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FUNDAMENTALS OF SUM-FREQUENCY SPECTROSCOPY

The first book on the topic, and written by the founder of the technique, this
comprehensive resource provides a detailed overview of sum-frequency spectros-
copy, its fundamental principles, and the wide range of applications for surfaces,
interfaces, and bulk.
Beginning with an overview of the historical context, and introductions to the
basic theory of nonlinear optics and surface sum-frequency generation, topics
covered include discussion of different experimental arrangements adopted by
researchers, notes on proper data analysis, an up-to-date survey commenting on
the wide range of successful applications of the tool, and a valuable insight into
current unsolved problems and potential areas to be explored in the future.
With the addition of chapter appendices that offer the opportunity for more in-
depth theoretical discussion, this is an essential resource that integrates all aspects
of the subject and is ideal for anyone using, or interested in using, sum-frequency
spectroscopy.

y.r. shen is responsible for the development of second harmonic and sum-
frequency generation spectroscopy into viable tools for surface and interface
studies. He has been on the faculty of the physics department of the University
of California at Berkeley since 1964 and has received many awards, including the
Charles Hard Townes Award from the OSA, the Arthur L. Schawlow Prize and the
Frank Isakson Prize from the APS, and the Max Planck Research Award. He is
also a distinguished professor at Fudan University in Shanghai and an elected
member of the US National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts
and Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Academia Sinica.
 CAMBRIDGE MOLECULAR SCIENCE

As we move further into the twenty-first century, chemistry is positioning itself as the central
science. Its subject matter, atoms and the bonds between them, is now central to so many of the
life sciences on the one hand, as biological chemistry brings the subject to the atomic level,
and to condensed matter and molecular physics on the other. Developments in quantum
chemistry and in statistical mechanics have also created a fruitful overlap with mathematics
and theoretical physics. Consequently, boundaries between chemistry and other traditional
sciences are fading and the term Molecular Science now describes this vibrant area of research.
Molecular science has made giant strides in recent years. Bolstered both by instrumental and
theoretical developments, it covers the temporal scale down to femtoseconds, a time scale
sufficient to define atomic dynamics with precision, and the spatial scale down to a small
fraction of an Angstrom. This has led to a very sophisticated level of understanding of the
properties of small molecule systems, but there has also been a remarkable series of develop-
ments in more complex systems. These include: protein engineering; surfaces and interfaces;
polymers; colloids; and biophysical chemistry. This series provides a vehicle for the publica-
tion of advanced textbooks and monographs introducing and reviewing these exciting
developments.

Series editors

Professor Richard Saykally University of California at Berkeley

Professor Ahmed Zewail California Institute of Technology
Professor David King University of Cambridge
FUNDAMENTALS OF SUM-FREQUENCY
SPECTROSCOPY

Y. R. SHEN
University of California at Berkeley
 University Printing House, Cambridge CB2 8BS, United Kingdom

Cambridge University Press is part of the University of Cambridge.

It furthers the University’s mission by disseminating knowledge in the pursuit of
education, learning, and research at the highest international levels of excellence.

www.cambridge.org
Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9781107098848
© Y.R. Shen 2016
This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception
and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements,
no reproduction of any part may take place without the written
permission of Cambridge University Press.
First published 2016
Printed in the United Kingdom by TJ International Ltd. Padstow Cornwall
A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data
Names: Shen, Y. R., author.
Title: Fundamentals of sum-frequency spectroscopy / Y.R. Shen, University of California, Berkeley.
Other titles: Cambridge molecular science series.
Description: Cambridge, United Kingdom ; New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, [2016] | ©2015 |
Series: Cambridge molecular science | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2015048473| ISBN 9781107098848 (Hardback ; alk. paper) |
ISBN 1107098848 (Hardback ; alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Laser spectroscopy. | Nonlinear optics. | Nonlinear optical spectroscopy. |
Second harmonic generation. | Surface chemistry.
Classification: LCC QC454.L3 S53 2016 | DDC 535.8/4–dc23 LC record
available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015048473
ISBN 978-1-107-09884-8 Hardback
Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy
of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication,
and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain,
accurate or appropriate.
 To
Hsiaolin
Kai, Pearl, and Alex
 Contents

Preface page xiii

1 Historical perspective 1
1.1. Early development of second-harmonic generation as a
surface probe 1
1.2. Early development of sum-frequency spectroscopy for
surface studies 4
1.3. Maturing of SHG and SFG for surface studies 6
1.4. Prospects 7
2 Basics of nonlinear optics 13
2.1. Maxwell’s equations in a medium 13
2.2. Linear and second-order nonlinear responses 14
2.3. Multipole expansion of nonlinear polarization 15
2.4. Structural symmetry of nonlinear susceptibilities 16
2.5. Nonlinear susceptibilities versus nonlinear polarizabilities 18
2.6. Microscopic expression of nonlinear polarizabilities 20
2.7. Summary 20
Appendix: Multipole expansion of nonlinear polarization and
definition of electric-dipole and electric-quadrupole nonlinear
susceptibilities 21
3 Basic theory for surface sum-frequency generation 23
3.1. General description 23
3.2. Sum-frequency generation from an interfacial
system with two semi-infinite bulk media 25
3.3. Sum-frequency radiation from a polarization sheet 27
3.4. Bulk contribution to sum-frequency generation 31
3.5. Sum-frequency generation from both surface and bulk 33
3.6. Surface and bulk nonlinear susceptibilities 34
vii
viii Contents

3.7. Surface versus bulk contribution 37

3.8. Sum-frequency generation for material characterization 38
3.9. Summary 41
Appendices
3.1. Alternative derivation of sum-frequency generation from
an interfacial layer 43
3.2. Expressions for effective surface nonlinear susceptibilities and
true surface and bulk nonlinear susceptibilities 46
3.3. Separate deduction of true bulk nonlinear susceptibility from
transmitted sum-frequency generation measurement 49
4 Experimental considerations 51
4.1. General considerations 51
4.2. Various sum-frequency spectroscopic techniques 54
4.2.1. Sum-frequency spectroscopy with narrowband inputs 54
4.2.2. Sum-frequency spectroscopy with a broadband input
and a multiplex detection scheme 56
4.2.3. Fourier transform sum-frequency spectroscopy (FT-SFS) 58
4.3. Phase-sensitive sum-frequency spectroscopy 59
4.3.1. Phase measurement with narrowband inputs 61
4.3.2. Phase measurement with the broadband multiplex scheme 63
4.4. Time-domain sum-frequency spectroscopy 64
4.5. Time-resolved ultrafast sum-frequency spectroscopy 68
Appendices
4.1. Analytical details on Fourier-transform sum-frequency spectroscopy 70
4.2. Underlying theory behind phase measurement in sum-frequency
spectroscopy with narrowband inputs 71
4.3. Underlying theory behind phase measurement of sum-frequency
spectroscopy with the broadband multiplex scheme 72
5 Characterization of bulk materials 75
5.1. Probing crystalline materials with ED-allowed SHG/SFG 75
5.1.1. Probing structural phase transitions 76
5.1.2. Probing structures of magnetic crystals 77
5.1.3. Probing current, spin-polarized current, and spin current
in a crystal 79
5.1.4. Probing phonons of a crystal 84
5.1.5. Surface-induced polar ordering in a bulk 87
5.2. Electric-quadrupole sum-frequency spectroscopy 91
5.2.1. Accessible bulk electric-quadrupole nonlinear
susceptibility elements 91
 Contents ix

5.2.2. Electric-quadrupole sum-frequency spectroscopy

of bulk materials 92
Appendices
5.1. Analytical details on second-harmonic generation from Cr2O3 96
5.2. Accessible bulk electric-quadrupole nonlinear susceptibility
elements and electric-quadrupole nonlinear polarizability
of molecules 98
6 Molecular adsorbates at interfaces 102
6.1. Underlying theory 102
6.2. Electronic and vibrational spectra of adsorbates 104
6.3. Molecular orientations of adsorbates 106
6.4. Adsorption isotherms for adsorbates at buried interfaces 111
6.5. Co-adsorption and competitive adsorption 113
6.6. Molecular monolayers at interfaces 115
6.7. Surface reactions 120
6.8. Comparison of SFVS with PM-IRRAS for probing adsorbates 127
7 Structures and properties of solid surfaces 132
7.1. General description 132
7.2. Studies of solid surfaces by second harmonic generation 133
7.3. Sum-frequency spectroscopy of surface phonons 136
7.4. Sum-frequency spectroscopy as a complementary tool for X-ray
determination of surface structures 139
7.5. Interfacial structures and surface melting of ice 139
7.6. Structure of solid surfaces buried in liquid 142
8 Interfacial liquid structures 145
8.1. General description 145
8.2. Liquid/vapor interfaces 147
8.2.1. Polar liquid/vapor interfaces 147
8.2.2. Nonpolar liquid/vapor interfaces 151
8.2.3. Water/vapor interfaces 154
8.2.4. Surface freezing of liquids 162
8.3. Ions at water/vapor interfaces 163
8.3.1. Probing ions at water/vapor interfaces 164
8.3.2. Emergence of ions from solutions at water/vapor interfaces 166
8.3.3. Effect of ions on molecular adsorption at water/vapor
interfaces 169
8.4. Water structure underneath a Langmuir monolayer and the
ion effect 169
x Contents

