ma n A s f o r m e b e li e e i n

eatandlearnedyouare knowthat

utordinarymindsdrawnodistinc tion

ess.Gloryisthesun ofthedead

lgreatnesshereonearth youw ill

ngasyouli e. amgoingnow

ourfame whic hwouldha ec onsoled

andso tosweetenthebitterness

c ertainthatmychildren sbreadissec ure

othingc angi emepeaceofmind

C l ae s t o

otswear lestyoushouldfailtokeepyour

n te r ru p ti n g hi m . I t w a s yo u r du t y to

rlyse enyearsyouha efailedtodo

Greatmenshouldha eneither

shouldtreadthepaths ofmisery

renotthoseofc ommonplac epeople ;

thewholeworld nottoonewoman

arelikethosegreattrees which

boutthem and amthepoorf ield-

e errearitsheadsohigh must

spent. ha ewaitedtillmy last

ribletruths whichha ebeenre-

anddespair. Ha epityonourchil-

in untilmylastsigh entreatyouto

en thatsomywordsmayf indanecho

fyoursisdy ing yousee. low ly


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edforlackofaffectionandhappi-

ec ruelk indnesswhichyouha ein ol-

l d h a e l i e d s o lo n g B u t t h e p oo r

n e e r f ai l ed m e t h ey h a e g r ow n

rows andthemotherhasoutli ed

h a e p i ty o n o ur c h il d re n

B a l t h a a r t hu n de r ed .

ntotheroom.

erythingtopieces allthemac hinery

e c arefulhowyoudoit butdoit

a enothingmoretodow ithsc ienc e

w ife.

s h e sa i d w i th a g l an c ea t e M u l u i n i er .

emoaned feelingthatdeathwasnear.

oorway andga easharpc ryasshe

ndsawthe ghastlypallorofherface.

edy ingwomancriedagain. Thislast

utteredw ithaw ild ehemenc e seemed

her daughtertotakeherplace.

iedinalarmtothe bedside in

laes lifehadebbedawayinthe

e altha arandMargueritesatmo-

edandheatthefootof thebed. The

ergoodnessand ine haustiblekind-

hatshewasreally dead.Theglance

theranddaughterwasfreightedwith

udgedherfather andherfathertrem-

tershould betheinstrumentof

crowdeduponhim memoriesofthe

ife andofherwhoselastwords

sacredauthoritywhichhadso

thatitseemedasifhemustfore er

ars butB altha armistrustedhim-

erhecouldresistthe spiritwhich

hattheimpulses ofremorsehadgrown


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menacesofa returnofhispassion

elf.

sgone e eryonefeltthatshehad

heMaisonC laes andthatnowthat

hehouseitself whereherlosswas

orwherethenoble osephinestill

pshut nobodyhadthehearttoenterit.

alledupontoprac tic ethe irtues

iduals itof fendshourly though

tsowncanons a estpreparestheway

estbringsdownanythingbeautifulorlof ty

fasonshedstoomanytearsforhis

ic ulous if toofew heisheldupto

n so c ie t y h a i n g sa i d it s s ay d i e r ts i t se l f

sc arcelyyetcold initsbalanc e.

daywhenMme. C laesdiedher

ertheirwhist droppedf lowersonher

cardsweredealing andpaidtheir

terwhilesortinghearts andspades.

ubriouscommonplaces whichare

c ale erc iseinsoc iallamentation

thesame intonationsande actly

gallo er ranc eate eryhourof

usproceededtocalculatetheamount

erty .

ussionbypointingout thatthe

dhadmadeherlife sowretchedthat

forher andthatitwasa stillgreater

hewouldne erha ehadsuf fi-

ewishesof thehusbandwhomshe

rtunehadpassedoutofC laes hands.

ithto reckontheprobableamount

rtune toc alc ulatehersa ings had

managedtoputanythingby ) , andmade

ewels andransac kedherdrawersand


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rberea edfamilywereyetkneelingin

edofdeath.

eyeofasworn aluer P ier uintook

e.H ewasoftheopinionthat

ertymightbe gottogetheragain

ession , andshouldamounttosomething

andfrancs.A largepartofthis

estsofW aignies thatpropertyhad

ueinthelasttwel eyears andhemade

probable alueofthetreesof all

eyoungest. fthatwasnotsuffi-

ad p r ob a bl y e no u gh t o c o e r t h e ch i l-

aeswas therefore still inhispeculiar

worthfourhundredthousandfranc s.

marryprettysoon " headded M.

en heis ustthemantodoit. f

dbeemancipatedfromherfather s

pelhimtosellthe forestofW aignies

m andtoin estthesharesof the

eir fathercouldnottouchthem.

uggestthenamesof ariousyoungmen

ghtaspiretothehandofMile. C laes

otarysofarasto includehiminthe

anyob ec tionstoalltheproposed

dnoneofthemworthyofMarguerite

angedsignificantsmiles andamused

henotary prolongingtheproc essin

er uinitseemedthatMme. C laes

s cause andhealreadybeganto

nbenefit.

r " saidhetohimself ashewent

asasproudasapeacoc k shewould

metomarryadaughterofhers. h eh

wellnow whyshould notmarrythe

arbononthebrain anddoesnot


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schildren if askhimforhis

ha ec on inc edMargueritethatshe

ers andsister ssake hew illbeglad

whomaygi ehimagooddealof

stofhis meditationsonthead-

soattrac ti etohimonsomany

hichbadefairtosecurehiscomplete

ebeenhardtof indamoredelic ately

girlinthepro inc e. Margueritewas

the fairflowerwhich mmanuel

before lestheshouldre ealthe

hehadreligiousprinciplesand

honorwouldbesafeinherkeeping.

lygratifythe anitywhichenters

man sc hoiceofaw ife butthe

esatisf ied anallianc ew ithatw ic e-

boreoneof themostdistinguished

ouldref lectlustreuponhim.

gPier uinwenttohis strongbo ,

lnotesofathousandfrancseach

ha ar inordertosparehisc ousin

yancesinhisgrief.B altha arwould

e delicateattention andspeakof

ccompanyingpanegyriconthe

aryandhis kindnessofheart.

othingof thek ind. NeitherM. C laes

inge traordinaryinthisaction

theirgriefthattheyscarcely

u i n. n d ee d B a l th a a r s d e sp a ir

hohadbeendisposedtoblame

wrelentedandforga ehim not

tiontosc ienc e butbecauseof the

dne errepairthee il. Theworld

rimac es ittakescurrentc oinw ithout


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whetherornothemetalisbase the

dramatic interest itisasortof

ationofwhic hthewo ldispreparedto

entoac riminal. Theworldcra es

tabsol esw ithe ualreadinessthose

ortotears w ithoutdemandinga

semployedineithercase.

mpletedhernineteenthyearwhenher

gementofthehouseholdintoher

dsisterrememberedthattheirmother

rlifehadbiddenthemobey their

uthoritywasdutifully rec ogni ed. Her

edpalerstillby contrastwithher

tandpatiente pressionwasenhanced

eryf irstitwasabundantlye ident

manlycourage thefortitude and

inisteringangelssurelybringtotheir

aytheir greenpalmbrancheson

ughshehadearlyunderstoodthe

ndhadaccustomedherselftohideher

elessdeep andtheserenityofher

ththe ehemenceofhergrief.

erearlye perienc etoknowthe

owand lo ewithwhichtheheart

wardthegenerousinstinctsofyouthwere

thebidding oftyrannousnecessity.

eathshefoundherself in ol edatonc e

eseriousinterestswereat stake and

suallythinks ofnothingbutpleas-

pain hasne erbeenlackingfor

nityandgreedforitstw insupporters

ssions.Pier uinmeanttoloseno

ress.The familyhadscarcelyput

danopportunityof speakingto


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hisoperationsw ithsuc hsk ill that

endecei edbyhistactic s. B utlo e

lair oyanc e andMargueritewas

thoughPier uin sgood-nature thegood-

wshis affectionbysa inghis

esomeappearanc eof truthtohisspec ious

ryfeltstronginhis ha yrelation-

tanc ewithfamilysecretsandbusinessaf fairs

pof Marguerite sfather.The

thatfather whowasnotlikely toform

ughter ssettlementinlife fa ored

ethoughtit uiteimpossiblethatMar-

predilection andsubmittedhissuitto

c le erenoughtodisguisebeneaththe

assiontheinterestedmoti esthathad

alliance whicharealwayshateful

theyhadc hangedplaces the

fselfishnesswasartless andMarguerite

hethoughtthathehadtodow itha

adnoregardforthepri ilegesof

ebegan ashewalkedupanddown

en youknowmyheart andyou

fromintrudingonyourgrief atsuch

tobeanotary amfartoosensi-

ch a f e el i ng h e ar t b u t a m a lw a ys f o rc e d to

nsof interestwhen wouldfainy ield

hc hmakelifehappy. tis ery

elledtospeaktoyouofmatters

ourpresentfeelings butitc annotbe

stantlybeeninmythoughtsforthe

u s t di s co e r ed b y a cu r io u s ch a nc e

dyoursister sfortunes ande enyour

trestsw ithyoutosa eyourfamily


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o sheasked somewhatalarmedat

" answeredPier uin.

of t h e ki n d s h e e c l ai m ed .

returnedthenotary af termature

nditionofyouraffairs.

g e sa e u s f ro m

swaitingtohear c ousin " hebroke

atesagirl.

manc ipated askedMarguerite.

sonofyourrights mydearlittle

notary w ithanairof triumph. I n

akeyourshareofyourmother sfortune

ourshareher propertymustbeli ui-

meanaforcedsaleof theforestofWaig-

allthec apitalwouldbereali ed

bound asguardian toin estyour

brothers insuc hawaythatc hemistry

neof thesethingshappenwhat

" s a id t h e no t ar y y o ur f a th e r wo u ld

fhetakesitintohisheadagainto

ohingtopre enthimfromsellingthe

dlea ingyouallasbareasshornlambs.

worthaboutfourteenhundredthou-

t butyourfathermaycutdown

yday andthethirteenhundredac res

ehundredthousandfrancs.This

andwoulditnotbew isertopre ent

natonc e byemanc ipatingyourself

eoftheinheritance ouwould

yourfatherwouldnotfellthetimberas

mtimetotime toyourpre udice.

ormant andofc oursehewouldin est


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

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hesaleinc onsols. Thefundsareat

c hildrenwouldha e erynearly f i e

stonfifty thousandfrancs.B esides

minor sc apital yourbrothersand

nedoubledby thetimetheycame

t he r h an d m y wo r d T h er e y ou h a e

otonlyso butyourfatherhasdipped

mother sproperty andwhenthe-

weshallseewhatthedef icitamounts

eowing youc antakeamortgageon

omethinginthatway.

saidMarguerite thatwouldbeaninsult

olongsinc emymother slastwords

shouldha eforgottenthemalready. My

bnghisc hildren " sheadded w ith

oudonotknowhim M. Pier uin.

dearc ousin thatyourfatherbetakes

d s h ou l d we n o t

e d B e l ie e m e M a r g ue r it e " h e s a i d

sngittohisheart belie eme

didnoturgethisc ourseuponyou.

edMargueritec oolly asshew ithdrew

nterestsofmyfamilydemandthat

smymother sdecision.

e d w i th t h e co n i c ti o n of a m an o f

unes uandered youarerushingon

youmightaswellf lingyourmother s

ell foryou w illshowthede o-

p feelforyou. oudonotknow

u h a e a d or e d yo u e e r s in c e s a w yo u

thatyourfatherga e. ouwere

trustthe oic eof theheartwhenit

dearMarguerite.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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silence thenhewenton es we

cil andemancipateyouwithout

m an c ip a ti o n m ea n "

w illc omeintopossessionofyour

eemanc ipatedinthisway whywould

n d t o wh o m

ooktenderlyathisc ousin butthe

assoat arianc ew iththehardeyes

uento ermoney thatMarguerite

tedmoti einthisaffectionateim-

manwhomyouc aredfor inyour

u t. o u m us t h a e a h u sb a nd i f i t

businessaffairs. ouwillbeleft

er andcanyouholdyourown

uself

shallf indmeanstodefendmybrothers

omes.

thoughtPier uintohimself .

o y o u wi l l ne e r b e ab l e to s t an d o ut

aboutit " shereplied.

shalldomybesttoser eyouin

hallshowyouhowmuc h lo eyouby

ewhic he eryoneinthetownfore-

erestyoutakeinme but begof

anythingthatc angi emyfather

atchedPier uin sretreating

elpcomparinghismetallic oic e his

eelsprings hisglanc es whiche pressed

ntleness w iththemutere elationof


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towardsher whichimpressedheras

ea k i n e e r y ac t io n o f ou r l i e s t h er e

erwhichmakesitselffelt andwhich

g la n ce s t h e to n es o f t he o i ce t h e

estures c anbeimitated ac le erac tor

nine perienc edgirl buttobesucc ess-

ieldtohimself . f thereisanother

nisonw ithe eryfeelingthatstirsher

f indoutthedif ferenc ebetweenlo e

mmanuelatthismoment likeMar-

dertheinfluenceofthecloudswhich

e ersincethatfirstmeetingin the

uehea enof lo ewashiddenfrom

dher outforaworshipwhich

ess wastender mysterious andre -

ociallyhewastoofarbeneath

eac c eptedasherhusband hewas

uta noblenametoofferher.Then

or someslightencouragement

otgi ehimbeneaththeeyesof a

hadnotasyetspokenawordof lo e.

secret oyswhichunhappysoulsmust

ne. Thesamehopehad indeed

theyhadtrembledandremained

ofearthemsel es c onsc iousthateac h

other. mmanuel therefore

psthehandof theso ereignlady

his heart.Theslightestcareless

ughtsuc haninto ic ationofdelight

ebeenbeyondhisc ontrol hewould

asterofhimself . B utif theyhad

eslightyetsignif ic ant theinnoc entand

hic he enthemosttimidlo ersper-


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hdweltnolessintheother sheart and

eadyto makethegreatestsacrifices

heyc ouldknow. v ersinceMme.

einthedepthof theirheartshadbeen

egloominwhichtheyli edhad

nde eryrayofhopewas uenchedin

er ehadc hangedtosomethinglike

oundtokeepthe owwhichhermother

andnowthatshehadmoreliberty

ecamemoredistant. mmanuelhad

feelingw ithhisbelo edthatthe

o eatsuc hatimewouldbetreason

wsof theheart. othispassionate

morec loselythane er. Thetwosouls

rowhadcomebetweenthemandsep-

yasthetimidityof youthandrespect

howasnowdead yettherewas

ficentlanguageoftheeyes the

sacrifice theknowledgethatone

dthembothsublimeharmoniesof

f lo einitsinfanc y .

rymorningfornewsofC laesandof

erc ameintothedining-room where

lesshebroughtaletterf romGabriel or

imtoenter. Numberlesssympathetic

inhisfirst glanceatthegirlbefore

tc ompelledhimtoassumeac on en-

dhim butherespec tedit and

ausedit andallthedewof his

artofhisbelo edinaglanceun-

ght. H eli edsoe idently inthe

etsuchhigh alueonahappinesswhich

thatMarguerite sheartsometimessmote

fthatshe wasungenerousnottohold

etusbefriends.


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simportunitieswiththe obstinacy

ulness possessedbyoneidea. H e

eordinaryrulesof themultitude

en. He imaginedthatwhenthewords

be r ty " a n d f o rt u ne h a d be e n le t f al l i n

erootin hermind andspringup

hichhecouldturn tohisownad-

c hosetothink thatherc oldnesswasnothing

spiteof allhispoliteattentions

r hesometimesforgothispart and

eofaman whoisaccustomedto

ll serious uestionsrelatingto

itherepeatedconsolingplatitudes

placeswhichcreeplikesnailso era

ehindthematrac kofbarrenwordsthat

ef.H istendernesswassimply

dhisfeignedmelancholyatthedoorwhen

sandtookuphisumbrella. Hetook

legeswhic hhislongintimac ywiththe

enhim usingthemasameansof ingra-

tof thefamilytobringMarguerite

wasalreadytalkedof inthetown.

atrue-hearted de oted andre-

editsselfishand calculatingsemblance.

nwereinharmonywith theirman-

sionwhichhe didnotfeel and

ad antagethatga ehimaholdonMar-

cealedhislo e andtrembledlesthis

apparent.

ther sdeath and asithappenedin

adanopportunityofcomparingthetwo

positionto udge forshewasc om-

solitudewhichmadeherinaccessible

houghtofaskingher inmarriage.

fast ononeof thesunniestmornings


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manuelc hanc edtocall ustasM. C laeswas

oundhisownhousealmostunendur-

epartof theday inwalk ingaboutthe

rned asthoughhemeanttofollow

ed seemedtogatheruphisc ourage glanced

yed.Margueritefeltsurethathe

andaskedhimtogo intothegarden

ithMartha whowassew inginthe

rfloor andthenseatedherselfon a

ofhersisterandtheoldduenna.

habsorbedbyhisgriefasheusedto

theyoungmanashewatchedB altha ar

ourt. v eryoneinDouaiissorry

tlikeamanwhohasnotgothisw its

ystopsshortwithoutareasonandga es

g

essessorrow inadif ferentway " said

ack thetears. Whatdidyouw ishto

ded w ithc olddignity af terapause.

mmanuelrepliedinanunsteady oic e

h a e a r i gh t t o sp e ak t o y ou a s a m

onlyofmydesiretoser eyou

mastermaybeso muchinterestedin

ousabouttheirfuture. ourbrother

ow heisinthesecondc lass itis

is probablecareer andtoarrange

ngly.Thedecisionrestsofcourse

hegi esitnothought it maybea

ndyetitwouldbe amortifica-

ulditnot ifyoupointedouttohim

son o asthingsare c ouldyou

elasto hisinclinations andhelp

study sothatifyourfatherata

mtoentertheci ilser ic eortomake

lw illbepreparedforhispostbya


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msurethatneitheryounorM. C laes

brielinidleness

a id M a rg u er i te . T h an k yo u M . m m an u el

enourmotherhadustaughthowto

c hpainsw ithourdraw ing sew ing

sheof tensaidthatwec ouldnottellwhat

awemustbepreparedfore erything.

esourc esw ithinhimself sohemust

tion. B utwhatisthebestc areerfora

hhappiness. Mademoiselle he

heheadofhisc lassinmathematics if

olePolytechni ue feelsurethathe

knowledgetherewhichwouldbeuse-

roughhislife.H ewouldbefree

owninclinationsafterhehadleft

wouldha egainedtimewithoutbinding

me.Menwhodistinguishthem-

soughtaf ter. Diplomatists sc holars

ers generals sailors magistrates manu-

arealleduc atedatthe c ole. oit

dinarythatayoungmanbelongingto

houldstudy to ualifyforadmis-

makeuphismindtothis would

myre uest ay es.

hesaidner ously.

de olis thenshetookhishand

oment thensheaddedinanunsteady

luethedelic ac ywhichhasledyoutoof fer

cc eptf romyou. nallthatyouha e

owmuc hyouha ethoughtforus. Thank


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weresaid mmanuelturnedhishead

ldseethetears ofhappinessinhis

omebythedelightofbeingusefultoher.

othtoseeyou " hewentonwhenhe

possession. To-morrow isaholiday.

eofMarguerite whoshortly followed

ec rossedthec ourthestillsawher

omdoor andrecei edalastf riendly

c ametoc allonM. C laes. Mar-

eeoutinthegarden andPier uin

enthemon the erybenchwhere

morning.

h e s ai d a d dr e ss i ng B a l t h a a r I h a e

ssto-night. orty -twodaysha e

mentedwife sdemise

ed h o w th e t im e we n t " s a id C l a e s b r us h -

tthetechnicaltermdemise.

c riedMarguerite w ithaglanc eatthe

u

rguerite welawyersareobligedtocon-

prescribedbylaw.Thismatter

syouandyourco-heirs.A llM.

nderage sow ithinforty- f i edaysofhis

ndtoha eanin entorymadeout so

eoftheestatetheyheld incommon.

f itissol entorno andwhether

ytheminors c laims "

s in " s a id P i er u i n t h is m a tt e r

urfather: ouknowhowdeeply

youmustgi eyourattentionatonc eto

thelaw otherw iseyoumaybothget

amsimplydoingmydutyaslegal


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nmymarriagecontrac t whichwas

customofH ainault releasedmy

fmakinganin entory inorderto

nnoyance anditis uiteprobable

ased

e " c r ie d M ar g ue r it e . I t w o ul d

chtrouble

d P ie r u i n w h o w as r a th e r pu t o ut w e

econtractto-morrow.

of this " saidMarguerite an

dtotheinter iew forthenotarywas

iscousin shome-thrustthathewas

sion.

saidhetohimselfashec rossedthe

forallhisabstractedness c anf ind

nic kof time andputastoptoour

ew ills uanderhisc hildren s

nasthattwoandtwomakefour. Talk

teen andshegetssentimental

m r ac ki n g my b r ai n s to s a e t h e pr o pe r ty

rmeans bycomingtoanunder-

nc ks andthisistheendof it

yc hancesw ithMarguerite sheis

y wantedanin entoryof theprop-

c iestobe uiteunnec essary and

w illtellherthatlawyersha eac ra efor

thatwearenotariesf irst andc ousins

ot af terwards allsortsof rubbish in

storminginwardlyatclientswholet

em.

hein entorydidnottakeplac e.

olimitordefinethefather spowers

operty .

by andbroughtnoc hangestothe


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undertheabletuitionofM. de olis

enecessaryforeignlanguages and

ranc ee aminationatthe c olePoly -

dMargueriteli edinabsoluteretire-

theless theyspentthesummerattheir

e inordertoec onomi e. M. C laeswas

nessaffairs hepaidhisdebts

ownproperty andwentto isitthe

er1 17hisgriefhadgradually

ofeel depressedbythedulnessand

A tfirsthe resistedtemptation

otallowhimself tothinkofc hemistry

wasonlydormant andinspiteofhim

wardshis oldpursuits.Thenhe

ginhise periments hewouldnot

ally hewouldconfinehimselfto

hedweltw iththesetheories the

andhebegantoe ui oc atew ith

lfwhetherhewasreallyboundnot

es andrememberedhowhiswifehad

dc ertainly owedtohimself thathe

empttosol ethegreatproblem

adne erbeensoc ertainandso

ly f reetoc hangehismindnowthat

ewasthenfif ty -nineyearsofage and

wwiththe doggedfi itywhich

nomania.O utwardcircumstances

swa eringloyalty.

enofscienc eof ariousnationali-

mmunicationwitheachotherbytwenty

wfreetocorrespondandtocommuni-

ndtheoriestoeac hother. c ienc e

laesfoundthatmoderndisco -

ichhisfellow-chemistsdidnotsuspect


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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bsolute. earnedmenwhowere

othesolutionofotherscientif ic enigmas

d thatlightandheat andgal anism

nlydifferenteffectsofthesamecause

substanceswhichhadhithertobeen

entsweremerelyallotropicforms

ment.Thefearthatsomeother

eductionofmetals andfindthe

wodisco erieswhic hwouldleadto

emoftheA bsolute raisedthe

peopleofDouaic alledamania tothe

sewhoha efeltalikepassionatelo eof

knownthetyrannyof ideas c animagine

sm. B altha ar sf ren ywasbutthe

hadbeensolongsubdued andnow

eenwatc hingherfather eryc losely

dopenedthelong-closedparlor. he

hatroomoncemore oldpainful

sdeathwouldbeawakened and

andshewastosomee tentsucc essful.

her sgriefwasreawakened andthe

heabysswasdeferred butitwasonly

erminedtogointosocietyonce

tB altha ar sattentionf romthese

dmarriageswereproposedforher o er

butMargueritesaidthatuntil she

uldnotmarry . nspiteofallhis

s inspiteof remorsefulinnerstruggles

perimentsagainintheearlydaysof the

conductedsecretly butitwasnot

ionsashisf romthein uisiti eeyes

whileMargueritewasdressing Martha

oiselle itisallo erw ithus That


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whoisthede ilhimself inhuman

e e r s ee n h im c r os s h im s el f h a s go n e up

s themasteronthehigh roadto

dthathemaynotbethedeathofyouall

epoordearmistress

aidMarguerite.

eirgoings-onforyourself .

ew indow andsaw infac t athin

mthelaboratorychimney.

neinafewmonths time " she

ourpropertymustbes uanderedno

waytopre entit.

allyga ewaytohispassion hisrespect

estswas ofc ourse lessofarestraint

fe hadbeen. uchbarrierswere

sc onsc ienc ewasmoreelastic hispassion

andhardwork andhope and

hesetoutonhiswayw iththeenergy

tion. He feltsosureof theoutc ome

yandnight flinginghimselfinto

thatalarmedhisdaughters theydid

ealthseldomsuffersfromthework

oritsownsake.

eganhise periments Marguerite

fhousekeeping andbecamealmostas

osetteandMarthaenteredinto

edherloyally . A sforC laes hewas

trenchments hedidnotnotice

dtothe barenecessariesoflife.

ayf romthefamilybreak fast then

thelaboratory andheonlycame

fora fewsilenthoursafterwardsin

orwiththetwogirls. Hene erspoke

eemtohearthemwhentheyw ished

echanicallyletthemkisshimon both


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honelikeaf lawlessdiamond and

wthefull alueofhissteadfast

whenshesawthatithad itssourcein

hesawtheblossomsopenoutone

donlyknownofthem bytheir

y mmanuelreali edsomehopeof

hteduptheenchantedcountryof

nished theskygrewc learandserene

hichhadbeenhiddeninthegloom

manuelwasmoreathisease hec ould

oftheheart theinfectiousgaiety

thatc omesofalifeofstudy the

ndand unsophisticatednature the

uitssowellwithyouthfullo e.

uelunderstoodeachotherbetter

oredthedepthsof theirhearts and

hts pearlsofthesamelustre

asclearandsweetas themagic

ersspellboundunderthesea.They

herthroughtheinterchangeof

see eningtalks studyingeachother

o beadelicateimaginati esympa-

essoneitherside butperhaps

urswhic h mmanuelspentw iththe

seyesreconciledMargueritetoher

tion thelo ethatgrewunc on-

nhertroubles. mmanuel saf fec-

hthenaturalgracethat isirresistible

htfulwitthat re ealsfreshphases

acetsofa preciousstonesetfreeallits

derfulde ic esthatlo eteac heslo ers

allyresponsi etothehand ofthe

totheoldforms tothetonesof the

wsignif ic anc etoaphraseeac htimeit

otmerelyasentiment itisanart. A


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n anothing re ealstoawomanthe

ublimeartist whocantouchher

. Thefarther mmanuelwent the

waysinwhic hhislo ee pressed

d P ie r u i n " he s a id o n e e e n i n g I

gsthatheisgoingtobring but

etellthemmyself. ourfatherhassold

uators whoha etakenthetimberas

maller uantities thetreesha e

andallthetrunksha ebeentaken

sandfrancswerepaiddownat

ttoParistodischargeM. C laes debts

learhisdebtsentirely hehasbeen

ditorsahundredthousandfrancsout

rownsstilldue tohimonthe pur-

uinc amein.

si n " h e s a i d y ou a r e ru i ne d y ou

twouldbe butyouwouldnotlistento

oodappetite heonlymadeonebite

ardian M. Conync ks isawayat

eisnegotiatingthesaleofhisB elgian

back isturnedC laessei estheopportu-

siness. tishardly fair. ha e

nyncks butitw illbeallupw ithyou

ouw illbeobligedtotakepro-

her. tw illnottake ery longto

tof law butC laesw illnotc omeout

onync ksw illbec ompelledtotakeac-

sitinsuc hc ases. A ndallthishasc ome

youseenowhowprudent was and

terests

odnewsforyou mademoiselle " saidyoung

oic e Gabrielhasbeenadmittedasa


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cc hni uc thedif fic ultieswhic hwere

nc learedaway.

yasmile andsaid Then

ings. Martha " sheadded speak -

wemustbeginatonc etomake

oor elic ie webothmustwork

thak issonhersister sforehead.

eto-morrow andyouwillha ehim

onthei5thofN o emberhemust

e ll a d i s ed " s a id t h e no t ar y a s h e

hew illha etomakehisway in

mydearMarguerite thehonorof the

youlistentomethistime

tionofmarriage.

o

h a t sh o ul d d o

afewdays time. sthereanyc ourse

twillreconcileourinterestswith

w iththehonorof thefamily

c ousin w ithoutyourunc le. That

sbac k toDouai w illc allagain.

onsieur " saidMarguerite.

themoreairsshegi esherself "

dhesaid Good-e ening made-

ha ethehonortow ishyougood-

tawaywithoutpay inganyattentionto

nhim mmanuelspoke w ithhesi-

h a e b e en s t ud y in g t he C o d e f o r th e

ai d a n d h a e t a ke n co u ns e l wi t h an

unc le sf riends. fyouw illa llowme

amto-morrow. isten dearMarguerite.

meforthef irsttime. hethanked


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tleinclinationofthehead and

ghhereyeswerefullof tears.

oremysister " saidMarguerite she

nationtoalifeof hardshipandtoil

eet butf romthisdisc ussionshew ill

lour courage.

chother shands asiftorenew

on broughtaboutbyacommon

th a.

mmanuelbegan andsomethingof

atthusac uiringoneof theleast

couldbefeltinhis oic e ha ethe

thepurc hasers whoha enotyetpaid

dredthousandfrancsfor thefelled

ougi eyourc onsent alawyerac t-

ameshallser eawritofattac hmenton

w illreturninaweek stime. He

demancipateGabriel whoisnow

beendone youandyourbrother

mandyourrights andyoucan

proceedsofthissaleofthe wood.

eyouthe twohundredthousandfrancs

hed asfortheremaininghundred

ouldbesecuredtoyou byamortgage

eli ingin. M. Conync ksw ill

hreehundredthousandfrancswhich

elic ieandto ean andyourfather

ehis propertyintheplainsof

eadyencumberedwithadebtofa hun-

elawregardsmortgagesforthe

tc harge soe erythingw illbesa ed.

betiedforthefuture yourlanded

hewillbeunableto borrowanymore

chwillbemortgagedbeyondtheir


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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earrangementw illbeafamilyaf fair

ndnoscandal. ourfatherwill

estigationslessreck lessly if indeed

upaltogether.

gu e ri t e b u t ho w s ha l l we l i e T h er e

thehundredthousandfrancs

sesolongaswec ontinuetoli ein

ofO rc hiesw illbringin ust

he mortgages.Whatshall we

pa ce " s a id m ma n ue l i f y ou i n e s t

ythousandfranc sinthefunds at

nfourthousandli res thatw ill

se pensesatthe c oleinParis.

rincipalnorthemoneysecuredto

c omesofage soyouneednotfear

ennyof it andyouw illha eone

hesec ondplace istherenotyourown

ifty thousandfranc s "

oaskmeforthem " shec riedin

uldnotrefusehim.

arMarguerite youc ansec urethemoney

estitinthefundsinyourbrother s

ouintwel eorthirteenthousand

dmanagetoli eonthat. A nemanc ipated

ncipalwithouttheconsentofthe

llgain threeyearsoffreedomfrom

rs timeyourfatherw illeitherha esol ed

s mo r e pr o ba b le h e wi l l ha e g i e n i t up a s

brielcomesofagehe cantransferthe

andtheaccountscanbefinallysettled

e planationof thepro isionsof

tunderstandat first andagain

ypoint. twasc ertainlyano elsitua-


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o e r a co p y of t h e C o d e w hi c h m -

imin ordertomaketheposition

eite. o e spenetrationc ameto

uic k-w ittedness andshesoon

tter.

urnedhome.M.de oliscame

ltha arheardthenewsofhisson s

Polytec hni ue. C laese pressedhis

a eof thehand. am eryglad

soGabrielistobeasc ientif ic man is

of thehousereturnedtohislaboratory .

a rg u er i te a s B a l t ha a r w en t o ut y o u

oumustnotbee tra agant. Doas

yc areful andwhileyouareinParis

urfriendsand relationsthere and

ensi ehabitswhic hruinyoungmen.

nsesw illamounttonearlyathousand

eathousandfrancslef tforpoc ket

ough.

m " s a id m m an u el d e o l is l a yi n g hi s

ulder.

onyncksandMargueritehadob-

guaranteef romM. C laes. mmanuel s

nappro edandc arriedouttothe

ashamedofthesaleof theforest. His

m untilhehadbeendri entotake

romthem andnow whenhewas

e uencesofhisdeeds whenhewas

er w ithhissternc ousin whowasinf le ible

ed hedidallthatwasre uiredof

notillpleasedtorepairsoeasily themis-

ouslywrought.He puthissignature

dbeforehimwith thepreoccupiedair

ewastheonereality andallthings


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




adnomoreforesightthan the

themorningfora dropofbrandy

erlossinthee ening. A pparentlyhe

entheimmediatefuturewasbeyond

oppedtoaskhimselfwhatmusthappen

en thrownintothefurnace and

sasrecklesslyasbefore.H eneither

hatthehouseinwhic hheli edwas

likehisestates hadpassedintoother

i ethefactthat thankstothestrin-

hecouldnotraiseanotherpenny

e wasinamannerthe legalguar-

y andnountowarde entoccurred.

gedtodefraythenecessarye pensesof

ean seduc ationw iththeinterestof

abriel sname whichhepunctually re-

M. de olislosthisunc leintheDec em-

eheardfromMarthathather father

ips thefurnitureofthestate

lltheirremainingplate. hewasc ompelled

arysil erfordailyuseherself andto

rowninitials. Hithertoshehad

sdepredationsinsilence butaf terdinner

d elic ietolea eheralonew ithher

dseatedhimselfby thefiresideas

e. hehadner edherself forthetry -

gstruggle withherfather.

here dearfather " shesaid youc an

enyourchildren. Wewilla llobeyyouw ith-

mustpointouttoyouthatweha eno

a esc arcelyenoughtoli euponthisyear

ha etoworknightanddaytoearnthe

ssc hoole pensesbythelacedress


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




atherdear gi eupyourresearches

arc hild insi weekstheyw illc ometo

i sc o e r ed t h e A b s ol u te o r t he A b s o -

eundisc o erable. ouw illha e

adtoeatmeanwhile " pleadedMarguerite.

e n o br e ad i n t he h o us e s a id C l a e s i n

eadinthehouseofaC laes What

perty

wntheforestofWaignies. Theground

et soitbringsinnothing andthe

ies arenotsufficienttopayinterest

e " h e a sk e d.

dle.

el smoneyhelpsus " sheadded

shall ustmakebothendsmeetat

donoto erwhelmmewithbills

t foryousaynothingaboutyourpur-

u re t h at h a e e n ou g h to m e et m y

itisallplannedoutsocarefullyand

odaorpotash or inc orsulphur

dwaitanothersi weeks dearc hild and

udent. oushallseewonders mylittle

t hi n k of y ou r o wn a f fa i rs . o u h a e

tures tulips sil er-platenothingisleft

youw illnotrunintodebtagain

omakenomoredebts.

s h e cr i ed . T h en t h er e a re d e bt s

o th i ng m e re t r if l es " h e s ai d r e dd e ni n g

feMargueritefelt humiliatedby


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




n itwassopainfultoher thatshe

in uireintothematter butamonth

omaDouaibank withabillof

andfrancs whichboreC laes signature.

foraday sdelay ande pressedher

cei edanynoticeandso wasunpre-

themessengerinformedherthat

hif f re illeheldnineothers eac hfora

uldfalldueinc onsec uti emonths.

hus c riedMarguerite thetimehas

andwalkedrestlesslyupanddown

oherself A hundredthousandfranc s

p ri s on W h a t s ha l l d o O h

e. Margueritegrewtiredofwaiting

tory. hepausedinthedoorway

gin abrilliantpatchofsunlightin

mfilledwithmachineryanddusty

tablesthatstoodhereandtherewereloaded

andticketedspecimensof arious

herspecimenswereheapedontheshel es

gdownbesidethefurnaces.There

ttoorderly lemishpre udic esinall

ha ar stallf igureroseabo eac ol-

s hehadthrownoffhis coatand

abo etheelbowslikeaworkman his

posinghisc hest c o eredw ithwhite

ithf rightfulintentnessonanair-pump

okhiseyes. Therec ei erof the

dbyalensc onstruc tedof twoc on e

weenthembeingf illedw ithalc ohol the

oomthroughone ofthepanesofthe

hadbeenc arefullyblockedup wasthus

oftherecei er.Theplateofthe


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




andc ommunic atedw iththew ireofa

eMul uinierwasbusyatthemoment

erecei er sothatthelensmightbe

rpendiculartotherays ofthesun

chwasblackw ithdust andshouted

k e ep a wa y

r whokneltononekneebeforehis

ifferenttotheraysof sunlightthat

ituphis hairuntilitgleamedlike

reknotted e erymusc leofhisfac ewas

ctation.Thestrangethingsstrewn

riousmac hinerydimly isibleinthe

of theattic e erythingabouther

erite.