8.5. Molecular structure of charged water interfaces 173

8.6. Ions at hydrophobic water interfaces 177
8.7. Charging and reactions at hydrophilic water/solid interfaces 179
8.8. Surface structure of ethanol at ethanol/α-alumina interfaces 185
8.9. Interfacial structure of ionic liquids 186
Appendix: Contribution of electric double layer to SFG 190
9 Interfaces of polymers and organic materials 197
9.1. Introduction 197
9.2. Polymer surfaces in air 199
9.3. Environmental effects on polymer surfaces 205
9.4. Modification of polymer surfaces 207
9.4.1. Wet etching 208
9.4.2. Plasma etching and UV irradiation 209
9.4.3. Mechanical rubbing 210
9.5. Polymer/solid interfaces 213
9.6. Organic electronic and optoelectronic devices 217
10 Biomolecules and biological interfaces 224
10.1. Introduction 224
10.2. Membranes 225
10.3. Biomolecules at interfaces 234
11 Sum-frequency chiral spectroscopy 243
11.1. Background on chiral spectroscopy 244
11.2. Basic theory for chiral sum-frequency spectroscopy 245
11.3. SF chiral spectroscopy on electronic transitions 246
11.3.1. Theory 246
11.3.2. Experiment 248
11.4. SF chiral spectroscopy on vibrational transitions 254
11.5. Electronic-vibrational double resonance 256
11.6. Second harmonic generation as a chiral probe 258
11.7. Chiral sum-frequency microscopy 261
11.8. Prospects 262
Appendices
11.1. Coupled-oscillator model for electronic nonlinear optical activity 263
11.2. Theory for electronic-vibrational doubly resonant SF chiral
spectroscopy 264
12 Miscellaneous topics 268
12.1. Electrochemical interfaces 268
12.2. Ultrafast surface dynamics 276
 Contents xi

12.3. SHG/SFG microscopy 286

12.4. Interfaces of colloidal particles 294
Appendix: Theory of second-harmonic Rayleigh scattering 301
Most Frequently Asked Questions on SF Spectroscopy 309
Index 312
 Preface

Surfaces and interfaces are omnipresent in nature as well as in the man-made

world. They unavoidably control many important processes and play an essential
role in many disciplines. Advancement of modern surface science and technology
relies critically on the molecular-level understanding of surface properties and
functionalities. Many techniques have been invented and developed in the past
half century to probe surfaces and interfaces. Most notable among them are X-ray
spectroscopy, particle scattering, scanning microscopy, and optical spectroscopy.
Each has its own unique advantages and disadvantages. Optical spectroscopy is
attractive because it allows in situ, remote, non-destructive, and non-perturbative
probing of surfaces in real environments with sub-monolayer sensitivity. Vibra-
tional spectroscopy, in particular, can provide detailed structural information about
a surface. However, commonly available techniques, such as IR absorption/reflec-
tion spectroscopy, Raman scattering, and ellipsometry, are limited in their surface
specificity and generally are not suitable for surface studies. Clear distinction of
spectra and structural symmetry between surface and bulk is needed for optical
techniques to be applicable.
Soon after the birth of nonlinear optics, it was recognized that second-harmonic
generation (SHG) and sum-frequency generation (SFG) are electric-dipole forbid-
den in media with inversion symmetry. Because the inversion symmetry is neces-
sarily broken at a surface or interface, one would expect that SHG/SFG be highly
surface-specific in such media assuming that higher-order multipole contribution
from the bulk is negligible. This happens to be true in many cases of practical
interest. Since the first demonstration of SHG as a surface characterization tool in
1981 and SFG in 1987, the techniques have gained increasing popularity in the
surface science community. Sum-frequency vibrational spectroscopy (SFVS), in
particular, has grown into a most viable surface analytical tool because of the large
amount of information it can provide through the dependence on input frequencies,
beam geometry, and polarizations. As true for all material characterization

xiii
xiv Preface

techniques, raw data or spectra of SHG/SFG might reveal useful qualitative infor-
mation about a surface, but quantitative reliable information only comes from
proper data or spectral analysis based on a thorough understanding of the under-
lying theory of the processes. Most importantly, care must be taken to use the
correct expression of the Fresnel coefficients, especially for absorbing media, and
to make sure that bulk contribution is negligible or properly accounted for in the
data analysis. Such a theoretical understanding has actually taken years to form.
A review on the recent theoretical development is not yet available.
Over the years, SHG/SFG have found a wide range of applications in different
fields and various disciplines, not only for surface and interface studies, but also for
bulk characterization. Benefiting from advances in laser technology, new experi-
mental schemes have surfaced, and experimental techniques in general have been
greatly improved. Significant advances in SHG/SFG, however, have appeared
scattered in many different journals, and review articles tend to focus on special
topics. A researcher practicing the techniques in certain areas of surface science
may not appreciate its possible applications in other areas. There also exist likely
mistakes in measurement results and spectral analysis reported in the literature that
many are not aware of. The situation calls for a treatise overviewing all general
aspects of the techniques, including both theory and applications.
This book aims at beginners interested in adopting SHG/SFG as analytical tools
as well as practitioners who are familiar with the techniques. The goal is to provide
a resource volume as complete and comprehensible as possible on the subject, with
comments on current limitation on the applicability of the techniques and chal-
lenges for further improvement. Of course, it is impossible to have thorough and
complete discussions on all topics in a book of this nature. In most cases, the
readers are necessarily referred to the original articles on a topic for details. Even
so, many significant published works must have been inadvertently neglected, and
for that, I apologize in advance.
The book is organized as follows. Chapter 1 provides a historical perspective on
how SHG/SFG were invented and developed into viable surface probes, followed
by a brief description of their current status and future prospect. The next three
Chapters (2–4) present the basics of theory and experiment of SHG/SFG. Physical
reasoning is emphasized in the presentation, but for the theory to be correctly
stated, some mathematics is unavoidable. More rigorous theoretical derivations are
given in appendices, which readers with no theoretical interest can ignore. The rest
of the Chapters (5–12) are on applications of SHG/SFG in specific areas. Chapter 5
reviews characterization of bulk materials by SHG/SFG. Chapters 6 to 10 discuss,
respectively, applications to interfacial molecular adsorption, neat solid surfaces,
liquid interfaces, organic and polymer interfaces, and biological interfaces. Chap-
ter 11 focuses on SHG/SFG as novel, potentially powerful, chiral spectroscopy for
 Preface xv

chiral materials. Finally, Chapter 12 describes a number of other applications of

SHG/SFG: electrochemical interfaces, ultrafast surface dynamics, SHG/SFG
microscopy, and interfaces of colloidal particles.
I am indebted to many past members of our group in Berkeley, from whom
I have learned the essentials in the development of SHG/SFG spectroscopy. All of
them have made significant contributions to the field. Specifically, Chenson Chen,
Tony Heinz, Harry Tom, Rubens de Castro, and Daniel Ricard did the pioneering
works on surface characterization by SHG, and Jeff Hunt, Philippe Guyot-
Sionnest, X.D. Zhu, Wei Chen, Richard Superfine, Quan Du, and Hajo Suhr on
surface SF vibrational spectroscopy. Many others, including Marla Feller, Theo
Rasing, Gary Boyd, Hui Hsiung, Garry Berkovic, Chris Mullin, Xiaodong Xiao,
Viola Vogel, Jung Y. Huanag, Rodney Chin, Rupin Pan, Thomas Stehlin, Eric
Freysz, Peixuan Ye, Jing-yuan Zhang, Winfried Daum, Dieter Johannsmann, and
Colin Stanners, also made most significant contributions to the advancement of the
spectroscopy. More recently, Doseok Kim, Xiaowei Zhuang, George Selfer, Dieter
Wilk, Xing Wei, Paulo Miranda, Mikhail Belkin, Seok-Cheol Hong, Na Ji, John
McGuire, Weitao Liu, Luning Zhang, Lorenzo Marrucci, Herman Held, Alex
Lvovsky, Masahito Oh-e, Song-Hee Han, Chun Zhang, V. Pflumio, Wolfgang
Beck, Timofei Kulakov, Shen Ye, Toshiya Saito, T. Goto, Karl Heinz-Ernst, Yuh-
Ling Yeh , Chrisian Raduge, Min-yao Mao, Francois Lagugne-Labarthet, Victor
Ostroverkhov, Pasquale Pagliusi, Chao-yuan Chen, Markus Raschke, Jahoe Sung,
Steven Byrnes, Chuanshan Tian, and Yu-Chieh Wen have further improved on the
technique and theoretical understanding, and extended the range of applications of
SF spectroscopy. I have had the good fortune to collaborate with a number of
outstanding research groups over the years in developing SHG/SFG spectroscopy:
Francesco DeMartini in Rome, Mahn-Won Kim at Exxon, Gerd Marowsky in
Göttingen, Michitoshi Hayashi and Sheng Lin in Taiwan, Tung Chung at IBM,
Doseok Kim in Korea, and Gabor Somorjai, Miguel Salmeron, Hao Yang, and
Glenn Waychunas in Berkeley. Somorjai’s students and postdocs, particularly
Mathew Mate, John Crowell, Dana Zhang, Paul Cremer, Xingcai Su, Steve
Baldelli, Zhen Chen, David Gracias, and Ken Chou have contributed enormously
in our collaboration. Research support from the Department of Energy and the
National Science Foundation throughout the development of SHG/SFG spectros-
copy is greatly appreciated. My utmost sincere thanks go to my wife who helped
proofread the manuscript and solve numerous problems I had encountered with the
computer Word program during preparation of the manuscript.
 1
Historical perspective

Optical sum-frequency generation (SFG) is a nonlinear optical process in which

mixing of two input beams of different frequencies in a medium generates a
coherent sum-frequency output from the medium. Measurement of SFG from
a medium allows deduction of nonlinear response coefficients that characterize
the medium. Sum-frequency spectroscopy is among the most powerful and versa-
tile nonlinear optical techniques that have been developed for material studies, and
has been adopted by researchers in many disciplines. It has had a wide range of
applications on characterization of both surface and bulk of materials, although
most of them focus on surfaces and interfaces. Because surface and bulk generally
have different structural symmetries, their SFG response coefficients are different.
If the bulk response is strongly suppressed by symmetry, then SFG may be
dominated by the surface response. In such cases, SFG becomes highly surface-
specific, and SF spectroscopy can serve as an effective surface probe. It has created
many unique opportunities for surface and interface studies. We note that second-
harmonic generation (SHG) is a special case of SFG with the two inputs having
the same frequency. Presented in this chapter is a brief description of how the
technique has been developed into maturity over the years.

1.1 Early development of second-harmonic generation as a surface probe

Although the use of SHG as a surface probe did not begin until 1981, and SFG not
until 1987, the two processes have been known since 1961–2. Immediately after
the first ruby laser was built, Franken and co-workers reported the observation of
SHG and SFG in quartz.1,2 This marked the birth of nonlinear optics. The ensuing
classical paper by Armstrong et al., published in 1962, soon set the theoretical
foundation for nonlinear optics.3 While formulating nonlinear wave mixing pro-
cesses, Bloembergen and Pershan recognized the importance of the boundary
effects. They extended the laws of reflection and refraction to nonlinear wave

1
2 Historical perspective

propagation in a subsequent paper,4and experiments of SHG were then performed

in Bloembergen’s lab to verify the predictions.5 In dealing with nonlinear wave
propagation, the surface of a medium was simply treated as a truncated plane of the
bulk. Later, attention was soon shifted toward the existence of surface nonlinearity
different from that of the bulk. It was realized that the rapid variation of the field
across a boundary surface and the presence of surface states could contribute to the
surface nonlinearity.6 Bloembergen and Chang pointed out that for media with
inversion symmetry, such as liquids, metals, and some semiconductors, surface
nonlinearity might not be neglected.7 He and his co-workers developed a three-
layer model, treating the interface as a thin layer between two media, to describe
SHG from an interfacial system.6 This is the model we still follow nowadays.
Early experiments of Brown and co-workers on reflected SHG from Ag8 and
Bloembergen and co-workers on reflected SHG from Si and Ge9 led to confusing
results. Measurements were carried out in air, and surface contamination was a
problem. For example, the surface of Si was certainly covered by a layer of oxide
that could significantly modify the surface nonlinearity. Brown and Matsuoka later
did an experiment with a freshly evaporated Ag film in vacuum and found that the
reflected SHG was four times stronger than that with the sample in air,10 but Stern
and co-workers observed just the opposite.11,12
Interpretations of the early experimental results were generally not satisfactory
either because our knowledge on surface nonlinearity versus surface structure was
quite limited at the time. Structural difference between surface and bulk was
generally ignored. Surface nonlinearity of a metal was assumed to come from free
electrons in the metal; contribution from interband transitions was neglected.12
Apparently, there was not much interest in exploring the use of SHG for surface
studies. Focus was on verification of theoretical predictions on SHG from an
interface and on application of SHG to probe bulk structural properties, such as
monitoring paraelectric–ferroelectric transitions.13 In 1973, Chen et al. reported
observation of Na atomic adsorption on a clean Ge sample in ultrahigh vacuum by
reflected SHG.14 It suggested that SHG could have sub-monolayer sensitivity to
detect atomic adsorption on a surface. Unfortunately, they did not pursue the
subject further, and their paper in Optics Communications received little attention.
The next phase of active research on surface SHG began in 1981 after surface
enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) from molecules on roughened Ag was dis-
covered.15 It was believed that the major part of the enhancement came from local
field enhancement through local surface plasmon excitation and the minor part
from resonance enhancement at the charge-transfer band formed by molecule–
metal interaction, but the two mechanisms were not separable in SERS.16 It was
then realized that SHG and Raman scattering should experience similar local field
enhancement. While SERS is proportional to the product jEl Es j2 of the incoming
 1. Early development of second harmonic generation as a surface probe 3

laser field E l and the scattered field Es , SHG is proportional to jEl j4 .17 The local
field enhancement of the two cases must be nearly the same if both El and Es are
close to the local surface plasmon resonance. Unlike SERS, reflected SHG from a
bare Ag surface can be readily detected, and therefore used to separately probe the
local field enhancement. Indeed, in SHG from a bare roughened Ag surface,
Chenson Chen et al. found a local field enhancement of ~104, which agreed with
the estimate of local field enhancement in SERS.18 Like SERS, SHG was able
to monitor molecular adsorption and desorption on a Ag electrode during an
electrochemical cycle.18,19 Even centrosymmetric molecules that supposedly have
vanishing SH nonlinear response under the electric-dipole approximation could
be detected.20 The signal was surprisingly strong. In one experiment, a 20 mW cw
laser was shown to be sufficient for the SHG measurement.21Based on the
observed strength, a simple calculation led to the conclusion that even without
surface enhancement, a surface monolayer could be easily detected if a pulsed laser
were used. This immediately suggested that SHG could be adopted as a general
surface probe. The conclusion could have been obtained earlier if the early SHG
experiments were better characterized.
In subsequent years, research efforts were spent on developing SHG as a surface
analytical tool. Tony Heinz and Harry Tom’s PhD thesis projects,22,23as well as
a number of others,24–27 on the topic paved the way both theoretically and experi-
mentally. In a series of experiments, it was shown that SHG could allow measure-
ment of the electronic spectra of adsorbed molecular monolayers on substrates,28
arrangement and orientation of adsorbed molecules,29 and adsorption isotherm of
molecules adsorbed from solution.29 They demonstrated that SHG was effective
to probe adsorbed molecules at any interface accessible by light. The possibility of
using SHG to probe surfaces of bulk materials was also considered.30 It was found
that in media with inversion symmetry like Si, the bulk contribution to SHG,
although electric-dipole forbidden, could be larger than or comparable to the
surface contribution. However, surface and bulk contributions could be separated
if they have different symmetries that reflect their different structural symmetries.30
A later experiment by Heinz et al. at IBM showed that contribution from the Si
(111)-(77) reconstructed surface actually dominated over that of the bulk in the
reflected SHG, and transition from the (77) surface structure to (11) could be
monitored by SHG.31 Searching for better understanding of the experimental
results during this period also led to refinement of the underlying theory for surface
SHG.32–34
That SHG has sub-monolayer sensitivity and there are more nonlinear response
coefficients than the linear ones characterizing a medium, basically guarantees it
to be a useful surface probe. However, in order for the surface science community
to accept a new technique, it would take some extra effort. In the 1980s, basic
4 Historical perspective

surface science research heavily focused on well-defined crystalline surfaces

in ultrahigh vacuum. To convince the community that SHG would be useful as
a surface probe, it was necessary to show that the technique could be applied to
well-characterized surfaces in ultrahigh vacuum. To help increase credibility of the
work, Gabor Somorjai, an eminent surface scientist, was persuaded to collaborate
in the project. Tom, Heinz, and others spent the Christmas and New Year holidays
of 1983 in Somorjai’s lab carrying out a successful experiment to demonstrate that
SHG could indeed be used to study adsorption kinetics of CO, O2, and Na on
Rh (111).35 The experiment was later extended to adsorption of other molecules
on Rh (111) and adsorption and desorption of oxygen on Si (111).36 Thus, SHG as
a surface tool was firmly established, but a critical comment surfaced: “Adsorption
and desorption can be easily measured by other techniques. Can SHG yield any
new information?”
Being a laser spectroscopic technique, SHG certainly has many advantages
over conventional surface tools. It has high spatial, spectral, and temporal reso-
lution as a probe. Its highly directional output allows remote sensing of a surface.
Most importantly, it can be applied to any interface accessible by light. Accord-
ingly, SHG provided many new opportunities in different areas of surface science
where conventional techniques have difficulty in assessing. For example, it was
shown that polar orientation of adsorbed molecules could be determined by
polarization-dependent SHG;37 dynamics of surface structural change and phase
transformation could be monitored by time-resolved SHG;38 spatial variation of
surface structure can be imaged by SHG microscopy;21 and molecular adsorbates
at liquid interfaces,39,40 as well as charging of such interfaces,41,42 could be
studied by SHG. On spectroscopic measurement, SHG with a tunable input could
address electronic transitions of surface molecules.28 However, electronic reson-
ance bands are often too broad to distinguish molecular species. In order to
identify or selectively probe surface molecules or structures, vibrational spectra
known as finger prints of molecules are needed. Unfortunately, SHG is not
sensitive in the IR range because of the limited sensitivity of available IR detect-
ors. An obvious solution is to extend SHG to IR-visible SFG. Like SHG, SFG can
be surface-specific, but in addition, its tunable IR input allows probing of vibra-
tional resonances.