" shesaidtoherself inherdismay.

ndwhisperedinhis ear end

w an t h im a m wa i ti n g to s e e th e r es u lt

hasne erbeentriedbefore. orthe

beenonthewatc hforarayofsun-

eady amabouttoc onc entratethe

inaperfect ac uum submitting

eactionofacurrentof electricity.

yousee shallemploythemostpowerful

y and alone

steadofreduc ingmetaltogas youshould

e c hange

here father hemustha etenthou-

ock .

en t ly . t i s u i te r i gh t d i d si g n a bi l l

chwouldfallduethis month.

edisc o eredtheA bsolutebeforethis.

ny h a d a u l y su n t h e e p e ri m en t

me.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




ghhishair thetearsc ameintohis

ntoanoldcane-seatedchair.

s ir " s ai d e M ul u in ie r. I t i s al l

unthatwon tshineenough thela y

seemedtorememberMarguerite s

u in ie r " s h e sa id .

a es h a e i t W e wi ll t ry a n ew e -

m in d t he e p e ri m en t s no w " s a id t h e yo u ng

. H ereisademandforahun-

ndweha enotafarthing. our

youmustcomedownandlea ethelabo-

eofyouifyouareimprisoned hall

meofC laesbesoiledwiththe dis-

t s h al l n ot b e w i ll n o t ha e i t

tyourmadness itwouldbedread-

adinyouroldage.O penyour

ometoyoursensesatlast

altha ar risingtohisfeet. A light

edonhisdaughter sfac e Madness "

a esticinhismanneras herepeated

trembled.H efoldedhisarms.

wo u ld n e e r h a e u t te r ed t h at w o rd " h e

otshuthereyestotheimportanceof

udiedsciencethatshemightunderstand

waswork ingforhumanity thattherewas

nme. seethataw ife slo e

hter saf fection yes lo eisthelof tiest

mysenses " hewenton striking

t a ke l e a e o f t he m A m n o t

a r e we V e r y w e ll m y da u gh t er

youunderstand amyourfather

oushallberic hagainwhen w ish


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




itisamerenothing. When f ind

w illf illtheparlordownstairsw ith

hatisapitifultriflec omparedw iththe

seeking. urelyyouc anwaitwhen

andspendingmylifeinsuperhuman

enorighttoaskanac countof thefour

ltedawayinthisgarret. w illsay

butyoursc ienc ek illedher. f were

doubtlo emyhusbandasmymother

dsac rif ic ee erythingforhim ustasmy

ythingforyou. amdoingas

e g i e n yo u al l h ad t o gi e y ou h a e

oldnotmarrylestyou shouldbecom-

tofyour guardianship.But letus

st letusthinkof thepresent. ou

ac risis and ha ec omeheretoput

a emoneytomeetthesebills do

Tereisabsolutelynothingleftbut the

anC laes. ha ec omeinmy

mother whoseheartfailedherwhenshe

ildren ssakeagainsttheirfather s

u ha ec omeinmybrothers name

ter ha ec omeinthenameofallthe

oure periments andtoretrie eyour

emistryagain. fyousteelyour-

useyourauthorityo erusonlytok ill

yourownhonorpleadforme and

gainstthe oic esofyourfamily

terbuttoowell Margueritereplied

t o be m y e e c ut i on e r h e s ai d i n a

. hecouldnottrustherselfto

hermother s oic eranginherears


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




ter anddonotc rosshimmorethanyouc an

ceofworkofmademoiselle s " said

ec amedownintothek itchenforhis

ustaboutputourf ingeronthesec ret

ulysunlight andthemasterah

standsintheshoesofPro idence as

otthat hesaidto osette c lick -

hisfront teeth betweenusand

esto upshec omesandmakesafussabout

riedMartha paythemyourselfoutof

br e ad W h e r e is t h e bu t te r d e ma n de d

i ng t o o s et t e.

oneytobuy itw ith " thec ook

t youold illa in ifyouc anmake

i tc he n w hy d o n t y o u ma k e bu t te r t

ke anditwouldfetchsomethingin

ewaytowardsmakingthepot boil.

ngdrybread.The youngladies

andwalnuts andyouwanttobe

s Mademoisellehasonlyahun-

nd forthewholehousehold there

l. fyouwantlu uries youha e

whereyoufritterawaypearls tillthey

erthetown. ustlook foryour

phisbreadandlef tthek itc hen.

gw ithhisownmoney " said

er i t i s so m u ch s a e d . s n t h e a

m t h at i s t he o n ly w ay " s a id o s et t e.

asinglefloorthisweek thathehasn t

a n d a m do i ng h i s wo r k h e ma y u s t


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




atingus toafewherrings: ifhe

llookaf terthem.

ha thereisMile. Margueritec ry ing.

therwouldgobbledownthehouse

nmyc ountrytheywouldha eburned

longbeforethis buttheyha eno

orishinfidels.

ile. C laeswassobbingasshec ame

ereachedherroom soughtforher

readasfollows:

f G o d so w i ll s m y s p i ri t w il l b e wi t h yo u

thelastthat shalle erwrite they

earlittleones lef ttothemerc yofa

forme af iendwhowillha ede-

lofbread ashegnawedmylifeand

w m y d ar l in g i f l o e d y ou r f at h er a n d

g n o w as d i e f o r a m t ak i ng p r e-

amdoingthatwhic h c ouldnotbring

fetime. es inthedepthsofmy

stresourc eforyou untilthedayc omes

ste tremityofmisfortune. fhe

utewant myc hild if thehonorof

oumustaskM. de olis ifheisstill

s ne p he w o u r go o d m ma n ue l f o r a hu n -

sandfrancs whichareyours andwhic h

ndifatlastyouf indthatnothing

if thethoughtofhisc hildren swelfare

straintthandidaregardformyhappi-

rongyoustillfurther thenlea eyour

esatanyratemustnotbesac rific edtohis.

myplacewasathisside. trests

tosa ethefamily youmustprotect

6lic ieatallc osts. Takecourage bethe

es andyoumustbef irm Mar-


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




yberuthless butif thee ilthathas

obee enpartially repaired you

youmustthinkofyourselfasbeingon

y fornothingc anstemthecourseof

l hadintheworldf romme. o

essof affectionyoumustrefuseto

faf fection youmayha etodec ei e

eceptionsw illbeaglorytoyou there

anddo andyouwillfeelguilty

edsiftheyaredoneto protectyour

sister.O urgoodanduprightM. de

andne erwasthereac learerand

nc ethanhis. c ouldne erha e

hewords ha ewritten note enat

yetbetenderandre erentinthis

enyourrefusals andresisthimonyour

thw illha eputanendtomysorrow

earc hildrenformenowthatyou

ardian andmayGodandall the

E P H I N E .

romtheMessieursde olis unc le

ountdepositedintheirhands byMme.

ndertook torefundtoherc hildrenifher

ocument.

uenna andMarthahurriedup-

whobadehergotoaskM. mmanuel

MaisonC laes.

rableheis " shethought he

of thistome andhehasmadeallmy

s.

eMarthahadreturnedfromher

ecretwhichc oncernedme " shesaid


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




d.

eansthatyouareingreatdistress " he

etohiseyes.

w il l h el p m e y o u wh o m my m o th e r ca l ls

' s h e sa i d a s s he g a e h i m th e l et t er

uble shefeltasuddenthrillof oythat

erc hoic e.

y t o li e o r d ie f o r yo u e e r s in ce s a w

y " heanswered w ithtearsofhappi-

es but didnotknow and

endaretohopethatonedayyouwould

ureallyknowme youknowthat

youmustforgi emeforkeepingmy

couldonlyobeyherwishesto the

toe erc isemyown udgment

u s s h e br o ke i n a s sh e t oo k h is a r m

hertothe parlor.

rnedthehistoryofthe trustfund

serablestoryofthestraitsto which

il s at o n ce " s a id m ma n ue l i f

tedw ithMersk tus youw illsa einterest

ndyoutheremainingse enty

uncleleftmethatamountin gold

ytobringthemhere andnoonewill

b r in g t he m a t ni g ht o u r fa t he r w il l b e

dethemsomewhere. fheknewthat

ghttakeitf rommebyforce. O h

piciousofone sownfather " shesaid

eleanedherforeheadagainsthis

dgraciousentreatyforprotection

espokeforthef irsttime lo ehadbeen

ginningsbysorrow andhadgrown


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




herheartwastoofull andatthislast

W h a t w il l b ec om e o f us H e s e e s

asnotathoughtforusnorforhim-

nkhowhec anli einthegarret itislike

e pec tofamanwhoate erymoment

c h a rd I I . M y ki n gd o m fo r a

d m ma n ue l . H e w i ll b e i ne o r ab l e a n d

y ielding. ouc anpayhisbills and

neifyouw ill butyourbrothers and

eryoursnorhis.

fo r tu n e s h e re p ea t ed g r as p in g m -

andlook ingathimwithspark ling

i c e to m e A n d P i e r u i n to l d me

ar shouldpartw ithit.

p e rh a ps t o o am s e lf i sh a f te r m yo w n

wouldha eyouw ithoutapenny forit

wouldbenearertome sometimes

nhappy andthen feelhowpoorand

emptypompofwealthcould keep

omoreaboutoursel es

e e c l ai m ed i n e cs t as y t h en a f te r a m o-

hee ilisgreat nodoubt butitisnot

epairit thefamilyhasnolongerahead.

allthat heowestohimselfandhis

allsenseofrightandwrongforhe

sogenerous andsoupright who

ildren sprotector hass uandered

ofthe law.Towhatdepthshe

o od G o d w h at c a n he e p e ct t o f in d

Marguerite howe erc ulpablehemaybe

heis uiterightf romascientif ic


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




edoes. omesc oreofmenper-

pableofunderstandinghimand

eryoneelsesaysthatheismad. till

edinrefusingtosurrenderthe chil-

sanelementofc hanc eine erygreat

therstillpersistsinwork ingouthis

erthesolutionw ithoutthisrec kless

erypossibly ustatthemomentwhenhe

.

rmotherthatshedied saidMar-

a esuf feredamartyrdomathousand

hefirstshockof hercollision

andthereseemstobenoendtothe

to i t " s a id m m an u el w h en y ou

gleft. Therew illbeanendtoM.

thenhew illbeforc edtostop.

stopatonce " saidMarguerite for

hebillsandga ethemtoMarguerite.

todinnerafewminutesearlierthan

ntwoyearshis daughtersawtraces

andhisdistresswaspainful tosee.

ther reasonhadputsc ienc etoflight.

othec ourtyard andthenintothegar-

ssurethattheywerealone heturned

ssand kindnessinhisface.

d tak ingherhandandpressingit

forgi eyouroldfather. es Mar-

ewrong andyouwerealtogetherright.

thesec ret sothereisnoe c useforme.

e. c annotlookonandseeV an

nton andhiseyesturnedtothemartyr s

rthec auseof freedom and shalldie

ered amhated


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




h n o " s h e c r ie d t h ro wi n g he r a rm s

do r e yo u d o we n o t e l ic i e " s h e

ocameintotheroomatthatmoment.

ear " askedthelittlegirl slipping

a ll

elicie theboysw illmakeafortuneforus.

eadofhisc lass.

earfather " Margueriteadded andw ith

urethedaughterledher fatherto

drewse eralpapersfrombeneath

eyourdrafts butyoumustnotsignyour

fortherew illbenothinglefttopay

e m on e y " B a l t h a a r s ai d i n hi s

oonashehadrec o eredfromhissurprise

Marguerite sheartsankatthewords.

f oy andhope ande pectationin

seyeswerewanderingroundtheroomas

s h e sa i d sa d ly I h a e m y fo r tu n e.

hec ried withaneagernesswhic hhe

w illgi eyoubackanhundredfold.

e i t t o yo u " s a i d Ma r gu e ri t e l o o ki n g at

nderstandthe meaningthatlay

words.

d " h e sa id y ou h a e s a e d my l if e

le periment theonethingthatre-

donotsuc ceedthistime must

eA bsolutealtogether.C omehere

r a rm i f c an c o mp a ss i t y o u sh a ll b e t he

orld youha egi enmefreshhopes

y o u ha e g i e n m e po w er w i ll

andwealth and ewels.

dsin hisandkissedherforehead


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




his oy inc aressesthatseemedalmostlike

guerite. B altha arhadnoeyesforany

hewatchedherwithsomething

ssandalertattention shec ouldnot

adherthoughtsandtoguessher

herwithanassiduitywhichembarrassed

fulnessinhismannerwhichcontrasted

reoldage.B utinreplyto his

Margueritecouldonlydrawhisatten-

ess eitherbygi inge pressionto

nceattheemptytiersofshel esalong

d i n s i m o n th s t i me w e wi l l fi l l th e m

ers. oushallli e likea ueenin

beunderourfeet e erythingw ill

you myMarguerite. Margarita

thenamewasprophetic.Marguerite

saidthatsomewhereorother. Ha e

o u l d yo u c ar e t o re a d t e rn e t w o ul d

rearesultofsomedisease " she

eha ealreadysuf feredmuch.

uw illmakethefortuneof thoseyou

handgreat

chagoodheart " said eMul uinier

ncewasdistortedbyasmile.

altha arspentwithhis daughters

hispowersofc on ersationandthe

herewassomethingmagneticin

asc inationlikethatof theserpent the

at hadattracted osephinewere

emed asitwere totakehisdaughters

manuelde olisc ame hefounda

andchildrenweretalkingas they

me. nspiteofhimself theyoung


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




spellof thescene itwasimpossible

smanner de oliswasc arriedawayby it.

er deeplyabsorbedinwatc hing uite

ghighly-trainedpowersofperception

ylife.N othingescapestheirobser-

ere theyarenotobli ious butthey

d seasons andareseldomintouch

eyondthatsphere theyknowe ery-

ogetitall theymakeforec astsof the

benef it foreseethee entsthattake

keeptheirownc ounsel. f whileto

consciousofwhatispassing they

ft ofobser ationanddeduction

anddrawtheirowninferenc es and

orkclaimsthemagain andthey

nderinguse oftheirknowledgeof

eswhentheyareroused fromtheir

happento dropfromtheworldof

andwomen theybringwiththem

andarebynomeans strangerstowhat

w i th B a l t h a a r . H e h a d u i ck

n-sightedness andknewthewhole

hehadguessedorlearnedinsomeway

e entsofthecourseof themysterious

mmanuel heletthelo ersfeelthat

t andsanctionedtheiraffectionby

uerite sfatherthiswasthesweetest

heyc ouldnotresistit. Thee ening

fterthe troubledandan iouslife

te. WhenB altha aratlastlef t

asked asitwere forawhileinthe

andbathedinhistenderness m-

strainedmannerc hanged heemptied

ndducats ofwhichhehadbeen


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




a l t ha a r w i th a c l ai r o y an t g la n ce a t h is

el thenthisgold

olis whohasbeensogoodasto

yfulf ilourengagements she

andturnedasif togo.

a l t h a a r l a yi n g a ha n d on h i s ar m

y gratefulthanks.

nks M. C laes. Themoneybelongs

ehasborroweditofmeonsec urity "

tMarguerite whothankedhimbyan

ementofhereyelids.

" s a id C l a e s t a ki n g up a p e n an d a

le where eliciehadbeenwriting.

wilderedyoungpeople.

h e a sk e d.

passionhadmadehimc raf tierthanthe

escoundrels hemeanttoha ethe

Margueriteand mmanuelde olis

s ai d B a l t ha a r .

sandduc ats " mmanuelsaid.

df ranc s " returnedC laes.

nuele c hangedglanc es and m-

aidrespec tfully yournoteofhandis

echnicale pression.Thismorn-

ahundredthousandfrancstobuy up

nabletomeet soe identlyyouare

meanysecurity. Thismoneybe-

whocandisposeofit asseemsgood

only lentitw iththeunderstandingthat

gi ingmeac laimonhershareof

onwhichtheforestonc estood.

dawaytohide thetearsthat


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




s u a nd e re d f o r th a t is h o w ig n or a nt

fortuneandmadegreatinroadsinto

outhink amworkingforwhatyouc all

g el m y d ar l in g m y. l o e m y Ma r gu e ri t e

f donotsuc c eedthistime w illput

lthatyoudesire w illdo w ill

nc ethatyouowetome w illdoyour

emyaf fairsasyoushalldirect w ill

diannolonger w illlaydownmy

yourmother hesaid shedding

daway shecouldnotbearto

es thinkingthatthiswasasignof

onhiskneesbeforeher.

er i te g i e m e t he g o ld G i e i t t o

meternalremorse. Whataretwenty

see shalldie thisw illk illme.

erite Mypromiseshallbereligiously

y e p e r i me n ts i f f a il w i ll g o

l a nd e rs a n d e e n r a nc e i f yo u wi s h it .

mec hanic andbuildupmyfortune

ychildrenmayreco eratlastallthat

nfromthem heearnestlyandpiteously

deherfatherto rise buthestill

ued w ithtearsinhiseyes

o t ed t h is o n ce i t i s th e l as t t im e . f

myselfw illac uiesceinyourharsh udg-

madman abadfather youc an

a n d w i ll k i ss y o ur h a nd s b e at m e i f

youasthebestofdaughters remember-

enmeyour ery life-blood.

i f i t we r e on l y my l i fe - bl o od y o u

owcan lookonandseemybrothers

blood forscience cannot


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




kstaircasewiththe speedofan

erpointinga pistolathishead.

ec ried asshesprangtowardshim.

tthesightofherwhitefac e

weepsuchtearsasoldmenshed hewas

erforehead speak ingincoherent

ealmostdancedfor oy andtriedto

playswiththemistresswhohasmade

th e r " s h e sa i d r e me m be r y ou r

otsuc c eed w illyouobeymywishes

shec ried turningtothedoorofMme.

o u wo u ld h a e g i e n i t al l t o hi m w o u l d yo u

s a id B a l t h a a r y o u ar e a g oo d g ir l .

ed thenightsthatbroughtsleepare

uha emademeold father ustas

mother slife.

f c ou l d on l y gi e y ou c o nf i de n ce b y

hopetoobtainf romagrande peri-

u s t pl a nn e d y o u wo u ld s e e th e n

urruin " shesaid risingtogo.

dayattheC ollegedeDouai.

amewith eantoseethem.

edan iously ashewentuptoMarguerite.

s he s ai d.

answered half-sorrowfully half -gladly

shouldha eadmiredyou but

ess.

n ue l w h at r e ma i ns f o r us

in g t o me " h e cr i ed w i th a r a di a nt g l an c e.

r itw illbewellw ithus.

by inunbrokenpeac e. M. de olis

herretrenchmentsandpettyecono-


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




ess andad isedhertoli ec omfort-

mainderofthemoneywhichMme.

thhimforthee pensesof thehouse-

onthsMargueritewasharassedby

pro edtoohea yaburdenforher

shewasdisposedtobelie einher

hewasdri entohopeinhisgenius. tis

blethingthatwesooftencontinueto

faithlef t. Hopeisthef lowerofdesire

ainty.

ds weshallbehappy " Marguerite

nd e M u l u i ni e r sa i d W e s h a ll s u c-

and eMul uinierwerealoneintheirbelief.

argrewmoreandmoredepresseddayby

otdaretomeethisdaughter seyes

ontheotherhand helookedatherin

here eningsinseek inge plana-

w ithyoungde olisashertutor

fatherabouttheir complicated

asthermasculineeducationwas

dyw ithplanstoputintoe ec utionif

rebeworstedin theduelwithhis

nX .

uly B altha arspentawholeday

absorbedinsadthoughts. O nc e

him atthebaregardenbeds

withtulips atthewindowsofhis

uddered doubtlessattherec ollec tionof

osthim. H estirredfromtimeto

hathethoughtofotherthingsthan

ner Margueritetookupherneedle-

sitbesidehimforafewminutes.

u h a e n o t su cc e ed e d "

itesaidgently amnotgoingtoutter


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




deed wearebothe ually toblame

uf illmentofyourpromise yourpromise

C laes. ourc hildrenw illne er

eandrespec t butf romto-dayyou

mustdoas w ish. Donotbean ious

d w illdomybesttobringit uic kly

olea eyouforamonthMarthais

mayseeaf teryouraf fairs " she

foryouaremyc hildnow youknow.

nc harge. Poorc hild sheisbarely

sheresistyou B egenerous anddonot

shehasnothingbeyondwhatis strictly

eepinge penses. Takecourage gi e

ndyourtheoriesfortwoor three

mature andbythattime shallha e

oney andtheproblemshallbesol ed.

e i s n ot y o ur u e en a k i nd a n d me r ci f ul

theoldmananswered.

ykeepyourword.

M a r gu e ri t e " s a i d C l a e s d e e p ly m o e d .

ync ksc amefromCambraiforhis

meinhistra elingc arriage andonly

ouseuntilMargueriteandMarthacould

sfortheir ourney.M.C laesmade

thewase identlydownc astand

ync ksguessedB altha ar sthoughts

ast hesaid w ithc lumsyfrankness

o ur p i ct u re s c o u si n h a e a l i ki n g fo r

uinousmania butweallha eour

monstratedMarguerite.

ed c ousin butaC laesalwayshas

aid tappinghisforehead andhere

eadded lay inghishandonhisheart.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




m o re o e r a n d ha i n g a fe w sp a re c r ow n s

singtheminyourser ic e.

t h a a r I w i l l r ep a y yo u w it h t re a s-

e ha e i n l a nd e rs c o us i n a r e pa -

saidConync kssternly . O uranc estor

ra enonhisforehead " headded

aitofV anC laes.

herandbadehimgood-bye ga e

sto osetteand elicie andsetout

le.H ewasawidowerwithone

e andtheownerofanimmensefor-

blethat hemightthinkofmarrying

opleofDouaibelie edthatMarguerite

ondwife.R umorsofthisgreat

c hedPier uin sears andbrought

laes.C onsiderablechangeshad

wsofthatwide-awakeworthy.

endi idedforthepasttwoyears

enoblesseformedonegroup and

and notunnaturally thelatter

r. Thissharpdi ision infac t

a itsuddenlysplit ranceinto

all ealouss uabblesassumedseriouspro-

otalittle tothewidespreadac-

utionof uly 1 30. Therewasathird

ediatepositionbetweentheultra-

beralc amps tow it theof fic ialswho

rotherc irc le butwho onthe

sfrompower immediatelybecame

thestrugglebetweenthenoblesse

ostunheard-ofsplendorwasdis-

heR oyalistsmadesuchbrilliantly

petheir iberalri a lsthattheseepi-

saidtoha ec ostsomeenthusiastic


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




likeill-c astc annon theyc ouldnot

urallythetwocirclesbecamemore

natical.

erywealthymanaspro inc ialfortunes

c ludedfromthearistocratic circ leand

ourgeoisie. H isself -lo ehadsuf fered

ss hehadrecei edrebuffuponre-

withwhomhe hadformerlyrubbed

uaintance.He wasfortyyearsof

henamanwhocontemplatesmarriage

wife.The matchestowhichhe

hebourgeoisie buthisambition

ardsthearistocraticworldfrom

andhecastaboutforacreditable

statehimthere.TheC laesfamily

eworldthattheyknewnothingofall

aes indeed belongedbybirthto

pro inc e butitseemednotatall

shewasbysc ientif ic interests hewould

oduc edc lasspre udices. Howe er

aughterof thehouseofC laeswould

ofgratif ied anity whichiseagerly

ues.

renewedhis isitstotheMaisonC laes.

ndtothismarriage andtoattainhis

s.H ebestowedhiscompanyon

c ieinMarguerite sabsenc e anddisco ered

hathehadaformidableri alin m-

manuel slateuncletheA bbehadlef t

bleamountofproperty itwas

f thenotary wholookedate erything

terialstandpoint mmanuelinthe

heirwasari altobedreaded:P ier-

etedby mmanuel smoneythanbyhis

ealth restoredallitslustre tothe


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




ndnoblebirthweretw inglories

oneachother.Thenotarysawthat

ated elicieasasister andhe

ncereaffection.H etriedtoeclipse

c on entionalphrasesofgallantrywith

andtheairsofamanof fashion

ensi emelanc holywhic hwasnotillsuited

llhisillusions hesaid andturned

toletherknowthatshe andshe

himwithlife. A nd elic ie towhom

wereano elty listenedtothe

sweettohear e enwhenitisinsin-

mptinessfordepth shehadnothing

ndherc ousinbecametheob ec tof the

lledherheart.Possibly thoughshe

sof thefac t shewas ealousof the

anuelshowedhersister andshew ished

sf irstthought. P ier uinsoonsaw

reattentiontohimthanto mmanuel

opersistin hisattempt untilhe

tended. mmanuellookedon

thispassion simulatedinthelaw-

n elic ie whosefuturewasatstake.

ee changedbetweenthecousinswhen

asturned littlec ollo uies trif lingdecep-

hestolenwordsandglanc esatreac herous

erisetoinnocenterrors.

dedtoturn hisintimacywith

unt andtodisco erMarguerite s

ourneytoParis hewantedtoknow

uestionofhermarriage andwhether

tensions but inspiteofhistrans-

neitherB altha arnor elic iec ouldthrow

t forthe erysuff ic ientreasonthat

nothingofMarguerite splans onher


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




eemedtoha eadoptedthema imsof

therowncounsel.

ngmelanc holyanddepressionmadethe

manuelhadsucc eededinpersuading

mon butB altha ar sthoughtswere

and asarule thegreatc hemist

wers seemedpositi elystupid. His

tonothing hishumiliationwasgreat

efortunes hewasapennilessgambler

eruinsof hishouse beneaththe

disappointedbutnot e tinct.The

bynecessity ac uiescinginhisown

ragic spectac lewhic hwouldha e

gnature.Pier uinhimselfcould

aryrespectforthiscagedlionwith

theeyeswhichwerecalmby

fadedfrome c essof light therewas

yin themwhichthelipsdidnot

eshisfacesuddenlylightedupashe

m en t a n d th e n B a l th a a r s e y es w ou l d

othespotwherehisw ifehaddied

s ofsandwouldcrossthearid

wno er- largew iththought andhis

east.H ehadliftedtheworld like

hadrolledbac khea ilyonhisbreast.

rolledsomanfully haditseffecton

el whoattimesfeltsomuchmo ed

toofferhima sumofmoney

sofe perimentssoinfectiousare

s B othyoungmenbegantounder-

ndMargueritec ouldha ef lung

butreflectioncheckedtheimpulses

rgood-willmanifesteditselfinattempts

asedtheanguishofthefallenand


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

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sedthecourtyardandwenttothe

msroundherfather snec k

edw iththegirl sk iss andshe

ho cannotdissemble butwhen

hetroubledlookdiedoutofhereyes

ogi eherc ourageforthetaskshe

nspiteof thecheerfulnessone ery

talkatdinner fatheranddaughter

trustandcuriosity.B altha ardid

le uestionastoherstay inParis

spre entedhim mmanuelde olis

butPier uin whohadsolongbeen

sec retsof thefamily didnota oid

nc ealedhisin uisiti enessunderanassump-

" h e s a i d d i d yo u s ee P a ri s a n d th e

rs " s h e an s we r ed I o n ly w en t

dtogo. Thedayswentby erytedi-

longingtoseeDouaiagain.

e a f us s s h e wo u ld n o t ha e g o ne t o t he

d shefoundittiresome saidM.

ereasethate ening thesmiles

infulan iety lurkedbeneaththeforc ed

oc casion. MargueriteandB altha ar

btsandfears andtheothersseemed

eningworeon thefacesof thefather

eiragitationmoreplainly and

rbesttosmile herner ousmo e-

thetonesofher oic e betrayedher. M.

uelde olisseemedtounderstandthe

andtobidhertakec ouragebye pres-

altha ar hurtatnotbeingtakenintoc on-

akenandmattersdecidedwhich


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




duallybec amemoreandmorereser ed

ghischildrenandfriends. hortly

wouldinformhimofherdecisions.

atherthesituationwasintolerable.

dthetimeof lifewhenthingsare

ththechildrenofthe family when

easedbywidere perienceoflife

morethoughtful andtroubledasthe

sac iti endrewnearer.

ewasimpending ac risisofwhic h

enbyametaphor.Thecloudsthat

midsthadgatheredanddarkened

ghedbelow inthef ields e eryone

ngstorm lookedupatthehea ens

sttogo B altha arwentwithhim

uinand mmanueltook theirlea ein

adethenotaryafriendlygood-

to mmanuel butshec laspedhis

arsstoodin hereyesasshelookedat

away andwhenC laesc ameback to

therealone.

shesaidinatremulous oic e c ould

ef tolea ehomebutforthegra ityof

af teragoniesofhopeandfear andin

uties ha ebroughtbac kwithme

onforusall.Thankspartly toyour

c le sinf luenc e andtheinterestofM.

b t a in e d th e p os t o f R e c ei e r o f Ta e s i n

wortheighteentotwentythousand

. O urunc lehasundertakentobe

yourappointment sheadded

reticule. F orthene tfewyears

ontentwithbare necessaries you

oli eonhereinthehouse our


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



F TH E A B S O L U T .1 1

eashehas alwaysbeenaccustomed

kyoutospareanyofyourincomefor

sseemsgoodtoyou. B ut entreat

ha enoinc ome notapennye c ept

edinthefunds forGabrielhealways

ew illli easif thehousewerea

hetownshallhearanythingaboutour

edonhereinDouai youwouldbea

sinoureffortstorestorecomfort. A m

youga etomewhen putyouina

urfortuneyourself nafewyears

youw illbeR ec ei er-General.

" B a l t ha a r s ai d i n a lo w o i ce y o u ar e

ouse

suc habitterreproac h " saidMarguerite

hatsurgedupin herheart. ou

ngusassoonasyouc anli einyour

rbefittingyourname. B esides did

romise father shewentonc oldly .

askofyou. O urunc leiswaitingto

sothatyoumaynotha etotra el

c r ie d B a l t ha a r r i si n g to h i s fe e t I

sassistancetore-establishmyfortune

tomy children.

" saidMarguerite w ithnosignof

askyousimplytothinko er

s. c anputthec asebeforeyouina

oustay inthehouse yourc hildrenwill

aybethemaster.

ie d B a l t ha a r .

g t o do " s h e we n t on w i th o ut h e ed i ng

w illbetoinformtheministerofyour

eandhonorablepost.W eshould

t inspiteof interestandinf luenc e if


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




ipped se eralnotesforathousand

sglo e

e m e

t le a e u s w e mu st l ea e y ou " s he

reyouronlyc hild wouldfollowmy

w ou l d no t m ur m ur a t m y fa t e w ha t e e r

utmybrothersandsister shall

pairunderyoureyes promised

" shesaid pointingtohermother s

denourtroublesf romyou andendured

rstrengthfailsusnow. Wearenoton

weareinitslowestdepths father

c ateoursel es wewantsomethingbe-

effortsmustnotbecontinuallythwarted

c r ie d B a l t ha a r s e i i n g Ma r gu e ri t e s

you w illworkw ithyou

heanswered holdingouttheminister s

itwouldtaketoolongtorestoremy

ouarepointingoutto me.The

rkwillbelost aswellastheenor-

hthelaboratoryrepresents.O ur

hesaid indicatingthegarret.

thedoor say ing Choosefor

y ou a r e e r y ha r d h e a ns w er e d a s

r buthelethergo.

ritelearnedfrom eMul uinierthat

heturnedpaleatthissimplean-

fac espokesoelo uentlyofc ruelan iety

Donotalarmyourself mademoi-

hewouldc omebackagainatele en

ene erwenttobedatalllastnight.

orninghewasstandingbyoneof the


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




ngoutat theroofofthelaboratory.

inginthek itc hen sawhim hewas

andhereisthefamousmonthof

sunhaspowerenoughtomakeusall

saidMarguerite. heknewnowwhat

harassedher father.

hadc ometopassw ithB altha ar as

thathislifewasinseparable asit

hic hhadbec omeapartof it. His

hishouseand laboratory hedid

tthe familiarsurroundings he

whoisatalosstoknowwhattodo

ldayswhenhec annotgoon C hange.

einhislaboratory itwastheone

erehec ouldbreathe italair. This

ndplaces sostronganinstinctin

salmosttyrannousinmenofscience

a r C l a e s wa s t o le a e h i s ho u se f o r

ustrenouncehisscienceandhis

ewords thathemustdie.

te tremityofan ietyandfear

thoughtofB altha ar sattemptto

scenecametohermemory andshe

ounda tragicsolutionofhisdiffi-

panddownintheparlor andshuddered

atthedoor. B altha aratlastc ame

himc rossthec ourt and ga ing

c ouldreadnothingbutthetrac esofall

pression. Whenhec ameintothe

tow ishhimgood-morning heput

outherwaist drewhertohisbreast

dsaidinherear

eeaboutmypassport.

s oice hisresignation hiscaress


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




erite sheart sheturnedherhead

hshe couldnotkeepback fled

nlycamebackwhenshehadweptat

tB altha arwasingreatspirits like

hiscourse.

o r B r i t ta n y u n c le a r e we h e s ai d

ha ealwaysthought shouldliketo

ere " theoldunc leremarked.

ea e u s c r ie d e l ic i e.

h eanatthatmoment.

nd t h e da y wi t h us s a id B a l t h a a r

sdehim amgoingawayto-morrow

ood-bye.

ssatMarguerite whohungherhead.

y e e r y on e f el t s ad e e r y on e t ri e d

ulthoughtsortotears. Thiswasno

as a n e i l e. A n d t h e n e e r y on e i n-

iatingit wasforafatherthus to

inghisfamilyandacceptingthe

altha ar stimeof life buthewas

ueritewasfirm andsubmittedwith

osedonhimfor theerrorswhich

arriedawaybyhisgenius.W hen

andthefatheranddaughterwerealone

handtoMarguerite. Hehadbeen

allthroughtheday asinthehappiest

w ithastrangetenderness inwhich

easked A reyousatisf iedw ithyour

im answeredMarguerite turningto

es.

a a r f o l l ow e d by e M u l u i ne r w e n t

ea eofhischerishedhopes.

ngedmelancholyglancesastheystood


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




rret. v erythingwasinwork ing

ehopeshadnotyetperished andthey

l perhapsfore er. B altha arlooked

outwhichhis thoughtshadho ered

othingtherebuthad itsassociationsfor

artinhise perimentsorhisin estiga-

ade eMul uiniersetf reethegases

iousacids andtakeprec autionsagainst

shesawtoallthesedetails bitterregrets

mamancondemnedtodeathwhen

mtothescaffold.

said stoppingbeforeac apsuleinwhic h

ic batterywereimmersed weoughtto

ise periment. f itweretosucc eed

etheirfatherfromhis housewhen

their feet.H ideousthought

fc arbonandsulphur inwhichthe

nelec tro-positi ebody c rystalli a-

henegati epole andinthec ase

onwouldbedepositedthereina

t wi l l do s a id e M u l u i ni e r l oo k -

r.

a a r w en t o n af t er a m o me n t of s i le n ce t h e

totheinfluenceofthatbattery

sit w illsooninc rease-

t b e le f t u s t as i t i s. T h at s o rt o f

estime andmustbelef tundisturbed.

c rystalli ationislongenoughabout

r ant.

weretofall thesulphideofc arbon

B altha arsaid lettingfallstray linksofa

ompleteinhis ownmind but

atteryis broughttobearonit


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




hich donotknowhowtoset up.

watched itispossible.