1.2 Early development of sum-frequency spectroscopy for surface studies

In the early 1980s, optical parametric systems as IR tunable coherent sources were
not common in research labs. In the first demonstration of IR-visible sum-
frequency vibrational spectroscopy (SFVS) carried out on a courmarine 514 dye
monolayer on Si, Zhu et al. used a CO2 TEA laser discretely tunable at ~10 μm in
 2. Early development of sum-frequency spectroscopy for surface studies 5

synchronization with a frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser at 0.53 μm.43 Several

vibrational modes of coumarine were clearly observed. However, the CO2 laser
was not very reliable, making the experiment extremely difficult. Actually, the first
attempt of SFVS was carried out earlier by Harry Tom with a continuously tunable
optical parametric oscillator pumped by a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser and a
frequency-doubled output also from the laser. The oscillator was built by Tom
in Y. T. Lee’s world-renowned molecular beam laboratory for molecular spectro-
scopic studies. To test the idea of SFVS, Tom tried the measurement on a
monolayer of p-nitrobenzoic acid (PNBA) on fused quartz. However, he could
observe a CH stretching spectrum even when the silica substrate was supposedly
clean. It was not understood where the spectrum came from; so the result was not
published but only reported in his PhD thesis.23 Later, it was realized that the
spectrum might have originated from hydrocarbon contaminants on the silica
surface because there were quite a few mechanical pumps in Lee’s lab pumping
the molecular beam machines and the atmosphere must have been polluted by
oil vapor.
Development of SFVS as a practical surface-specific spectroscopic probe only
started after a dedicated picosecond optical parametric generator/amplifier system
pumped by a mode-locked Nd:YAG laser was built.26 The first measurement of
SF vibrational spectra, reported by Hunt et al. in 1987 using the system,44 was
conducted on adsorbed hydrocarbon molecular monolayers on glass and water in
the CH stretching region. In subsequent experiments, Guyot-Sionnest et al. dem-
onstrated that SFVS could be used to probe orientation and conformation of
adsorbed molecules, adsorption isotherms of molecules at liquid/solid interfaces,
structural variation of adsorbed molecular monolayers exposed to different envir-
onments, and interactions between molecules at interfaces.45 They showed, from
the spectral changes, that the two-dimensional phase transitions of a Langmuir
monolayer were correlated with conformational changes of molecules.46 Alex
Harris and co-workers at Bell Labs developed a SFVS system based on a picosec-
ond tunable IR dye laser pumped by a mode-locked Nd:YAG laser. They suc-
ceeded in detecting SF vibrational spectra of CH stretches of adsorbed molecules
on metals, and performed the first set of time-resolved SFVS measurements to
study vibrational relaxation of adsorbed molecules.47 Towards the end of the
1980s, the first ever vibrational spectra of a neat liquid interface obtained by SFVS
were reported on the air/methanol interface by Superfine et al.48 In the experiment,
it was demonstrated that the bulk contribution to the reflected SFG was negligible
and observed reflected SF spectra were indeed the true surface spectrum of the
methanol interface. Phase of the SF output was also measured to show that the
surface methanol molecules are polar-oriented with their methyl groups pointing
toward the air.49
6 Historical perspective

1.3 Maturing of SHG and SFG for surface studies

While SFG was being developed, SHG as a surface tool bloomed because of the
much simpler experimental setup. Possibilities of applying the technique to liquid,
liquid crystal, and polymer interfaces were demonstrated. It was used to probe
phase transitions of adsorbed monolayers on water,39,50 charging at water inter-
faces,41,42 adsorbed molecules at liquid/liquid interfaces,51 surface and bulk struc-
tures of ordered liquid crystal films,52,53 anisotropy of surface monolayer54 and
surface-induced alignment of liquid crystal films,55,56 and monolayer polymeriza-
tion.57 Richmond, Furtak, and co-workers used SHG to study electrochemical
processes at crystalline metal electrodes in electrochemical cells and deduce infor-
mation about the structures of the metal electrode surface and the deposited over-
layers.58–60 Eisenthal and co-workers pioneered a number of SHG studies on water
interfaces.61 They also initiated application of SHG to colloidal particles in solution,
monitoring the transport kinetics of molecules across the membrane of liposomes.62
Although SHG experiments were generally carried out at interfaces of materials with
inversion symmetry, it was demonstrated that it could also be employed to study
surfaces of materials without inversion symmetry if surface and bulk had distinctly
different symmetry.63 Use of SHG to probe surface magnetism was proposed,64
and later realized experimentally.65
Requirement of a coherent tunable IR source in the SFVS setup must have
appreciably slowed down the development of SFVS. Home-built SFVS systems
were not easy to obtain for many labs. But as soon as commercial SFG systems
became available,66 SFVS took off. Optical parametric systems these days can
have a tuning range from 16 to 0.21 μm.67 Being able to assess vibrational
resonances, SFVS is much more powerful than SHG for selective probing of
molecules at interfaces and structures of interfaces. Having two independent input
beams greatly facilitates beam arrangement, allows measurement of more response
coefficients that characterize a medium, and provides opportunity for double
resonances to further enhance the selectivity of the process. As will be discussed
in various chapters of this book, SFVS has found wide applications, many of
which are highly unique. Molecular adsorption at interfaces can now be studied in
greater detail, including surface reactions and kinetics. Much interest has been on
surfactant monolayers with long alkyl chains presumably because of their import-
ance to technology and biology (Chapter 6). Structure and symmetry of bare solid
surfaces or buried solid interfaces, as well as their changes under perturbation, can
be probed (Chapter 7). The possibility of recording vibrational spectra of liquid
interfaces has created a great deal of excitement, especially after the first measured
vibrational spectra of water interface were reported. Ions emerging at water
interfaces and electric double layer formation near charged interfaces have been
 4. Prospects 7

extensively investigated (Chapter 8). As in the case of liquids, SFVS also offers the
only opportunity to probe the surface and interfacial structures of polymers at the
molecular level through their vibrational spectra. Surface modification either by
design or in response to environmental changes can be detected from the spectral
changes. The technique also provides a means to monitor functionality of an
interface in an organic or polymeric device (Chapter 9). Attempts to use SFVS
to deduce information on adsorption of macro- or bio-molecules on substrates and
properties and functions of lipid bilayers have also had some success (Chapter 10).
On other applications, SF spectroscopy has been shown to be able to probe
molecular chirality in both electronic and vibrational transitions. It has a sensitivity
significantly better than the conventional circular dichroism technique, and there-
fore could provide opportunities for novel research on molecular chirality (Chap-
ter 11). SHG has also been developed for label-free microscopy complementary
to two-photon fluorescence microscopy and for probing interfaces of colloidal
particles in solution. SHG/SFG has become an effective tool to study electrochem-
istry at the molecular level and ultrafast surface dynamics on the fs–ps time scale
(Chapter 12).
There have also been significant advances in SF spectroscopic techniques
(Chapter 4). First, a broadband scheme for SFVS was developed using a KHz
femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser as the pump source.68 It drastically reduces the data
collection time and facilitates recording of spectra. Next, a scanning phase-sensitive
(PS) SFVS scheme that enabled measurement of both intensity and phase spectra of
the nonlinear response coefficients was demonstrated.69 It allows direct and unam-
biguous characterization of resonances in observed spectra. Later, the PS technique
was incorporated into the broadband scheme,70 and time-resolved PS-SFVS was
made possible.71 On basic understanding of SFG (or SHG), theoretical effort has
been focused on clarifying the confusion whether bulk contribution to reflected
SFG from an interfacial system can be neglected or not (Chapter 3). For SFG to be
used as a surface probe, one must be sure that the bulk contribution is negligible.
In many cases, this has been proven to be true, but it is not necessarily so in general.

1.4 Prospects
We can anticipate that SF spectroscopy will become more popular in the coming
years as laser technology further advances. The technique is clearly unique for
probing liquid interfaces and polymer interfaces, which are two important areas
of modern science and technology. It is also unique for studying surface and
interfacial reactions, especially at buried interfaces. Other potentially important
applications to biological interfaces, chiral materials, and solids will certainly be
further explored.
8 Historical perspective

While SHG/SFG has become a mature technique for material studies, there is
still much room for improvement. First of all, the IR spectral range needs to be
further extended. Currently, it is limited to 16 μm, restricting most applications
to materials composed of light elements. Although IR free electron lasers are
capable of covering the entire far IR region, they are not easily accessible. Optical
damage of materials is another problem. It limits the intensity of input pulses
impinging on a material, and hence the SF output signal and the sensitivity of
SFVS. Shorter input pulses with higher rep rates will help. For the broadband
SFVS scheme, it will be preferable to have shorter femtosecond tunable IR pulses.
They will provide a broader bandwidth to facilitate spectral recording in addition to
better time resolution for ultrafast surface dynamic studies. Current setups of SFVS
appear to be bulky and difficult to move around. High rep-rate fiber lasers as pump
sources may improve the situation. Other technical areas that still need more
development are phase sensitive SFVS for buried interfaces, doubly resonant
(DR) SFVS, and phase sensitive DR-SFVS. Accessing a buried interface by light
is difficult if the media on both sides of the interface are strongly absorbing.
Methods need to be developed for SFVS to be able to study thin-film buried
interfaces with little complication.
Possible bulk contribution to reflected SFG is generally still a concern because
part of it is intrinsically not separable from surface contribution unless the two have
distinguishable symmetries and spectra. Experience is being accumulated to learn
whether SFG is surface-specific for certain types of interfacial systems. For example,
SF spectroscopy of surfaces of isotropic media with molecules well polar-oriented is
highly surface-specific. For nonpolar media with molecules well-oriented along
the surface normal, SFVS with S, S, and P polarizations for IR input, visible input,
and SF output, respectively, also appears highly surface-specific. On the other
hand, there are cases where the electric-quadrupole bulk contribution is clearly
not negligible. This often happens when the observed spectrum is weak. To be sure
whether SFG is surface-specific or not, additional measurement has to be performed.
If theoretical estimates on the strength of bulk electric-quadrupole contribution are
available, they can provide guidelines for proper design of a surface SFG experi-
ment. Generally, theoretical help will be very much needed in our understanding of
SF spectra, especially on interpretation of spectral features.

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 X.
VERTREK.

Die maaltyd wat voorafgaan aan die vertrek van iemand uit ’n
famielie, kom in treurigheid ooreen met die eerste waaraan die
famielie weer deelneem nadat een van hul lede vir altyd uit hul kring
verdwyn het. Al is almal nog daar, die vreugde is al verban. Elkeen
probeer tevergeefs om vrolik te wees, en die aandoenlike, dog
vrugtelose pogings maak die smart nog dieper.
So is dit ook stil en gedruk in die eetkamer van Maupas, hoewel
die sonnetjie inskyn deur die rame. Marcel sal teen die aand vertrek
met die rytuig; hy moet van die stasie weggaan met die trein van
sesuur. As die gesprek val, dan neem niemand weer die draad
daarvan op nie—skaars lewensvatbaar flikker dit nou en dan op uit
’n onbeduidende woordjie om dan weer uit te gaan. Marie, die ou
huismeid, het dié kos klaargemaak wat die kaptein graag eet; maar
sy skud haar hoof en is self ook bedroef as sy die skottels terugdra
kombuis-toe nog amper heeltemal vol.
Na die maaltyd loop Marcel met sy suster buiten-toe, hy sê aan
haar:
—Kom, ek wil ons ou wandelpaadjies nog eenkeer sien.
Teen die hang op gaan hul deur die wingerd tot by die
kastaiingbome, waar hulle dikwels as kinders in die koelte gespeel
het. In die sluimerende water van die meertjie in die verte spieël die
berge hulle af—teen die aand is die tinte altyd die mooiste.
—Laat ons nou na die waterval gaan, sê Marcel.
Voor hy weggaan, wil hy nog ’n keer vars indrukke kry van al die
afgeleë en besielende plekkies wat bygedra het tot die vorming van
sy vurige gemoed.
Marcel bly staan as hy die waterval deur die bome sien—’n lang
dun sluier, vallende van ’n hoogte van honderd voet, ’n opslag van
silwere stof verspreiende in die sonlig. Hy glimlag van plesier.
 —Ons moenie verder na bo gaan nie, sê hy. Ons moet nog na die
bos en na die kloof gaan.
Die gronde het vroeër almal by Maupas behoor, maar deur die
ongeluk met hul fortuin, het hul dit moet afgee. Maar al is die plekke
verkoop, die bekoring daarvan bly nog dieselfde. Die skoonhede van
die aarde is nie te koop of te verkoop nie: hulle behoor aan dié wat ’n
ope oog het om te begryp en te geniet.
Die kloof van Foresan is diep; die kante is dig begroei met struike.
Op sommige plekke kan ’n mens langs die skuinste afgaan tot aan
die kristal-heldere stroompie in die diepte. Daar, onder ’n lang
blaredak, is die tuis van die vreedsame, diepe, allesvergetende stilte.
Marcel loop voor. Hy kyk om en sien hoe sy suster haar rok
vasgeraak het in die klimop-plante langs die voetpad. Voordat hy
haar gaan help, sê hy:
—Hoe mooi lyk jy, hier tussen die bome!
—Kom help my liewer in plaas van onsin te praat.
Maar hy maak nie gou nie. Die lewendige natuurlike bevalligheid
van die jongmeisie stem so volkome ooreen met die maagdelike en
frisse omgewing. Hy kan nie help om met bewondering te kyk na die
lenigheid van haar beweginge nie terwyl sy besig is om haar aan die
plante te ontworstel—die wandeling het ’n gloed van gesondheid in
haar wange gedryf. Voor hy nog by haar is, spring sy al vooruit, los
van die bossies wat haar vasgehou het:
—Jy is te laat!
—Bravo, Paula! Jy sal nie bang wees vir die bosse van die verre
lande nie. Miskien kom jy nog eendag daar. Jy is van dieselfde ras
as jou broers.
—Ek! sê sy, en die vlam in haar oë verdof, ek sal op Maupas bly
tot ek sterf.
Deur die bome klim hulle weer teen die skuinste uit. Die windjie
speel deur die bome, wat al half beroof is van hul somertooi. Die
blare wat hul nog dra, is van ’n rooiagtige goudkleur, net soos die dik
tapyt daarvan wat alreeds op die grond lê. Dit word aand en die hele
bos is gedompel in ’n violetkleurige newel wat daar iets
geheimsinnigs en plegtigs aan meedeel. In die vensters van ’n
plaashuis vlam die rooi gloed van die ondergaande son.
By ’n omgekapte boom bly Marcel en Paula staan, en gaan
daarop sit.
Onder hulle sien hul die voetpad wat hul uitgeklim het; die dooie
blare wat daarop lê, neem ’n rose en pers kleur aan. ’n Skotskar met
hooi, deur twee osse getrek, kom verby hulle. Teen die gloed van die
westerlug vertoon die asem, uit die osse se neusgate, hom elke keer
soos ’n ligtende wolkie. Dis of die aarde vreedsaam en met lang
asemhaling die groot winterslaap ingaan, treurig en beroof van al sy
groen weilande en blaretooi.
Marcel neem die hand van sy suster. Net soos sy sy handdruk
voel, bars sy in trane uit. Alvorens die uur van afskeidneem het hul al
te veel gevoelens in hul harte opgehoop. Hy dink aan die swakheid
van Alida, en Paula dink aan hom. ’n Oomblik bly hy stil, uit eerbied
vir Paula haar trane, hy laat die vrye loop daaraan, dan sê hy:
—Luister, jy moet ma mooi oppas: ek sal miskien baie lank
wegbly.
Sy het ’n onrustige voorgevoel van ’n nuwe ongeluk wat dreig.
Meteens oorwen sy haarself.
—Jy kom mos aanstaande jaar terug van Algiers, nie waar nie?
Hy sien haar liefderyk aan:
—Ek weet nie, sus; ek behoor by die kommando wat dwarsdeur
die Saharawoestyn gaan.
—O, sê sy, dit het ek wel gedink. Jy verg te veel van ons moed,
Marcel. Ma is al baie oud en gedaan. Die swaar druk vir haar net so
erg as vir ons. Jy moet haar spaar.
Hy kyk na die vreedsame veld en kry ’n gedagte dat dit wel soet
moet wees om hier te bly by sy ma en sy suster. Maar dis ’n
verbygaande begeerte, en hy hervat:
 —Maar jy, ons goeie sus, is mos hier. Ek moet baie vèr gaan . . . .
. en ek moet vergeet. Moet nog nie vir ma vertel nie. Ek vertel vir jou
alles. Ma sal maar alte gou ook hoor.
Sy vra eenvoudig:
—Sal die kommando lank wegbly?
—Met sekerheid kan niks gesê word nie—waarskynlik agtien
maande.
Sy probeer haar smart te verberg, maar sy beswyk:
—Jy weet nie hoe lief ma en ek jou het nie. Ag! as dit tog maar
moontlik was om daardie een wat nie gedurf het nie, aan jou te bind;
sy sou jou ten minste hier gehou het, wat ons nie kan doen nie.
Hy omarm haar en kus haar. Seker van haar vriendskap en
manhaftigheid, wag hy tot die bui van wanhoop verby is. Maar Alida
haar naam noem hy nie. Nooit sou die naam weer oor sy lippe kom
nie. Hy verwaardig hom slegs om geringagtend van sy liefde te sê:
—Moenie daarvan praat nie, sus; die huwelik sou my minder
gemaak het. Ongelukkige vroue wat die lewenswerk van hul mans
belemmer! Die liefde is in ons dae nie meer sterk genoeg om
skeiding en smarte te kan verdra, of ’n offer te bring nie. Dis jammer,
want my pad lê deur die groot wêreld.
—Jy vergeet, sê sy, dat daar vroue is soos dié van ons broer
Etienne.
Hy gee haar ’n kus en sê:
—Ja, en ek vergeet een soos jy is ook. Jy sal die hart sterk maak