gof Thereistobenomorec hem-

wemustkeepbooksinarec ei er s

tany.

wentdownstairsto breakfastinhis

me. Pier uinandM. de olishad

arwasan ioustoputanendtothe

saidfarewelltohisc hildren and

fterhis uncle allthefamilycame

ofthedoor.There asMarguerite

pair heansweredhermuteappeal

ouareagoodchild bearyounoill-

urtyard andtookrefugeinthe

espotwherehermotherdied she

oGodtogi eherstrengthtobring

ew lifetoasucc essfulend. hefelt

ninner oic eechoedtheapplauseof

andwithitmingledthe thanksof

andbrothers. mmanuelandPier-

hadwatc hedthetra elingcarriagetillit

le w h a t w il l y ou d o n e t i n u i re d

" sh e s ai d s im pl y . W e h a e a b ou t

andatWaignies. meantoha e

deitupintothreefarms toerectthe

andthentoletthem. feelsure

e w ithplentyofpatienceandprudenc e

esaid turningtoherbrotherandsister

faboutfourhundredac res whichsome

nfifteenthousandfrancsyearly.

aremustbe thishouseandtheconsols

henwewillpayof fourfather s


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




dgi ehimbackhisestateswhenthetime

" s a i d Pi e r u i n a m a e d a t Ma r gu e ri t e s

msumming-upofthesituation you

ndredthousandfrancsif youare

dbuildsteadingsandbuycattle.

omefrom "

hediff ic ultyc omesin " shesaid

mmanuelde olis c annot

eofmyunc le hehasalreadybecome

c r ie d P ie r u i n. t s u dd e nl y s tr u ck

laesgirlswereworthmorethanf i e

apiece.

argueritetenderly butPier uin

tillanotaryin themidstofhis enthu-

cordingly leanletyouha etwo

ritesoughtcounselofeachotherby

sentarayof lightthroughPier uin s

ptotheeyes shewassogladthat

sgenerousasshe hadwished.Mar-

andguessedthetruthatonce

orchild shearthadbeenwonby

essgallantry .

m e fi e p e r ce n t. " h e a d d ed a n d

youc angi emeamortgageonyour

eyourselfaboutit youshallha e

emoneywhenallthe contractsare

ndyousomegoodtenants andlookaf ter

w illdoitallfornothing andstand

an.

toMarguerite beseec hingherto

ewastoomuchabsorbedinwatching

nthatc rossedhersister sfac etonotic e


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



S TO F T HE A B S O L U T .

ssilencesheturnedtothelawyerw ith

answeredofherownacc ord toM. de

y us c ou si n " s h e sa id I s ho ul d ha e

butwewanttof reetheestatesas

ndthef i eperc ent interestwouldham-

illmybrothercomesofage andwewill

mmanuelbegantosmilegently.

d t a ke e a n ba c kt o s ch o ol " s a id M a r-

erbrother. TakeMarthaw ithyou.

an mydarling anddonottearyourc lothes

w tobuynewonesforyou asoften

runaway littleman andwork

brother.

ar g ue r it e t o Pi e r u i n a n d yo u m o n-

t u rn i ng t o M .d e o l is y o u ha e d o ub t -

atherwhile wasaway amgrateful

urf riendship and amsurethat

poorgirls whowillstandinneed

sunderstandeac hotherc learly . When

llalwaysseeyouw iththegreatestpleas-

c iew illbeleftherew ithnoonebut

neednottellyouthatshec anrec ei e

nanoldf riendandac ousinsode otedto

sitionwemustnotgi etheslightest

mustgi eourmindstoourwork for

einsolitude.

noonespoke. mmanuel deeply

guerite sfac e wasdumb Pier uin

andtook lea eofhisc ousin. He

hesuddenlypercei edthatMar-

anuel andthathehadac tedlikethe


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




u i n m y f r i en d " s a i d h e to h i ms e lf a s

anyonewhocalledyouanass

uh. Whatastupiddolt am

dli resayearbesidemyprofessional

ofmyunc ledesR ac uets allhis

omeofthesedays and shallha e

terall don twanthimtodie heis

sgrac elessenoughtoaskMile. C laesfor

terall elic ieisasweetandgoodlittle

etter.Margueritehas awilllike

oruleme andshewouldruleme

ur s el e s g en e ro u s P i er u i n l e t us h a e

c annotshakeof foldhabits. B lessme

elic ie thosearemysentiments and

oodness yes hew illha ea

ed andthirtyacresofgood

gniesisrich andbeforelongitwill

entythousandli resyearly.My

es p o or o l d ge n tl e ma n ) , s e ll m y

manof leisureworthf if ty thousand

ou s a nd l i r e s M y wi f e is a C l a e s

thse eralfamiliesofdistinction. Diantre/

aronde a arus theC ourte illes and

isitaPier uin-C laes-Molina-

m ay or o f D ou a i s h al l h a e t h e C r o ss

or c anbeadeputy nothingw illbe

ok o u t P i er u i n m y b oy a n d le t

nse inasmuc has uponmyhonor

elic ieV anC laesisinlo ew ith

werealone mmanuelheldouthis

ouldnothelplayingher righthand

adethem bothrisetotheir

wardstheirbenc hinthegarden

prlorherlo erc ouldnotc ontrol


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




oic ethattrembledw ithemotion hesaid

dredthousandfrancsthatbelongto

h e cr i ed d i d my p o or m o th e r le a e

keeping N o Thenhow is

e w ha t i s mi n e is y o ur s i s i t no t

saywe

shesaid pressingthehandthatshe

ofgoingintothegarden shesatdown

t ha n k yo u " h e s a i d w i t h lo e i n h is

c ceptitf romme.

e sa i d t h is m o me n t at o ne s f or m a ny

nearertoahappyfuture es w ill

shec ontinued andanangelic smile

th I knowofawaytomakeit

laes portrait asifc allingonher

mmanuelde olishadfollowed

hedidnotseeherdrawalittle

hedidnotnotic ethatshehaddoneso

sofoursorrowonec omforthasarisen

celea esmefreetodisposeofmyself "

hering. Takeit mmanuel my

ewouldha ec hosenyou.

el seyes heturnedpale fellon

arguerite ashega ehertheringthat

sweddingring andhek issedthe

M y M ar g ue r it e s h al l h a e n o p le d ge

pointingtotheringshehadgi en


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




d mmanuel slipstouchedherfore-

a r e we n o t do i ng w r on g " s h e sa i d

Weshallha etowaitforalong

at adorationwasthedailybread

of t h e C h r is t ia n s l o e o f G od b u t

you Marguerite foralongwhile

ngledwiththethoughtofGod

te t h em a m y ou r s a s a m H i s .

remainedraptin thesweetest

repouredoutas uietlyandnat-

ando erf lowsinlittlewa es

atewhichkeptthetwolo ersapart

ly whichga etotheirhappiness

cyofgrief. eliciecameback

hem. mmanuel taughtbythe

whic hinstincti elydi inese erything

r withaglanceinwhichMarguerite

onsiderationcosthima glance

ardentlyhehaddesiredthis hap-

eenconsecratedbythebetrothalof

ister " saidMarguerite puttingher

ec k . Theywenttogetheroutintothe

nthe benchtowhichonegeneration

dtheirlo eandgrief theirplans

ofhersister sgaytonesandshrewd

eltsomething ery likeatremorof fear.

andfeltthatshewastrembling.

e " heroldersistersaidinherear

eart. P ier uinhasbeenhere eryof ten

e ca m e e e r y e e n in g h e h as w h is p er e d

ha elistenedtohim.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




lf myangel " Margueriteanswered

e Perhapsourc ousin sc harac ter

ceofyour dearsoul heisselfish

interests butheiskind-hearted

odoubt conducetoyourhappiness

hefairestofhispossessions youw ill

f fairs. orgi emeforthatword

ehimofthebadhabitof think ingof

estsbyteachinghimto occupyhim-

eheart.

rarms roundhersister.

gueritewenton heiswell-to-do. H e

tdistinguishedandoldestbourgeois

tthink that wouldputobstac lesin

s ifyouc hoosetof inditinasphere

okefrom elic ie.

m a yt r us t m e c r ie d M ar g ue r it e . W h a t

shouldtell eachotheroursecrets

yspoken openedthewayforone

whichyounggirls confidee ery-

ehadmadeMarguerite uic k to

andshesaidatlastto elic ie

ne wemustmakesurethatthecousin

then

s a id e li ci e l au gh in g I h a e a n

e.

saidMarguerite k issingherforehead.

classof menwhoregardmarriage

afulf illmentofsoc ialduties andaway

itwastohim amatterofindiffer-

Margueriteor elic ie solongas

nameand possessedthesame

ewasacuteenoughtosee thatboth

ne pression were romantic andsen-


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




ad ec ti esemployedbycommonplace

whichnature sowswithagrudging

humanfield.Doubtlessthelawyer

estdoatR omeastheR omansdo

metoseeMarguerite andw ithamys-

othelittlegardenand beganto

sinc ethiswasanecessarypreliminary

s totheusualformalcontractdrawn

id h e w e ha e n o t al w ay s b ee n o f on e

sofbringingyouout ofyourdiffi-

c know ledgethat ha ealwaysbeen

siretoser eyou. Well then yester-

ompletelyspoiledbyanunlucky

simplytoalawyer shabitofmind.

Myheartisnottoblamefortheabsurd

c ared erymuchaboutyou andwe

uic k-sightedness sawthatyoudid

tismyownfault omeoneelsehas

w a s. W e l l h a e c om e t o te l l yo u o ut

oursister elicie. oyouc antreatme

purse takewhatyouwill themore

uw illpro eyourregardforme. am

withoutinterestdoyouunderstand

fonly maybethought

at i s a ll a s k. o r gi e m e f or m y

tobusinesshabits myheartisright

dthrowmyself intothe c arperatherthan

. H espokewithe ery indic ation

.

ctory c ousin butthematterdoesnot

wthmysisterandfather " saidMar-

c o us i n " t h e no t ar y a ns we r ed b u t

emall besides ha enothing


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

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hat youshould udgeofminecor-

haracteristicofthehonest

P i er u i n s r e pl y t o an i n i t at i on f r om

t aintO meibec amefamous the

omemilitary festi ity andPier uin s

s: MonsieurPier uin-C laesde

rof thec ityofDouai C he alierof the

i ll h a e t h at o f b ei n g pr e se n t e t c.

fferonlyinsofar asitrelatedto

fearingtoc ompromiseherdignityas

sfuture orherfather sauthority . The

rsisterto thecareof osetteand

otedbodyandsoultotheiryoungmis-

oallherplansof retrenc hment and

atelyforW aignies whereshebe-

toe ec utionatonce benefitedby

nc e .

etimeandtrouble e pended

c ellentin estment hewasputting

sitwere and w ithsuc haprospec tbe-

ndtogrudgetheoutlay .

endea oredtospareMargueritethe

and gettingitreadyforculti a-

sofwealthyfarmers youngmen

ettlethemsel es tothemhepointed

bilitiesofferedbysuchafertile soil

helandtothem ustasitwas ona

hreeyearstheyweretopaynorent

yundertook topaysi thousand

andinthesi th andaf terthat f if teen

thee pirationofthelease.They

heland tomakeplantations and

steadingswereincourseoferec-

e ground.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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a ar sdeparture Margueritehad

unesofher brotherandsister.Two

loanedby mmanuelde olis had

esof thefarmbuildings. A d ic eand

beenreadilygi entothebra egirl

Marguerite sc ourage. hepersonally

goperations andlookedafterher

thegoodsense energy andper-

ancandisplaywhensheis sustained

gueritec ouldde otethirty thou-

opayingoff themortgagesonher

dtorepairingtheha oc wroughtby-

ointheoldhouse. B esidestherentf ron

hadtheinterestonthec apitalin ested

andtheproc eedsofherfather sprop-

nctionofthedebtwasboundto be

e amountofinterestdecreased.

moreo er hadpersuadedMargueriteto

edthousandfrancsofhisuncle s

sometwentythousandfranc swhic hhehim-

atinthethirdyearofheradministration

argeamountofdebt.Thislife of

andself -sacrif icelastedforf i eyears but

toMarguerite sinf luenc eandsuper-

uc c ess.

ilengineer andw ithhisgreat-

rapidfortunebytheconstructionof

orintheeyesofhisc ousin Mile.

fatheridoli ed oneof theric hest

s. n1 24C laes propertywasf ree

edeParishadrepairedits losses.

pplicationtoB altha arfor elic ie s

saskedforMarguerite.

mo n th o f a n ua r y 1 2 5 M a r-


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




kssetoutforB rittanytobringback

ome eryonelongedtoseeinhishome

spost thathemightspendtherest

dren andhispresenceshouldsanction

tehadoftenbewailedtheempty

picture-galleryandthestateapart-

eettheirfather seyesonhisreturn so

Pier uinandM. de olisplotted

surpriseforher theyoungersister

eintherestorationof theMaison

enhadboughtse eralf inepic tures

elic ie sothatthegallerymightbe

e thoughthadoccurredtoM.

edtoshowhisapprec iationofMarguerite s

thewayinwhichshehadde otedher-

mother sre uest. Hearranged

res togetherwithsomeofthose

re iouslysold shouldbesenttof illthe

therewerenownomoreblankspaces.

erfatherse eraltimes eanorher

oneac h ourney but sinc eherlast

et o h a e g a in e d on B a l t h a a r . H e l i e d

fornearlyallhisinc omewasspenton

roughtnothingbutdisappointment

symptomswereduetohis manner

ty - f i eyearsofage buthelooked

eyesweredeeplysunkin hisface

hishairhungin ascantyfringe

owedhisbeardtogrow c uttingitw ith

engthannoyedhim hestooped

hisneglec teddresssuggestedadegree

frightfulwhencombinedwithhis

metimeshisfacelookednoblestill

hteditup buttheoutlinesofhis

bywrink les hisf i edga e thedes-


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

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andhisrestlessuneasinessseemedto

orratherofmanyformsofinsanity.

pewouldgi ehimthelookofamono-

of impatienc e thathec ouldnotguessthis

himandeludedhis grasplikeawill-

a eoutintoimpotentangerlikemadness

of laughterathisownfolly but

astateof thedeepestde ec tion and

wasmergedinthedullmelanc holyof

etingandimperceptiblethesechanges

forstrangers theywereunhappilyonly

hohadknowntheonc enoblefac e the

sosublimeingoodnessandsogreat-

arcelyatracec ouldnowberec ogni ed.

ehismaster wasoldandwornby in-

dnotbornethesameburden nor

inof thought ac uriousmi tureof

ntheway inwhichhelookedathis

emisledac asualobser er helistened

slightestword andwatc hedhismo e-

erness helookedafterhisgreat

c arelikeamother s hee en

and insomeways ac tuallydidpro-

arne ertookanythoughtfortheneeds

twastouchingandpainfultoseethe

ppedinthesamethought bothsosure

e inspiredbythesamerestless

heyhadbutonelifebetweenthem

ndtheotherthebody. WhenMar-

ksarri edtheyfoundM. C laesli ing

rhadtakenhisplaceatonc e.

tionofscience B altha arhad

oseehisc ountry hishome and

sdaughter sletterhadbroughtgood

odreamofac rowningseriesofe peri-


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

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relyyieldatlast thesecretofthe

itedMarguerite sc omingw ithgreat

of oyassheflungherself into

adc ometorecei eherreward the

culttask andtoaskpardonfor

utasshelookedmorecloselyat

ockedatthechangeswroughtin him

it shefeltasifshehadc ommitteda

atmanwho iolatesthelibertiesofhis

onale istenc e. M. Conyncksshared

s heinsistedthathisc ousinmustbe

theairofhisnati eDouaimightrestore

eby hisownhearthshouldrestorehis

sofaffection whichweremuch

spartthanMargueritehade pec ted he

toherw ishes hee pressedhisregret

apoorplace hec onsultedhertastes

als andwasassedulouslywatchful

anneralsotherewassomethingof

etyoftheculpritwhowishes tosecure

ma udge. Margueriteknewherfather

hemoti esunderlyingthisaffectionate

tthathemustha einc urreddebtsin

san ioustopaybeforehewent. he

wlyforawhile andahumanheart

e. B altha arseemedtoha egrown

fhishumiliation theenforced

scientificpursuits hadmadehim

d sa ewhenthesub ec tunderdis-

thhisbelo edscience.H estoodin

e herememberedherde otionin

indand characterthatshehadshown

ehimselfhadin estedher the


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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ministeredsoably andtheinde-

chhadtakenpossessionofhim on

he authoritywhichhehadabused

erwithtime.

easnothinginB altha ar seyes he

ter andthoughtofnooneelse he

er asaweak-mindedmaniso erawed

trongerthanhisown.Marguerite s

detecteda lookofterrorinhis

ikethatofsomelittlec hildwhohasbeen

couldnot understandthecon-

gnificentsternoutlinesofthehead

tificlaborsandstrenuousthought

altha ar slips thee pressionofart-

.Thissharpcontrastbetweengreatness

painfultoher sheresol edtouseher

her sself-respectbeforethegreat

mto hisfamily.W hentheywere

t shebeganatonc e sei ingthe

ar

et s he r e f a t he r

neasily andanswered donot

uinierw illtellyou heisagoodfellow

affairsthan domyself.

er ant andwhenhec ameshe

efacesof thetwooldmen.

te d m o ns i eu r " a s ke d e M u l u i ni e r.

prideweretwoof Marguerite s

methingintheser ant stoneandman-

miliaritybetweenherfatherandthe

hichga eherapang.

heris unabletoreckonupwhathe

emorytoaidhim eMul uinier "

eMul uinierbegan butc hec kedhim-


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




a ar whichdidnotescapeMarguerite.

miliated.

mu ch m y f at h er o w es s h e e -

ethousandfranc shereinthetowntoa

ocerwhohassuppliedus withcaustic

c andreagents.

s ke d M ar g ue r it e .

f ir m at i e s i gn t o e M u l u i ni e r w h o

eraspell es mademoiselle.

e s ai d I w i l l gi e y o u th e mo n ey .

da u gh t er i n h is o y . Y o u a r e m y

id " hesaid.

afterthat.Therewasl esssadness

t he r b u t i n s pi t e of h i s o y M a r-

hedepthsofhisheart hewasstill

ssedthatthef i ethousandfranc smerely

singofthedebts contractedforthe

tory .

f a th e r " s h e sa i d a s s he l e t hi m d ra w

tonhisknees doyouowemore

erything c omebac k toyourhome

your mindinthemidstof the

" heanswered tak ingherhandsand

hat seemedlikeamemoryofhis

oldme

ked w ithanin oluntarystartofc hildish

y te l l yo u e e r yt h in g a n d wi l l yo u p ay

try ingtokeepbac k thetearsthatc ame

o we . O h d ar e no t

e "


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




whichuneducatedmindscanac uire

rsif theyfeelthattheyare indispen-

uchnaturesuseconcessionaftercon-

stocompletedominion andattain

doggedpersistence. O r onthe

emasterwhohadc ometofeelforthe

ctionthatspringsfromuseandwont

ichacraftsmanfeelsfor histool

ortheA rabforthehorsetowhic hhe

ittlethingsthatpassedunderMargue-

idedhertoput thisaffectiontothe

reeB altha arf romwhatperhapswasa

Parisontheirwayback.Mar-

sdebts andbesoughtthef irmof

oDouaiwithoutfirst gi ingher

rs. hepersuadedherfathertomake

me andtodressas becameaman

altransformationga eB altha ara

whichauguredwellfora changein

dyfeltsomethingofthehappiness

herfathershould findthesur-

hisownhouse andtheirdepart-

delayed.

byhertwobrothers mmanuel P ier-

timatef riendsof thethreefamilies rode

hetowntomeetB altha ar. Thelong

herdirec tionstothechemist sthoughts

landsc apehadstirredhisheart so

oyouscortegeofchildrenandfriends

hattearsf illedhiseyes his oic e

reddened hetookhisc hildreninhis

fhec ouldnotletthemgo showing

forthemthattheonlookerswere


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

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sawhishouseoncemore and

with the uicknessofayoung

apleasuretohimtobreathetheairinthe

oseee erytriflingdetailagain his

sibleine erygesturethathemade

isfacegrewyoungagain.

hestoodinthe doorwayofthe

curatelyhisdaughterhadreproduced

sc onc eswhic hhehadsold andhow

oftheirmisfortuneshaddisappeared.

tawaitedtheminthedining-room

esideboardshadbeenf illedw ithc uriosi-

eastas aluableastheheirloomswhic h

ongasthefamilybreakfast

c arc elyheardallthathew ishedtohear

isreturnhadbroughtabout a

hethoughtofnothingbutfamily

herbeforeall things.Therewasthe

er. nthe oyof thatf irstmoment

skbywhatmeansallthat hehad

eco ered andhishappinesswasc om-

efatherandhisfourc hildren andPier-

ni n to t h e pa r lo r a n d B a l th a a r s aw n o t

estampedpaperswhichaclerkhad

hichhe stood asifawaiting

semployer.B altha arstoodin

hearthashisfamilyseatedthemsel es.

uin isanac countofhisguardianship

hisc hildren. tisnot eryamusing

laughing af terthemannerofnotaries

estingtoneo erthegra estmatters

absolutelynecessarythatyoushould

ncesofthecasemight ustifythe


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laes w ithanuneasyconscienc e must

andhefrowned.Theclerkbegan

eread thegreatergrewB altha ar s

rstplac e itwasascertainedthatat

athherfortunehad amountedto

thousandfrancs andatthec onc lusion

ntseachchild ssharewaspaidin

c learandstraightforward asif themost

ad administeredtheestate. t

atGabriel smortgageonthehouse

tB altha ar sdwellingwashisown and

fromallliabilities. Hehadrec o -

hispositionasac iti en hise istenc e

hesank intoanarmchairandlooked

t w ithawoman se q uisitedelic ac y

enawayduringthereading tomake

mentsfortheftehadbeenfully

eofC laes c hildrenunderstoodwhat

henthroughafilmoftears hiseyes

sheseemedtotheirinner isionlike

GabrielwenttofindMarguerite

ootstep hurriedtowardsher metherat

andclaspedherin hisarms.

a id a s t he o l d ma n h el d h er t i gh t ly d o

ou tolessenyoursac redauthority . ou

themall forc arry ingoutyourw ishes

oualone mustbetheauthorof the

chmayha ebeeneffectedhere.

yestohea en lookedathisdaughter

hisfaceworealookwhichnoneofhis

years ashesaid Whyareyounot

i re o u r ch i ld

eheldhisdaughterinatight

andwentbacktotheparlor.

id w iththenoblebearingwhic hhadso


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_ u s e # p d




edhiminformeryears weallowe

tudetomydaughterMargueritefor

ewithwhichshehascarriedout my

omuchabsorbedbysc ientific researc h lef t

ffairsandthe reinsofauthorityin

eadthemarriagec ontrac ts " said

t h e cl o ck . B u t h a e n o th i ng t o d o

thelawforbidsmeto drawupdocu-

relations soM. Raparlier sunc le

n itedtothedinnergi ento

eturnandthesigningof thecontracts

andtheser antsbroughtthewedding

e whichrapidlygrew wasbrilliant

he isitorsandthesplendorof their

usbroughttogetherto witness

esshadstri entooutshineeac hother.

tat oncewithsplendidgiftsfor

dflowedinonthemand sparkled

d cashmereshawlslayamongneck-

ersandrec ei ersalikefeltheartfelt oy

shone isibly inallfac es sothat

tlinessofthegiftswereforgottenby

ed who asarule aresuf fic iently

esbycountingupthe cost.

n.A fterthemannertraditional

theparentsalonewereseated e ery

emainedstandingaboutthemat a

eof theparlornearestthegarden

Mile. Conync ks ne ttothemM.

e hersister elicieandPier uin.

nync ks theonlytwowhowereseated

ithersideofthenotarywho had

eanstoodbehindhisfather sarmc hair


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




oftheroom nearestthecourtyard

composedofascoreofwell-dressed

en nearrelationsofP ier uin C onync ks

mayorofDouai beforewhomthemar-

e andado enof themostde oted

s includingthefirstpresidentof

uaiandthec ureof t. P ierre. The

semblagetothe fathers whoseemed

estedw ithregaldignity ga eanalmost

ene. orthef irsttime duringsi -

arforgottheQ uestof theA bsolutefora

beenin itedtothesigningof the

werenowpresent.M. R apar-

edthisf romMargueriteandhersister

nd takenupthecontractofmar-

eand mmanuelde olis whichwas

thedoorsuddenly flewopen and e

earedbeamingw ith oyande c ite-

" hec alled.

rgueriteadespairingglanc e bec koned

outintothegardentogether. A pre-

oublefellonthoseassembled.

lyou dearchild " thefathersaidto

ouha edonesomuc hformethatyou

thisnewtrouble. eMul uinier

ormylaste periment whichwas

dmetwentythousandfranc s and

lowhasfoundoutthat amrich

a e h i s mo n ey l e t hi m h a e i t a t

youoweyourfather slifetohim for

d comfortthroughallmyfailures

me. Withouthim mustha e


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_ u s e # p d




u c r ie d e M ul u i ni e r.

t h a a r t u rn i ng t o wa r ds h i m.

mondintheoldser ant shand

or. eMul uinierbeganina

boratory

elyforgetfulofhissurroundings ga e

whichc anonlyberenderedbythe

ogouptothelaboratory

ia m on d t he r e " t h e se r a n t we n t on

ommunicatedwiththatbatterywhich

esandithasdonethetric k sir

whitediamondofoc tahedralform so

lthoseassembledwereattracted

s " s a i d B a l t ha a r f o rg i e m y

e m e. T h is w i ll d r i e m e ma d A t s o m e

enyearschancehasbroughtaboutin

hat ha esoughtin aintoc ompass

wasnotthere H owhasitc ome

de a .O h y e s k n ow t h at s u bm i tt e d

ndcarbontothe influenceofa ol-

roc essshouldha ebeenwatc hedfrom

duringmyabsenc e thepowerofGod

mylaboratory and ha ebeenunable

forthishasbeen broughtaboutgrad-

t i s o e r wh e lm i ng i s i t n ot A c c u r se d

i ty A h i f o nl y h a d wa t ch e d th i s lo n g

knownotwhattocallitc rystal-

on mirac le infac t myc hildrenwould

apstheproblemwouldstill remain

eastthef irstraysof thedawnofmyglory

myc ountry andthismoment when


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_ u s e # p d




esatisfied thoughitglowswith

a ebeengladdenedyetmorebythe

e thedisconnec tedphraseswrung

osincerenot tobesublime.A ll

o eredhimself forcedbac khisdespair

andga etheassemblyama estic

ghtsomethingofhisenthusiasm.

mondandheld itouttoMarguerite

myangel.

uinierbyasign andspoketothe

h e sa id .

sationamongthosewhoheard

hrillsuchasTalma insomeofhisparts

steningaudiencethathungonhis

down say ingtohimself To-day

espokeinalow oic e butMar-

ardhim wento ertoherfatherand

and.

a m an s o g re a t s a id m ma n ue l w h e n

hisside ne erwastheresostrong

ha egonemad.

ntractshadbeenreadandsigned

outB altha artoaskhowthediamond

couldthrownoli ghtonthemysteri-

outattheattic andpointedtoitina

owerwhic hresultsf romthe ibrationsof

doubtlessproducesmetalsanddia-

elf there " hesaid foronemoment

about uitenaturally " saidoneof

acc ountfore erything theold


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s s

_ u s e # p d



F TH E A B S O L U l^E .209

ondlyingabout. tisso much

hasburnedup.

s a id B a l t h a a r t o th e f ri e nd s w ho

begyouw illnotspeakof itagainto

sarmtolead himtothestate

an uethadbeenprepared. A shefol-

gallery hesawthatit wasfilled

thatthewallswerec o eredw ithpic -

d pic tures andsomeoftheold

omenthelookedgloomyandsad he

sownhumiliationhowgreat had

donehischildren.

ther " saidMarguerite guessingB al-

ho m t he a n ge l s in h e a e n m u s t su r el y

h o w ma n y ti m es y o u ha e g i e n l if e t o

udonyourbrow andnottheleast

eart " sheanswered andyouwill

yondmyhopes. ha e ustbeenthink ing

dearestfather littlethingsyouha e

ha emademeesteemhim and

u n u s t to h i m h e o ug h t to l i e h e re a s a

e ermindaboutyourdebttohim

nearlysi ty thousandfranc s and e

themoney. A f terhehasser edyou

ospendthe restofhisdaysin comfort.

onourac count. M. de olisand

uietlyw ithoutlu ury wec an

are abletoreturnit.

y o u mu s t ne e r l ea e m e y o u mu s t al w ay s

d en c e


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




tateapartments B altha arsawthat

dfurnishedas splendidlyasbefore.

downtothe dining-roomonthe

gshrubsstoodone erystepof thegreat

fsil er-plateofmar elousworkmanship

er attrac tedalleyesby itssplendor

otheproudestburghersofDouai who

ishdisplayofsil er. Theguestswere

antsof thethreehouseholdsofC laes

uin eMul uinierstoodbehindhis

a ar inthemidstofhisk insfolkatthe

dheartfelt oy inthehappyfacesthat

odeeplymo edthate eryonewas

tinthepresenc eofagreat oyor

hesaid youha ek illedthefattedc alf

galfather.

emistsummedup hisposition

atedharshercriticism wasspoken

yonepresentwasmo edtotears but

ceofsadness anished andhappi-

onintheblithemerrimentcharacteristic

erthedinnertheprincipalfamilies

efortheball andinitsrestoration

hane ualeditstraditionalsplendor.

yfollowed theensuingre oicings

drewC laesintothe orte ofsocial

Hisoldestsonwenttoli enear

elongingtohisfather-in- law forM.

rtobeseparatedfromhis daughter.

leftherfather sroof topresideo er

nhadbuilt wherehemeanttoli e

hisrank forhehadsoldhisprac-

Rac uetshadrec entlydiedandlef t

hadslowlyamassed. eanwent


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ation soofallhisc hildren onlyM.

inedwithB altha arintheoldhouse.

familyhomeinthereartothem and

ondstoryof thef rontbuilding. o

o e r B a l t ha a r s c o mf o rt a n d m -

congenialtask.

romthehandsof lo ethecrown

the wreaththatiswo enbyhap-

c onstanc y. ndeed nomoreperfect

plete and acknowledgedhappiness

dream couldbefound.The

obeingswhohad facedthetrialsof

whofeltforeachothersuchasac redaf fec-

mirationandrespectofthosewho

sometimehadheldanappointment

euni ersity resignedhispostto

hisleisure andremainedinDouai

lentswereheldin suchhighesteem

tywhenthetimecamewasalready

eensostronginad ersity bec amea

nprosperity.Throughtherest of

ainlydeeplyabsorbedinhisstudies

e periments in ol ingbutlittle

y incomewassuf f icientforhisre uire-

toneglecthislaboratorywork.Mar-

dtraditionof thehouse ga ea

oth towhichherfather thePier uins

e andrecei edherownc irc leofac -

heweek.H ercafeshadagreat

allypresentontheseoc c asions though

bescarcelyconsciousofhissurround-

cietyagainso cheerfullytopleasehis

mightwellimaginethat hehad


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osolrehisproblem. nthiswaythree

goodfortunewhic hbefell mmanuel

houghthreenumerousfamilies

olis stoodbetweenhimandthe

e er oldage and ariousf reaksof

ethemallchildless andthetitles

manuel whowasthelastofhisfamily.

whichseemlessimprobablein real

andsandtitlesof theCountsofNourho

hehouseof olis. Margueritewould

husband whowouldbeforcedto

intosettlehisaf fairs moreo er she

hec hateauofCasa-Real whereher

dhood andthecityofGranada

sfamily . oshewentw ithher

e h ou s eh o ld t o M ar t ha o s et t e a n d e

eaccustomedtoitsmanagement.Mar-

altha arthatheshouldgow ith

inedonthesc oreofhisgreatage but

ongmeditatedcertaine periments

shopesatlast andthiswasthetrue

essede olisyN ourhostayedlonger

intended andac hildwasbornto

untilthemiddleof theyear1 30

, intendingtoreturnto ranceby

adi aletterc amefrom elic iebringing

eenmonthstheirfatherhadc ompletely

dPier uinwereobligedtoallow

ymonthtopayfornec essarye penses

o eMul uinier. Theoldser ant

gsasecondtimetohismaster. B al-

ote enhisownchildrenwereadmitted

andMarthawerebothdead the


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andtherestof theser antshadbeen

er andthehorsesandcarriageshad

eMul uinierwasdiscreetandtac i-

odgroundforbelie ingthatthemoney

Pier uinallowedhimfornecessaries

iments. ndeed GabrielandPier uin

a mortgageontheMaisonC laes

wledge lestthehouseshouldbe sold

eofhisc hildrenhadany influencew ith

whostillpossessedsuche traordinary

ne enintrif les. twas ustpossible

ainheroldascendanc yo erhim and

ertoc omehomeatonce shewasin

dha eputhisnametobillsonc e

nc ks andPier uinhadtakenalarmat

hichhadspentse enmillionsof

andhaddec idednottopayM. C laes

dMarguerite stra elingplans she

metoDouai. Withherpastsa ings

althitwouldbeeasytopayherfather s

shedeterminedtodomorethanthis she

sw ishes B altha arC laesshouldnot

e.C learlyshealonehadsufficient

enthimfromcarryingouthis

lend atatimeof lifewhengreat

pectedfromhisenfeebledpowers

ehim andnottowoundhissuscep-

tatethec hildrenof ophoc les pos-

all wasnearingthesolutionof the

hhehadsacrificedsomuch.

e ac h ed l a nd e rs i n 1 3 1 a n d

orningtowardstheendof eptember.

achmantodri etoherhouse

n d fo u nd i t s hu t u p a i o le n t

c ednoanswer. A shopkeeper .