van hom wat jou sal liefhê.
Sy trek haar fier op:
—Nie vir my nie!
Haar woorde dui ’n inwendige terugstoting aan, wat hy begryp.
Te jonk het die teenhede van die lewe haar oorval op ’n leeftyd as
alles nog sonnig en vrolik wil wees; en sedert die dood van haar
vader het sy te veel lae ondank en kwetsende neerbuiendheid
ondervind—sy en haar moeder. Haar kragte is daardeur gehard,
maar ’n verbitterde trots het sy ook daarvan oorgehou. Sy verwag
niks meer van die toekoms nie; sy probeer om haarself te vergeet,
soos almal haar vergeet. Met haar liefde as suster en dogter, stel sy
haar tevrede. Fier in haar waardigheid en minagting van die wêreld,
wil sy die verborge roeringe wat in haar vurige hart ontkiem, nie
deurgrond nie. Hy weet dat sy net soos hy is, in haarself geslote en
nie graag haarself beklaende nie. Hy probeer haar af te lei en sy
groot liefde vir haar lê in sy woorde:
—Moenie ongerus wees nie, Paula: ééndag sal jy gelukkig word.
Dis ek wat jou dit vertel. Jy verdien dit.
Maar sy lei die gesprek op iets anders en vra hom omtrent sy
kommando.
—Ek het baie moeilikheid gehad, Paula, antwoord hy. Eindelik het
ek dit so ver gekry dat Jan Berlier ook meegaan.
—So, so, meneer Berlier!
—Ja, en hy kom terug as kaptein, met ’n ereteken op sy bors.
Bowenal sal hy gestaald terugkom. Die woestyn, soos die see, maak
hart en hoof ruimer. ’n Mens dink daar nie aan „flirtery” nie. Maar
hoekom noem jy hom nou meneer en nie Jan soos eers nie?
Sy antwoord nie. Hy kyk haar aan en staan op:
—Laat ons binne-toe gaan, dit word al donker; ons moet ma nie
meer alleen laat nie.
Mevrou Kibert sit voor die deur en wag al vir hulle. Sy brei ’n paar
kouse vir die dogtertjie van die boervrou. Elke keer kyk sy die laning
op, deur haar bril; sy sien Marcel en Paula aankom, en glimlag.
Terwyl hul die treedjies opstap, haal sy gou haar bril af om haar oë af
te vee.
—Eindelik terug, sê sy.
Marcel kus haar.
—Ons het te lank versuim in die bos. Maar hier is ons nou. Dit
word alte koud vir ma om nog buite te bly.
 Hulle gaan binne-toe, Marcel maak die deur toe. Hy gaan naas sy
ma sit op ’n laer stoeltjie, leun teen haar aan en neem haar hand. Hy
kyk na die arme gekerfde werkhand, met vormlose vingers, sonder
ringe, sprekende van ’n werksame lewe en van ouderdom. Mevrou
Kibert weet waar Marcel aan dink, en sy sê:
—Ja, ek het my trouring moet afhaal: dit het my seergemaak. ’n
Tydlank het ek die ring van jou vader gedra, maar die goud was al so
dun geslyt, dat dit eendag gebreek het, soos glas.
En sy voeg daarby asof sy net vir haarself praat:
—Dis maar niks. Wat ons voel, is tog maar alles—en dit kan selfs
die dood nie breek nie.
Marcel soek met sy oë aan die muur ’n ou portret van sy ma wat
hy goed ken. Sy staan daarop as jongmeisie, slank en skoon, met
iets teruggetrokkens in haar houding, en met ’n blom in haar mooi,
lang vingers.
Hy buig hom oor die verlepte ou hand, wat hy vashou, en druk
daar ’n soen op. Hy dink daaraan hoe sy moeg en terneergeslae
teruggeloop het van Chenée, na die ongunstige antwoord wat sy
daar gekry het, en hy onthou ook die onvriendelike woorde wat hy
haar gesê het:
—Ma, ek is somtyds haastig gewees met my woorde.
Sy trek haar hand saggies uit syne en streel sy wang. En op haar
gelaat lê die helder dog droewige glimlag wat spreek van ’n siel deur
lye gereinig.
—Stil! sê sy, bewoë. Ek verbied jou om jouself te berispe. Elke
dag dank ek die Heer vir die kinders wat Hy my gegee het.
Hulle is nou spraakloos. Die stilte omsluit hulle. Snel gaan die
minute verby, onverbiddelik. Hul is alreeds geskei voor die afskeid
nog daar is. Maar alles opsy skuiwende, geniet hul, tot martelens
toe, hul bedreigde samesyn. Daar is niks wat siele so
aanmekaarbind as gemeenskaplike sorge en smarte nie. Wanneer
sal hul ooit weer so bymekaar wees in die goudkleurige najaar, die
geel blare deur die venster sigbaar in hul sterwende skoonheid? Van
die drie wat hier bymekaar is, het twee ’n voorgevoel dat so ’n
samesyn nooit weer sou kom nie. Mevrou Kibert probeer tevergeefs
om, soos altyd, sterk te bly by die afskeid. Marcel se hart is swaar:
hy dink aan die eensame woestyne van Afrika van waar menigeen
nie weer terugkom nie.
Die bediende kom sê dat die rytuig ingespan is. Dis al nag as hul
vertrek.
Hulle ry deur Chamberie. Onder ’n veranda in die straat sien Paula
mevrou Delourens en haar dogter staan. Sy sien hoe Alida
doodsbleek word; maar as sy haar broer aankyk, dan is sy verbaas
om te sien dat hy heeltemal onverskillig is, hoewel sy voel dat hy
hulle ook gesien het.
By die stasie moet hul nog wag en bly bymekaar in die wagkamer.
Mevrou Kibert haar oë is net op haar seun, wat gaan vertrek. Sy sê
meteens:
—Van al die kinders lyk jy die meeste na jou pa.
—Sy geloof in die lewe het ek nie, sê Marcel. Hom het ek nooit
ontmoedig gesien nie. By teenspoed het hy laggend sy hoof opgehef
en gesê „So lank ’n mens nog nie dood is nie, is daar niks verlore.”
—Vandat hy dood is, sê die ou vrou, is my krag weg.
—Hy leef nog in U, ma. Vir ons is hy nog hier.
—In julle ook. Vir my wag hy.
Marcel kus haar.
—Nee, ma, ons het ma nog nodig.
’n Spoorwegbeampte kom aan die deur en waarsku hulle. Hul
gaan op die stoep en sien die twee lanterns van die naderende trein
soos oë wat hul aanstaar. Hul moet afskeid neem van mekaar. Nog
nooit het mevrou Kibert so bedroef gevoel nie. Sy omarm haar
Marcel, en hy glimlag om haar moed te gee. Haar laaste woord is ’n
seën-wens, ’n gebed:
—Dat God jou beskerm!
 Krom gebuie na die aarde, wat haar aantrek, so bereik sy, aan
Paula haar arm, die rytuig.
—Moenie ongerus wees nie, ma, sê Paula. Net ’n jaar bly hy weg.
Die vorige keer het U beter uitgehou.
Maar sy het ’n geheime voorgevoel wat haar martel. Swyend ry
hul terug na Maupas. Daar word die ou vrou nog ’n keer oorval deur
’n vreeslike aandoening van droefheid:
—O, ek is bang ek sal hom nooit weer sien nie.
Paula verbaas haar oor die wonderlike voorgevoel van gevaar, wat
haar ma alleen het.
—Ek weet nie waarom ek so voel nie, sê die ou vrou. Ek voel net
so bedroef, as die jaar toe jou pa gesterwe het.
Met grote selfbeheersing bedwing sy haar, om haar dogter ontwil.
Sy neem die hand van haar laaste kind, met die sagte bevalligheid
wat sy nog uit haar jong jare oorhou; en terwyl sy dink aan al die
skeidinge, sommige vir lange tyd en sommige vir altyd, sê sy:
—My liewe kind, jy is nou die laaste blommetjie wat oorbly in my
verlate tuin.
DEEL II.
 I.
DERTIEN AAN TAFEL.