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ef thisdoorstep whitherhehadbeen

ecarriages manyoftheneighbors

partlybecausetheyweregladtosee

muc hbelo edinthetown partly

ngofcuriosityastowhatmight

camebacktotheMaisonC laes.

omtede olis manthatold

ouseaboutanhourbefore. eMul-

kenhimto walkupontheramparts.

mithtoforceopen thedoor so

h e r fa t he r i f a s e l ic i e s l e t t er h a d

shouldrefusetoallowhertoenterthe

self meanwhile wentinsearc hof the

ewsofhisdaughter sarri al and

messageto M.andMme.Pier uin.

rceopenthedoor.Marguerite

edirectionsabouttheirbaggage.A

hroughherassheenteredthewalls

adswepto erthem. V anHuysium s

theportraitof thegreatC laeshad

encer sosomeonesaid. Thedining-

rewasnothingtherebuttwostraw-

wretchedtable onwhichMarguerite

gi ings ac oupleofbow lsandplates

orks and onadish theremainsofa

oubtless ofwhic hC laesandhisser ant

shehurriedthroughthestateapart-

eryroomwasasbareandforlornasthe

m theideaof theA bsoluteseemed

thewholehouselikeaf ire.

ther sroom therewasabed a

tallowcandleburneddowntothe

coppercandlestick.Thehouse

pletelythattherewereno curtains

rythingthatc ouldbringinafewpenc e


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s s

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ls hadbeensold. Drawnbythefeel-

i esinuse eninthedeepestmisfor-

i n to e M u l u i n i er s r o om i t w as

master s. Thedrawerinthetable

argueritecaughtaglimpseof apawn-

adpledgedhiswatchafewdayspre-

dtotheattic thelaboratorywasas

dtobe f inally shehadthedoorof

n e erythingwasasshehadleftit

erapartment.

dher burstintotears andinher

r. v eninthef ren yofenthusiasm

hehadbeencheckedbyfatherly

titudetowardsher.Thisproofof

inthedepthsofherdespair wroughtin

e ulsionswhichpro etoostrongfor

wentdowntotheparlor andwaited

w ithanan ietywhic hwasinc reased

wasabouttoseehim wouldhebe

eseeadec repit ailingwrec k emac iated

ghpride upposehisreasonhad

dfastin theprofanedsanctuary.

oseupbeforeher. heremembered

nattemptstosa eherfatherf romhim-

themotherwhohadbeensohappy

erythingabouther e enthefaceofher

donthedesolation seemedtoform

urnfultragedy.

bodings shedidnotforeseethec atas-

rfather slife alifesomagnif icent

af fairswerenosec ret. Tothe

erewerenogenerousnaturestobe

e erencethepassionatepersistence

ltha arwasputunderthebanof

father whohadrunthroughhalf -a-


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s s

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ohadspentmillionsof f rancsonthesearc h

neinthis enlightenednineteenthcen-

redulity etc . Hewasmaligned

sbrandedwiththecontemptuous

ist. H ewantstomakegold

tin histeeth.

enturyofoursshownitselfso dif-

ries thasleftgenius todiewith

astagesthat beheldthedeathsof

T a ss o e t u tt i u a nt i a n d or d in a ry m or t al s

eniuse enmoreslow lythank ings.

rningC laeshadgraduallyfiltered

ocraticsectiontothebourgeoisie

othe masses.Profoundcompassion

mistbypeopleofhisownrank and

mwitha sortofamusedcuriosity

mimpliedthesc ornfulV ae ic tis

eso erfallengreatness.

astthehouse usedtopointoutthe

heresomuchgoldand coalhad

tha arwentalongthestreet they

hisappearancewasoftenthesignal

ord fromthechildrenorworkpeople

e eronthewatc h translatedthewhisper-

mirationforhismaster whone er

tillpreser edthewonderfulc learness

ofgreatideashadgi entothem but

thepeasants andfor ulgarorsuper-

manwasaw i ard. Theoldand

aeswasspokenofinnarrowstreets

he De il sH ouse nothingwas

h es e a bs u rd t a le s e e n e M u l u i -

erisetosomeofthely inglegendsabout

erefore thepoor faithful oldser ant


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s s

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thatcouldcontributetohiscomfort

ueritecameintotheparlor ustas

shemustha ec omebac k . A f lush

r s f a ce a t t he s i gh t o f he r h i s ey e s we r e

ll hewasstillabletograsphis

c oldf ingers andinthispressureheput

oughtsthathecouldnotutter.

erysacredandsolemninthis farewell

earttowhichgratitudehad brought

e warmthoflife.

f ruitlesslabors wornoutbyhiswrest-

m seeing perhaps w ithdespairinhis

atwaitedforhismemory theTitan

v erythingabouthimspokeofhis

affec tion. Thereweresignsofwealthand

c ouldha ere oic edhiseyes thefair

ddenhis heart.H ecouldnow

onforthembylooks andhiseyeswere

itwasasif theyhadsuddenly

ariedpowerofspeec h andthelight

anguageeasytounderstand.

r sdebts andthoughtheanc ient

aeshaddeparted itwasshortly

cencethateffacedallmemoriesof

ewasne erabsentf romB altha ar s

oguesshisthoughtsandtoantic ipate

erinac tionorworddisplayingaught

nforhim.

by inalternationsofhopeanddespair

he finalstrugglebetweenlifeand

isc hildrencametoseehime ery

eday inhisroom theydinedtherein

andonlylefthimwhilehe slept.

obehisprincipalresource hetook

tic ale entsof thetime listening


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s s

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olis whoreadthemaloudtohim and

hemightheare eryword.

endof theyear1 32B altha ar s

thenurse alarmedbyasudden

entforDr. P ier uin andwhenhe

main C laes c on ulsionsseemedso

t thedoctorfearedanymoment

gagainstthe paralysisthatbound

edibleef fortstospeak hislips

c amefromthem histhoughtsseemed

hisfacewasdrawnwithunheard-of

perspirationbrokeouton hisfore-

hedner ously inhisdespair.

drencameandembracedhim

wmoreintenseandmore clinging

eath heshowednoneofthe

eltin theirtenderness.

ningglanc ef romPier uin hastily tore

apper thinkingthatperhapsthe

altha ar smindfromhisphysic alsuffer-

s h ee t t he w or d s D S C O V E R Y O F T H E

c au g ht h i s ey e s an d s ta r tl e d hi m a n d he r e ad t h e

nderhisbreath. ttoldofa bar-

ratedPolishmathematicianforthe

whichhehaddisco ered. A tthec on-

argueriteaskedherhusbandfor

sthetonesofhis oic ehadbeen

im.

nraisedhimselfonhiselbows his

ngtohisterror-strickenchildren

emplesrose e erywrink leinhis

c itement abreathof inspirationpassed

eitsublime. H eraisedahand c lenc hed

y of A r c hi me de s U R E K A / h a e


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

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F TH E A B S O L U T .

ercingtones thenhefellhea ily

anddiedwithanawfulmoan. H is

hef ren iede pressionofhiseyes

em. Hec ouldnotlea etosc ienc e

enigmare ealedtohimtoolate as

rby thefleshlessfingersofDeath.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



N MA S T R P E C E .

r e in co nn u.

morningintheyear1612 ayoung

assomewhatofthethinnest waswalk-

ewayintheR uedesGrands-

wentupanddownthestreetbefore

tionof agallantwhodaresnot

nceof thewomanwhomhelo esfor

acc essthoughshemaybe butaf tera

ofhesitation heatlastc rossedthe

ofanoldwoman whowassweeping

oundfloor whetherMasterPorbus

areply intheaf f irmati e theyoung

ircase likeagentlemanbutnewly

btfulastohis receptionbytheking.

emoreonthelandingat theheadof

hesitatedbeforeraisinghis handto

onthedoorof thestudio wheredoubt-

rkMasterPorbus sometimepainter

. tillMariedeMedicistookRubens

stirredby anemotionthatmust

atartistswhen intheprideof their

eofart theyc omeintothepresenc eof

masterpiece. orallhumansenti-

rlyblossoming adayofgenerous

yfadesuntilnothingisleft ofhappi-


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



W N M A S T R P E C E .

dglory isknownforadelusion. O f

rt- li edemotions nonesoresemble

youngartistforhisart asheisabout

rtyrdomofhiscareerofgloryand

pec tationsandrealdisappointments.

thise perienceintheearlydaysof

enot inthedawnoftheirgenius stood

erandfeltthethrobbingof their

yintheirinmostsouls achordthathas

andintheirworkanindef inable uality

ehinginthestrokeof thebrush a

wecallpoetry.Theswaggerers so

hattheyareo erlyconfidentof

erbetakenformenoftalentsa eby

f iew ifyouthfulmodesty isthe

s thestrangeronthestaircasemight

ethinginhim forheseemedtopos-

dence theearlytimiditythatartists

courseofagreatc areer e enas

y makeprogressintheartsof

t anishesastriumphsuc ceedstotri-

perhaps distrustofself.

o ercomebytheconsciousness

dinsignificance thatitbeganto

elytopenetrateintothe studioof

mweowethewonderfulportraitofHenri

opitious anoldmancameupthestair-

tcostumeofthisnew-c omer hisc ollar

andac ertainserenegra ity inhisbear-

houghtthatthispersonagemustbeeither

ourtpainter.H estoodaside

gtoallowthe isitortopass sc ru-

ewhile.Perhapshemight hopeto

artistortorec ei ethegoodoff ic es

lytothe arts butbesidesan


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



A N . N O C K E DTH R I C E A TTH E DO O R .


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

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/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

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camefroma windowintheroof

onaneasel whereacan asstoodun-

hreeor fouroutlinesinchalk.The

theremoteranglesandcornersof

wereasdarkasnight butthesil erorna-

eiter sc orslet thathunguponthe

eamtoits dimabiding-placeamong

ashaf tof lightshotacrossthecar ed

ananti uesideboardc o eredw ith

orstruckoutalineofglitteringdots

ofthe goldenwarpofsomeoldbro-

helinesof thestif fhea yfoldswere

adbeenf lungc arelesslydowntoser eas

bouttheroom andhereand

dtables lay f ragmentsofc lassic alsculp-

oddesses wornsmoothasthoughall

hat hadpassedo erthemhadbeen

allswerec o ered f romf loortoc eiling

fc harc oal redc halk orpenandink .

usionofc olorbo es o erturned

ndessenc es therewas ustroomto

eilluminatedcircularspacewherethe

the windowintherooffellfull

andonthei ory -tintedforeheadof

tinanothermomenttheyoungerman

rethathad alreadybecomefamous

ysofpoliticalandreligiousre olutions

ealousworshipers whoha eso

ofartali eine ildays werewont

e.Thebeautifulpanelrepresented

tabouttopayherpassageac rossthe

cedestinedforMarie deMdicis

fpo erty .

theoldmanremarked addressing


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s s

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N MA S T R P E C E .227

eyoutengoldenc rownsforhero er

eQ ueenispay ing butasforputtinga

e iltakeit

i d t he o l d ma n g o od s a y y ou

odwomanisnotbadlydone butshe

ssfancythatwhenaf igureisc orrectly

hinginitsplac eac cordingtotherulesof

ngmoretobedone. oumakeup

onyourpalettes accordingtoyour

outlineswithduecarethatone side

rthantheother andbecauseyou

anakedwomanwhostandsonthe

oufondly imaginethatyouha ec opied

estobepainters belie ethatyouha e

mGod. Pshaw oumayknowyour

makenoblundersinyourgrammar

ethingmoretomakeagreatpoet.

orbus A taf irstglanc e sheisadmi-

n andyouseeatonc ethatsheisglued

thatyoucouldnot walkroundher.

urnsbutonesideofherfac etoall

outofc an as animagew ithnopower

rposition. feelasif therewereno

thebac kground nospace nosense

as. Theperspecti eisperfectlyc or-

ecoloringisaccuratelydiminished

inspiteof thesepraiseworthyef forts

myself tobelie ethatthewarmbreath

thatbeautifulbody. t

idmyhandonthef irmrounded

dasmarbletothetouc h. N o my

notf lowbeneaththati orysk in the

hosedelicatefibres thepurple

rkbeneaththetransparentamberof


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O W N MA S T R P E C E .

ethepulseseemstobeat thereit

eathareatstrifeine erydetail. Here

reastatue thereagainac orpse. our

ouhadonlypowertobreathea

ourbelo edwork.Thefireof

nandagainin yourhands manya

otbeentouchedby thedi ine

master " Porbusaskedrespec tfully

ifficultyrepressedhisstrong de-

od m an i t i s t hi s o u h a e h a lt e d

ouha ehesitatedbetweendraw ing

edoggedattentiontodetail thestiff

astersandtheda z lingglow

nc e of t a li a n pa i nt e rs . o u h a e

eHansH olbeinandTitian A lbrecht

einasinglepicture.A magnificent

athasc omeof it. ourworkhas

mofadrye ec utionnorthemagical

-oscuro.Titian srichgoldencoloring

rer saustereoutlineshasshattered

eburstingthroughthemouldthatis

dit. notherplac estheoutlines

isoningandobscuringthemagnif ic ent

ncolor.Thedrawingoftheface

ingisnotperfec t tracesof thatun-

seene erywhere. Unlessyoufelt

wo opposedmannersinthefireof

ushouldha ec astinyourlotboldlyw ith

ndsoha eobtainedtheunitywhich

tionsoflife itself. ourworkis

youroutlinesarefalse theypro ec t

ofanythingbehindthem.Thereis

eoldman pointingtothebreastof the


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re " hewenton indic atingtherounded

" onc emorereturningtothec olumn

erythingisfalse. etusgonofartherinto

disheartened.

astool andremainedawhile

hisfaceburiedinhis hands.

throatf romthelife dearmaster "

appenssometimes forourmisfortune

ook improbablewhentransferredto

ottoc opynature buttoe pressit.

c opy ist butapoet c riedtheoldman

sshortwithanimperiousgesture.

uptormightmakeaplasterc astofa

ehimselfallfurthertrouble. Well try

istress hand andsetupthething

eamonstrosity adeadmass bearing

inghand:youwouldbe compelled

echiselofasculptorwho w ithoutmak-

ouldrepresentforyouitsmo ementand

thespirit theinformingsoulinthe

dbeings. f fects Whatareef fec ts

notlifeitself A hand sinc e

m pl e i s n ot o n ly a p ar t o f a bo d y i t i s

tensionofathoughtthatmustbegrasped

ainternorpoetnor sculptormay

hec ause whichareine itablyc on-

r.Therebeginstherealstruggle

ssuc cessinstinc ti ely unc onsc iousof

art. oudrawawoman yetyou

odoyousuc c eedinwrestingnature s

uarereproducingmechanicallythe

yourmaster sstudio. oudonot

heinmostsecretsof themystery

eekw ithlo eenoughandperse erance


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




bafflesand eludesyou.B eautyis

pproac hable ne ertobewonbya

stlieinwaitforherc omingand

essherhardandclaspherinatight

rtoy ield. ormisaProteusmore

oldthantheProteusof thelegend

ongwrestling tostandforthmanifest

eofyouaresatisf iedw iththef irst

secondorthethirdthatappears.

ic tors theun an uishedpainterswho

estobedeludedbyallthosetreac herous

perse eretillnatureatthelaststands

n d he r e r y so u l is r e e a le d .

edRafael " saidtheoldman tak ing

isre erenceforthek ingofart. His

ameoftheintimatesensethat in

ldshattere ternalform. orminhis

sasymbol ameansofc ommunicating

e astimaginingsofapoet. v ery face

ectoftheportraitappearedfor

adi ine ision itwasre ealedby

ngerofGodlaidbarethesourc esofe -

holelife.

meninfairraimentof f lesh ingra-

butwhereistheblood thesourc eof

ec auseof thepartic ularef fec t Why

yours mygoodPorbus isac olorless

sthatyousetbeforeus arepainted

andyoucallthatpainting youc allthat

madesomethingmorelikeawoman

kthatyouha esetyourf ingersonthe

proudthatyouneednottowritec urrus

mobesideyonrfigures asearlypainters

oufanc ythatyouha edonewonders.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




thereisstillsomethingmoretolearn and

ealofc halkandc o ermanyac an as

es truly awomanc arriesherheadin

heholdshergarmentsgatheredintoher

reamyandsof tw iththate pressionof

ensothe ui eringshadowofthe

c heeks. tisallthere andyetitis

g A nothing butthatnothing

semblanceof life butyoudonote -

nce thatindescribablesomething

thaten elopstheoutlinesof thebody

erof life inshort thatTitianand

tmostac hie ementhithertohasonly

-point. oumightnowperhaps

ork butyougrowwearyalltoosoon

andthosewhoknowsmile.

o h m y ma s te r c r ie d t he s t ra n ge s p ea k er

ouhastc arriedawaythesecretof life

hebeganagain thispic tureofyoursis

aintingsof thatrascalR ubens w ith

hf leshraddledwith ermilion his

s ri o t of c o lo r . o u a t l ea s t h a e

anddrawingthethree essentialsin

mselffromhisdeep musings.

n t h e sa i nt i s s ub l im e " h e cr i ed .

maginationaboutthosetwofigures

hipman thatc annotbefoundamong

donotknowasingleoneof themc apable

shesitation.

rtcomewithyou askedPorbus

ardonmyboldness " c riedtheneophyte


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




hisfac e. amunknowna

butlatelycometothis citythe

ng.

aidPorbus handinghimabitof redc halk

sketchedthe aintMarylinefor

m ed t he o ld m an . Y o u r na me " h e

wrote N icolasPoussin below

eginning " saidthestrangespeaker

dly. seethatwecantalkof art

notblameyouforadmiringPorbus

eworldsheisamasterpiece andthose

tiatedintothe inmostmysteriesofart

omings. B utitisworthwhiletogi e

uareabletounderstandit so w ill

dstocompletethispicture. ou

tention foritmaybethatsuchac hance

omeinyourwayagain. Porbus your

letteand brushes.Thelittle

lee esw ithimpatientenergy sei ed

w ithmanyhues thatPorbushandedto

erthantooka handfulofbrushes

thehandsofhisac uaintanc e. H is

stledasingularmo ement

e ct o f a l o e r s f a nc y .A s h e l o a de d

betweenhisteeth Thesepaintsare

ndow togetherwiththefellow

rcrudenessandfalsenessaredisgusting

this "

ebrushw ithfe erisheagernessin

mak ingthec irc uitof thepalettese eral


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




theorganistofa cathedralsweeps

yoardofhisc la ierfortheO iliiat

eithersideof theeasel stoodstoc k -

nseinterest.

" h e b eg a n ag a in s e e ho w th r ee o r

andathingla eofblueletinthe

headof thepoorsaint whomust

ppressedbythec loseatmosphere ee

oflutter youfeelthatitislif tedby

mentagoithungashea ilyandstif f lyas

Doyou seehowthesatinsheen

e n t o th e b re a st r e nd s t he p l ia n t s i lk e n

ssk in andhowthebrown-red

bringswarmthintothe.coldgray

theblood laycongealedinsteadof

ins oungman youngman no

wtodothis that amdoingbefore

ossessedthesecretofgi inglife

h a d bu t o ne p u pi l t ha t w as . h a e

old. ouha esuf f icientintelligenc eto

eglimpsesthat amgi ingyou.

peaking hega eatouc hhereand

strokesof thebrush sometimesasingle

etoldsowellthatthewholepicture

aintingwasfloodedwithlight.

ssionatefer orthatbeadsofsweat

orehead heworkedso uic kly in

s thatitseemedtoyoungPoussinasif

ingthebodyof thisstrangebeing

reinmak inguseof theman shands

earthlyglitter ofhiseyes the

entsthatseemedlikestruggles ga etothis

whichcouldnotbut stirayoung

continued sayingashedid so


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




h ow t o l ay i t o n y o u n g ma n i t tl e

ngaglowinto thoseicycoldtonesfor

p o n p o n 1 a n d th o se p a rt s o f th e

out ascoldandlifelessflushed

ewboldstrokesofcolorbroughtall

o there uiredharmonywiththe

ptian andthedifferenc esintempera-

gster thelasttouc hesmakethepic ture.

ndredstrokesfore eryoneofmine.

hatliesbeneath. B earthatinmind.

tstopped andturningtoPorbus

speechlesswithadmiration hespoke

myB elleN oiseuse stillonemight

athingasthis. es wouldputmy

d risingtoreac hforamirror inwhic h

A ndnow " hesaid w illyou

w ithme. ha easmokedhamand

h e h t h e ti m es m a y be b a d b u t

talkaboutart Wec antalk like

efellowwhohasaptitude " headded

sPoussin sshoulder.

becameawareofthethreadbarecon-

sdoublet. Hedrewaleatherpurse

t foundtwogoldc oins andheld

c h " hesaid.

orbus ashesawtheotherstartandf lush

forPoussinhadtheprideofpo erty .

sac oupleofk ing sransomsinhis

etherfromthestudio and talking

chedapic tures uewoodenhousehard

el.Poussinwonderedamomentatits

ker atthef ramesof thecasements at


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




andinthene thestoodina ast

e c o eredw ithtemptingdishes

ire and luc kunhopedfor hewasin

artistsfull ofgenialgood-humor.

at t h at c a n a s y o un g m an " s a id

hatPoussinwasstanding struckw ith

ing. Y ouwouldfalla ic timto

ntedbyMabusetopurc hasehisrelease

reditorshad solongkepthim.

thef igurestoodoutsoboldlyand

olasPoussinbegantounderstandthe

pouredout bytheoldartist who

picturewithapparentsatisfaction

I ha edonebetterthanthat "

himself.

hesaidaloud inthatrespec tmy

edhimself butthereissomelackof

hemanli esindeed heisrising

buttheatmosphere thesky the

ree eyoulookandfeelforthem but

thenthemanhimself is af terall only

heonemanintheworldwhoc amedirec t

stha ehadasomethingdi ine

ere. Mabusehimselfwouldgrind

hewasnotdrunk.

eakertoPorbus andfromPorbus

etlessc uriosity . Hewentuptothe

of theirhost butthepainterlaid

airofmystery . Theyoungman s

hekeptsilence buthopedthatsooneror

eletfallthatwouldre ealthenameof

e identthathewasamanoftalentand

rbuslistenedtohimrespec tfully andthe

w ithmar elsofart.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




awoman hungagainstthe dark

ne tc aughtPoussin sattention.

gione hec ried.

ho s t i t i s an e a rl y d au b o f mi n e

intheabodeof thegodofpainting it

ningenuously.

ehadlong grownfamiliarwith

saidPorbus doyouthinkyou

ourc apitalRhinew ine "

answeredhishost onetodis-

easureofseeing yourprettysinner

mafriend.

h e al t h " r e t ur n ed P o rb u s a n d if y o u

rB elleN oiseuse wouldpaintsome

edthinitanddepth thef iguresshould

rk c riedthepainterinagitation.

otperfec tyet somethingstillremainsfor

n t h e du s k " h e s ai d t h ou g ht

reyesseemedmoist thef lesh

ngstirredthetressesofherhair. he

gh hadsucc eededinreproduc ing

dreliefontheflatsurfac eof thec an as

ht foundoutmymistake. A h to

esult ha estudiedtheworksof the

strippingoffcoataftercoatofcolor

analy ingthepigmentsof thek ingof

eignpainter beganthefac eina

ndfatpasteforshadowis butan

mind youngster Then began

onesandthingla esofc olorlessandless

uallydeepenedthetintsto thedeepest

ows.A nordinarypaintermakes

tirelydifferentinnaturefromthe


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




woodorbrass orwhatyouw ill any-

. oufeelthate enif thosef igures

n thoseshadowstainswouldne er

osepartsof thepicturewouldne erglow

nemistake intowhic hthemostfamous

esfallen inmyc an asthewhiteness

standmostpersistentshadow. ha e

f myfigureinhard dryoutlines

anatomicaldetailintoprominence

whofanc ythattheyc andrawbecause

oratelysmoothandc lean forthe

edwithinthelimits ofline. n

achthetruth morenearlythanwe

yisac omplic atedsucc essionofc ur e

speaking thereisnosuc hthingas

youngman strangeasthatspeec h

w illunderstandthetruthinitsome

ofe pressingtheeffec tof light

therearenolinesinnature e erything

delingthatistosay wedis-

tssetting thedistributionof the

y theappearancebywhichweknow

f in e d th e o ut l in e s h a e s u ff u se d t he m

s warmorgolden insuc hawaythat

onthe e actspotwhereback-

t. eenfromnear thepicture

ac kdefinition butstepbac k two

hingbec omesc lear distinc t andsolid

eroundedformcomesintorelief you

ndit. A ndyet amnotsatisf ied

. Perhapsoneoughtnottodrawasingle

ebetterto attackthefacefromthe

estprominencesfirst proceedingfrom

ngeofshadowsto thehea iestof


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




odof thesun thedi inepainterof

tu r e n a tu r e w h o ha s s ur p ri s ed t h ee

erall toomuchknow ledge likeignorance

ha edoubtsaboutmywork .

eold manspokeagain: I

nitfortenyears youngman but

nastrugglew ithnature Dowe

wroughtattheonestatuethat

musings andga edbeforehim

whileheplayedunheedinglywith

n ersew ithhisdc emon murmured

sPoussinfelthimselfc arriedawayby

onofartist sc uriosity . orhimthe

tandinert theseerw iththeunseeing

ngmorethanamana fantasticspirit

orld andc ountless aguethoughts

effectofthis speciesoffascina-

morebedescribedinwordsthan

akenedinane ile sheartbythe

ethoughtofthescornthat the

yforthe noblesteffortsofart of

s of thedeferencepaidtohimbyPor-

re theworkofpatienceonwhich

secret wasdoubtlessaworkof

dof theV irginwhichyoungPoussinhad

autifule enbesideMabuse sA dam

eimperialmannerof oneofthe

hingc ombinedtosettheoldman

nnature.

c iesinNic olasPoussin sbrainan

eredshapeandclearness. Hesaw inthis

pletetypeoftheartist nature ana-


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




barrenandprolific anerraticspirit

anifoldpowers whichshetoooften

eason thePhilistine andsometimes

ntoa stonywildernesswheretheysee

-wingedmaidenherself w ildasher

picsthereandcastlesand worksof

enthusiast theoldman wassuddenly

meartincarnate artwithitsmysteries

nditsdreams. orPoussintheold

andideal.

rbus " renhoferc ontinued hitherto

af law lessmodel abodyw ithoutlinesof

nationsA h wheredoessheli e "

ponhimself theundisc o erable

forwhomweha esoughtsoof ten

gleamsofherbeautyhereand

oldonc eandforonemoment nature

e theidealatlast wouldgi eall

beautydi ine wouldgotoseek thee

ad likeO rpheus wouldgodown

ngbackthelife ofartfromamong

s a id P o rb u s to P ou s si n . H e n e i t he r

ger.

io " saidyoungPoussin wondering

takesc arethatnooneshallenterit.

fullyguardedthat itisimpossible

ha enotwaitedforyoursug-

ttemptto layhandsonthismys-

r y

d P or b us . O l d r e nh o fe r i s th e o nl y

renhoferbecamethepainter s

ndfather hesac rif ic edthegreaterpart


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




abusetoindulgeinriotouse tra -

nMabusebe ueathedtohimthesec ret

fgi ingtohisf iguresthewonderfullife

eeternaldespairofart thesecret

llthatoneday whenhehadsold

nwhichheshould ha eappeared

sV . heac companiedhismasterina

semblethebrocade.Thepeculiar

hestuffstruc k the mperor he

nkard spatronontheartist sap-

rc kwasbroughttolight. renhofer

t whoseesabo eandbeyondother

edprofoundlyoncolor andthe

utbythewayof muchresearchhe

erye istenc eof theob ec tsofhis

omentsofdespondenc y thatthereis

andthatbymeansoflines wecan

c alf igures butthatiso ershooting

eandshadowyoucanreproduceform

whichshowsthatourart likenature

umberof elements.Drawing

theanatomicalf ramework andc olor

tlifew ithouttheskeletonise en

eletonwithoutlife.B utthereis

anditisthisforpainters prac tic e

erything andwhentheoriesandpolit-

relw iththebrushes theendisdoubt

ood friend whoishalf-crack-

f -painter. A sublimepainter but

asborntoric hes andsohehasleisure

t youfollowhise ample

enobusinesstothink e c eptw ithbrush

ntohisstudio " c riedPoussinc on-

oheedPorbus remarks.Theother


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



WN MA S T R P E C E .241

ter senthusiasm askedhimtoc ome

heyparted.

ow lyback totheRuedelaH arpe

stelrywherehewas lodgingwithout

uneasinesspromptedhimtohurry

illhereac hedaroomatthetop a

nderthesteep high-pitc hedroofc ommon

s. ntheonedingyw indowofthe

whosprangupatonce whensheheard

twasthepromptingof lo e shehad

stouc honthelatch.

thyou sheasked.

h a e f e lt t h at a m a

h a e h a d do u bt s b u t no w b e li e e

makingofagreatmaninme N e er

hallberic handhappy Thereisgoldat

The oyfadedfromhispowerful

mparedhis asthopeswithhisslender

co eredwithsketchesinchalkon

Therewerebutfourcan asesinthe

ryc ostly andtheyoungpainter spalette

themidstofhispo ertyhepossessed

ossessionofine haustibletreasures

ouringgeniuse ualtoallthetasksthat

Parisbyanoblemanamonghis

ythec onsc iousnessofhispowers and

istress oneof thosenobleand

setosuf ferbyagreatman sside who

ti etounderstandhisfanc ies ac cept-

andlo easbra elyanddauntlessly

hemsel estobeartheburdenof

oftheir insensibility.Thesmile

slipsf illedthegarretw ithgolden


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




brightnessof thesuninhea en. The

esnotalwaysshineinhea en whereas

arret absorbedinherpassion

appinessandsorrow c onsolingthe

etin lo ebeforeartengrossedit.

omehere.

y andspranguponthepainter s

rac eandbeauty andthelo eliness

dornedwithalllu uriantfairnessofout-

bytheglowofafairsoulw ithin.

he c r ie d s h al l n e e r d ar e t o te l l he r

e c ri ed I m u s tk no w it

sdreams.

e d h ea r t

s om e th i ng o f m e

tonc emoreforyouas didthe

nuedw ithplayfulpetulanc e I w ill

chathingagain foryoureyessay

udonotthinkofmeatall and

emedrawanotherwoman

e r y ug l y s h e sa i d.

s si n g ra e l y a n d if f o r th e s ak e o f my

kemeagreatpainter youmustsitto

s h e sa i d y o u kn o w u i te w e ll t h at

herbreast heseemedtobeo er-

ble oyorsorrow.

i ed p l uc ki n g at t h e sl e e e o f P ou s si n s

t o ld y ou N i c k t h at w ou l d la y

u t n e e r p ro mi s ed y ou t h at i n m y

ylo e.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




onger thoughtGillettewhenshewas

erresolutionalready.

gstheresoonsuc c eededasharper

tobanishahideousthoughtthatarosein

edtoherthatherownlo ehad

tha aguesuspic ionthatthepainter

reyes.

I N E E S C A U L T .

nandPorbusmet thelatter

nhofer. Theoldmanhadfallena

ofoundand spontaneousfitsofdis-

sed accordingtomedicallogicians

ce fe er orenlargementof thespleen

ionof the piritualists bytheimper-

e.Thegoodman hadsimply

uttingthefinishingtouchesto his

waslounginginahugec ar edoak

lack leather anddidnotc hangehis

ncedatPorbuslikea manwhohas

s.

saidPorbus wastheultramarinebad

es sthenewwhitedif fic ultto

orarethebrushesrec alcitrant

e o ld m an f o r a mo m en t t h ou g ht

but amsurethat ammistaken

c annotrestuntil ha ec learedmy

ftra eling. amgoingtoTurkey

i n u e st o f a m od e l s o a s to c om p ar e m y

i ingformsofnature. Perhaps "

entstoleo erhisface perhaps


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




here. A ttimes amhalf-af raidthat

andthatshewillescapeme.

tosetoutatonc e.

bu s I h a e c om e u st i n ti me t o sa e

enseofa ourney.

r e nh o fe r i n am a e m en t .

edbyawomanof inc omparableand

dearmaster ifhec onsentstolendher

uoughttoletusseeyourwork .

essandcompletelyda ed.

piteouslyatlast showyoumyc rea-

ndthe eilthathaskeptmyhappiness

aninfamousprofanation. ortenyears

er s h e is m i ne m i ne a l on e s h e lo e s m e.

me ateachstrokeof thebrushupon

as a s o ul t h e so u l th a t h a e g i e n h er .

eyesbutmineshouldreston her.To

e is t h e hu s ba n d t h e lo e r s o i l e as t o

estodishonor Whenyoupainta

oudonotputyour wholesoulintoit

uresdulycolored.Mypaintingis

iment apassion. hewasborninmy

dwellinmaidensolitude andonly

ence.Poetryandwomenonlylay

e ir l o e r s. H a e w e R a f ae l s m o de l

D a nt e s B e a t r ic e N a y o n ly t h ei r f or m

pic ture loc kedawayabo einmy

on i n o ur a r t. t i s n ot a c an a s i t i s a

om talk . shareherthoughts her

ouldyouha emef lingasidetheseten

c loak Wouldyouha emec easeat

er andc reator heisnotac reature

ainterhere. w illgi ehimmy

ehimpicturesbyCorreggioandMichel


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




w illk isshisfootprintsinthedust but

h a me o n m e. A h a h a m a

painter. es w ithmylatestsigh

nmyB elleN oiseuse butc ompel

ofastranger ayoungmananda

n o w ou l d ki l l h im o n t he m o rr o w

aglanc e N ay you myfriend

hands inamomentifyou did

be f or e h er N o w w i ll y o u ha e m e

elesseyesandsenselesscriticismsof

s a m ys t er y i t c an o n ly l i e h i dd e n in

o u s ay e e n t o yo u r fr i en d B e -

' a n d th e re i s a n en d o f lo e .

egrownyoungagain there

yesanda faintflushofredin his

ook . Porbuswassoama edbythe

eof renhofer swordsthatheknewnot

anceofanemotionasstrangeasit

enhofersaneormad H adhefallen

of theartist sfanc y orwerethese

at strangelightheadednesswhich

elongtra ailofaworkofart.

ometotermswiththissingular

oubts Porbusspoke sitnot

hesaid. DoesnotPoussinsubmithis

etortedtheother. A mistresswhow ill

ater.Minewillbe faithfultome

a id P o rb u s l e t us s a y no m or e a bo u t it .

ou willfindsuchflawlessbeautyas

andthenyourpicturew illbelef tunfin-

" s a i d r e nh o fe r . t a nd i ng b e fo r e it


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




sali ingwomanly ingonthe el-

hadowofthecurtains.Perfumesare

dbyherside. ouwouldbe

ponthe tasselofthecordthat

itwouldseemtoyouthat yousaw

shebreathed thatyoubeheldthe

sc ault thebeautifulc ourtesanwhommen

euse. A ndyetif couldbutbesure

returnedPorbus noticingac ertainin-

sfac e. A ndw iththatPorbusmadea

r.

dNic olasPoussinhadreac hed ren-

drewherarmawayfromherlo er s

hold andshrankbackasifsome

ughhermind.

c om e t o do h e re " s h e a s ke d o f he r

tones w ithhereyesf i edonhis.

lef tyoutodec ide amreadytoobey

uaremyc onsc ienc eandmyglory.

allbehappier perhaps ifyoudonot

n y ou s p ea k t o me l i ke t h at N o n o

e " s h e ad d ed s e em i ng l y wi t h a i o -

o e d i es i f p l an t a l on g r eg r et i n m y

thereward ofmyobediencetoyour

e t u s go i n . s h al l s ti l l l i e o n a s a

thatshallbel ifeformeafterwards.

hetwolo ersencounteredPorbus

eautyof Gillette whoseeyeswere

her tremblingf romheadtofoot

painter.

ed isshenotworthallthemasterpiec es

erestoodGilletteintheartless and


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




midandinnocentGiorgione car-

ndc onfrontedw ithasla emerc hant.

dherface hereyesdrooped herhands

trengthseemedtoha efailedher her

soutrage.Poussincursedhimself

a ebroughthisfair treasurefrom

ero erc ametheartist andc ountless

sheartwhenhesawyouth dawninthe

l i ke a p a in t er h e d is c er n ed e e r y li n e of

theyounggirl s esture. Thenthe

e a lo u sy a wo k e.

e d l e t us g o .

yatthecryandthe toneinwhich

ereyestohis lookedathim andf led

e m e " s h e cr ie d y ou l o e m e

osuf ferinsilenc e butshehadno

y.

wi t h me f o r on e m om en t " s a id t h e ol d

hallc ompareherw ithmyCatherine

kew isecamefromhimlikealo er s

edtobeengagedforhissemblanceof

patedthetriumphofthebeautyof his

beautyof theli inggirl.

metochangehismind c riedPor-

ntheshoulder. Thef lowerof lo e

owerofartisimmortal.

omannowforhim saidGillette.

sinandPorbusclosely.

udly sheglanc edat renhofer

henasshesawhowherlo erhad

theportrait whichhehadtakenat


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




e l e t us g o u p to t h e st u di o . H e n e e r

ecalledPoussinfromhisdreams.

s i d d o yo u s ee t h is b l ad e w i ll

tthefirstcry fromthisyounggirl

ouse andnooneshalllea eitali e.

e erywordwasamenac e. Gil-

eyoungpainter sbearing andyet

andalmostforga ehimforsac rif ic ing

usfuture.

tthe doorofthestudioand

nce.A tfirstthepainter ofthe

a a r de d s om e e c l am a ti o ns : A h

hes hetoldhertoc omeintothe

two butthesightof thedeep

c esuddenlysilencedhim andthough

thesescruples sopettyinthe

miredthembecausetheyweresonatural

r. Theyoungmankepthishandon

andhisearwasalmostgluedtothe

ginthe shadowmightha ebeen

ehourwhentheymightstrike down

n " c r ie d t he o l d ma n . H e w a s ra d ia n t

k isperfect. c anshowhernow

llpainter brushes c olors lightand

lforCatherine esc aull thebeautiful

rningw itheagerc uriosity hurried

erythingwasindisorderandc o ered

afew pictureshereandthereupon

tof allinadmirationbeforethe

anpartiallydraped.

d t ha t " s a i d r e nh o fe r t h at i s a r ou g h


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




tudy apose itisnothing. Theseare

nton indicatingtheenc hantingc om-

the studio.

fart struckPorbusandPoussin

.Theylookedroundforthepicture

andc ouldnotdisc o erit.

aidtheoldman. Hishairwasdisordered

ethanhumane altation hiseyes

hardlikeayounglo erf ren iedby

ed y o u di d n ot e p e ct t o s ee s u ch p e rf e c-

gforapic ture andyouseeawoman

depthinthatc an as theatmos-

annotdistinguishitfromthe air

eisart A rthas anished itis

formofali inggirlthatyouseebefore

u gh t t he e r y hu e s of l i fe t h e sp i ri t o f

nesthef igure stherenottheef fec t

hichallnaturalob ectspresentin

m orf ishesinthewater Doyou

ut againstthebackground Does

ucouldpassyourhand alongthe

enyears studiedandwatc hedhow

eob ec tsonwhic hitfalls. A nd

so eritlikeaf lood doesitnot

amsurethatshebreathed H erbreast

dnotfallonhiskneesbeforeher

w illrisetoherfeet. Wait " con-

theheightofhisenthusiasm.

" PoussinaskedofPorbus.

d mantohisecstasy andtried

ghtthatfell fulluponthecan as

edalltheeffectfor them.They


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




leftof thepic ture thentheyc amein

ndstandinguprightbyturns.

e al l y ca n a s " s a i d r e nh o fe r w h o m is -

nutein estigation.

asisonastretcher hereistheeasel

lors mybrushes " andhetookupa

em allunsuspiciousoftheir

islaughingatus " saidPoussin c oming

pposedpicture. canseenothing

sofcoloranda multitudeoffantas-

eadeadwallofpaint.

ook saidPorbus.

asastheycamenearertheydis-

rgingfromthe chaosofcolor half-

wsthatmadeupadimformless

ebeautyheldthemspellbound. This

danincomprehensible slow and

edtothemliketheParianmarble

ergingfromtheashesofa ruined

neath " e c laimedPorbus c alling

ecoatsof paintwithwhichtheold

c oncealedhiswork inthe uestof

oluntarily to renhofer. Theybegan

nding aguethoughitwas of the

d.

l l go o d fa i th s a id P o rb u s.

s a id t h e ol d m an r o us i ng h i ms e lf f r om

dsfaith faithinart andyoumustli efor

ucesucha creation.Whattoil

a ec ostme. ook thereisafaint

eekbeneaththeeyesif yousawthat

uldseemtoyouthatyouc ouldne er


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



W N M A S T R P E C E ,

uthinkthatthateffecthasnot

earPorbus. ookc loselyatmywork

oreclearlywhat wassayingasto

outline. ookatthehigh-lightson

owbytouchontouch thic kly laidon

o thatitcatchesthelightitself and

whitenessofthehigh-lights and

s byflatteningthesurfaceofthe

otraceof thepassageof thebrush

ningthecontoursofmyfigure anden-

tsuntilthe ery ideaofdraw ing of

f fec tisproduc ed fadesaway and

essand reliefofnature.C ome

mannerofworkingbetter atalittle

. There ustthere itis think

" andw iththetipofhisbrushhe

sparentcolorto thetwopainters.

ontheoldartist sshoulder turnedto

uknowthatinhimweseea erygreat

ofapoetthanapainter " Poussinan-

ontinued ashetouc hedthec an as

ourartonearth.

osesitself intheskies " said

r e on t h at p i ec e o f ca n a s e c l ai m ed

sownmusings smiledatthewoman

idnothear.

hewillf indoutthatthereisnothing

in.

a s s a id r e nh o fe r l o ok i ng i n t ur n

spicture.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




n e " m u tt e re d P or b us t u rn i ng t o

oungpainter sarmandsaid

c l od p at e H u g u e no t a r le t c u ll i on

ntomystudio MygoodPorbus "

edtothepainter areyoualsomak ing

r a m yo u r fr i en d . Te l l me h a e

l

nothing buttherewassuchintol-

dman swhitefac ethathepointedto

momentathispicture andstaggered

A f t e r t en y e ar s o f wo r k

a m a d ma n h a e n e it h er t a le n t no r

ric hman whoworksforhisown

oprogress. ha edonenothing

earsathispic ture. uddenlyhe

orethetwo painters.

odofC hrist " hec riedwithf lashing

a lo u s o u wo u ld h a e m e t hi n k th a t my

youwant tostealherfromme

s e e he r " h e c ri e d s h e is m a r e l ou s ly

nheardthesoundofweeping Gil-

teninacorner.A llatoncethe

l o e r . W h a t i s i t m y an g el h e

e so b be d . m u st b e a i l e th i ng i f lo e

se y o u. a d mi r e yo u a n d l o at h e yo u

f ee l th at h at e yo u e e n n ow .

ssoundedinPoussin sears renhofer


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




eringo erhisCatherinew iththesober

erwholockshisdrawerswhenhesus-

e p e rt t h ie e s . H e g a e t h e tw o

teglancethate pressedtothefull

emptforthem sawthemoutofhis

teandinsilence untilfromthe

badethem Good-bye myyoung

ofdread intothetwopainters.

wentagainonthemorrowtosee ren-

hehaddied inthenightafter burning

ua ry 1 3 2.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



L A N D R S .

.

almore adaughterof

thesemoderndaysmaywellbe

is uaintlegendofold landers.

.

dinthehistoryofB rabant c om-

slandofCad andandthe lemish

atwhichcarriedpassengersfromone

urg thechieftownintheisland

mousinthe annalsofProtestantism

dsometwo orthreehundred

speroustownofO stendwasanobscure

illagewherepiratesdweltinsec urity

thefewpoormerchantswholi ed

stend consistedaltogetherof

hreehundredcottages hutsor

woodofwrec ked essels itne erthe-

ssessionofago ernor agarrison a

ent andaburgomaster inshort inall

anc edc i ili ation.

abantand landersinthosedays

smute. etusc onfessatoncethat

lyof themar elous themysterious

mentswhich lemishnarratorsha einfused

entogatheringsofworkerson

tthe ersions aryw idely inpoetic nerit

thasbeentoldbye erygenera-


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



N L A N D R S ,

grandamesatthef ireside narrated

e ersionhasc hangeditscomple ion

e ikesomegreatbuildingthathas

onsofsuccessi egenerationsof

reweather-beatenpile thedelight ofa

dri ethec ommentatorandtheindus-

fac ts anddatestodespair. The

asallsuperstitiousmindsin landers

ndisnotawhitw isernormorec redulous

sit wouldbeimpossibletomakea

trenderings herearetheoutlines

i t m ay b e o f i ts p i ct u re s u e u a in t -

lddisregardofhistoric altruth and

edbyreligionamyth theblossom

anallegorythatthew isemayinterpret

eachhisownpasturage andthetask

mthe wheat.

carrypassengersfromthe slandof

wasuponthepointofdeparture butbe-

chainthat securedtheshallopto

epeopleembarked heblewahornse eral

mers thisbeinghislast ourneythat

twassc arc elypossibletoseethe

edyingf iresof thesunset ortomake

anyformsofbelatedpassengers

he dykesthatsurroundedthe

gthetallreeds ofthemarshes.The

gfor etusputof f theyc ried.

manappearedafewpacesfromthe

eof thesk ipper whohadheardnosound

erseemedtoha esprungupfrom

twhohadlaid himselfdownonthe

tshouldstart andhadslepttillthe


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



L A N D R S . 257

nedhim. Washeathief orsome

m-houseorthepolice

pearedonthe ettytowhic htheboat

personswhowerestandinginthesternof

tdownonthebenc hes soastolea e

er. twastheswif tandinstincti e

c spirit animpulseofe c lusi eness

man sheart. ourof these en

emostaristocraticfamiliesin lan-

wasayoungknight withtwobeauti-

onghairf lowedfrombeneatha eweled

dedspurs c urledtheendsofhismus-

ha swaggeringgrace andlooked

estof thecrew.A high-borndam-

erwrist onlyspokew ithhermotheror

rank whowase identlyarelation.

agreatdealofnoise andtalked

oughtherewereno oneelseinthe

hemsata manofgreatimportancein

gherofB ruges wrappedaboutw itha

ant armedtotheteeth hadsetdowna

oldathisside. Ne ttothe

arning adoc torof theUni ersityof

ra elingwithhisc lerk . Thislittlegroup

emptuouslyateachother wassepar-

nthe forwardpartoftheboatby the

ncedabouthimashe steppedon

wasnoroomforhiminthestern and

stofaseat. Theywereallpoor

tof thebareheadedmaninthe

nk-hose andplainstifflinencollar

oornaments carriednocapnor

dhadneitherswordnorpurseathis

tookhimforaburgomastersureofhis


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



N L A N D R S .

dk indlyburgomasterlikeso manya

whosehomelyfeaturesandcharacters

edby lemishpainters. Thepoorer

rec ei edhimwithdemonstrationsof

cornfultitteringattheotherend ofthe

nuredtotoilandhardship ga eup

thenew-comer andseatedhimself

sel keepinghisbalanc ebyplantinghis

trans ersebeams likethebac kbone

planksofaboattogether. A young

baby inherarms andseemedtobelong

stend mo edasidetomakeroomfor

itherser ilitynorscorninher

wasasimplesignof thegood-w illby

owbylonge perienc ethe alueofa

thatfellowshipbrings gi ee pression

ndthenaturalimpulsesof theirsouls

ealtheirgood ualitiesandtheirde-

edherbya gesturefullofgracious

cebetweentheyoungmotherand the

ybehindhimsatapeasantandhis

age. A beggarwoman old wrink led

rouc hing w ithheralmostemptywal-

opethatlay intheprow. O neof the

whohadknownherinthedaysofher

adletherc omein forthelo eof

tifulphrasethatthec ommonpeopleuse.

homas " theoldwomanhadsaid.

rsandtwoA v c sforyouinmyprayers

or thelasttime lookedalong

of f thec hain ranalongthesideof the

ositionatthehelm. Helookedatthe

eywereoutintheopensea heshouted

y pullw ithallyourmight Thesea


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



L A N D R S . 259

thewitc h c anfeeltheswellbythe

andthestorminmywounds.

nintelligibletoearsunusedtothe

edtoputfreshenergyintothe oars

therhythm of themo ementwas

but uiteunlikethepre iousmannerof

nteringhorsehadbrokenintoa gallop.

nthesternamusedthemsel esby

s thetannedfaces andsparkling

eplayof thetensemuscles thephysic al

rebeinge ertedtobringthemfor

annel. ofarfrompityingthe

eypointedoutthemen sfac estoeac hother

s uee pressionsonthefac esof the

erymusc le butintheforepart

thepeasant andtheoldbeggarwoman

esympathynaturallyfeltbytoilers

f theirbrowandknowtherough

se c itementofef fort. Thesefolk more-

werespentintheopenair hadallseenthe

esky andtheirfac esweregra e.

herchild singinganoldhymnof

.

ereatall " thesoldierremarkedtothe

ebec ausetheA lmighty isbentonkeeping

as t er " s a id t h e ol d w om an b u t

pleasuretotakeustoHimself. ust

ere andshenoddedherhead

poke.

dfrom behindthemassesof

oudthatseemedabouttounloosea

motheredmurmurofthe sea a

edtocomefromthedepths alow

asadoggi eswhenheonlymeansmis-


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



N L A N D R S .

O stendwasnotfaraway. Perhaps

c ouldnotprolongthee istenc eof the

ndskyat thatmomentbeyondthe

rtdemands ehementcontrasts

eekoutnature smoststrikingeffects

espairofrenderingthegreatand

moods yetthehumansoulis

er calmasbyheremotion andby

pokeonboardtheboat. v eryone

eitherwithsomepresentimentof

eyfelttheinfluenceofthereligious

ssessionofnearlyallofus atthe

fprayer whenallnatureishushed

thebells. Theseagleamedpaleand

ed andthesurfacetookallthec olorsof

o erspreadw ithli idgray butdown

gnarrowbarslikestreaksofblood

ntheeasternsky sharpandclean

brush wereseparatedbyfoldsof

lesonanoldman sbrow. Thewholesc ene

engraysandhalf-tints instrong

fthe sunset. fwrittenlanguage

nguagesomeofthebold figuresof

people itmightbesaidw iththe

erhadbeenrouted " or asthepeasant

ygloweredlikeane ec utioner. uddenly

uarterof thesunset andtheskipper

sof f thesea sawtheswellonthehori-

diately andlettheiroarslie on

" saidThomascoolly. A greatwa e

rriedithighonitsc rest onlytoplunge


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



L A N D R S . 261

etroughof theseathatseemedtoyawn

uphea al thissuddenoutbreakof

hecompanyinthestern turnedpale

saidtheskippercalmly.

dsimmediatelyabo etheirheadswere

emenceofthewind.Thegraymass

standwest withominousspeed a

erift intheskyfell fulluponthe

ersbeheldeachother sfac es. A llof them

thesailorsandthepoorpassengers

oramomentbytheappearanc eof thelast

parteduponhiscalm serenefore-

abouthisshoulders andhisfac e

ndradiantw ithdi inelo e stoodout

oom.H ehadnocontemptfor

eshouldnotdie. B utifatthef irstthe

otfora momenttheimplacablefury

edtheirli es self ishnessandtheir

iledagain.

stupidburgomasterisnottoseetherisks

eis ustlikeadog hew illdiew ith-

thedoc tor.

ncedthishighly udiciousdictum

llits legions.Thewindblewfrom

ea ens theboatspunroundlikeatop

d M y p oo r c hi l d W h o w i ll s a e

terc riedinaheartrending oic e.

eit " thestrangersaid.

oicewenttotheyoungmother s

ththem sheheardthegracious

lingof thewindandtheshrieksof


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



N L A N D R S .

od H e l p w h o ar t a t A n t we r p

poundsofwa andastatue if thou

c riedtheburgher kneelingupon

oeatA ntwerpthansheishere " was

onthisappeal.

s a id a o i ce t h at s e em e d to c o me f r om

e c l ai m ed t h e se r a n t. H e i s s co f fi n g

erp.

mo r e of y o ur H o l y V i r g i n at p r es e nt "

ssengers. Putyourhandstothe

outof theboat.A ndtherest

addressingthesailors pullw ithall

hetime inthenameofthede ilwho

r ld b e y ou r o wn P r o i d en c e v e r y

elisfearfullydangerous ha e

hesethirtyyears. A m fac inga

-night "

andlooked asbefore athisboatand

ughsate erything " muttered

toperishalongw iththosewretched

edthehaughtydamselofthehandsome

m ai d en . i s te n " a n d he c a ug h t he r

erear c answ im saynothing

oubyyourfairhairandbringyou

c anonlysa eyou.

dmother.Theladywasonher

onofthebishop whodidnotheed

yestheknightreada aguefeelingof

asmothered oic e:


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



L A N D R S . 263

hew illofGod. f itisH ispleasure

imself itw illdoubtlessbeforher

orld " headded andhis oic e

ndforoursinthis " hethought

dewasladyofse enfiefsbeside

rlifein herheart andforlo e

andsomead enturer ayoungmis-

c hesinsearchofapri e anheiress

Thebishopbestowedhis benison

adethembec alm itwasallthathec ould

nc ubine andof thedelic atefeast

c omehim perhapsatthat erymo-

perfumingherself robingherself in

ernec k lac eandher eweledc lasps andthe

f romthink ingof thepowerofHoly

c omfortChristiansande hortthemto

y sregretsandlo er ssighsmingled

ebre iary . B ythedimlightthat

thecompany itwaspossibleto see

nsastheboatwaslifted highinair by

ac k intothedarkdepths theshallop

eleaf theplaythingof thenorthw ind

lc reaked itseemedreadytogoto

entup followedbyanawfulsilenc e.

encebetweenthebeha iorofthe

therichor greatpeopleatthe

youngmotherclaspedherinfant

rytimethatagreatwa ethreatened

sel butshec lungtothehopethat

adsetinherheart. ac htimethather

drewfreshfaithatthesight the

woman amother sfaith. heli ed

thelo ingwordsf romhislips the


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



N L A N D R S .

stinglyforthemtobe fulfilled and

ranylonger.

ttothe essel sside ne ertookhis

tor. H ec opiedonhisownroughand

erturbabilityof theother sfac e ap-

olestrengthofawilland intelli-

nthe courseofalifeof mechanical

oemulouswasheofac almand

erthanhisown thatatlast perhaps

ingofthatmysteriousnaturepassedinto

ationbec ameaninstinc ti e ealfor

o eforandbelief inhim suc ha

heirleaderwhenhehasthepowerof

enthehaloof ic toriessurroundshim

onofgeniusisfelt inallthathe

smurmuringtoherself

we tc h t ha t a m H a e n o t su f fe r ed

nsofmyyouth A h wretc hedwo-

thegay lifeofaf ri o lous renchwoman

egoodsofGodwithc hurc hmen the

e tortionersandfleecersofthe

e s in ne d in de ed O h m y Go d m y G od

llherein thisworldofmisery.

H o l y V i r g i n M o t he r o f Go d h a e

ther. Godisnota ombardusurer.

egoodandbadatrandominmytime

heresurrec tion.

nc epesade howhappythosefairladies

bishop a holyman Theywillget

" saidtheoldwoman. O h if

aytome Thysinsareforgi en

t he n .

dsher andthegoodnessinhis


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



L A N D R S . 265

h e sa id a nd y ou w il l be s a e d .

g o od s i r " s h e an s we r ed . I f

willgoonpilgrimagebarefooted

ettotopraytoherforyouandfor

erandson weresilent patient and

ofGod likefolkwhosewontitisto

hewaysofnaturelikec attle. A t

oodriches pride learning de-

umansoc iety suc hasartandthought

yinterestsandlawsha emadeit

errorandwailing innumerable

essedbyhideousdoubtsat this

theagonyof fear.

anli esstoodastrongman thesk ip-

dhim thec hief thek ing thefatalist

stinginhimself ratherthanin

B a l e a wa y " i n st e ad o f H o l y V i r gi n "

c t andstrugglingw iththesealikea

theotherendof thewherry The

omthelittle onewhosmiledat

oncesof ri o lousandgay andnow

orse theoldsoldierc o eredw ith

esolereward ofhisunflaggingloyalty

eterancouldscarcelycountonthe

ntearstokeepthelifeinhim yet

gh andwenthiswaymerrily

nhisgloryin thedepthsofa pot

lesof thewarstothec hildrenwho

ghisfuturew ithalightheartinthe

therewerethetwopeasants usedto

orinc arnate thelaborbywhic hthe

efolkwereindifferenttothought

ytosink themallinabelief andtheir


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



L A N D R S . 267

erlo er. Thebishopandthe

ttom hea ily ladenw ithsins itmay

ily ladenw ithincredulityandconf i-

ddownbyde otion intowhic halms-

eredbut little.

walkedwithafirmstephigh anddry

eardallaboutthemthedreadfulwhistling

owsbrokeacrosstheirpath butan

yforthem throughthesea.These

ghthespray adimspeckoflight

afisherman shuton theshore

shedonbra elytowardsthelight

c eofhisfellowc ry ing C ourage

thesurf yetnoonehadspokena

chbyhisownperil. nthisway

ande entually foundshelterinthe

tednearthef isherman sf ire they

rtheirguidew iththelightabouthim.

ersmanat thebaseofthecliff on

hewasclingingwithmightand

asailorcancling whendeathstares

rangerguidewentdownandrescuedthe

man thenhesaid asheheldouta

heman shead-

e b u t do n o t tr y i t ag a in t h e e -

hisshoulders andc arriedhimtothe

ockedforadmittanc eforthee hausted

hedoorof thehumblerefugeopened the

wasbuiltfor sailorsonthisspot

erwards soitwassaid thefoot-

c ouldbeseeninthesand butin1793

chin asion themonksc arriedaway


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



N L A N D R S .

tborew itnesstothe a iour slast isit

foundmyselfshortlyafterthe

. w a s we a ry o f l if e . f y ou h a d as k ed

pair shouldha efounditalmost

solanguidhadgrownthesoulthatwas

stwindhadslackenedthesprings

old graylightpoureddownfromthe

rkycloudsthatpassedo erheadga ea

allthesethings togetherw iththe

aidtome Dieto-dayordieto-

notdie A ndthen wanderedon

ure onmyblightedhopes.Gnawed

turnedmechanicallyintothe

hthegraytowersthatloomedlikeghosts

lookedroundwithnokindlingof

stof columns attheslenderarches

itals adelicatelabyrinthofsculp-

esseyesalongtheside aislesthat

e astportals e erturningupontheir

ypossibletosee bythedimlightof

c ulpturedgrainingsof theroof the

esofthemouldingsofthe graceful

pipesweremute.Therewasno

myownfootstepstoawakenthe

thedarkchapels. satdownat

pillarsthat supportedthetower

couldseethewholeof thebuilding.

deasc onnec tedw ithitaroseinmymind.

mghtyma eofpillars thegreatrose

etworksuspendedasby amiracle

doorways. sawthedoorsattheend

erialgalleries thestainedglassw indows

idedbyslendercolumns f rettedinto


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



L A N D R S . 269

finefiligree workofcar edstone.

heendof thec hoirsparkledasif ithad

esset cunningly. ncontrastto

gspacesofwhitenessandcolor the

eftinshadowsodeep thatthefaint

edshaftswere scarcely isiblein

tthemar elousarc ades thesc roll-work

inglines andarabes uesinterwo en

angely lighted untilbysheerdintof

ecamec onfused and stooduponthe

onandreality takeninthe snareset

stlight-headedbyreasonofthemulti-

apesaboutme.

atheredaboutthec ar enstonework

oughaha eof f inegoldendust like

hebars ofsunlightslantingthrough

ddenlythestonelaceworkofthe

oughthis aporthathadmadeall

erymoulding theedgesofe ery

tailof thesc ulptureweredippedinsil er.

thestainedwindows theirrich

rksoflight. Theshaftsbeganto

eregentlyshaken.A lightshudderas

building thestoneswereloosened

spacesswayedwithgracefulcaution.

rouspiermo edassolemnlyasa

scendstocompletea uadrilleatthe

nderandgracefulcolumns their

hsoftrefoil begantolaughand

omeofthepointedarchesdashedat

which likeladiesof theMiddle

orialbearingsof theirhousesembla oned

danceof themitredarcades

becamelikeafrayat atourney.

erystoneinthec hurc h ibrated


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



N L A N D R S .

e fortheorgan-pipesspoke and

glingw iththesongsofangels anun-

mpaniedbythedeepnotesofthe bells

owersrockedand swayedontheir

nge abbathseemedtomethemost

and , whohadseenC harlesX .

wasnolongerama edbyanything.

gentlysway ingw ithasee-sawmo ement

espleasurablyinamannerof whichit

y idea. etinthemidstof this

ralchoirfeltcoldasif itwereawinter

wareofamultitudeofwomen robedin

mpassi e sittingthere. Thesweetinc ense

censerswasgratefulto mysoul.

kered.Thelectern gayasachanter

fwine wasskippingaboutlikea

olecathedralwaswhirlinground

appearedtobeundisturbed.The

c ifi abo ethealtarsmileduponme

bene olencethatfrightenedme

y andmar eledatthebluish aporthat

endingtothemanindescribable

ulwomen sformsbegantostir on

bwhic hupheldthehea yc olumns

feltmyselfuplif tedbysomedi ine

infinite oy inasweetandlanguid

e g i e n m yl i fe t h in k t o h a e p r o-

oriaforalittle butsuddenlyashrill

rs

e

kmyhandinhers itsic yc oldness

r e. Thebonesofherfac eshowed

almostoli e- tintedwrink lesof the

e-c old oldwomanworeablac k robe


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



L A N D R S . 271

ust andatherthroattherewas

darednote amine. c ould

c olorlesseyes fortheyweref i edin

ns. hedrewmeafterheralongthe

ceofherpresenc eintheashesthatshe

rbonesrattledasshewalked like

andaswewent heardbehindme

athin sharpsoundthatrang

otes ofaharmonica.

cr i ed s u ff e r o i t m us t b e

c h wewentthroughthedirtiest

tillwec ameatlasttoadingydwelling

hedraggedmewithher c alling

ess oic elikeac rackedbell

d me

dingstaircase. heknockedat

andamute likesomefamiliarof the

edtoher. nanothermomentwestoodin

t raggedtapestry amidpilesofold

andgildedbrass.

atshallendurefore er saidshe.

r for ustthen bythelightofa

dles sawdistinctlythatthis

egra eyard. hehadnohair.

herfleshlessarmand encircledme

hspikes andassheraiseditac ry

ec ryofmillionsof oic estheshout-

maketheehappyfore er " shesaid.

thehearth theasheslayc oldupon

mangraspedmyhandsotightly in

oosebutstay. lookedf i edlyather

ryofherlifef romthethingsamong

adsheindeedanylife inher


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



N L A N D R S .

sawplainly thatonceshemustha e

fair w ithallthec harmofsimpli-

reeekstatue w iththebrowofa estal.

c ri ed n ow l k no w th ee M is er ab le

prostitutedthyself ntheageof thy

othyprosperity thegraceandpurity

n. orgetfulof thyheroic de o-

yabundantfaith thoudidstresignthy

spiritualsupremacyforfleshlypower.

thycouchofmoss thecellinthe rock

ghtDi ine wereforsaken thouhast

andshonew iththeglitterof lu ury

nboldandinsolent sei ingando er-

urselikeacourtesaneagerfor

endor thouhassteepedthyselfin

tupefiedbyempery.Dostthounot

ndullandhea yattimes andthesud-

ofothermoments aswhenart

O h p o et p a in t er a n d si n ge r l o e r

dprotectorofthearts wasthy

eacaprice thatsothoushouldst

tcanopies Was therenotaday

ride thoughc hastityandhumility

thouhadstbroughtallthingsbeneath

ootonthenec ksofprinces when

wealth andthemindofmanborethy

abasementofhumanity oy ingto

thstowhichman sfollywouldgo

erswalkonallfours andre uiredof

lth nay e entheirwi esif they

Thouhast de ouredmillions

thouhastf lungawayli eslikesand

stto east.Thouhastcomedown

tto sitamongthekingsof men.

omfortingmen thouhasttormented


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



L A N D R S . 273

nowingthatthoucouldstaskand

andedblood A littlef loursurely

thee ac c ustomedasthouhadstbeento

nglewaterw iththyw ine. Unlikeall

ormerly thouwouldstbidthy lo ersfast

ouldthyfanc iesha eledtheetore-

Why likeac ourtesanspoiledby

dotedonfollies andleftthoseunde-

plainand ustifyallthyerrors

ater passions terriblelikethelo e

withafiercecrythouhastsought

erseinonelastembrac eandthy

hee

dedtothyyounglo ers dec repi-

dmadetheehideous. et e enthen

rof isionsaidtotheeinaglanc e

gloriously bec ausethouhastfallen

astbrokenthe owsof thymaidenhood.

enonher forehead whoshould

oyalongherpath hasbeenaMessalina

indebauc hery andabuseofpower.

ycannotreturn henceforwardthou

aster. Thyhourhascome thehand

yheirsbelie ethatthouartric h

dnothing. ettryatleasttof ling

gerinfashion beonc emoreasin

t h ou a r t de a d a n d by t h in e o wn d e ed

y " c onc ludedw ith Dec repit

c rone nowforgotten goingthywaysw ith-

fompassers-by Whyartthoustill

thouinthatbeggar sgarb unc omelyand

rearethyriches forwhatwerethey

ytreasures whatgreatdeedshastthou

shri eledwomanraisedherbonyform


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



N L A N D R S .

grewtallandradiant smilingasshe

hrysalissheath.Then likea

uscreatureemerged fairandyouthful

n ndianfromc reationissuingher

ippledo erhershoulders hereyes

lungabouther aringofgoldho ered

shookthef lamingbladeofasword

a en.

s h e cr i ed .

afaroff manythousandsofc athe-

h a d u s t u i tt e d b u t th e se w er e c o e r e d

ec oes and heardthemec how ith

sofhumancreaturesflockedto

swarmingaboutthemlikeantson an

agertoresc uebooksf romobli ionor

therswerehelpingthepoor butnearly

o ethisc ountlessmultituderose

erectedin theirmidst andbythe

romsomeluminaryaspowerfulas

riptionsonthebasesof thestatues

iterature.

n facedtheyounggirl.Grad-

drearysheath intotheraggedsear-

agedwomanagain.H erfamiliar

andshestirreditintotheashesof

eweatherwasc oldandstormy and

whosepalaceshadbeenlit withthou-

alittlec resset thatshemightseetoread

ursof night.

ntheearth shesaid.

tdid beholdthefairestandthe

dmostlife-gi ingofallpowers.

h e do o rs a r e u s t ab o ut t o b e sh u t " s a id a

edandbeheldthebeadle suglyc ounte-


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



L A N D R S .

hakingmebythearm andthecathedral

a maniswrappedinhis cloak.

id t o m ys e lf i s l if e h a e u s t wi t ne s se d

y nowwemustdefendthec hurc h.

ua ry 1 3 1.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O N C I L E D .

arondePommereul a

weenourfathers which

.

.

arietyofhumannatureobtainedinthe

ssanalogoustothatof thegardener s

ingdom tow it bytheforc ing-house

anbe raisedneitherfromseednor

nownas thecashier ananthro-

ateredbyreligiousdoctrine trainedup

e prunedby ic e tof lourishona

ewifeby hissideandan uninter-

ofcashiersinParis mustalways

ologist.H asanyoneasyet been

ermsof theproportionsumwherein

eunknown Wherew illyouf ind

w ithwealth likeac atw ithac aged

orfurther ualific ation shallbecapable

danirongratingforse enoreight

n-eighthsof theyear perchedupona

ceasnarrowas alieutenant scabin

uc hamanmustbeabletodefy

dthigh oints hemustha easoul

rdertoli emeanly mustloseallrelish

lingit.Demandthispeculiar

educationalsystem sc hool orinstitu-

elec tParis thatc ityof f ieryordealsand

ell asthesoilin whichtoplantthe


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



E C O N C I L E D .

nc omeofahundredlouisinold

c ondf loor breadsuf f icient oc c a-

kerchiefs anelderlywifeandher

utfortheoppositec ourse alittle

eepingonthewindwardside ofthe

kedMont6cuculli andsocietywill

ns showerribandsuponthe

onors andsmotherhimwithc onsid-

er worksharmoniouslyw iththispro-

soc iety . Go ernmentle iesa

ntelligenceofthekingdomatthe

hteen ac onscriptionofprecoc ious

maturelye haustedbye c essi e

up tobesubmittedtoa processof

ortandselectseedsinmuchthe same

ernmentbringsprofessional

enwhocanassaybrainsase pertsassay

hundredsuc hheads setaf irew ith

uallybythemostprogressi eportionof

of thesethego ernmenttakesone-third

he c oles andshakesthemup

houghe eryoneoftheseyoung

produc ti epower theyaremade asone

Theyrec ei eappointments therank

deupofthem theyareemployed

thereisno subaltern gradetowhic h

nally whenthesemen thepickof

fattenedonmathematicsandstuffed

eattainedtheageof f if tyyears they

ndrec ei easthepriceof theirser ic es

thew ifeandfamily andallthecom-

ediocrity. ffromamongthis

esc apesomef i eorsi menof


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O N C I L E D .2 79

highestheights isitnot erymirac u-

entoftherelationsbetweentalent

nd andgo ernmentandsoc ietyon

thatc onsidersitself tobeprogressi e.

planationarecentoccurrencein

ble butprecededbythissumming

tw illperhapsrec ei esomethoughtful

bleofrecogni ingtherealplague-

n a c i i l i a t io n wh i ch s i nc e 1 1 5 h as

tofgainratherthanbyprinciplesof

onadullautumnafternoon thec ashier

sinPariswasstill athisdesk

mpthathadbeenlit forsome

ththeuseandwontof commerce

thedarkestcornerofthe low-ceiled

e z aninef loor andatthe eryendof

orrowedlights.The officedoors

c hwithitslabel ga etheplacethe

ouro c lock thestolidporterhad

ohisorders Thebank isc losed.

partmentsweredeserted theletters

hadtakentheirlea e. Thew i esof

eree pec tingtheirlo ers thetwo

mistresses. v erythingwasin

gbo eshadbeenbeddedin

hindthelittlesanctum wherethe

sshewasbalancinghisbooks.The

pseofasafeofhammerediron so

hankstothesc ienc eof themodernin-

scouldnotc arry itaway. Thedooronly

hose whoknewitspassword.The


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



R E C O N C I L E D .

hokeptitsownsecretand could

steriouswordwasaningeniousreal-

e sa me i n t he A r a b i an N i g h t s.

othing. A manmightdisco erthe

eknewtheloc k sf inalsec ret the

ardingdragonof mechanicalsci-

nderbussat hishead.

hewallsofthe room theshutters

m thewholeplace infac t was

ofaninchinthickness con-

odenpaneling.Theshuttershad

adbeenshut. fe ermanc ouldfeel

olutelyalone andthattherewasno

watchedbypryingeyes thatman

useofN uc ingenandCompany inthe

.

tsilencepre ailedinthatiron cage.

esto e buttheroomwasfull of

roducesthedullhea y-headedness

ssofamorningafteranorgy.The

atplaysnosmallpartin thereduction

o astateofidiocy.

nitisaretortinwhic hthepowerof

ed wheretheir itality ise hausted

Go ernmentofficesarepartofa

ufactureofthemediocritynecessary

udalsystemon apecuniarybasis

tionof thesocialc ontract. S ee

Themephitic aporsintheatmosphereofa

nnosmalldegreetobring abouta

ntelligenc es thebrainthatgi esof f

itrogenasphy iatestheothers inthe

fi e-and-fortyorthereabouts.A s

ightfroma moderatorlampshining


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O N C I L E D .2 1

isteningfringeofiron-grayhair

nessand theroundoutlinesof

ok ery likeaball. Hisc omple ion

rink leshadgatheredabouthiseyes but

mphandsofastoutman. Hisblue

edandworn andthec reasesand

tracesofhardwear thattheclothes-

wouldimpressasuperfic ialobser er

sathriftyandupright humanbeing

erorofthe aristocrattowear

unluck ily itiseasytof indpenny-w ise

eak wasteful orinc ompetentinthe

nofthe egionofH onorathis

dbeenama orofdragoonsinthetime

uc ingen whohadbeenac ontrac -

nker hadhadreasoninthosedays

positionofhis cashier whothen

e ersesoffortunehadbefallen

bankeroutof regardforhimpaidhim

onth.Thesoldierhad becomea

3 af terhisrec o eryf romawoundre-

kaduringtheretreatf romMosc ow fol-

enforc edidlenessat trasbourg whither

entransportedbyorderof the mperor

skilledattention.Thisparticular

name retiredw iththehonorarygrade

nof twothousandfourhundred

ethec ashierhadc ompletelyef fac edthe

nierinspiredthebankerw ithsuc htrustin

din thetransactionsthatwenton

ndhislittlecounting-house.The

sstoit bymeansofasecretstaircase.

essweredecided. twasthebolting-


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




resif ted thepri yc ouncilc hamber

moneymarketwereanaly ed c ir-

and f inally thepri ateledgerand

mari edtheworkofallthedepartments

selftoshut thedoorwhichopened

otheparlor occupiedbythetwo

oftheirhotel.Thisdone hehad

n andforamomenthega edata

creditdrawnon thefirmof

ndon. Thenhehadtakenupthepen

ssignatureuponeach.N ucingenhe

rgedsignaturescriticallytoseewhich

opy.

sif aneedlehadprickedhim.

aboding oic eseemedtocry inhis

forgersawamanstandingatthelittle

ting-house amanwhosebreathing

idnotseemtobreatheat all.C as-

hatthedoorat theendofthe passage

rangermustha eenteredbythatway.

ethe oldsoldierfelta sensation

re open-mouthedandwide-eyedat

ndforthatmatter theappearanc eof

ntlyalarminge enifunaccompanied

stancesofsosuddenanentry.The

harshc oloringof thelongo alfac e

yasthec utofhisc lothesthatthe

n reek ingofhisnati eisles. ouhad

ofhiso erc oat atthe oluminous

dthecrushedfrillsofa shirtfrontso

hechangelessleadenhueofanim-

ethinredlineof thelipsthatseemed

corpses andyoucouldguessat

uttonedup totheknee andthehalf-


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



A W A MA N TA N D N GA TTH E I TT E

DO W .