—Ons sou miskien aan tafel kan gaan.

Meneer Delourens waag om dit te sê, met ’n bangerige stem.
Onder die geselskap van sy vrou haar oog maak hy dadelik dat hy
wegkom van die vuur, waar ’n paar groot eikeblokke vlam, en hy
neem die vlug na ’n alleenstaande stoel ver daarvandaan. Laggend
toon mevrou Delourens dan aan haar gaste ’n almanak wat in groot
syfers die datum dra: 25 Februarie.
Mejuffrou Sonjon, verdroog en verouderd, kom nader—’n mens
sou sê dat die verbygaande tyd haar besonder veel belang
inboesem. Maar ál waar sy aan dink, is om ’n plekkie te verower
naby die vuur. Sy kom net van Rome terug: in die winter skenk sy
net haar aandag aan die gestigte van die suide—waar dit warm is.
Om op laasgenoemde liefdadigheidstog te kan gaan, het sy skielik
die vee moet laat verkoop van ’n boer wat agterstallig was met sy
betaling. Sy maak haar groot voete warm en kyk na die almanak.
—Maar dis 25 Februarie 1898! sê sy, en dis vandag 25 Februarie
1901—dis net drie jaar te laat.
Al die vrouens, behalwe Alida, kom kyk of dit so is; die almanak
gaan van hand tot hand. Mevrou Orlandi hou Pistache op haar hart
gedruk—’n verouderde Pistache, vet, half kaal en lelik, met half
geslote ooglede oor sy tranerige oë; verwonderd en trots dat sy dit
agtergekom het, roep sy uit:
—A, ek verstaan! U het die datum van u dogter haar huwelik op
die almanak bewaar. Dis vandag net drie jaar gelede. Hoe vindingryk
en teer is tog ’n moeder haar liefde! Dis nou net soos ek is, mevrou,
ek onthou ook altyd sulke dae.
—Ek wil gerus wed, ma, sê Isabella—wat nou mevrou Landeau
geword het—dat U al vergeet het wanneer ek getroud is.
—Nee maar dié Isabella! sy het tog altyd iets snaaks om te sê.
 En, met alles behalwe fyne behendigheid, buig sy haar hoof oor
haar mopshondjie, met ’n vloed van soet woordjies.
Mevrou Delourens—siende dat almal aan gesels is—werp ’n
haastige blik op die klok, wat al kwart-voor-agt aanwys, en die
afspraak was dat hul om sewenuur sou aansit.
—My gravinnetjie, het jy jou broer Clement nie vanmiddag gesien
nie? vra sy aan haar dogter, wat afgetrokke en stil is.
—Nee, ma, antwoord Alida, fluisterend.
Vier of vyf maande na Marcel se vertrek was Alida—wanhopend,
oorwonne, onderdanig, volgens die wyse raad van haar moeder—
getroud met graaf Marthenay, wat toe luitenant was in Chamberie.
Vir die derde maal word nou die verjaardag van haar „geluk” gevier.
Haar bevallige jongmeisie-slapheid en slankheid was oorgegaan in
neergedruktheid en maerheid. Haar helder oë, haar neergetrokke
mondhoeke, getuig van ’n ingewortelde en diepe droefgeestigheid.
Die suiwerheid van haar gelaatstrekke was nie verlore gegaan nie,
maar deurdat haar wangbene meer uitsteek, haar neus vermaer en
haar wange kleurloos is, het die vroeëre uitdrukking van jeug en
onskuld plaas gemaak vir ’n aansien van pynlike gelatenheid en
swakheid. Op haar gelaat dra sy die tekens van ’n marteling wat elke
oomblik van haar lewe aan haar kou, en wat so seker deur haar man
nooit opgemerk word nie. Om daarvan oortuig te wees, is dit genoeg
om ’n oog op hom te slaan, soos hy daar agter haar staan, met sy
opgeblase en puisterige gesig, die gedagtelose gesig van ’n
vroegtydig afgeleefde man.
Mevrou Delourens kyk by die venster uit. Sy laat die gordyn weer
val en kyk dan weer haar gaste besluiteloos aan. Almal is so aan
gesels met mekaar, dat sy dink nog maar ’n bietjie te kan wag. En
nie sonder bitterheid nie dink sy by haarself:
—Mevrou Orlandi, wat anders altyd te laat kom, is nou tog betyds.
Om die vuur luister al die vrouens na mejuffrou Sonjon, wat met
geloofsywer vertel van die katakombe van Rome. Mevrou Orlandi—
openlik haar gebrek aan morele gevoel openbarende, en onhandig
om vergelykinge te maak—sê dat sy meer hou van die bouvalle van
Pompeii, omdat daar sulke vermaaklike muurskilderye te sien is.
Mevrou Lavernay en mevrou Ambelard—ouerige en plegstatige
verskyninge—het niks te sê nie. Mevrou Delourens hou hulle aan om
hulle adel, en praat altyd van hulle afkoms. Hulle is goed om die
geselskap vol te maak, en meet die lewe af na die aantal
uitnodiginge wat hul kry.
Hul mans is tafelskuimers van die eerste water en het iets
ouderwets-deftigs oor hulle, vol vooroordele waarmee hulle maklik
deur die wêreld rol, totaal onbekend met die moderne
gedagtewêreld, maar met ’n ingewortelde plesierlus. Baron
Ambelard, hoogrooi van kleur, hou van lekker eet; en graaf
Lavernay, jonk ondanks sy wit kop, skenk al sy neerbuiende aandag
aan die mooi dames. Hy kom net van die hofsittinge, en vertel aan
die klompie mense om hom heen wat hy as jurielid ondervind het.
—Julle veroordeel ’n dief, maar ’n kindermoordenaarster laat jul
vry, sê meneer Delourens; en, bang dat hy te veel gesê het, voeg die
mannetjie daar haastig aan toe:
—Let wel, ek kritiseer u glad nie.
Meneer Lavernay lag sonder terughouding.
—My waarde heer, as ons kindermoordenaarsters sou veroordeel,
dan sou ons geen diensmeisies meer kan kry nie.
—Hoe bespotlik ook, sê meneer Ambelard, om kinders te hê! ’n
Mens se beurs moet eers geraadpleeg word. Wat sê u daar nou van,
meneer Landeau?
Meneer Landeau beken dat hy daar geen gedagte oor het nie. Hy
is miljoenêr en voer ’n verskriklike stryd in die besigheidswêreld om
’n reën van goud oor sy vrou te kan uitstort, om sodoende—soos ’n
allesoortreffende tjek—haar trotse hart te win. Sy speel met hom
soos ’n dieretemmer maak met ’n brullende leeu wat dreig en sy rug
hoog maak. Onder voorwendsel van kinderpligte teenoor haar
onverskillige ma, het sy geweier om met hom mee te gaan na Lyon;
tweemaal in die week kom hy haar ’n besoek bring in die pragtige
„villa” wat hy vir haar laat bou het. Sy lei hom in in die geselskappe,
sy skouers is krom gebuig onder die las van sy besigheid, en sy
gelaatskleur is soos lood. En daar, in die geselskappe—onderworpe
en brommend—bewonder hy die bedwelmende skoonheid van
Isabella, in haar element; en sonder vreugde hoor hy haar harde lag
aan—die lag wat haar glansende wit tande laat sien.
Meneer Ambelard hou sy hand voor sy mond, want hy gaap van
ongeduld, hy verlang na die eetmaal.
Marthenay het totnogtoe stilgebly, maar word ook nou oproerig:
—Dis Clement se skuld: hy het seker ’n ongeluk gehad met sy
motorkar.
Die wysers van die horlosie staan al op agtuur.
—Hy het nog nooit ’n ongeluk gehad nie, sê meneer Delourens—
wat net na rustigheid verlang.
Marthenay is nou sonder medelye:
—Hy self nog nooit nie—daar is hy te slim voor. Maar daar is
genoeg wat onder sy kar verongeluk: hoenders, honde—en die
ander dag ’n ou vrou ook.
—Ons het daarvoor betaal, en selfs baie duur, sê mevrou
Delourens verontwaardig.
—Nou loop sy kreupel vir u geld.
Ruiterlik, en sonder bybedoeling, lê meneer Marthenay uit hoe die
arm mense baiemaal die motorkarre oor hulle laat ry om geldelike
vergoeding te kry.
Almal is eenstemmig in die verdediging van die modesport,
behalwe juffrou Sonjon, wat teen vooruitgang is. Daar kom die jong
Clement eindelik binne, uitgelate vrolik.
Sy ma beknor hom. Hy maak geen ekskuus nie en sê laggend:
—Ons het so lank versuim in die dorp. Die motorkar het uit orde
geraak—’n mooi grap!
Meneer Ambelard is kwaad, hy sê by homself: ’n Mooi grap! Ons
so laat wag vir die ete! Die jonkman praat gemaklik!
 Die here gee elk ’n arm aan ’n dame, en almal gaan na die
eetsaal. Clement gaan ander klere aantrek. Hy kom terug as die
soepborde al weggeneem is. Maar met gebiedende stem vra hy sy
soep, en maak glad nie gou om klaar te kom en die ander gaste nie
te laat wag nie.
Die verskillende geregte volg mekaar op. Almal is weer opgewek
en gesels deurmekaar. Clement het sy aptyt bevredig en brand nou
van verlange om ook deel te neem aan die gesprekke en die aandag
op hom te trek. Hy wag tot daar ’n oomblik stilte is, en basuin dan uit
oor die tafel:
—Ek het groot nuus te vertel.
—Wat, wat? word van al kante gevra.
Maar hy het daar plesier in om hulle te laat wag, en strooi
allerhande praatjies tussenin.
—Maar praat dan, sê verskillende ongeduldige stemme tegelyk.
Alle oë is op hom gerig. Maar hy wil nog ’n oomblik geniet van die
opmerksaamheid wat sy nuus hom skenk. Terwyl daar nog ’n
lekkerbek-gereg voorgedien word, sê mevrou Delourens nou uit
naam van almal:
—Vertel nou!
Clement kan hul nou nie meer om die tuin lei nie. Hy het hul ten
minste lank genoeg laat wag om sy lompheid te kan insien, maar op
sy gewone growwe manier sê hy meteens:
—Nou wel! kommandant Kibert is dood.
Dit lyk byna ongepas om sulke nuus somaarso in die middel van ’n
fees te gooi wat amper volmaak weelderig is—met die gloed, die
ligte, die pragtige blomme en skitterende juwele, die ryke
damesrokke en die opgewektheid van die geselskap. Dit moet wel ’n
ongemanierde, sportbedorwe vent soos Clement wees om soiets te
waag.
As die dood genoem word, dan beteken dit dat die plesier van die
aand nie sal stand hou nie. En om plesier te hê op die oomblik moet
’n mens hom kan voorstel dat die plesier sal aanhou. Was dit nou
nog maar iemand onbekend, wat somaar verbygegaan kon word!
Maar dit is onmoontlik in die geval van kommandant Kibert: die
bekendheid met sy famielie, sy persoon, en sy skitterende loopbaan
hou die geselskap onvermydelik besig. Almal voel half verslae.
Isabella Orlandi is die eerste wat praat, en dis om twyfel uit te
druk:
—Watter praatjies! Verlede jaar kon ’n mens soiets nog geglo het.
Hy was toe met sy kommando in Afrika; deur onbekende en
gevaarvolle landstreke. Maar hy is fris en gesond, en daarby
beroemd teruggekom. Hy is nog maar twee-en-dertig jaar, en nou al
kommandant, en met hoë eretekens. Hy is ons groot man. Julle is
almal jaloers op hom—daarom wil jul op hom sit.
Sy praat op ’n opgewonde manier, skuif heen en weer op haar
stoel, en kyk van links na regs, asof sy wil hê dat almal moet sien
hoe kwaad sy is. Toe Clement sy nuus vertel het, het haar oog