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O N C I L E D .2 3

ealthy nglishmandressedfora

eintolerableglitterof thestranger s

andunpleasantimpression whichwas

outlinesof hisfeatures.Ttfe

eatureseemedtocarrywithinhim

atconsumedhimandcouldnotbe

dhisfoodsorapidly thathec ould

withoutbringinganytraceofcolor

tunofTokay indesuc cession

anyfalteringinthat piercingglance

sthoughts nordethronedthemerciless

aysseemedtogotothe bottomof

ingof thefellandtran uilma esty

as h t hi s b il l o f e c ha n ge s i r " h e s a i d.

sofhis oic ethrillthroughe eryner e

ilartothatgi enbyadischargeof

saidC astanier inthesententious

cials.

adthe nglishman look ingroundthe

morrowwillbe unday and c annot

ehundredthousandfrancs. ou

a n d m u st h a e i t .

me i n s i r "

ThatsmilefrightenedC astanier.

epliedmorefullynormoreperemptorily

erialcurlof thestranger slips.

tookupfif typackets eac hc ontaining

k-notes andheldthemoutto the

ne c hangeforthemabillac c eptedby

n. A sortofc on ulsi etremorran

edgleaminthestranger seyes

edsignatureontheletterof credit.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




ure " stammeredCastanier handing

" answeredthe nglishman.

hepenw ithwhic hhehad ustc om-

gerwrote ohnMelmoth thenhe

andthepento thecashier.C as-

riting noticingthatitslopedfrom

ernfashion andMelmothdisappearedso

astanierlookedupagainane clamation

ybecausethemanwasno longerthere

angepainful sensationsuchasour

raneffectofpoison.

handledsent thesamesickening

emeticproduces.But itseemed

hatthe nglishmanshouldha e

ward ualmsheattributedtothe

at ac cordingtorec ei edideas was

sucha turn asthestrangerhad

a m e r y st u pi d . Pr o i d en c e is

orif thatbrutehadcomeroundtosee

mygoosewouldha ebeenc ooked

eburnedtheunsuccessfulattemptsat

meanttotakewithhiminanen-

imself tof i ehundredthousandfranc s

hbank -notesf romthesafe whichhe

rythinginorder litac andle blew

hshatandumbrella andwentout

olea eoneof thetwokeysof thestrong

c ingen intheabsenc eofherhus-

M . C a s t an i er " s a id t h e ba n ke r s w i fe a s

weha eaholidayonMonday you

o r t o o i y .


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O N C I L E D .2 5

besogoodastotellyourhusbandthat

atsc hildine whichwasbehindtime

d Thef i ehundredthousandf tancs

shallnotc omebac k tillnoonon

u hopeyouw illha eapleasant

madame " repliedtheolddragoonas

ashespokeat ayoungmanwell

etyatthattime aM. deRastignac

damedeNuc ingen slo er.

kedthislatter theoldboy looksto

yousomeill turn.

e heistoostupid.

s a id t h e ca s hi e r w al k in g i nt o t he p o rt e r s

youletanybodycomeupafterfour

oingapipehereinthedoorwaye er

saidtheman andnobodyhasgone

asc omeouteithere c eptthe

e

r d an d h on o r. t a y t h ou g h a t f ou r

sf riendcame ayoungfellow from

o . i n t he R u e o u be r t.

a s t a ni e r a n d he h u rr i ed a w ay .

fheatthathehad feltwhenhe

din greaterintensity. Mille

ashethreadedhiswayalongthe

h a e n t t a ke n p ro p er p r ec au t io n s

leardays undayandMonday thena

heybegintolookfor me alto-

dfournights respite. ha eac ouple

entdisguises isnotthatenoughto


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d




ec ti eof f thescent O n Tuesday

millionf rancsin ondonbeforethe

enaroused. Mydebts amlea ing

mycreditors whow illputa P

allli ec omfortably in taly fortherest

erraro. wasalonew ithhim

ow inthemarshofZ embin and

ediables/the womanwhoisto

ethemac lue Thinkofanold

atedenoughtotiemyselftoa petti-

er m u st l e a e h e r be h in d . e s

oit but knowmyself should

forher. till nobodyknows

t ak e he r or l ea e h er "

r c r ie d a o i ce t h at f i ll e d C a s -

d. Heturnedsharply andsaw

c r ie d t he c as h ie r a lo u d.

ic timbythistime andifCas-

adbeentofastena uarrelonaman

hewassomuchtornbyopposing

eresultwasa temporaryparalysis.

alkhefellonc emoreintothatfe er

sthosewhoareso carriedawayby

ytoc ommitac rime butha enot

actertokeepitto themsel eswith-

eprocess. o althoughCastanier

eapthefruits ofacrimewhichwas

hehesitatedtocarryouthisdesigns.

menofmi edc harac terinwhomweak -

uallyblended theleasttrif lingc on-

ethertheyshallcontinuetolead

meacti elyc riminal. nthe ast

nNapoleon sarmiesthereweremany


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O N C I L E D .2 7

possessedthepurelyphysicalc ourage

eld yetlackedthemoralcourage

eatincrimeashecouldha ebe en

ftedin suchtermsthatimme-

mightdrawtwenty-f i ethousand

atschildine the ondonc orrespond-

ingen. The ondonhousehadbeen

draf tabouttobemadeuponthem

mself.H ehadinstructedanagent

otakehispassageina esselwhic hwas

hawealthy nglishfamilyonboard

y andthepassage-moneyhadbeen

ount erraro. Thesmallestdetails

oughtout.H ehadarrangedmat-

searc hthatwouldbemadeforhim

t erland whilehehimselfwasatseain

en bythetimethatN uc ingenmight

on thetrackofhislate cashier the

unt erraro hopedtobesafeinNaples.

figurehis faceinordertodisguise

ely andbymeansofanacid

allpo . et inspiteofall

chsurelyseemedasif theymust

unity hisconsciencetormented

ee enandpeac efullifethathehad

edthemoralityofthecamp.H is

hec ouldnotsully itw ithoutapang.

bandonedhimselftoallthe influences

nuouslyresisted.

a t la s t a t t he c o rn e r of t h e B o u le a r d

e w illtakeac abaf tertheplay

toV ersailles. A postchaisewillbe

uartermaster splac e. H ewould

ado enmenwerestandingreadyto


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



R E C O N C I L E D.

c esareallinmyfa or sofaras

al l t ak e my l i tt l e N a u i w it h m e a n d

e c l ai m ed t h e n g li s hm a n a n d t he

c edro eallthec ashier sbloodbac k

burywhichwaswaitingfor him

uicklythatwhenC astanierlooked

ndredpacesawayfromhim and

hismindtoc utof f theman sretreat

ayuptheB oule ardMontmartre.

rd thereissomethingsupernatural

etohimself. f werefoolenoughto

houldthink thatH ehadset aintMichael

hatthede ilandthepolic eshould

se soastonabmeinthenic kof time

helike B utthere thisisfolly

heRuedu aubourg-Montmartre

enearedtheRueR ic her. There on

of buildingswhichlookedout

edtheunconsciousc auseofCastanier s

owninthe uarterasMme. dela

yofc ertaine entsinthecashier s

nordertoe plainthesefacts andto

mentofthecrisiswhenhe yieldedto

tshewasaPiedmontese.N o

t an i er k n ew h er r e al n a me . h e w as o n e

aredri enbydiremisery by in-

o r b y fe a r of s t ar a t io n t o h a e

mostof themloathe manyregard

somefewfollowinobediencetothe

utonthebrink ofthegulfof

eyounggirlofsi teen beautifuland

hadmetw ithCastanier. Theold


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O N C I L E D .2 9

dhomelytomakehis wayin

edof trampingtheboule ardatnight

estsmadetherebygold. orsome

obringacertainregularityinto an

ckbythebeautyof thepoorchild

intohis arms andhisdetermina-

elifeofthestreets washalf-bene -

ssomeofthethoughtsof thebestofmen

nditionsmingleelementsofe il

uralgoodnessofheart andthe

nderly ingaman sintentionsshouldbe

tanierhad ustc le ernessenoughtobe

owninterestswerec onc erned. ohe

ropistoneithercount andatfirst

hesaidtohimself inhissoldierly fashion

andasheepshallnotmakeafoolofme.

beforeyousetuphousekeeping rec on-

terforabit andseeifsheisasteady

ethePiedmonteseastatusthe most

ctabilityamongthosewhichtheworld

uringthefirstyear shetookthenom

oneof thecharac tersinV enic ePre-

dc hanc edtoread. hefanciedthatshe

nfaceandgeneralappearance and

artand brainofwhichshewas

anierfoundthatherlifewas aswell

aswaspossibleforasoc ialoutlaw he

eyshouldli eashusbandandwife.

ofMme. delaGarde inorderto

Parisianusagespermit theconditions

matterof fac t manyof these

nef i edidea tobelookeduponas

women wholeadhumdrumli esof


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



C O N C I L E D .

ands womenwhowouldmakee c el-

fhouseholdaccounts andmendersof

ngspringsfroma sentimentso

ldtakeitinto consideration.But

e er w illassuredlypersistinregarding

or ettedulyauthori edbyherf lag

wncourse whilethewomanwhois

rate andanoutlawforlackof a

ewhenMme.delaGardewouldfain

Mme. Castanier. Thec ashierwasput

emewellenoughtomarryme "

er hewasabsorbedbyhisthoughts.

elfto herfate.Thee -dragoon

sheartsoftenedtowardshimatthe

etriedtosoothehim butwhatc ould

knowwhatailedhim WhenN a ui

owthesecret althoughshene erasked

ashierdolefullyc onfessedtothee ist-

er.Thislawfulwife athousand

inginahumblewayin trasbourgon

hewrotetohertw iceayear andkept

ncesowellthatnoone suspectedthat

nofthis reticence fitis famil-

ho maychancetobeina like

hapsworthwhiletogi ethestory.

if itisallowableheretoemploythe

nifiesa manwhoisdestinedtodie

fserf apartandparc elofhisregi-

mplec reature andCastanierwas

a ic timtothew ilesofmotherswith

oolongontheir hands. twasat

thosebrief inter alsof reposewhen

renotonac ti eser ic eabroad that


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O N C I L E D .2 01

yastopay someattentiontoayoung

edataridotto thepro inc ialname

engi enbythemilitaryto tne

ersa ingarrisontowns. A schemefor

ptainintomatrimonywasimmediately

eschemesbywhichmotherssecure

eartbytouchingallits moti e

on ertalltheirf riendsintofellow-con-

edbyoneidea theseladiespress

ic eof theirgreatpro ec t slowly

muchastheant-lione c a atesits

inwaitat thebottomforits

noonestrays af terall intothatc are-

h upposethattheant-liondies

rpit uc hthingsmaybe butif

c eentersin itne erc omesout. A ll

ulledto induceactiononthe

ed appealsweremadetothe sec ret

alwayscomeintoplayin suchcases

er shopesandon theweaknessesand

e. Unluc k ily hehadpraisedthe

enhebrought herbackaftera

llowed andthenanin itationinthe

rld.O nceintroducedintothe

asda z ledbythehospitalityofafamily

heirrealwealthbeneathashow of

sskilfullyflatteredonallsides and

rhisbenef itthe arioustreasuresthere

ddinner ser edonplateloanedby

showntohimbythe onlydaughterof

f thetown awell-to-dosub- lieutenant

eground fromunderhisfeetall

inshort of thepro inc ialant- lion

osuchgoodpurpose thatCastanier


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



C O N C I L E D .

Tothisday donotknowhowit

teenthousandfrancswiththelady

marriage bec ametheugliestandc on-

ishwomanonearth. uc k ily they

omple ion maintainedbya

thefresh brightc olorinherfac e which

desty bec ameo erspreadw ith

herf igure whichhadseemedso

theangelbec ameasuspic iousand

o eC astanierfrantic.Thenthefor-

tlengththedragoon nolonger

whomhehadwedded lef thertoli e

rasbourg untilthetimewhenit

o ehertoadornparadise. he

ouswomenwho forwantofother

rythelifeoutof anangelwithcom-

if theirprayersareheardinhea en

patienc eof theA lmighty andsay

f theirhusbandsindo e- likemurmurs

w iththeirneighbors. WhenA q uilina

heclung stillmoreaffectionatelyto

ehimsohappy ary ingw ithwoman s

thwhichshefilledhis life thatall

useofthe cashier sdownfall.

seembynaturedestinedtosound

Mme. delaGardewasdisinterested.

oldnorfor ewelry ga enothought

ntirely forthepresentandforthepleas-

eac ceptede pensi eornamentsand

soeagerlyc o etedbywomenofher

hemorein thepictureoflife.There

ty inherdesirenottoappearatabetter

thefairer and moreo er nowoman

uriesmorec heerfully . Whenamanof


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s s

_ u s e # p d



O N C I L E D .2 93

ilitarymenaremostlyof thisstamp

n hefeelsasortofe asperation^a t

ngenerosity.H efeelsthathe

obtainmoneyforher ifhehasnot

ewillcommitacrimeif sohe

theeyesofsomewomanorof his

thenatureof theman. uc halo er

ldbedishonoredinhisown eyesif

heborrowedfromawaiterin a

lshrink f romnoc rime w illlea ehis

apenny androbandmurder if so

ngtablew ithafullpurse andhis

amongthefre uentersofthatfatal

astanier.

ngA q uilinainamodestfourth-

furniturebeingof thesimplestkind. B ut

beautyandgreat ualities whenhehad

dunlooked-forhappinesswithher he

andlongedtoadornhis idol.Then

ssoc omic allyoutofkeepingw ithher

htheir sakesitwasclearlyincumbent

hangeswallowedupalmostallCasta-

hefurnishedhisdomestic paradisew ithall

ishedonakeptmistress. A pretty

erythingprettyabouther theunityof

ersurroundingssingles herout

ssentimentofhomogeneityindeed

esc apedtheattentionofobser ers

nature andthesamepromptingleads

ndthemsel eswithdrearyrelicsof

lyP iedmontesemustha ethenewest

dallthatwasdaintiest andprettiestin

ilk sor ewelry inf inec hinaandother

heaskedfornothing butwhen

kea choice whenC astanierasked


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



C O N C I L E D .

l i ke " s h e wo u ld a n sw er W h y t h is

e n e e r c ou n ts t h e co s t a n d C a s ta n ie r

nicest.

hadbeensetup therewasnoth-

ginthehouseholdmustbeincon-

plate andc rystalthroughathousand

dituredowntothepotsandpansin

admeantto dothingssimply " as

egraduallyfoundhimselfmoreand

penseentailedanother. Thec loc k

iresmustbelightedin theorna-

urtainsandhangingswere toofresh

smuts sotheymustbereplaced

replac es warrantedtogi eoutno

tionsof thepeoplewhoarec le erat

ThenA q uilinafounditso niceto

thec arpetinherroom thatCasta-

petslaide erywhereforthepleasureof

bathroom too wasbuiltforher

atshe mightbemorecomfortable.

en andmanufacturersinParisha ea

gingaholeina man spurse.They

anythinguponin uiry andasthe

nnotabidedelay ordersaregi enby

o imateestimateofcost.The

dinthebillsatonce butplythepur-

isheadspins. v erythingisso

ande eryoneissatisf ied.

bligingfurniture dealersaremeta-

earintheshapeof alarmingtotalson

lw iththeirhorridc lamor theyare

ey theyare asyoumaysay onthe

eirtearsf low itisheartrendingto

nthegulfyawns andgi esup

smarc hingfourdeep when asa


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O N C I L E D .2 95

uldha eissuedinnocently threeby

nyideaofhow muchhehadspenbf

uilinatoha eac arriagef romali ery

t insteadofac ab. Castanierwasa

d a n e c e l l en t c oo k a n d A q u i li n a t o

madethepurchasesofearlyfruit and

c ac i es a n d e q u i s i t e wi n es . B u t a s

ofherown thesegif tsofhers so

houghtand tactandgraciousness

erenolessadrainuponC astanier s

hisN a uitobew ithoutmoney and

pmoney inherpoc ket. othetable

penditureforamanwithCastanier s

nwasc ompelledtoresortto arious

forhecouldnotbring himselfto

fe. He lo edthewomantoowellto

ress.H ewasoneofthose men

eorthroughweaknessofc haracter c an

an falseshameo erpowersthem

an maketheadmissions: can-

notpermit I c annot

astaniersawthatifhemeanttoemerge

whichhehadplunged hemust

li euponbreadandwater hewasso

tochangehishabitsof life

nsofreformuntil themorrow.

andhebeganbyborrowingmoney.

ousc haracterinspiredc onf idenc e and

getode iseasystemofborrow ing

t. Then asthetotalamountofdebt

drecoursetothosecommercialin en-

dationbills.Thisformofbilldoes

ter aluerec ei ed andthef irst


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



C O N C I L E D .

namedfortheobliging personwho

raudis toleratedbecauseitis

nd moreo er itisanimaginary

srealifpaymentisultimatelyre-

idently impossibletoborrowany

setheamountofthedebtwasnow so

causeC astanierwasunabletopaythe large

foresaidsumsof money thecashier

m. O nmak ingthisdisco ery he

nkruptcyratherthananordinary

crimetoa misdemeanor.He deter-

ofthe celebratedcashieroftheR oyal

rustdeser edlywon andtoincrease

by makingafinalloanofthe

n comfortinaforeigncountryfor

his ashasbeenseen hehadpre-

oftheirksomecaresof thislife

tenc e asmanyawomandoes mak ingno

moneyc amefrom e enassundry

tteredrollsuntroubledbyanyrest-

othecultureandgrowthof wheat

alculationsofagriculturelieonthe

so en so beneaththeunappreciated

nhousehold lie intolerablean ieties

enduringthetortureof thestrain and

hedeedthatshouldchangehis

awasly inglu uriouslyback inagreat

beguilingthetimebychattingwith

uentlyhappensinsuc hcases the

stress c onfidante ennyha ingf irst

mistress asc endencyo erCastanier


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

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O N C I L E D .2 97

hise ening eonseemsdetermined

Gardewassay ing asshereadaoas-

nafaint graynote-paper.

s a id e n ny .

uilina now isedisconc erted c rumpled

ihthetongs andhelditinthef lames.

o w it h y ou r l o e - le t te r s i s i t "

e s " s a i d A q u i l i n a i s i t no t t he b e st

B esides f ireshouldgotothef ire

er.

f it w e re a r e al l o e - le t te r N a u i

ha n ds o me e n ou g h to r e ce i e t h em s h e

headfora kiss.Therewasacare-

hatwouldha etoldanymanless

atitwasonlyapiec eofc on ugalduty

is o y t o th e ca s hi e r b u t us e a nd w on t

othepointwhereclear-sightednessis

e.

o a t t h e Gy m na s e th i s e e n in g " h e

dinnerearly andthenweneednotdine

a m t ir e d of p l ay s . d o n ot

w ithmethise ening wouldrather

me t h ou g h N a u i s h al l n ot b e h er e t o

e s N a u i a m g oi n g to s t ar t t o-

metimebefore c omebac kagain.

ginyourc harge. Willyoukeepyour

oanythingelse " shesaid but

n N a uiw illstillbeN a uifor

ness. oyouwouldnotfollowme


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



E C O N C I L E D .

a n l e a e t h e lo e r w ho w r it e s me s u ch

heasked pointingtotheblac kened

kingsmile.

n it a s ke d C a s t an i er . H a e y o u

A q u il in a a nd h a e y o u ne e r gi e n it

r Tobeginw ith youaref if tyyears

stthesortof fac etoputonafruit

edtosellyouforapumpk in noone

oupuffandblowlikea sealwhen

urpaunchrisesandfallslikethe dia-

rehead tisprettyplainthatyou

youarea eryugly- lookingoldman.

ha eanymindtokeepmyrespec t

dimbecilitytothese ualitiesby

as amwillbecontentw ithyour

dnotlook foryouthandgoodlooksand

riety

r e la u gh i ng o f co u rs e "

a n d ar e y ou n o t la u gh i ng t o o D o y ou

gmethatyouaregoingaway

t shesaid mimick inghistones.

ouldyoutalk likethatifyouwere

ourN a ui ouwouldc ry like

o w i l l y ou f o ll o w h e a sk e d.

his ourneyofyoursisabad oke

a m go i ng .

o us l y s h al l s t ay . A p l e as a nt o u rn e y

w illwaittillyoucomeback . would

ethantakelea eofmydear c o y

o t a ly t o N a p l es a n d le a d a pl e as a nt


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

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O N C I L E D .2 99

uriouslife w iththisstoutoldfogy

dblowslikeaseal

e cr i ed r i si n g to h e r fe e t. I m i gh t

omentandtakenothingoutof itbut

i enyouallthetreasuresayounggirl

tingthatnote erydropinyour einsand

e b ac k . f b y a ny m e an s w ha t e e r b y

ity forinstanc e c ouldrec o ermy

l f o r h a e p e rh a ps r e de e me d m y

salily formylo er wouldnothesitate

tofde otionhasrewardedmine ou

e ustasyougi eadogfoodanda

ectionto thehouse andhemay

tof humor andlickourhandsas

calltohim.A ndwhichofustwo

egenerous " shec urtlyaskedCas-

d o y o u no t s ee t h at a m o k in g r e -

mgoingonashort ourney shall

ng. B utc omewithmetotheGym-

u s t be f or e m id n ig h t a f te r h a e h a d ti m e

rereallygoing areyou " shesaid.

hisnec k anddrewdownhishead

me c riedC astanier w ithhisfac e

breast. Thatdamselturnedtosay in

o t o e o n a n d t el l h im n o t to c om e t il l o ne

otf indhim andhec omeshereduring

phiminyourroom. Well " shewent

nier andgi ingatweaktothetipofhis

d handsomestofsealsthatyouare. w ill

uthise ening. B utallingood


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



C O N C I L E D .

ner Thereisanic elittledinnerfor

p a rt f r om s u ch a w om a n as y o u e -

whydoyougo askedshe.

f w e re t o b eg i n to e p l ai n t he r e a-

youthingsthatwouldpro etoyouthat

m ad n es s . A h i f y ou h a e s a cr i fi c ed

h a e s o ld m i ne f o r yo u w e ar e u i ts .

ut s a id s h e. C o m e n o w p r o mi s e

eryouwouldstilllo emeasafather

o m e n o w p r om i se i t a t on ce a n d

t.

andCastaniersmiledashespoke.

r table andwentthencetothe

partofthe performancewaso er

toshowhimselftosomeof hisac-

se soastoturnawayanysuspic ionof

me.dela Gardeinthecornerbo

ac c ordingtohermodestwont and

inthelobby.H ehadnotgone

wthe nglishman andw ithasudden

sationofheatthat oncebeforehad

andof theterrorthathehadfelt

ofacewithMelmoth.

ierglanc edroundatthepeoplewho

m. Hefanc iedthathec ouldseeaston-

eireyes andwishingtoberid of

e heraisedhishandtostrikehim

edbysomein isiblepowerthatsapped

tothespot.H eallowedthe

earm andtheywalkedtogetherto

ends.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O N C I L E D .3 01

ghtoresistme saidthe nglishman

ounotknowthate erythinghereon

atitisinmypowertodoe erything

ts seethefuture and knowthepast.

anbeelsewherealso. Timeandspac eand

.Thewholeworldis atmybeck

owerofc ontinualen oymentandof

e e th r ou g h wa l ls d i sc o e r h id d en t r ea s -

ith them.Palacesariseatmynod

omistakes. canmakealllands

heapuptheirgoldandprecious

dmyselfwithfairwomenande er-new

yieldeduptomywill. c ouldgamble

ange andmyspec ulationswouldbeinfal-

anf indthehoardsthatmisersha e

ottroublehimselfaboutstocks.

handthatgraspsyou poorwretc h

ytobendthearmof iron try to

art ly f rommeifyoudare

oic einthedepthsof thec a esthatlie

umighthideintheCatac ombs butwould

My oic ec ouldbeheardthroughthe

myeyesshineasbrightlyas thesun

u ci f er

riblewords andfeltnoprotestnor

elf.He walkedsidebysidewith

hadnopowertolea ehim.

o u ha e u s t co m mi t te d a cr i me . h a e

om ha esought. Ha eyouamind

ha youc ameheretoseeaplay

ay two. Come. Presentmeto

ofyourbestf riends. A m not

"

bythestranger returnedtohisbo ,

htheorderhehad ustrecei ed he


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



C O N C I L E D .

mothtoMme.delaGarde.A q uilina

astsurprised.The nglishman

front andCastanierwasonc emore

eman sslightestw ishmustbeobeyed.

begin for atthattime smallthea-

c es. O neof theactorshadmadethe

ndthate eningPerlet theac torin

ay i n a a u de i l l ec a ll e d th e e C o m e di e n

chhef illedfourdif ferentparts.

thestrangerstretchedouthishand

e. Castanier sc ryof terrordiedaway

eemedgluedtogetherasMelmoth

andthecashierknewthatthe playhad

glishman sdesire.

matthebank hesawtheB aronde

withapolice-officerfromthePrefec-

ghimofC astanier sc onduc t e plain-

bscondedwithmoneytakenfrom

historyof theforgedsignature. The

ng thedocumentsignedand

blicProsecutor.

oyouthink askedN uc ingen.

agentofpolic e heisattheGymnase

ything.

isc hair andmadeasifhewould

tMelmoth shandlayonhisshoulder

andwatc h thehideouspowerof

ctlikethatof nightmare andhe

ay themanhimselfwasthenight-

ighedhea ilyonhis ic timlikea

henthewretchedcashierturnedto

n smerc y hemetthosebla ingeyes

urrents whichpiercedthroughhim

dartsofsteel.

ne t o y ou " h e s a i d i n h i s p ro s tr a te


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O N C I L E D .3 03

breathedhardlikeastagatthewater s

w an t o f me

el m ot h .

tage.Thescenehad beenchanged.

er andC astanierbeheldhimself

ew ithA q uilina butasheentered

eintheRueR ic her thesc eneagain

andhesawhisownhouse. ennywas

mistress roomwithasubaltern

en stationedatParis.

e " s a id t h e se r ge a nt w h o se e me d t o

yc irc umstances I c anbehappy

A q uilinatoowelltoallowhertobelong

myself amgoingtomarryMme. dela

ergeant.

astaniermurmuredpiteously .

terandmistress hideyourself

o n s ie u r e o n " s a id e n ny . T h e ma s -

ery long.

ergeanthidehimselfamongA q ui-

ssing-room.Almostimmediatelyhe

hesc ene andtook lea eofhismis-

f hi m i n a s id e s t o e n ny w h il e s he

enderestwordsinhis ears. he

face andlaughedwiththeother.

encore.

c riedC astanierf romhisbo .

gtillthetearscameintohereyes.

c ried howfunnyPerletisasthe

y d o n t y o u la u gh v e r y o n e el s e in

augh dear shesaidtoC astanier.

g andtheunhappycashier

man slaughterwrunghisheartand

wasasifasurgeonhadboredhisskull


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



C O N C I L E D.

ey laughing stammeredCastanier.

nglishladywhomPerletwasac t-

fec t norhearthe nglish renc h

withroarsoflaughter insteadofall

hurry ingf romtheRueR ic her hail-

ard bargainingw iththemantotake

oncemorethescenechanged.H e

natthec ornerof theR uede1 O ran-

ec ollets whichwaskeptbyhisold

stwoo c lock inthemorning themost

ed noonewastheretowatc hhis

horseswereputintothec arriage it

v enuedeParisinwhichan

andhadbeenorderedintheforeigner s

uspic ion . C astaniersawthathehad

s steppedintothec arriage andset

esawtwogendarmeslyinginwait

fhorrorburstf romhim butMel-

ce andagainthesounddiedinhis

h e st a ge a n d be u i et " s a id t h e

astaniersawhimselfflungintoprison

andinthef if thac tof thedrama enti-

h e s aw h i ms e lf i n t hr e e mo n th s t i me

arsofpenalser itude. A gainac ry

se poseduponthePlac eduPalais-

e ec utionerbrandedhimwithared-hot

sceneofall amongsomesi ty

ardof theB ic & tre hewasawaiting

nsri etedonhislimbs.

o t la u gh a n ym o re " s a id A q u i li n a.

emn dearboy whatc anbethematter

astanier " saidMelmothwhenthe


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O N C I L E D .3 05

ndtheattendantwasfasteningMme.

andescapeimpossible.

s i t

anhinderyoufromtakingA q uilina

ttoV ersailles theretobearrested.

ahandthatw illne errela itsgrasp "

n.

powertoutter somewordthat

amongli ingmenandhidehimin

e ilweretomakeabidforyoursoul

himnowine c hangeforthepowerof

d andthosef i ehundredthousand

eB arondeN uc ingen ssafe then

rofcredit andalltracesofyour

Moreo er youwouldha egold

elie einanythingperhaps Well

youw illbelie eatleastinthe

sble saidCastanier oyfully .

itallgi esyouhiswordthatitis

the nglishman.

andMme. delaGardewerestanding

whenMelmothraisedhisarm. A dri -

thestreetsweremuddy theairwas

darknesso erhead butinamoment

ed Pariswasf illedwithsunlight it

ulyday. Thetreeswerec o ered

estreamof oyousholidaymakersstrolled

flicoricewatershoutedtheircool

esrolledpastalongthestreets.A

cashier andatthatcryrain and

eddownupontheB oule ard.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



C O N C I L E D .

ppedintothec arriage. Dobe

hec ried eitherc omeinorstayout. Really

terthise ening

C astanieraskedofMelmoth.

ke m y p la ce i n u i re d t he n g -

w illbeatyourhouseinafewmo-

nier youareratherof fyourbalanc e "

Thereissomemisc hiefbrew ing you

andthoughtfulallthroughtheplay.

t c a n gi e y o u d e ar T e ll m e

weareathometoknowwhetheryou

llthen " shesaid throw ingherarms

e shesaid assheembracedhim

anc e andpliedhimwiththec oa ing

thebusinessofsuc halifeashers like

.

askedC astanier.

l y t h in k of y o ur h e ar i ng m us i c no w

h e w en t o n. T h e so u nd s s ee m t o

e a l wa y s re f us e d to g i e m e a bo a t t he

uldnotabidemusic andareyouturn-

meofday Madthatyouare

wnnoddle oldaddle-pate she

sheadinherhandsandroc keditto

T e ll m e n ow o l d ma n i s n t i t

sthatsingsinyourears

u i f t h e an g el s m ak e m us i c fo r G od

suc hmusic asthisthat amdrinkingin

thanhearing. donotknowhowtotell

weetashoney-water


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O N C I L E D .3 07

t h ey h a e m u si c i n he a e n f o r th e a ng e ls

harpsintheirhands. He ismad

esaidtoherself asshesawCastanier s

anopium-eaterina blissfultrance.

astanier absorbedbythe

ustheardandseen knewnot

no hewaslikeadrunkenman and

nectedly.H ecametohimselfin

whitherhehadbeensupportedbytheunited

heporter and enny forhehad

the carriage.

t ly O h m y f ri e nd s m y fr i en d s

mselfdespairinglyintothe depthsof

.

hespoke andadmittedthe nglish-

at agentlemanhadcomewhohad

hthemaster " whenMelmothsud-

epsilencefollowed.H elookedatthe

elookedat ennyand enny

e lm o th t u rn i ng t o A q u i li n a w i th

llconcludeapieceofurgentbusiness.

hand andCastanierrose andthetwo

-room.Therewasnolight inthe

eyeslitupthethic kestdarkness. The

eyeshadlef tA q uilinalikeonespell-

ess unabletotakeanythoughtforher

s h e b el i e e d h im t o b es a fe i n e n ny s r o om

hadtakenthe waiting-womanby

ddenthe officerinthedressing-room.

ac tly asinthedramathatMelmoth

tim.Presentlythehouse-doorwas

ndCastanierreappeared.

c riedthehorror-struc kA q uilina.

cashier sappearance.A strange


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



E C O N C I L E D .

nc erubic undc ountenanc e itworethe

ylookofthe mysterious isitor.

eswasintolerable thefiercelightin

hemanwhohadlookedso good-

edhadsuddenlygrowntyrannical

thoughtthatC astanierhadgrown

rriblema esty inhisbrow itwasasif

malignantinfluencethatweighed

se hea yatmosphere. oramoment

attodo.

nyouandthatdiabolical-looking

s sheaskedatlength.

o u l to h i m. f e el i t a m n ol o ng e r

myself andgi enmehissoulin

estanditatallA h hewas

w en t o n t h e fi e nd w as r i gh t s e e e e r y-

ouha ebeendecei ingme

withterror. C astanierlighteda

essing-room.Theunhappygirl

ewilderment andgreatwasher

tanierdrewthedressesthathungthere

geant.

y " s a i d t he c a sh i er a n d t a k in g e o n

c oat hedrewtheof f icerintohisroom.

ardanddesperate hadflungherself

tanierseatedhimselfonasofaby

uilina slo erinastandingposition.

th e a rm y " s a id e o n a m r ea d y

.

s a i d C a s ta n ie r d ri l y. h a e n o o cc a-

youbyalook if hadanymind

hatitis youngster whyshould

redlineroundyourneck theguillo-


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O N C I L E D .3 09

es youw illendinthePlac ede

eadsman sproperty thereisnoesc ape

endilaof theCarbonari. ouare

ernment.

hat " c riedthePiedmontese turn-

thattheMinisterdecidedthismorn-

ety thec ashierc ontinued. The

stofyournames. ouha ebeen

rawinguptheindictmentatthis

betrayedhim c riedA q uilina and

rthroatlikethegrowl ofatigress

heseemedasifshewouldtearC astanier

elltobelie eit " C astanierretorted.

edbyhisc oolness.

ow it shemurmured.

til wentintothedrawing-room

seeandknowallthings andc andoall

omewithama ement.

a e h im s a e h im d ea r " c ri ed t he

astanier sfeet. I fnothingis

e h i m w i ll l o e y ou w i ll a d or e

a eandnotyourmistress. w illobey

oushalldoasyouw illw ithme. es

u mo r e th a n lo e y o u sh a ll h a e a d a ug h -

lasRodolphe whyw illyounot

howe er iolentmypassionsmaybe

e r W h a t s ho u ld s a y to p e rs u ad e

pl e as u re s 1 G re a t he a e n s o n e

youshallaskofmetof lingmyself f rom

eyouwillneedtosay butoneword

w illplungedownintohell. wouldbear


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



C O N C I L E D .

fbodyorsoul anythingyoumight

hindif ference. orallanswer he

w ithaf iendishlaugh.

gforhim " herepeated.