vanself op Alida geval, en sy het gesien hoe die bloed weggegaan
het uit Alida haar gelaat, asof haar lewe haar verlaat; en die dodelike
bleekheid gaat ook oor op haar hande, wat senueeagtig begin te
bewe, en so wit is as die tafellaken.
Clement maak ’n beweging met sy hand:
—Wat jul nou ook al sê, hy is dood. Ek bewonder hom, net soos
julle, maar dood is hy.
—O, vaderland! Hou jou mond! sê mevrou Orlandi—sy het
meteens met skrik gesien dat hul dertien aan tafel is, en tel nog ’n
keer, hopende dat sy fout gemaak het.
Plegtig klink die woord van mejuffrou Sonjon:
—Dat die Heer sy siel bewaar!
—Het hy in ons land gesterwe? vra meneer Delourens. Want die
kommando is al sedert ’n paar maande terug.
Meneer Ambelard is onverskillig en eet ’n happie op wat hy vir die
laaste op sy bord bewaar het. En meneer Laverney se oë rus op die
mooi hals van Isabella.
 Meneer Marthenay sit sy glas neer, wat hy elke keer leeg drink, en
sê:
—Skaars drie weke gelede het ek kommandant Kibert nog gesien.
Hy het toe by die stasie uit die trein gestap. Ek het na hom toe
gegaan, maar dit het gelyk of hy my nie meer ken nie.
—Waarskynlik het hy daar niks omgegee om jou te ontmoet nie,
sê Isabella. Sy kan dit nie laat nie: sy het ’n afkeer van Alida haar
man; hy hou aan om hom aan te stel as haar vryer, sodra hy nie
meer sy tyd verknoei met kaartspeel nie. Om die afjak nog duideliker
te maak, sê sy daarby:
—Ongetwyfeld voel hy minagting vir offisiere wat hul betrekking
bedank het.
Marthenay het naamlik die jaar vantevore uit die militêre diens
getree.
—Ja, so is dit, sê Clement, wreed. En nou die aandag weer op
hom gevestig is, gee hy ’n paar besonderhede:
—Swaer Marthenay is reg: Kommandant Kibert het verlede maand
teruggekom. Hy was twee dae by sy moeder en suster op Maupas
en het toe weer vertrek na die troepemag in die binnelande van
Algiers.
—Ja, sê Marthenay, maar vandag het generaal Servières by die
plek verbygetrek, en hy rapporteer dat die vyand die troepemag daar
aangeval het.
Clement sit sy oogglasie op en kyk die gewese luitenant brutaal
aan:
—Ou swaer, is dit jy? Stel jy waarlik eenkeer belang in militêre
sake?
Ná nog ’n kyk na die doodsbleek gelaat van Alida, sê Isabella:
—Maar ek verstaan daar niks van nie. Hy was skaars terug van
die tog oor die Saharawoestyn, wat ag-en-twintig maande of twee
jare geduur het. Ná sulke togte kry hul gewoonlik baie lank verlof. Hy
het dus glad geen rus geneem nie en het dadelik weer na die front
gegaan? Want as hy dood is, dan het hy in ’n geveg geval.
Alida neem ’n bos blomme in haar hand en ruik daaraan, om haar
bleek gesig vir die gaste te verberg.
Isabella laat eindelik die vry teuel aan die onrus wat haar nou
kwel:
—En kaptein Berlier? Hy is ook terug van die Sahara. Hy het by
dieselfde kommando behoor as kommandant Kibert. Is hy ook weer
met hom meegegaan na die binnelande?
Het Clement Delourens aan die geluid van haar stem gehoor dat
sy ongerus is? Alte dikwels al het hy moet krimp onder die spot van
die jong vrou, wat niemand spaar nie; nou het hy daar ook plesier in
om haar ’n bietjie te martel:
—Maar seker, Jan Berlier moet ook daar gewees het.
—Vertel nou eindelik, wat weet jy seker? sê Isabella, kwaadaardig.
Mevrou Delourens dring ook daarop aan. En Clement vertel:
—By die stadsraad van die dorp is berig gekom van die Minister
dat kommandant Kibert deur die vyand doodgeskiet is by die
verdediging van ’n stelling in die Sahara. Hulle het die veldwagter
gestuur om die berig aan sy moeder te bring.
Daar staan ’n groot kandelaber voor mevrou Delourens, sodat sy
haar dogter nie kan sien nie. Die blomme wat Alida in haar hand hou
is swaar van die trane wat sy daarin ween. By die algemene
opwinding merk niemand dat sy ween nie.
—Hoe het hy gesterwe? vra een van die dames.
—Aan die hoof van sy manskappe, nadat die oorwinning al behaal
was—’n koeël in sy voorhoof.
Seer korrek merk meneer Delourens op:
—Dis ’n groot verlies vir die land.
—Ja, sê sy vrou—meteens welsprekend geword—ons eer sy
roemryke nagedagtenis. Ons sal ’n lykdiens laat hou, so pragtig, dat
die hele dorp verbaas sal staan. Dit kom ons stand toe om aan ons
vaderland te laat sien hoe ware verdienste erken en vergoed moet
word in ’n tyd dat middelmatigheid so algemeen is in ons nasie, wat
deur afguns tot die laagste trap gesink het.
Dieselfde dag het sy die laasuitgesproke sinsnede net so gelees in
die koerant.
Alida is verbaas om sulke woorde te hoor uit die mond van haar
moeder en dink in haar droefheid:
—Waarom het sy dan geweier om my aan hom te gee?
En Isabella is stil, want sy dink aan Jan Berlier, omtrent wie nog
niks seker is nie.
Mevrou Orlandi vergeet Pistache ’n oomblik en vra:
—Weet sy moeder al?
Almal kyk Clement aan. Met ’n losse onverskilligheid, meer eie
aan sy leeftyd as aan sy ongevoeligheid, sê hy:
—Sy moet nou alles weet. Op pad na huis het ek haar
verbygekom; in haar ou rytuig was sy op weg na Maupas.
Iedereen voel iets eienaardigs by dié woorde.
Dit lyk of die koue buitelug meteens binnegekom het in die
gerieflike warm eetsaal. Instinkmatig staan meneer Ambelard op om
te kyk of die rame wel goed sluit. ’n Rilling loop deur die geselskap—
hul sien in hul verbeelding almal dieselfde. En wat hulle sien, is ’n ou
vrou wat al baie harde slae in haar lewe ontvang het, en nou oor die
sneeu huis-toe gaan, kalm en vreedsaam, om in haar huis die
doodstyding te ontmoet.
Die onvermydelike ramp, wat nou op die oomblik miskien in hul
nabyheid plaasvind, is nog meer treffend as die verre en roemryke
dood van kommandant Kibert in Afrika.
’n Snik van Alida breek die doodse stilte. Met ’n met skrik bevange
stem fluister Isabella:
—Nou weet sy dit.
 Die moeders in die geselskap steek hul trane nie weg nie. En
mevrou Delourens—gou om handelend op te tree—maak planne
van roubeklag en trooswoorde aan die arme vrou, wat sy gou wil
besoek.
Clement siet al die lykstasiegesigte; en hy—wat hou van vrolikheid
aan tafel—siet nou dat hy ’n fout gemaak het.
Sy vader—aan ou vorme geheg—hef onwillekeurig die
swaarmoedige stemming ’n bietjie op deur ’n bysaak te bespreek
waaroor hy nog nie uitgepraat is nie:
—In plaas van ’n veldwagter te stuur om die nuus oor te stuur,
behoort die burgemeester self na Maupas te gaan.
Meneer Ambelard trek party van die opening in die gesprek om die
protes te laat hoor wat hy al lank met moeite terughou:
—Al ons hartseer sal niks aan die saak verander nie, en ons mag
gerus oor iets minder treurigs gesels. Voor ek na die komedie gaan,
vra ek ook altyd eers of alles gelukkig afloop. In geselskap, soos in
die komedie, moet die treurigheid uitgegooi word.
Graaf Lavernay dink ook so, en so word die dooie begrawe. Die
sjampanje fonkel weer in die glase soos lewende goud. Die blomme
geur oor die tafel, bedek met mandjies gesuikerde vrugte. Die juwele
van die vrouens skitter in die lamplig. Nie sonder genoeë voel hulle
hulle weer terug in hul ou element van deftigheid en welgedaanheid
wat versteur was deur ontydige slegte nuus.
Maar Alida en Isabella voel apart in hul droefheid.
Die geselskap drink op die gesondheid van die jong egpaar
Marthenay—want daarvoor is hierdie fees. En dan gaan almal na die
voorkamer.
Alida kon nie meer hou nie en sy vlug na die kamer van haar ma.
In die donker gee sy haarself oor aan haar smart. Sy het nog die
moed gehad om te glimlag toe ’n feesdronk op haar ingestel was en
toe gepraat was van haar „benydenswaardige geluk.” Haar geluk!
Tevergeefs soek sy dit, nou of in haar verlede; en hoe sou sy dit in
die toekoms ooit vind? Met die helderheid van gedagte, wat altyd
kom by die sware skokke van die noodlot, wat ons dreig te verpletter,
deurleef sy weer, in haar wanhoop, haar laaste lewensjare. Snel en
helder kom die beelde verby, die een na die ander—al haar
droewige dae . . . .
Sy wou nie die vrou word van Marthenay nie, maar sy was
magteloos teenoor haarself. In haar trourok het sy die kerk ingestap
aan die arm van die man wat sy nie self gekies het nie. En daarna?
Kan sy terugsien op één uurtjie van geluk, die innige, suiwere geluk
wat haar kinderlike verbeelding haar voorgetower het? Die eerste tyd
van haar huwelikslewe het in ’n soort van weldadige verdowing op
haar neergekom, soos ’n mistigheid wat oor ’n verwoeste veld kom
en die narigheid daarvan bedek. Sy het vergeet om haar hart te
ondervra. Haar man het die opgeruimdheid gehad van iemand wat
besig is: hy was nou en dan te perd uit, hy het sy militêre pligte trou
vervul, hy het vriende ontvang, hy het partytjies gegee. Sy het haar
laat aflei deur die nuwe huishoudelike sorge en deur die
menigvuldige pligte van wêreldse vertoning. By gebrek aan die man
van haar drome het sy ’n man wat groots is op sy fortuin, en sy
gesig, ja, om die waarheid te sê, sonder fyn maniere, sonder veel
verstand of geestigheid, maar met ’n gesonde maag en ’n
verwaandheid waardeur hy in onophoudelike selfbewondering
verkeer. Toe haar dogtertjie gebore geword het, het sy gedink
eindelik haar geluk te vind en die werklikheid te vergeet.
Van dié tyd, wat nog draaglik vir haar was, gaan haar gedagtes
nou oor op haar teenswoordige toestand, wat altyd duur. Deur
onverwagte gebeurtenisse moes die troepemag van Chamberie
verplaas word na die Verre Oos. Tevergeefs het Marthenay probeer
om ’n plaasvervanger te kry: hy moes saamgaan, of sy betrekking
opgee. Die vooruitsig van sy vertrek het mevrou Delourens so
rasend ongelukkig gemaak, dat sy jong vrou—onversigtig genoeg—
hom herinner het aan sy belofte voor hul huwelik. En as ereman het
die luitenant hom opgeoffer: binne vier-en-twintig uur het hy sy
bedanking ingestuur. Met welbehae het hy hom oorgegee aan sy
begeerte na ’n lui-lekker lewe, wat nie moontlik was tydens sy
militêre loopbaan nie. En van dié oomblik af het hy laer en laer
geval. Hy het begin met al die drinkplekke te besoek. Hy het ’n