H e s h al l no t le a e t hi s ho us e. w il l sa e

es w illk illanyonewholaysa

w i ll y o u no t s a e h i m " s h e

eswerebla ing herhairunbound.

g .

e h i m

a s t a ni e r a n d hi s o i ce m a de t h e ce i l-

m y re e n ge D o i ng e i l i s my t r ad e

u il in a m us t he d ie m y lo e r. s i t

heda stilettofromabasketthat

wersandwenttoC astanier who

ellthatsteelc annothurtmenow

denlydroppedlikeasnappedharpstring.

ygoodfriend " saidthec ashier turning

dgoaboutyourbusiness.

theotherfeltCastanier ssuperior

hoosebutobey.

c ouldsendforthecommissaryof

gi eyouupasamanwhohashidden

but wouldratherletyougo am

py.

saidA q uilina.

r e tu r ne d C a s t an i er . H e r e e n ny

a ca b f or t h em . H e r e N a u i "

ngabundleofbank-notesfromhis


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O N C I L E D .3 11

tgoawaylike apauperfromaman

edthousandfrancs. A q uilina

hemonthef loor spatonthem and

ren yofdespair.

o us e o n fo o t " s h e c r ie d ' w i th o ut a

enny staywhereyouare.

answeredthecashier ashegatheredup

ha ec omebac k f rommy ourney.

lookingatthebew ilderedwaiting-maid

agoodsortofgirl. ouha eno

re. Thise eningyoushallha ea

afenowhere wentatonc ew iththe

oneofherf riends. B utall eon s

ciouslywatchedbythepolice andafter

riendswerearrested.The whole

newspapersofthatday.

undergoneamentalaswellasa

TheCastanierof oldnolonger

oung othario thesoldierwhohad

whohadbeentrickedintoamarriage

ashier thepassionatelo erwhohad

uilina ssake. Hisinmostnature

elf. H isbrainhade panded his

isthoughtscomprehendedthewhole

hingsofearthasifhehadbeenraised

o etheworld.

heplayhehadlo edA q uilinato

gi eheruphewouldha eshuthis

andnowallthatblind passionhad

anishesinthesunlight.

succ eedtohermistress position

hecashier sw illinallthings but


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



C O N C I L E D .

dreadtheinmostthoughtsof thesoul

ti eunderly ingthispurelyphysical

himselfw ithher howe er likeamis-

dilysuc ksthe uic eof thec herryand

ne tmorningatbreakfast-time

inc edthatshewasaladyandthe

astanierutteredonebyonethethoughts

drankhercoffee.

arethink ing c hild " hesaid

lyou: S oallthatlo elyrosewoodfur-

somuc h andtheprettydressesthat

nenow A ll oneasytermsthatmadame

ow w hy . My w or d i f m i gh t d ri e

e e we l s an d p re t ty t h in g s a b o a t t he

thingby w ithmeheshouldleadalife

hewerenot asstrongasa Turk

ma n W a s n o t th a t u s t wh a t yo u we r e

n andsomethinginhis oic emade

e l l y e s c hi l d y ou c o ul d n ot s t an d i t

awayforyourowngood youwould

me letuspartgoodfriends " and

ha erysmallsumofmoney.

nierhadpromisedhimselfthathe

powerboughtat thepriceofhis

fullandcompleteindulgenceofall

order readilysettledhisac count

whofoundaworthyGermantosuc -

erminedona carouseworthyofthe

man mpire. He plungedintodis-

elsha z arofoldwenttothatlastfeast

sh a z a r h e s aw c le a rl y t hr o ug h h is r e e l s

edhis doominlettersofflame not

eban ueting-c hamber buto erthe

nthattherainbowspans. Hisfeastwas


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



C O N C I L E D .

ness nolongere istedforhim. Hehad

ppetitesthatpleasuremusto erpass

ckleapalatecloyedwithsatiety and

sbeyondallmeasure sothatordinary

eful.Consciousthat atwillhewas

enthathecoulddesire knowing

sible hedidnotcaretoe erc iseit

e pressedw ishes tohismoste tra a-

feltahorriblethirstforlo e andwould

e ir p o we r t o gi e .

hingsa efaithandprayer the

ethatisnotof thisworld. H e

e position.

dpleasure andthoughtthatshook

mewouldha eo erwhelmedthe

butinhimtherewasapowerof

hepowerofthe sensationsthat

thinhima agueimmensityof long-

tisfy.H espenthisdays onout-

otra ersetheluminousf ieldsofspac e

newafarby intuiti eperc eption a

edge.H issouldriedup withinhim

edafter thingsthatcanneitherbe

orwhic hhec ouldnotc hoosebutc ra e.

s burnedw ithdesire hepantedfor

newallthings.

hemeoftheworldwasapparent

ginterestedhimnolonger hedidnot

scornthatmakesof amanof

sphin whoknowse erythingandsays

hingswithanunmo edc ountenanc e.

wishtocommunicatehisknowledge

hwithall thewealthoftheworld

kethe circleoftheglobe and

aninglessforhim.H efeltthe


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O N C I L E D .3 15

potence amelancholywhich

ebythee erc iseof inf initepower

tothemalone.C astanierhad

theine tinguishableenergyofhate

t h e wa s a d e i l b u t a de i l

ome while atanisade il

dbeingdamnedbeyondredemption

ld likeadung-heap w ithhis

ereinthedesignsofGod.B ut

sfortune hadonehopelef t.

dmo efromonepoletotheother

yf romsidetosideinitsc age when

ossedhisprison hesawthe astim-

t. That isionof the nf initelef t

eehumanityanditsaf fairsasother

atefoolswholongfor thepower

irabilityfrom ahumanstandpoint

thede il spowertheyw illlikew ise

ndthattheywillbe doomedtoremain

whowillnolonger understandthem.

torywhodreamsofsettingParis on

tainment likeane hibitionofa

dsof atheatre doesnotsuspect

wer Pariswouldbecomeforhimaslittle

bythe roadsidetoahurrying

escienceswasforC astanier

fora manwhodoesnotknowthe

ernmentsweredespicableinhis

hadbeenin somesortadeplorable

n.Theearthhadgrowntoo nar-

rnalgiftslaid bareforhimthesecrets

seand foresawitsend.H ewas

nc all hea en inalllanguages

ldnolongerthinkofhea en.

ndthelookon hispredecessor s


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



C O N C I L E D .

thelifewithin thenheknewall

edhope thatgleamedinMelmoth s

ewthethirstthatburnedthoseredlips and

ugglebetweentwonaturesgrown

yethemightbeanangel andheknew

swasthefate ofasweetandgentle

smalicehasimprisonedinamisshapen

apac t sothatanother sw illmustset

n elope.

easestheardor withwhichaman

plorestheinfiniteofsentimentin a

astanierawoketof indthatoneidealay

anideawhichwasperhapsthe

eryfactthathehad bartered

sledhimto dwellinthoughtupon

rayandbelie e. O nthemorrowof

nteredintothesober possessionofhis

himfeelhimselfaprisoner lieknew

tpoets andprophets andgreat

tforthforusinsuc hmightywords

mingswordplungedintohis side

elmoth.Whathad becomeofhis

ingina mansionintheR ue erou

oomy dark damp andc oldabode.

ne ofthemostdismalstreetsin

ec tlikeallthestreetsthatlieatright

the eine andthehousesarein

sC astanierstoodonthethreshold

elf likethe aultedroof was

oflightedtapersshonebrilliantly

elyinginstate andaprieststood

uethathadbeenraised there.

sk w h yy o u ha e c o me s i r " t h e

stanier youaresolikeourpoor


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O N C I L E D .3 17

B utifyouarehisbrother you

dhimgood-bye.Thegoodgentle-

ast.

C astanieraskedofoneof thepriests.

st " saidanoldpriest hepartly

ackpallthatc o eredthecatafal ue.

him sawoneof thosefac esthat

thesoulseemedtoshineforth from

gnglightandwarmthforothermen

arityw ithin. Thiswas ir ohn

anendthatmenmayen y andthat

s. Doyouknowwhat oythereisin

thatrepents H istearsofpenitenc e

wedwithoutc easing deathalonec hec ked

dweltinhim. H isburningwords

ereworthyof theProphet- ing. f

ha ene erheardamoredread-

helipsof this nglishgentleman

eardsuc hfer entandpassionateprayers.

easuresofhissinsmayha ebeen his

bysstoo erflowing.Thehandof

edoutabo ehim forhewascom-

ewassuc hhea enlybeauty inhisfac e.

edbytears theresonant oicethat

oheardit tookthetenderandcom-

whothemsel esha epassedthrough

edifiedthosewhoheard hiswords

wnto seethespectacleofaC hris-

irkneesashespokeofhea enlythings

fGod andga ethanksandpraise

ingnoworldlywealthtohisfamily

eaterblessing thanthisthathe

asoulamongtheblessed whow ill

irectyouinthepathtohea en.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



E C O N C I L E D .

i idimpressionuponC astanier

omthe housetotheC hurchof

eyingwhatmightbecalledadec reeof fate.

hadstupefiedhim.

inmorningsintheweek apreacher

waswonttoholdc onferenc es inthe

stratedthetruthsofthe C atholic

erationproclaimedtobeindiffer-

yanother oic enolesselo uent

ncehadbeenputoff toalaterhour

sfuneral soCastanierarri ed ustasthe

mi ingtheproofsofafuturee istenc e

c harmofelo uenceandforceofe pres-

himfamous. Theseedsofdi inedoctrine

rthemintheold dragoon intowhom

ndeed if thereisaphenomenonwell

isitnotthespiritualphenomenon

aithof thepeasant " Thestrength

selyw iththeamountofusethataman

aculties. implepeopleandsoldiers

class.Thosewhoha emarched

nnerofinstinct arefarmoreready

mindsandheartso erweariedwiththe

rntemperament hehad oinedthe

n andhadfollowedthe renc hflag

arsold. A sac ommontrooper he

anddayaf terday and asinduty

hishorsef irst andofhimselfaf ter-

dhismilitaryapprentic eship there-

isureinwhichtoreflecton thedestiny

ec ameanof fic erhehadhismento

eptfrombattlefieldto battlefield

ghtofwhatc omesaf terdeath. A

emandmuchthinking.Thosewho


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O N C I L E D .3 19

f typoliticalendsin ol edandthe

on whocannotgrasppolitical

f campaign andcombinethescience

theadministrator areboundto

nc e themostboorishpeasantinthe

ranceisscarcelyinaworse

sebearthebruntofwar y ieldpassi e

tdirectsthem andstrikedownthe

e woodcutterfellstimberinthe

e ertionissucceededbytimesof

rthewaste.Theyfight anddrink

sleep thattheymaythebetterdeal

sof themindarenotgreatlye erc ised

e istenc e andthecharacterisas

eshownsuc henergyonthebattle-

ili ation mostof thosewhoha e

mtoha eac uirednoideas andto

c apac ity forgraspingnew ideas. To

ayoungergeneration thosewhomade

soterribleareas simpleaschildren

rkat hisworst andthecaptainof

ssc arcely f ittokeepamerchant s

f thisstamp therefore beinginno-

theirreasoningfaculties actupon

astanier scrimewasoneofthose

ny uestions that inordertodebate

ghtc allforits disc ussionbyclauses "

entarye pression.

ecrime thecruellyirresistible

ryhaddri enhimtoc ommitit no

I w illne erdothat " whenasiren

dthrowsherspellso erhim.

ponaconsciencenewlyawakened

hichthe renchR e olutionanda


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



E C O N C I L E D.

edC astaniertoneglect.Thesolemn

ehappyormiserableforalleternity "

impressionupon him becausehe

dshakenitlikeabarrentree bec ause

hings sothatitwasenoughthat

enshouldbeforbiddenhim andhe

ngelse. fitwereallowableto

sw ithsoc ialfollies Castanier spo-

abankerwho findingthathis

otobtainforhimanentranceinto

mustsethis heartuponentering

soc ialpri ilegesthathehasalready

n hiseyesfromthemomentwiienhe

oneislack ing.

werfulthan allthekingsonearth

ho like atan c ouldwrestlew ithGod

ainstoneof thepillarsintheC hurchof

eigheddownbythefeelingsandthoughtsthat

bsorbedinthethoughtofafuture the

ulfedMelmoth.

py w a s Me l mo t h " c r ie d C a s t an i er .

etainknow ledgethathewouldgoto

stpossiblechangehad beenwrought

orse eraldayshehadbeenade il

man animageof thefallenA dam

bodiedinall cosmogonies.But

toman sestateheretainedagerm

eensteepedinthe nf inite. Thepower

di inepower. Hethirstedforhea en

daf terthepleasuresofearth thatare

een oymentswhic hthef iendpromises

sofearthonalargersc ale buttothe

i s n o li m it . H e b e l ie e d i n Go d a n d

thetreasuresof theworldwasas


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



C O N C I L E D .

buthisfeelingof terrorsubsidedashe

sofmusicthathe hadcaughtfaintly

ginthechurch hethought and

doorway.B utasheli stenedmore

ureduponhimfromallsides he

e buttherewasnosignofanymusi-

t isionsofadistanthea enand

butitalso uic kenedtheremorsethat

ferment. H ewentonhisway

asmenwalkwhoarecrushedbeneath

w seeinge erythingw ithunseeing

dler stoppingw ithoutc ause mutter-

sof thetraf f ic mak ingnoef fortto

nkof timber.

ncebroughthimundertheinfluence

tsootheswhileitbruisestheheartso

towearalookofMelmoth some-

eofmadnessin thegreatness.A

distress mingledw iththee c ited

d beneathitall agnaw ingsenseof

orldcangi e.Thehumblestof

hat sawwithsuchdreadfulclear-

measureofhis anguish.H isbody

arfulstormthat shookhissoul as

etheblast. ikehispredec essor he

heburdenof life hewasafraidtodie

hell.Thetormentgrewintolerable.

hebethoughthimselfhowthatMel-

blessed hadmadetheproposalofan

thathehadacc eptedit others doubt-

ample forinanageproc laimed by

uenceof the athersof theChurc h

eligion itshouldbeeasyto finda

econditionsofthecontractinorder

es .


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O N C I L E D .3 23

reyoucan learnwhatkingswill

herenationsareweighedinthebalance

wherethe alueofago ernmentis

e- f ranc piece whereideasand

ande erythingisdiscounted where

nner borrowsonthesec urityofH is

thePopehasarunningac countthere.

houldgototraf f ic insouls

oyouslyon Change thinkingthatit

soulastoin estmoney inthe

dinarypersonwouldha efearedridic ule

perience.thatadesperatemantakes

prisonerlyingundersentenceof

madmanwhoshouldtellhimthat

berishhecouldescapethroughthe

sc redulous andc lingstoanideauntil

bornealongbythe currentclingsto

ishand.

atafternoonC astanierappeared

en whoweretransactingpri ate

ge. H ewaspersonallyknowntosomeof

ffectingtobein searchofan

nagedtopickupthec urrentgossipand

ngbillsforC laparon& Co. myboy.

undtoreturntheir acceptancesto

saidafatbankerinhisoutspokenway.

of t h ei r p ap e r l o o ko u t

ding indeepc onsultationwitha

nousrate atwhichheloanedmoney.

hinsearc hof thesaidC laparon a

ationfortakinghea yrisksthat

The money-lenderwalkedaway

gesturebetrayedthespec ulator s


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O N C I L E D .3 25

ed therewasasuddenoutburstof

n sintheassemblywheretheleast

rc tsattention allfaceswereturnedto

sedthesensation andashi er

ersatthe changethathadtaken

ingcrowdthatfillsthe tock

owntoeachotherbysight. They

ersroundacard-table. ome

llhowa manwillplayandthe condi-

f r om a s u r e y of h i s fa ce a n d th e t o ck

astc ard-table. v eryone therefore

ndC astanier. Thelatter likethe

hadbeenmuscularandpowerful his

hiscolorhigh.Thedignityand

c kaweintothemall theywon-

rhadc omebyit andnowtheybeheld

hispower shrunken wrink led aged and

laparonoutofthecrowdwiththe

e erf it hehadlookedlikean

efperiodofe citementthatthedrug

hisreturn heseemedtobeinthec ondi-

inwhichthepatientdiesafter the

besuf feringf romthehorribleprostration

eindulgenc einthedelightsofnar-

thathadupheldhimthroughhis

andthebodywasleft unaidedand

of remorseandthehea yburden

aparon stroublese eryonecould

reappeared ontheotherhand w ith

hisheadhighw iththeprideof u-

fromthe onemantotheother.

f fwithaneasymind oldman "

anier.

s e nd f o r a ca b a nd f o r a pr i es t , s e nd f o r


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



C O N C I L E D .

lpice answeredtheolddragoon

bstone.

reachedtheearsofse eralpeople

eeringamongthestockbrokers for

nmeansabeliefthat ascrapof

epresentsanestate andthelistof

e.

me t o r ep e nt " s a id C a s t a ni e r to h i ms e lf

atimpressedC laparon.

dyingman thespec ulatorwentto

hisbills andthemomentarysensa-

ongofbusiness menbythesudden

anishedlikethefurrowcutbya

ewsof thegreatestimportancekept

f commerceonthealert and

tsareatstake Mosesmightappear

s andhiscomingwouldscarcely

pun thegentlemanwhosebusinessit

ortswouldignorehise istence.

adehispayments fearsei edupon

eabouthis power.H ewenton

dof feredhisbargaintoothermeninem-

Thede il sbond togetherw ith

andpri ilegesappertainingthereunto

f thenotarywhosuc c eededC laparon

mofse enhundredthousandfrancs.

artedwiththeagreementwiththe

thousandfranc stoabuildingc on-

holikewisegotridofit toaniron

nofahundredthousandcrowns.

o c l oc k pe o pl e h ad c ea s ed t o b el i e e i n t he

urchaserswerelackingforwantof

holderof thebondwasahouse-painter

oor ofthebuildinginthe R ue


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O N C I L E D .3 27

attimestockbrokerstemporarilycongre-

simplefellow c ouldnotthink

him. H e feltallanyhow " sohe

thome.

asidlersabouttownareaware isa

thswhoforlackof amistress

tonuponthewholese . O nthe

yrespectabledomiciletherein

uisitec reatureswhomithaspleased

erarest andmostsurpassingbeauty.

heyshouldallbe duchessesor

aremanymoreprettywomenintheworld

othemtoadorn theyarec ontent

bankerhappyat afi edprice.To

uphrasiabyname anunbounded

y sc lerk toaspire. nshort the

ofMaitreCrottat notary hadfallen

outhattwo-and-twentyc anfallinlo e.

emurderedthePopeandrun amuck

collegetoprocurethemiserable

payfora shawlwhichhadturned

atwhichpric eherwaiting-womanhad

ashouldbehis.Theinfatuatedyouth

adame uphrasia sw indows

irc ageatthe ardindesPlantes

beneathhiswaistcoatintheregion

wasf ittotearf romhisbosom butas

atthe elasticofhisbraces.

raisetenthousandfranc s heasked

akeof fw iththemoneythat mustpay

c on eyanc e Goodhea ens my

urchaser amanwithse enmillions

wouldf lingmyselfathisfeetandsay

thousandfranc sbelongingtoyou sir

ge and aminlo ew ith uphrasia


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



C O N C I L E D .

erisrich hew illpayyouback

eyounotyourselfbeentwenty-two

e B utthesebeggarly land-

H e w o u l d be u i te l i ke l y to g i e m e

insteadoftakingpityuponme.

eonlypossibletosellyoursoultothe

n ei t he r a G od n o r a de i l i t i s al l n on -

sandoldw i es talk . Whatshall

d t o se l l yo u r so u l to t h e de i l s i r "

whohado erheardsomethingthatthe

anha ethetenthousandfrancs.

c riedthec lerk ashestruc kabargain

tedthehouse-painter.

efranticclerkwenttofindthe

adame uphrasia sstaircase andas

wasinhim hedidnotc omedownfor

ngthethoughtofhellandofhispri i-

lo eandriotandforgetfulness for

ayallhis hopesofaparadiseto

retof the astpowerdisco ered

nglishman theof fspringofMathurin s

knd andthe ariousO rientalists

gistswhotakeaninterestin these

nddownto posteritytheproper

de il forthefollow ingsuf fic ient

f terthesef ren iednuptialsthe

alletbedinagarretinhismaster s

t-H onor6. hame thestupidgoddess

elf hadtakenpossessionofthe

enill hewouldnursehimself

tityofaremedyde isedbythesk illofa

thewallsofParis andsuccumbed


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O N C I L E D .3 29

rdoseofmerc ury . Hisc orpsewasas

k de ilhadlef tunmistakabletrac es

oulditha ebeenA shtaroth

whomyoureferhas beencarried

y saidtheheadc lerk toaGerman

oin estigatethematteratfirsthand.

re d t o be l ie e i t a n sw e re d t he T e ut o n.

tu r ne d t he o t he r . T h e op i ni o n yo u a d a n ce

wordsof ac obB oehme. nthe

f TheThreefold ifeofMan/

athbroughtallthingstopassw itha

E , t he I A T i s t he s ec re t ma tr i w hi ch c om pr e-

enaturewhichis> formedbythe

dofGod.

s ir

s uotationafresh.

" saidthec lerks.

id t h e cl e rk . i a t lu

c i ta t io n f or y o ur s el e s s a id t h e

ndthepassageinthe Treatiseof the

' page75 theeditionwaspublished

twastranslatedinto renchbya

atadmirationforthe famousshoe-

oe m ak er w a s he s a id t h e he a d cl e rk .

id t h e Ge r ma n .

i n g of P r us s ia i n u i re d a B o e o -

a m pe d u p hi s p ro s e " s a id a t h ir d .

" c riedthefourth pointingtothe

hademonologistofthefirstrank

ofde iltry tobefoundina


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O N C I L E D .

ntawayw ithouttheleastideathat

fhim andfullyundertheimpres-

regardedB oehmeasacolossal

gstridesin ranc e " saidhetohim-

1 35 .


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



S E .

ge .

eC ustine.

I f o rg e t th e e a ct y e ar a P a ri s ia n

ye tensi ebusinessrelationsw ithGer-

rparty inhonorofoneof thefriendsthat

ceandthatby correspondence a

sts foralongwhilebetweenmen

. Thefriend theseniorpartnerofsome

emberg wasastout good-natured

ningandof taste morepartic ularly in

s.H ewasatypicalN uremberger

c ountenanc eandamassi e s uare

rayfairhairshereandthere atypical

tainlessandnoble atherland sofer-

rs preser ingitsmannersuncor-

enin asions. Thestrangerlaughed

ely anddrankw ithmarkeden oy-

hampagneperhapsaswellas thepale

isberg. ikenearlye eryGermanin

wasnamedHermann andinthe

oesnothingw ithle ity hewasc om-

ker stable eatinghiswaythrough

cappetiterenownedallo er

hindeedwashismannerofbiddingadieu

atCarme.

d in itedse eralintimate

uest.Thesewereforthemost part

interspersedwithafewprettyand

oselight gracefultalkandfrankmanner


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



U S E .

anopenheartedness. A nd indeed if

as hadthepleasureofseeing this

ohadsheathedthe acti eclaws

lth thattheymightmakethebest

oy ingthepleasuresof life youwould

nyourhearttogrudgehighratesof

aulters. A manc annotalwaysbein

societyofpirates forinstanc e there

our nowandthenwhenyoumay

he blackflag.

thatbeforeM. Hermanngoeshew illtell

rillingGermanstory

erthedessertbya pale fair-

ohaddoubtlessbeenreadingH off-

a l t er c ot t s n o e l s. h e wa s t he

anirresistiblyc harminggirl whose

edattheGymnase shewaswild

here. Thedinnerpartyhad ust

ycontentandserenedisinclination

cellentdinnerinthecourseof

demandsha ebeenmadeuponthe

estsleanbackin theirchairsandplay

ades whiletheirwristsrepose

theperiodofdeclinewhensome

kneadacrumbofbreadbetween

nthesentimentalwriteillegibleinitials

ssert andthepenuriouscountthe

andarrangethemroundtheedge asa

upernumerariesatthebackofthe

stronomicalpleasureswhichB rillat-

e r u nn o ti c ed e h a us t i e l y as h e h as

therrespec ts.

eared.Thedessert likeas uadron

u i te d i so r ga n i e d d i sa r ra ye d f o rl o rn . n

nthe partofthemistressof the


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



S E .333

shesstrayedaboutthetable. People

w iss iewsthatadornedthegraywalls

nefeltit tedious.Themanhas

mopewhilehedigestsagood dinner.

itsteepedinanindescribablec alm a

weenthetwoe tremesof thethinker s

tentofthe ruminatingbrute

ephysicalmelancholyofgastro-

taneouslytowardstheworthyGer-

htedtolistentoatale e enif itshould

eatificpause themeresoundof

otellsthestory issoothingtoour

emoreaidtopassi een oyment.

es watchedthefac es brightw ith

elightof thetapersandf lushedw ith

ferente pressionsproduc edpi uanteffec ts

eporcelainbasketsof f ruit andthe

pposite partic ularlystruc kmyimagina-

iddle-si edman tolerablystoutand

o f romhismannerandappearance seemed

d sofarasonecouldsee gif tedw ith

tofbrains. Hitherto hadnot

amomenthisfac e obscured tobesure

tometoundergoatotalc hange ittook

einedw ithpurplestreaks. oumightha e

untenanceofamaninthedeathagony.

tedf igureinadiorama hewasstaring

crystaldecanter-stopper buthe

them heseemedtobedeepin

plationofthefutureorofthe past.

bious-lookingfacemademethink.

s ke d m ys e lf . H a s h e t a ke n t oo m u ch

ythefallof thefunds shethinking


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



U S E .

ook saidtoaladywhosat

erattentiontothestranger sfac e that

isitnot

we r ed i f i t we r e h e w ou l d be i n b et t er

grac efultossofherhead sheadded:

e erruinshimself w illtakethenewsto

hereccentricoldgentlemanworth

heusedtobeac ontractortotheim-

dagainasa businessspeculation but

happyforallthat. Hehasapretty

ery longtimehewouldnotrecogni e

sadac c identinaduel hewas

forhewasnotlikely toha eany

onc ethepoorgirlbec ameoneof

s.The lossofhisonlyson threw

eatgrief andhestillshowssigns of

ontractorlookedup andoureyes

mademeshudder itwassogloomyand

elifewassummedup inthatglance.

kedcheerful.He tookuptheglass

glyintothe mouthofthewaterde-

ble infrontofhim andturned

rmann.Themanwaspositi ely

tent andhad nodoubt nottwo

adbeenthink ingofnothing was

edtoha ethrownawaymypowersof

i toha etakenthisthic k-skulled

B utwhile wasmak ingmyphreno-

urewaste thegood-naturedGerman

snuffoffhisfaceandbegunhis

tdif fic ultmattertogi eitinthesame

onfre uentinterruptionsandwordydigres-

rittenitaf termyownfashion omitting


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



S E .335

emberger snarrati e andhelpingmy-

etryand interestasitmaypossess

otherwriterswhoomitthe formula:

erman fromtheirtitle-pages.

A N D TH E D E D .

endemiaire intheyearV I I . of the

tethatc orrespondstothe2othofO c to-

twoyoungmenweremakingtheirway

alittletownonthelef tbankof the

f romCoblent . Thetra elershadset

ning andnowthedaywasdraw ing

ulartimea rencharmyunderc om-

eauwaskeepinginchecktheA ustrians

er. Thehead uartersof the

wereatCoblent , andoneof thedemi-

gereau sc orpswas uarteredin

ee renchmen. A tf irstsightof

oms w ithred el etfac ings their

eall theircapsc o eredw ithgreenoilc loth

cockade theGermanpeasants

eknownthemforapairofarmysur-

andofsterlingworth popularforthe

rmy butalsointhec ountries

ops. A tthattimemanyyoungmen

mtheirmedicalstudiesbyGeneral

onlaw notunnaturallypreferredtocon-

battlefieldtocompulsoryser icein

dtotheirantecedentsandunwarlike

amp studious ser ic eable peace-

goodamongsomanye ils andfound


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



U S E .

elearnedofthe ariouscountries

ffranchisementoftheR epublic.

dedw itharouteof theroad andw ith

mmissionssignedby aC osteandB erna-

ayto ointhedemi-brigadetowhic h

hbelongedtowell-to-dofamiliesin

dtionsofgentlebreedingandofpro inc ial

oftheirinheritance.A curiosity

d broughtthemtotheseatof war

rentranc eonac ti eser ic e andthey

asfar as trasbourg.Maternal

emtolea ehomewitha erysc anty

eyfeltrichin thepossessionofafew

atatimewhenassignatshadreac hedthe

on thosefewlouismeantwealth for

m.

geons agedtwentyyearsatmost

otheromanc eof theirsituationw ithall

heyhadtra ersedthePalatinate

nninthe ualityofartists philosophers

weha easc ientif ic careerbeforeus

tthatagemanynatureswithinus and

eortra elingabout anassistantsurgeon

ationsofhis futurefameandfor-

epairhadbeencarriedawayby the

e erywell-readmanmustfeelatthe

wabiaandthebanksof theRhine

ologne. Theysawa igorousand

ulatinggreenlandscapefullofstrong

of feudaltimes ande erywhere

ouisX I V . andTurenneonce

ashes heapsofruinsbearwitness

aybe totheprudenc eof themonarc h

edthewonderfulcastleswhichoncewere

ermany. ouarri eatsomec on-


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



S E .337

d youunderstanditsdreaminess

wonderfulforest-landoftheirs full

ages pic tures ue albeitinruins.

adesomestay inB onnw ithtwo

tific knowledgeandpleasure. Thegrand

a ianarmyandofA ugereau sdi i-

inthe lec toralpalac eitself and

hadgonetoseetheirc omrades to

mendationtotheirc hiefs andtomake

ewiththelifeofarmysurgeons. B ut

thereaselsewhere theyparted

lpre udices anddisc o eredthat

yofbeautifulpublicbuildingsand

olumnsthatadornthe lectoralpal-

theyadmiredthemagnificenceof

foundfreshtreasuresofancientand

ep.

courseoftheirwanderingstowards

dthemo ersomehigherpeakamong

clear spaceintheforest ora

eyc aughtaglimpseof theRhine a

stone orinsomesettingof lu -

e s . v e r y a l le y f i el d -p a th a n d

mnscentsthatconducetomusings

gof theyear thetree-topswere

warmerhuesandshadesofbrown

buttheskywasblueandc loudless

weredry andshonelikethreadsofgold

te afternoonsunlight.

ndernac h thec ountrythroughwhic h

elinglay inasilenceasdeepasif

astethe beautifulland.Theywere

ngthesteepcragsof bluishgranite

etheeddyingRhine andbefore ery

slopingsidesof thera ineabo e


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O U S E .

c oylyatitsfootontheri erbank

fortheR hineboatmen.

erybeautifulc ountry c riedoneof the

yname ashec aughtsightof the

rnachlyingclosetogetherlikeeggs

treesandflower-gardens.

eylookedat thehigh-pitchedroofs

eams atthebalc oniesandwooden

efuldwellings andattheboats

ythe uay.

ntionedthenameofProsperMag-

bor thearmy-c ontractor snatchedup

imselfoutaglassofwater anddrank

ceedingcalledmyattentionto

a w a sl i gh t u i e r i n hi s h an d s an d a t ra ce

ead.

t ra ct o r s n a me " i n u i re d o f my

r s a id s h e.

well e c laimed asthisunac count-

a l l " h e s ai d w i th a c ou r te o us g e st u re

amlistening " hesaid w ithanod

foralleyeswereturnedatonceupon

ungman sname " saidM. H ermann.

f romProsperMagnan sc onf idences learned

l i e l y a n d ra t he r t hi n . f y o u ha e

llc allhimWilhelmforthesakeofclearness

egoodGermantookuphistaleagain

nchassistantsurgeonw ithaGerman

soflocalcolorandof thedemandsof

etwoyoungfellowsreachedA ndernach

hey fancy ingthatitwastoolateto


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



S E .339

eirc hiefs makethemsel esknownand

eadyfullofsoldiers madeuptheir

nightof f reedominaninn abouta

etown.Theyhadseenit fromthe

adadmiredthewarmc olorsof thehouse

he sunset.Thewholebuilding

roduc edapi uanteffec tintheland-

eenagainstthecrowdof housesinthe

ightcoloragainsta backgroundof

hofsc arletbythegraywater sedge.

se ternaldec oration andc onse-

thewhimofthebuilderinsomeforgotten

obe literallyamatterofcustom

fortheinnhadanameamongtheRhine

edit. Thesoundofhorses hoofs

edH ousetothethreshold.

emen ' c riedhe alittlelateryouwould

doorslikemost ofyourcountrymen

theotherendofA ndernac h. The

siti elymustha eabedtosleepin

mtoof feryou. A sforthehorses

acorneroftheyard forthem

stenedmenthisday. ougentle-

hewentonaf terabriefpause.

c r i e d Pr o sp e r a n d we h a e h a d no t hi n g

i c tu a ls 1 s a id t h e la n dl o rd e r ki n g hi s h ea d

edHousefortenleaguesroundfor

allha eaban uetf itforaprinc e

Thattellsyoue erything.

eno ertheirtiredbeastsintothe

thimtoshoutin ainforthestablefolk

oomoftheinn. t. wassofullof

fromthepipesof aroomfulof

ouldnot makeoutwhatkindof


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



U S E ,

mong butaftertheyhad satfor

putinprac ticethepatienc eof tra eled

henitisuselessto makeafuss they

itableaccessoriesofaGerman

loc k thetables potsofbeerandlong

oghthetobac cosmoke sodidthe

ews Germans andwhatnot w ith

thrownin.

afew renc hof f icersshonethroughthe

ndsabresclankedincessantlyuponthe

playingatc ards therest uarreled

weresilent ate ordrank andc ame

oman whoworetheblac k el et

mbroideredw ithsil er thepin-c ushion

c lasps andplaitedhairof thetypical

tumemadesofamiliarinall itsdetails

toowellknowntoneeddescrip-

etwofriendsandsoothedtheirimpatienc e

nterestin theirsupperwith ery

iminished thetra elerswentof fone

baccosmokeclearedaway.B ythe

tfortheassistantsurgeons andthe

neappeared itwasele eno c lock

Throughthestillness ofthenight

ntnoisesofhorsesstampingor

der therippleof theRhine the ague

nfull ofpeoplewhene eryone

andwindowsopenedorshut

murmurof oic es oranamewas

erhead.Duringthistimeof

whilethetwo renchmenwere

landlordengagedine tolling

l h i s R h i ne w i ne h i s wi f e a n d th e

thebenef itofhisguests thethree


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



S E .341

egreeof interest thehoarseshoutsof

oundofa boatbeingmooredalong-

eeper doubtlessacc ustomedtobe

of theboatmen hurriedout

ithashort stoutman ac oupleof

gthemwithahea y aliseandse eral

ebaggagewasdepositedin theroom

s aliseandseatedhimselfwithout

ositethetwosurgeons.

nboard ' saidhetotheboatmen as

c onsidered thatw illbethebest

o ns h a e i n t he h o us e a re h e re b e fo r e

e la n dl o rd a n d he i n di c at e d th e r e nc h me n s

otac rustofbread andnotsomuchasa

a ut

wo u ld f i ll m y wi f e s t h im b le A s h a d

ustnow youc anha enobedbut

n andthisisthe onlyunoccupied

theshortpersonageglancedattheland-

datthetwo renchmen c autionand

nthee pressionofhisc ountenanc e.

aidM. Hermann interruptinghimself

twene erknewthisstranger sreal

wefoundoutf romhispapersthathe

apelle thathehadassumedthenameof

daratherlarge pin-factorysomewhere

ll.

hermanufac turersinthatpartof the

ho erc oat waistc oat andbreec hesof

highboots andabroadleatherbelt. H is

hismannersf rankandhearty and

foundit erydif fic ulttodisguisesome


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



U S E .

or itmaybe c ruelan ieties. The

ttheGermanmerchantwasflying

arnedlateronthathisfactoryhadbeen

oftheunluckyaccidentsso

. B utinspiteof theuneasy look

re itsnaturale pressiondenoted

ture.He hadgoodfeatures anda

rsonaltraitwasathickneck so

ac kc ra at thatWilhelm ok ingly

notherglassof water.

sly in itedthemerc hanttosharetheir

rfelltow ithoutmoreado likeaman

canrepayapiec eofc i ility. H e

hef loor puthisfeetuponit tookoff

tothetable andlaiddownhisglo es

ithapairofpistols whichhec arried

uic kly laidac o erforhim and

heir hungersilentlyenough.

and thefliessotroublesomethat

ordtoopenthe windowthat

aytoletinf reshair. Thisw indow

r thatdroppedintoasocketon

ame andforgreatersecuritya

eshuttersrec ei edabolt. tso

tchedthelandlordunfastenthe

ngintothesepartic ulars " M. Her-

oughttodescribetheinternalarrange-

forthewholeinterestof thestory

nowledgeoftheplace.

cedoorsintheroom wherethese

ting.O neopenedontothe road

anktoA ndernac h and asmightbe

positetheinn therewasalittle ettywhere


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



S E .343

nthadhiredfor his oyagewas

heotherdoorga eadmittanceto

utinby eryhighwalls andatthe

cattle forhumanbeingsoccupied

ensocarefullyboltedandbarred

thelandlordhadopenedthestreet-doorof

hemerchantandthe boatmen and

nedthew indowatProsperMagnan s

rk toshutthisdoor slippingthebolts

room wherethef riendsweretosleep

oomoftheinn andonlyseparated

rethehostandhostesswereprobably

sufficientlythinpartitionwall.The

tgoneouttof indanook insomemanger

f tsomewhereorother. tw illbe

hepublic room thelandlord sbed-

wereina mannerapartfromtherest

ngoftwogreatdogsin theyard

ad igilantandwakefulguardians.

s a n d wh a t a gl o ri o us n i gh t s a id W i l -

skywhenthe landlordhadbolted

soundtobeheardat themoment

ewater.

saidthemerc hant addressingthe rench-

f feryouabottleortwoofw inetowash

willrefreshusafter atiringday.

ndtheconditionofyourc lothes c an

youha ec omeagoodway.

pedtheproposal andthelandlord

entothe cellar doubtlesssituated

stablishment.Aboutthe timethat

sappeareduponthetable thelandlord s

gthesupper. hega eahousewife s


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



U S E .

androundtheroom assuredherself

erythingtheywerelikely towant

en.Thefour booncompanions

ointheparty didnothearhergo

ong inthepausesof thechato er

eanocc asional erydistinc tsoundof

ethekitchenwhereshewassleep-

tillmoreresonantby reasonofthe

the guestssmile andtheland-

whentherewasnothinglef tonthe

cuits driedfruit andgoodw ine the

oung renc hmenmoreparticularly

eytalkedabouttheircountry their

f terawhilethec on ersationgrew

drewtearstothemerc hant seyes

sf ranknessandthesimplic ityofak indly

hebegantoimaginewhathismother

herson washereonthebankof

c a n se e h er ' h e sa i d s h e is r e ad i ng

thelastthingatnight hew illnot

eissuretosay Whereismypoor

" Thenifshehaswonafewsousat

aps ' headded oggingWilhelm s

tingtheminthebigred ar where

issa inguptobuythosethirtyac res

tlebitof landat esc he ille. The

methinglike si tythousandfrancs.

A h i f w e re t o h a e i t s om e

l l th e r es t o f my l i fe a t e s ch e i l le a n d wa n t

woftenmyfatherwantedthosethirty

eam thatwindsalongthroughthe

ll hediedandc ouldnotbuytheland.

manyandmanyatime


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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_ u s e # p d



S E .345

ha e n t y o u al s o yo u r ho c er a t in o t is

e s B u t i t a l l ca m et o m e as i t w as a n d n o w

ppedshortandsaidnomore.

t ' saidthelandlord whosecountenance

boughtabitof meadowlastyearthat

nthesetenyearspast.

asfolkwilltalkwhenw inehasun-

ndstruc kuponeof thosetra elers

ttlecharyofmakingona ourney

heyrosetogo totheirroomW il-

emerchant.

eof ferw ithouthesitation ' hesaid

ansleeptogether. tw illnotbethef irst

e pec t. ouaretheoldestamong

onoroldage.

dthelandlord therearese eralmattresses

laidonthefloorforyou ' andhewent

e usualclattercausedbythispre-

fer ' saidthemerchant addressingWil-

h e a dd e d l o we r in g h is o i ce a n d lo o ki n g

t wantedyoutomakeit. feelthat

and amnotsorrytof indmyself

c entyoungfellows two rench

e r f o r th e n ig h t. h a e a h u nd r ed

ddiamondsin that alise.

ecei edthisincautiouscommuni-

dlinessthatreassuredtheworthy

pedhisgueststo shiftoneofthe

enthingshadbeenarrangedascomfortably

emgood-nightandwentofftobed.

eons okedeachotherabouttheir

elm scaseofsurgicalinstru-

wn underthemattress toraisetheend


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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_ u s e # p d



O U S E .

bolster ustasWalhenfer inan

ution bestowedhis aliseinalike

ngtosleeponourfortunesyouon

nmyc aseof instruments tremains

ewill bringmeinas muchmoneyas

o ' s a id t h e me r ch a nt . H o n e s t wo r k

gs butyoumustha epatienc e.

WalhenferandWilhelmfellasleep. B ut

sbedwas toohard orhehimself

ful orthroughsomeunluc kymoodof

ayw ideawake. mperceptiblyhis

ecouldthinkofnothingbut

ncsbeneaththemerchant spillow.

sandfranc swasa astfortuneready

goutthe moneyinendlessways

asweareallapttodow ithso

tbeforewedropoff tosleep whenindis-

seinourminds andnotseldomnight

cal i idnesstoourthoughts.

rosperMagnano ertoppedhismother s

hethirtyac resofmeadow andmar-

u ais towhosehandhec ouldnot

ine ualityof fortune. Withthis

olepleasantlifetime sawhimself

family ric h lookeduptointhe

ye enmayorofB eau ais. ThePic ard

astaboutforthemeansofreali ingthese

traordinarywarmthofimaginationhe

ime andgoldanddiamondswere

stinc tportionofa isionof themer-

litterda z ledhim. Hisheartbeatfast.

me nodoubt byharboringsuc h

pellof thegoldwasuponhim his


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



S E .347

catedbyinsidiousreasonings.H e

erewasanyreasonwhythepoor

andimaginedhow itwouldha ebeen

ed. Toputitbrief ly heplottedouta

ompleteimpunity.

heotherbankof theRhine aboat

ows therewereboatmenthere he

oat f linghimintotheR hine esc ape

ac asement bribetheboatmen andgo

ide. H ee enwentsofarastoc ount

terityw iththeknife heknewofa

ictimbeforethesleepercouldutter

eadatthis point andagainhe

roseslowlyandnoiselessly.H e

dawakenednobody dressedand

Then withthefatallucidityof

satcertaincrises withtheheight-

dstrengthof willthatisne erlack-

onersinthee ec utionof theirde-

eironbars anddrewthemfromtheir

gainstthewall withouttheslightest

hisweighton totheshutterslest they

nedontheirhinges. nthepale

eetheob ectsintheroomwhere

rweresleeping.

hestoppedshortforamoment. His

hea ily thatthesoundseemedto

andhestoodlikeone dismayedashe

earforhisc oolness hishandsshook

ngonburningcoals.B utsofair

nthee ecutionofhisdesignthat

o idenceinthisdispensationoffate

hantthither.H eopenedthewin-


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O U S E .

room tookuphisc ase andlooked

ntbestadaptedtohispurpose.

oo d b y th e b ed h e t ol d m e th i s , I

c tion unthink ingly .

dhisarm andwassummoningallhis

whensomethinglikea oic ec riedw ithin

esawalight. Hef lungdownthesur-

ed f ledintothene troom andstood

ndhorrorofhimselfc ameo erhim

ouldtrusthimself fearingtoyield

edhim hesprang uic klyoutof the

bytheRhine ac tingassentinel as

. A gainandagainhewalkedrestlessly

of tenalsohiswanderingsledhimto

whichtheyhaddescendedthatafter-

butsodeepwasthesilenc eof the

dreadofarousingthewatch-dogs

heRedH ouse andlostsightalto-

hewindowthat hehadleftopen.

lfout andsotoinduc esleep. et

derthecloudlesssky watchingthe

aybethatthepurenightairandthemel-

erwroughtuponhimand restored

nity. oberreasoncompletedthe

ort-li edmadness.H iseducation

a n d a b o e a l l th i ng s s o h e to l d me ,

fethathehadledbeneathhisfather s

hise ilthoughts. Hethoughtand

bowrestingona boulderbytheside

henheturnedtogoinagain hec ould

o h e sa i d b u t ha e w a tc he d o e r m il l io n s

ergedstrengthenedandtriumphant

neltin oyandecstasytothankGod

hearted andc ontentedasontheday


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



S E .349

ntforthefirst time andfeltnot

causehehadspent thedaywithout

ordeed.

ntotheinn shutthewindowwithout

ly andwenttobedatonc e. Mindand

usted andsleepo erc amehim. He

on themattressbeforethedreamy

ssoundslumberc repto erhim when

consciouslifeebbsaway thoughtgrows

astcommunicationsofsenseto the

onsofadream.

iris saidProspertohimself. tis

thingadampmist

ountforthis stateofthingsby

encebetweentheoutsidetempera-

irandthec losedroom butbefore

yrecurringsound erymuchlike

maleakingtap.O nanimpulseof

tof risingandc allingthelandlord or

elm but forhismisfortune hebe-

denclockinthene troom

sthebeat ofthependulum and

is dimandconfusedideainhis

ater M. Taillefer askedthemaster

ebankertakeuptheemptydecanter

hhisstory aftertheslightinter-

reply .

" h e we n t on P r os p er M a gn a n wa s

se. tseemedtohimthathehad

hefeltthat iolentner oustremor

henwewaketoapainfulsensation

.Thethingthat takesplaceinus

start ' tousethec ommone pression


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



U S E .

estigated thoughitpresentsinter-

ogicalscience.Theterribleshock

oosuddenreunionofthetwonatures

ysapartwhilewesleep isusually

ot sofortheunluckyyoungsurgeon.

shairbristledhideouslyall atonce

odbetweenhisownmattressand

. TheunfortunateGerman sheadwas

bodywasstillonthebed allthisblood

.ProsperMagnansawW alhenfer s

sawredonthesheets thathehad

hisownhands sawhisownsurgeon s

intedawayontheblood-stained

dalreadyformythoughts ' hesaidtome

mselfagain hewassittinginac hair

nn agroupof renchsoldiers

anin uisiti eandinterestedc rowd.

ermentataR epublicanofficerwho

depositionsofse eralwitnesses

lreport herec ogni edthelandlord

boatmen andthemaidser ant. The

ythemurderer

d drewouthispocket-handker-

sforehead. H ismo ementswereso

ic edthem indeed alleyeswere

w ithak indofgreedy interest. The

elbowon thetable proppedhis

andlookedf i edlyatHermann.

sawnoin oluntarysignsofagitation

buthisfacewasgra eandc orpse-

ashehaddonewhilehewasplay ingw ith

ntusedbythemurdererlay onthe


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



S E .351

w ithProsper spoc ket-bookandpapers.

atthe youngsurgeonandatthese

guilt hehimselfappearedtobe

emedtoha enopowerofsightin

muroutsidemadeite identthata

ttheinn attractedbythenewsof

psbyaw ishtoc atc hasightof the

sentriespostedunder thewindows

eaponsroseo erthewhispered

nitself wasshutup thecourt-

ed.

erwhowasdrawingupthereport

perMagnanfeltsomeonegrasphis

ewhoitwasthatstoodbyhimamong

ndrecogni ed bytheuniformthat

rgeonof thedemi-brigade uarteredin

andmerc ilesswerethoseeyesthatthe

red andhisheaddroppedonto the

themenheld inegarforhimto

egainedc onsciousnessatonce buthis

ituteoflife andintelligencethat

pulse andspoketotheofficer:

e s a i d i t i s i mp o ss i bl e t o e a m in e t he m a n

himaway ' returnedthec aptain c ut-

andspeakingtoacorporalwhostood

hair.

undrel themanmuttered tryat

beforetheseGermanbeggars to

epublic .

osperMagnanc ametohissenses rose

ces butwhenthedooropened

andsawthepeoplecrowdingup

hiskneesbentunderhim hetot-


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



U S E .

awbonesdeser estobeputanendto

c a n t y o u 1 s a id t h e tw o me n o n ei t he r

heleaned.

ar d t h e co w ar d H e r e h e c om es h e re

edasbyone oic e thec lamorous

emmedhimin insultingandre iling

ngthetimethatittook togofrom

etramplingfeetofthe crowdand

im themutteredtalkofthose

e themorningair thestreetsofA n-

murmurof thecurrentof theRhine

agueimpressions c onfusedanddim

sinc ehisawakening. A t timeshe

edtoe ist sohetoldmeafter-

so n u s t th e n " s a id M . H e r ma n n i n -

e areallenthusiastsattwenty.

c ountry andc ommandeda olun-

boutA ndernach.A shorttimepre-

dtofallinonenightw itha renchdetach-

n.Thereweretwohundred ofus

shadbetrayedme. wasthrowninto

hwhiletheydebatedwhetherornoto

awarningtothec ountry . The rench

eprisals butthemurderforwhic hthey

hemsel esonmeturnedouttoha e

he lectorate.Myfatherhadob-

eedays tomakeapplicationformy

eau whograntedit.

rMagnanassoonas c ameintothe

andthef irstsightofhimf illedmewith

aggard e hausted andblood-

therewasacertainfranknessin his

ofhisinnoc ence andmadeadeep


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



S E .353

wasasifGermanystoodthere isibly

hthe long fairhairandblueeyes

e erypersonificationofthepros-

snomurderer buta ic tim. A s

asad bittersmilelituphisfac efor

itorygleamofsanitycrossedadisor-

ilewouldsurelynotbeseenona

n ne tsawtheturnkey askedhim

dawordsinc ehewentintohiscell. He

nhishands andsleepsorthinks

what hearthe renc hmensaying

-morrow andhewillbe shotwithin

ngeredalittleunderhisw indowsduring

e erc iseintheprison-yard. We

etoldme erysimplythestoryofhis

entlystraightforwardanswerstomydif-

rthatc on ersation nolongerdoubted

andobtainedthefa orofspendinga

y andsawhiminthiswayse eral

intothesecretofhis thoughts

sownopinion hewasatonc einnoc ent

redthehideoustemptationwhichhe

t andwasafraidthathe hadcom-

dwhilehewas awakeinanaccess

yo u r co m pa n io n s a id .

m i s in c ap a bl e h e c ri e d e h em e nt l y.

thesentenc e. graspedhishand

urst sofraughtwithyouthand

w as f r ig h te n ed w h en h e w ok e ' h e s ai d h e

enceofmindandf led

o u ' a s ke d . W h y i n t ha t c as e


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



U S E .

de forWalhenfer s alisewillnot

ntotears.

es h e cr ie d I a m n ot g ui lt y. c an no t

memberthedreams had. wasat

oners-base. c ouldnotha ec uthis

mingofrunningabout.

eamsofhopethat uietedhismind

stillfeltcrushedby theweightofre-

ngthefacthe hadraisedhis

econdemnedhimself andcon-

yguiltyafter committingthecrime

a m n ot a b a d fe l lo w ' h e c ri e d. O h p o o r

stnowsheishappilyplay ingatc ards

letapestriedroomathome. fshe

muchasraisedmyhandtotakeanother

w ou l d ki l l he r A n d a m i n pr i so n

f didnotk illtheman shall

mymother

hespoke. naw ildf itof f ren y

ards hesprangup and if had

m wouldha edashedhishead

e b e en t r ie d ' s a id . Y o u w il l b e

nnoc ent. A ndyourmother

hec riedw ildly mymotherw illhear

usedofmurder thatisthemainpoint.

likethatinlittleplaces andmypoor

esides amnotinnoc ent. Do

oletruth feelthat ha elostthe

ce.

ords hesatdown foldedhisarms

ehishead andf i edhiseyesgloomily

theturnkeyc ametobidmereturnto


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



S E .355

emyc ompanionwhenhisdisc ourage-

st claspedhimina friendly

n ' said perhapsitw illa llc ome

sopinionc ansilenc eyourdoubts

steemyouandlo eyou. A c c eptmy

yheart ifyoucannotfeelatpeace

y aboutnineo c lock ac orporaland

ssistantsurgeon. heardthe

ootsteps andwenttothew indow

edthecourt. Ne ershall forgetthe

nythoughtsandforebodings nor

ribablysadandmelancholysweet-

nthatdumbsw if ttransferenc eof

eyedhistestamenttome helef this

howasbesidehimat thelast.

e b e en e r y ha r d to l i e t h ro u gh a

m butperhapsthepallorthato er-

nofanewly-ac uiredstoic ism based

lf . Perhapshefeltpurif iedbyre-

e piatehissininthisanguishand

af irmstep and noticedthathe

ntalstainsofbloodthat soiledhis

ainedmyhandswhile wasasleep

eeper hehadsaid adreadfuldespair

e.

wasabouttobetriedbyac ourt-

stogoforwardintwodays time

edemi-brigademeanttotrythe

elea ingA ndernac h.

tialwassitting wasinanagony

nbeforetheybroughtProsper

wastakingmypresc ribede erc ise

wme andrushedintomyarms.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



U S E ,

h e s ai d . o s t b e yo n d ho p e v e r y on e

murderer

dproudly . Thisin usticehasc om-

my i n no ce n ce ' h e s ai d . f h a d

waysha ebeentroubled butmydeath

. B utisthereanythingbeyond

centuryspokeinthatsudden

bsorbedinthought.

ou t e ll t h em W h a t d id t h ey a s ky o u

tellthemthesimpletruthasyoutold

oraminute thenafterthebrief dread-

edw ithafe erishreadinessofspeec h

askedme Didyougooutof theinn

Y e s " t o l d th e m. H o w d i d y ou

ed andanswered Throughthe

mu s t ha e o p en e d it " Y e s "

t eryc autiously thelandlordheard

keonestupefiedallthe time.Theboat-

eenme walking sometimestowards

estowardstheforest. wenttoandfro

hadburiedthegoldanddiamonds.

e alisehasnotbeenfound. Then the

wasstrugglingagainstremorse.W hen-

ou t h t o s p ea k a m e rc i le s s o i ce s e em e d

nttodoit " verythingwasagainstme

wantedtoknowaboutmyc omrade and

tedhim. Thentheysaid O neofyou

yourcomrade theinnkeeperor

d windowswereshutfastthis

he y s ai d t ha t ' h e w e nt o n I h a d n o

nospiritlef tinme. wasmoresureof

saw erywellthattheythought

f themurder and wastheclumsier

toe plainthethingbysomnam-


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



S E .357

armyfriend then gotmuddled and

readmysentenceinthe udges

esstoleacrosstheirfaces.Thatisall.

amtobeshotto-morrow do

' hesaid butofmypoormother.

ndlookeduptohea en. Heshedno

yandcontractedwithpain.

be r n ow T h e ot h er o n e wa s c al l ed r 6 d-

a m s ur e t ha t wa s t he n a me " M .

riumphantly .

y fairneighbor sfoot shemadea

acrossatM.Taillefer.Thesome-

handdroopedcarelesslyo erhiseyes

thoughtwe sawasmouldering

m y e ar a n d no w s up p os e t ha t h is

eglanceofentreatytobesilent. Her-

of rederic tolea emetomyfate. H e

Perhapsheishidingintheinn for

in theyardthatmorning.W hat

y itis headded af terapause.

somnambulism ne erwalkedinmy

andthen wasnotsi yearsold.

ot h is ' h e w en t o n s t ri k in g h is f o ot

ndtakewithmeallthe friendshipthat

ust dietw ic eo er doubtingthe

enweweref i eyearsold andlasted

andourstudentdays Whereis

eyes. Wec lingmorec loselytoa

e itseems

i n ' h e s a i d I w o u ld r a th e r be i n m y


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



O U S E .

emtoseemec ry ing. shallgobra ely

annotplaytheheroinseasonandoutof

ss t h at a m s or r y to l e a e m y l if e m y fa i r

didnotsleeplastnight remembered

hen wasac hild sawmyself run-

ws perhapsitwasthememoriesof

yruin. hadafuturebeforeme

. A do enmen asub- lieutenant

d y p r e s en t f i re a r o ll o f d ru m s a n d

t ur e n ow A h t h er e i s a Go d t h er e

ldbetoononsenic al.

rm puthisarmsaboutmeandheld

helasthumansoultowhom c anpour

ef reeagain ouw illseeyour

owwhetheryouareric horpoor but

areallthe worldforme.Theycannot

er. Wellandgoodthen when

o B e a u a i s. f m y mo t he r s ur i e s t he

th youwillfindher outandtellher

t o co m fo r t he r . h e w il l b el i e e y ou '

writetoheraswell butyouw illc arry

ushalltellherhowthatyouwerethelast

edbefore died. A h howshewill

other youwhoha estoodmyfriendat

silentforamomentortwo theburdenof

hea yforhimtobear. H erethey

hesaid theothersurgeonsandthe

nk frommeinhorror. B utforyou

nasecretbetweenmeandhea en.

hislastw ishesasasac redc harge. He

uttohim andwastouc hedbymy

oldierscamebackto takehim

gain.H ewasdoomed.

eformalitiesorcircumstancesthat


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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_ u s e # p d



S E .359

nd donotknowwhetherthere

ehertheyoungsurgeon sdefensewas

dprecedent buthepreparedto go

morrow andspentthatnightin

e s et f r ee t o -d a y ' h e s ai d s m il i ng w he n

oseehim. Thegeneralhassignedyour

andga edathimtoengra ehisfeatures

ossedhisface andhesaid ha e

A lln>ghtlong ha ebeenpray ing

cy ' andhelookedroundhisc ell. Y es

how ledw ithdespair rebelledagainst

throughthemostfearfulinwardc onf lic t.

amthinkingofwhatotherswillsayof

rmentthatweputon. mustgo

dso

E R E T R I B U T O N .

sanymore c riedthegirlwhohad

ttingshorttheN uremberger. want

n d to b e li e e t h at h e w as s a e d . f

theyshot him shouldnotsleep.

stto-morrow.

offeredhisarmtomyfair neighbor

Theyshothim didtheynot

y ou c o ul d

dame. tissomething eryghastly to

ingman yourownfriendwhoisnot

ischarge.Thepooryoungfellow


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



U S E .

me. He seemedtoha enolifebut

e ' h e s ai d t h at s h ou l d be a r hi s l as t

s ee h e r

miens wentto rancetotakethe

asinnoc ent Thatpilgrimagewaslike

e. B utMme. Magnanwasdead

c onsumption. burnedtheletter

notw ithoutdeepemotion. Perhaps

anhigh-flownsentimentality but

ymostsublimelysadintheeternal

oswallowupthosefarewellsuttered

etoanothergra e andheardbynone

elerinthedesertsurprisedbyabeast

a H ow ifsomeoneweretobring

f themeninthis drawing-room

hemurderer wouldnotthatbeanother

wo u ld y o u do

atand went.

ayoungman and erythoughtlessly "

ookatTaillefer therehesitsinalow

emoiselle anny ishandinghimac up

g. Howc ouldamurdererdisplaysuc h

sthat af terastorythatmustha ebeen

oks uitepatriarchal doeshenot "

skhimifhehasbeenw iththearmyin

c laimed.

w iththeaudac ityrarely lack ingin

ontemptsorcuriositygetsthebetter

wentacrosstothe army-contractor.

G e rm a ny M . Ta i ll e fe r " u o th s h e.

saucer.

o n e e r.

tyouraresay ing Taillefer protested


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



S E .361

. Y ouwereintheWagramc am-

the ic tualingestablishment

n sw e re d T ai l le f er w as t h er e t h a t on c e.

uhim heisagoodsortofman "

camebacktome.

d t o m ys e lf b e fo r e th i s e e n in g i s o e r

reroutof themireinwhic hheis

consciousnessthattakesplace

socommonplacethatnoonenotices

toundingdepthsbeneathit.Twomen

hoha esomecausetodisdainor to

psoneofthemknowssomethingwhich

ther perhapsitisac onditionof

t perhapsoneofthemismeditating

hof themareconsciousof thegulf that

toughttodi idethem. B eforethey

hingeachotherandabsorbedineach

anationoftheirthoughtseemsto distil

sture theyha eamagnetic influence.

asthemorepowerofattrac tion

tredorc ontempt. ikesomepriestwho

usewhereane ilspiritabides the

pic ious oneof them itishardto

andtheothersullen oneof themturns

tertrembles anditof tenhappensthat

s c ow a rd l y as t h e i c ti m . o r e r y fe w

t o ca u se p a in e e n i f it i s n ec es s ar y

passeso eramatterorforgi esf rom

eadofmakingatragicalscene.

iityofminds andapprehensi e-

therebeganamysteriousstruggle

ctorandmyself. v ersincemyin-

n sstoryhehadshunnedmyeyes.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



U S E .

ookednoneof thepartyinthe

owwiththeine perienc ed anny

probably likeallc riminals hefelta

hinnoc ence asif themerepro -

ringhimpeacefora while.B ut

thersideof theroom stilll istenedto

rectga efasc inatedhim. Whenhe

tmeinturn unnotic ed oureyes

directly.Tailleferfoundthistorture

edtoputa stoptoitby betakinghim-

ac kedhisopponent hopingtolose

s hadw ished. Theotherplayer

n andtheguiltymanand werenow

a id a s h e de a lt t h e ca r ds w i ll y o u be s o

score He swepthisc ountersf rom

ily.Thelady myneighborat

ga eherasignif ic antglance.

r " asked addressingmyopponent

mily inB eau aisw ithwhom amwell

e t t h e ca r ds f a ll t u rn e d pa l e h i d hi s f ac e

neofhisbackerstofinish thegamefor

" h e g as p ed a m a fr a id

ntence. A n e pressionofhorrible

hisface andhehurriedoutof the

ehousefollowinghimwithwhat

iety . Myneighborand lookedat

ac ewaso erc astby indesc ribablesadness

nessinit.

e r y me r ci f ul " s h e a sk ed a s r o se

here hadbeenplay ingandlosing.

mbrasureofthewindowasshespoke.

toacceptthe powerofreadingall


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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_ u s e # p d



S E .363

it Whyinterferewithman s ustice

es c ap e t he o n e w e s ha l l ne e r e sc a pe

ati eofapresidentofac ourtof

A n d y o u h a e a l l b u t do n e th e e e c u-

timulatingmyc uriosity " said you

m et h in k s h e an s we r ed .

tosc oundrelsandwoetotheunfor-

sdownonourkneesandworshipgold B ut

ec t saidw ithalaugh. P lease

ois ustc omingintotheroom.

ysagoataballattheNeapolitan

perately inlo e. orpity ssake tell

c ouldtellme

eTaillefer

oremyeyes c ouldsc arcelyhearthe

oic e.

rbroughtherhomeonlyawhileagofrom

asbeenfinishingher educationsome-

meherfatherwouldnotrec ogni e

odayforthef irsttime. heis ery

h

twiththewords. ustasshespoke

emedto comefromanad oining

eywere theyechoedfaintly through

ee r s o i ce " a s ke d . W e b ot h

nds andfearfulgroansreachedour

esshurriedtowardsus andclosedthe

ne s " s h e s ai d t o us . f M i le . T ai l le -

er itwouldbe uiteenoughtosend


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



U S E .

hedrawing-room lookedfor

afew lowwordsinherear. Thegirl

edoorw ithane c lamation and

dagreatsensation.Thecard-parties

neaskedhisneighborwhathadhappened.

ouder andgroupswereformed.

b e ga n .

p u t in m y s ar c as t ic f r ie n d. Y o u

imwitha lightheart cansee.

e h a pp e ne d t o hi m

twastheladyof thehousewhospoke

mplaint c annotrec ollec tthenameof

sonhastoldmeaboutitof tenenough

s ei u r e.

intisit " askedane amining

g d re a df u l " s h e an s we r ed a n d th e

him.The agonymustbeterrible.

remember once poorman when

thec ountry wasobligedtogoto

asnottohearhim hisshrieksarefear-

self hisdaughterhadtoha ehim

tandtieddowntohisbed.Poor

eli ec reaturesinhisheadgnawinghis

saw ing shootingpainthatthrobs

e suf ferssofearfullyw ithhishead

tersthatthey usedtoapplyatone

ation butM. B rousson hispresent

hesaysthatitisner ousinflammation

oat andapplieslaudanumtothe

sinc etheybeganthistreatmentthe

re uent heseldomhasthemoftener

elateautumn. Whenhegetso erone

illeferalwayssaysthathewouldratherbe

nduresuchagonyagain.


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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_ u s e # p d



S E .365

f feredc onsiderably saidastock -

arty.

e r y ne a rl y d ie d " t h e la d y we n t on .

country-houseonsomeurgentbusi-

eathandperhaps forhelaystif fand

fortwenty-twohours. Theyonlysa ed

ath.

of tetanus askedthestockbroker.

returnedshe. H ehashadthecom-

itbeganwhilehewas withthe

adafallonaboat andasplinter

roussonhopestoc urehim. People

yha efoundoutawayof treatingit

thatyourunnorisks

ananyof theprec edingones rang

loodrancoldinour eins.

n ke r s w i fe w en t o n t h at i s u s t wh a t

moment. tmakesmestartonmychair

yner e. B utitisane traordinary

suf feringsuc hunspeakablepainashe

riskofhislife He eatsanddrinksas

littlerespitefromthatghastlytor-

ngefreaks. omeGermandoctor

ak indofgoutinthehead and

asprettymuc hthesame.

outourhostessandwentoutwith

nthadcomeforher. hewas

n D i eu s h e so b be d h o wc a n my

ea entodeser esuc hsufferingasthis

hher andsawherintothecarriage

edup insideit.Mile.Taillefer

dofherfather smoaningbyc o er-

kerchief.Unluckily hesawme


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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_ u s e # p d



U S E .

dfurtherdistorted ascreamof

a emeadreadfullook andthecar-

eningthatfolloweditwasto

nc eonmylifeandonmy iews.

lesforbademeto connectmyself

atterhowgoodahusbandandfather

mustneedsfallinlo ew ithMile. Tail-

rediblehowoftenchancedrewme

knew mightmeetV ic torine.

en hadpledgedmyself torenounceher

wouldf indmeho eringabouther. The

mmense. tga ethec olorofan

biddenlo e andac himericalre-

eof mybliss. scornedmyself

er ifbyac cidenthewasw ithhis

all bowedtohim.

ic torine beingsomethingmorethan

ead c harming andgif tedinnosmall

gintheleastablue-stoc k ing w ithoutthe

n.Thereisa certainreser ein

egraciousnessaboutherthatno

kedme or atanyrate sheallowedmeto

ertainsmilethatshekeptforme for

c egrewsweeterstill. O h shec ared

shipedherfather shewouldpraise

gentleness his ariousperfections

kesomanydaggersthrustinto my

cameanacc essoryaf terthefac t an

hichhadlaidthefoundationofthe

wasfaintoask forV ic torine s

eledabroad. wenttoGermanyand

c amebac kagain andV ic torinewas


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



S E , 367

thanherwont. fshehadbeen

shouldha ebeensafe butnow

srekindledw ithe traordinary io-

weredegeneratingintomono-

toc on enea anhedrimofc onsc ienc esthat

amperedwith andsotoobtainsome

ehighermoralityandphilosophy.

ecomemorecomple sincemy

erday assembledthoseamongmy

uponasnotablyhonest sc rupulous

two nglishmen asec retarytothe

aretiredMinister inthec harac ter

m afewyoungmenstill underthe

es apriest anelderlyman myold

artedbeing whoga emethebestac -

ofmypropertythate ertrustee

intheannalsof thePalais anad o-

udgeinshort allsocialopinions

racticalwisdom.W ehadbegun

talk andadealofmirth ando er

toryplainlyandsimply suppressing

e , andaskedforsoundc ounsel.

i c e " s a id t o m yf r ie n ds a s c am e t o

y intothe uestionasif itwerea

eanurnandbilliardballsbrought

otefororagainstmymarriage the

e scrupulouslyobser ed.

llatonce.Thenthe notaryde-

drawup " healleged.

ingef fec tonmyguardian indeed

tof indaguardianforhimifhewasto


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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_ u s e # p d



O U S E .

saidtomyself . A manwhodoes

tellingmeprettyforciblywhat

ementroundthetable.A land-

bedtoafund forputtingaheadstone

e a n d pr o i d in g f or h i s fa m il y e -

i r tu e cr i me h a th i t s de g re e s.

id t h e Mi n is t er i n a l ow o i ce a s h e

ty askedaduke whoseproperty

atedfromProtestantsafterthe

d i ct o f N a n t es .

feet.

d th e mo u th p ie ce o f u s ti c e t h e ca s e

ultywhate er.MonsieurleDueis

statuteof limitations B egintoin-

afortune andwhereshouldweall

terofc onsc ienc e andnotof law .

asebeforesometribunal thec on-

ein whichtohearit.

te ha ingsaidhissay satdownand

e.Themanintrustedwith the

pel thegoodpriest spokene t.

k " h e s ai d w it h d ec i si o n. I f

sheiress marryher butc ontentyour-

roperty andgi eherfather smoney

oodthefatheronlymadeagreat

ademoneyf irst c riedoneof the

youmeetw ithe erywhere. A nditis

ery littlebitofgoodfortuneitall

ercanbe discussedisenoughto

methingswhichamancannotweigh


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


s s

_ u s e # p d



S E .369

myguardian thinkingtoenlightenthe

runkengra ity.

esec retarytotheembassy .

ed t h e pr i es t e a ch m e an i ng u i te

scapedbeingelectedbyabarehundred

undredandf if ty - f i e rosene t.

he thisphenomenalmanifestation

one ofthemoststronglymarked

ontothenormalconditionofthings

eys.Thedecision therefore onan

ne temporaneouseffortofthecon-

eption adelicatediscriminationofthe

notunliketheflashesof insightthat

attersoftaste. etusputit to

t o t he o t e " c r ie d t he r e st o f t he p a rt y .

ithtwobilliard-ballsonewhite the

c olorof irginity wastoprosc ribe

infa orof it. Myscruplespre-

ng. Myfriendsbeingse enteenin

ec isi ema ority. We grewe c ited

edhisball intothenarrow-

whichholdsthenumberedballswhen

esat pool fortherewasacertain

of otingbyballotonanicepointof

etwasturnedouttherewerenine

dnotc omeasasurprise butit

the youngmenofmyownage

.Thereweree actlynineof

ughthadbeeninall theirminds.

dtomyself therewasaunanimousfeeling

irminds andanolessunanimous

m on g t he r e st H e r e i s a f i , a n d

t


/ h t t p : / / w w w . h


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_ u s e # p d



U S E .

er-in- law li e " oneofmyschool-

far-sightedthantherest carelessly

ather-in- law inthec ase " e -

my consciencespokesufficiently

dictsuperfluous. A ndif itspeaks

herearetheinducementsthatled

hetempterthisletterthat rec ei ed

drewac ardf rommypoc ket-book

stedtobepresent soitran atthefuneral

D R I C TA I L L E F E R ,

ompany sometimecontractorof

y l a te C h e a l ie r o f th e e g io n o fH o n o r

G o ld e n p u r C a p t a in o f t he i r st C o m -

eNationalGuard Paris:whodiedon

theRue oubert. Theintermentw ill

h a n d so f o rt h . O n b e h al f o f ' a n d

n ow c on t in u ed . w i ll u s t pu t

foreyou. Thereisun uestionablya

lefer sestates. Herfather sprop-

a ma . G ra n te d B u t t h en P r os p er

ati es and c ouldnotf indanytrac es

akerwhowasmurderedthatnight

shouldthefortunebereturned

t ur n ed H a e a n y ri g ht t o b et r ay

acc ident toaddase eredhumanhead

rriageportion togi eheruglydreams


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S E .371

usions tok illthefathershelo eda

herthatthereisadarkstainonall

a Dic tionaryofCasesofConsc ienc e

andfoundthereinnosolutionwhat-

nyoumakeareligiousfoundationfor

nand WalhenferandTaillefer now

teethc enturyofours A ndasfor

itutionorawardingperiodicpri es

ritableinstitutionsappearto meto

andthepri eof irtuewouldfallto

ouldthesein estments moreorless

eanyreparation A ndisitmyplace

a m i n lo e p a ss i on a te l y in l o e . M y

y life. f w ithoutanyapparentreason

ggirl ac customedtosplendorandele-

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oysRossini smusic attheB ouf fons

osethatsheshouldrobherselfof f if -

ncsforthebenefitof agedimbeciles

apatients shewouldlaughandturn

erconfidantewouldtakemefora wag

oortaste. f inanec stasyof lo e

mblelifeinac ottagebythe oire if

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inw ith andprobablywouldendina

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ngandofprettydresses andfor

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ustache whoshallplaythepiano

ndmountahorsegrac efully and shall

obedone Gentlemen ad ise

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S E .

nwithaPuritanicalc astof fac e notun-

Deans shruggedhisshoulders.

h e s ai d . W h a t m ad e y ou a s k

a u a i s "

1 31 .


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A K I


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o na l i b ra r y a ci l it

the quest of the absolute- (la recherche de l'absolu), and other stories

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