the alkahest-第24章

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and　heat　the　water；〃　remarked　the　old　Fleming；　interrupting　the　cook。



〃I　know　enough　to　know　there　used　to　be　several　thousand　ounces　of

silver…ware　about　this　house　which　you　and　your　master　have　melted　up；

and　if　you　are　allowed　to　have　your　way；　you'll　make　ducks　and　drakes

of　everything　till　there's　nothing　left。〃



〃And　monsieur；〃　added　Martha；　entering　the　kitchen；　〃will　kill　madame；

just　to　get　rid　of　a　woman　who　restrains　him　and　won't　let　him　swallow

up　everything　he's　got。　He's　possessed　by　the　devil；　anybody　can　see

that。　You　don't　risk　your　soul　in　helping　him；　Mulquinier；　because　you

haven't　got　any；　look　at　you！　sitting　there　like　a　bit　of　ice　when　we

are　all　in　such　distress；　the　young　ladies　are　crying　like　two

Magdalens。　Go　and　fetch　Monsieur　l'Abbe　de　Solis。〃



〃I've　got　something　to　do　for　monsieur。　He　told　me　to　put　the

laboratory　in　order；〃　said　the　valet。　〃Besides；　it's　too　fargo

yourself。〃



〃Just　hear　the　brute！〃　cried　Martha。　〃Pray　who　is　to　give　madame　her

foot…bath？　do　you　want　her　to　die？　she　has　got　a　rush　of　blood　to　the

head。〃



〃Mulquinier；〃　said　Marguerite；　coming　into　the　servants'　hall；　which

adjoined　the　kitchen；　〃on　your　way　back　from　Monsieur　de　Solis；　call

at　Dr。　Pierquin's　house　and　ask　him　to　come　here　at　once。〃



〃Ha！　you've　got　to　go　now；〃　said　Josette。



〃Mademoiselle；　monsieur　told　me　to　put　the　laboratory　in　order；〃　said

Lemulquinier；　facing　the　two　women　and　looking　them　down；　with　a

despotic　air。



〃Father；〃　said　Marguerite；　to　Monsieur　Claes　who　was　just　then

descending　the　stairs；　〃can　you　let　Mulquinier　do　an　errand　for　us　in

town？〃



〃Now　you're　forced　to　go；　you　old　barbarian！〃　cried　Martha；　as　she

heard　Monsieur　Claes　put　Mulquinier　at　his　daughter's　bidding。



The　lack　of　good…will　and　devotion　shown　by　the　old　valet　for　the

family　whom　he　served　was　a　fruitful　cause　of　quarrel　between　the　two

women　and　Lemulquinier；　whose　cold…heartedness　had　the　effect　of

increasing　the　loyal　attachment　of　Josette　and　the　old　duenna。



This　dispute；　apparently　so　paltry；　was　destined　to　influence　the

future　of　the　Claes　family　when；　at　a　later　period；　they　needed　succor

in　misfortune。







CHAPTER　VIII



Balthazar　was　again　so　absorbed　that　he　did　not　notice　Josephine's

condition。　He　took　Jean　upon　his　knee　and　trotted　him　mechanically；

pondering；　no　doubt；　the　problem　he　now　had　the　means　of　solving。　He

saw　them　bring　the　footbath　to　his　wife；　who　was　still　in　the　parlor；

too　weak　to　rise　from　the　low　chair　in　which　she　was　lying；　he　gazed

abstractedly　at　his　daughters　now　attending　on　their　mother；　without

inquiring　the　cause　of　their　tender　solicitude。　When　Marguerite　or

Jean　attempted　to　speak　aloud；　Madame　Claes　hushed　them　and　pointed　to

Balthazar。　Such　a　scene　was　of　a　nature　to　make　a　young　girl　think；

and　Marguerite；　placed　as　she　was　between　her　father　and　mother；　was

old　enough　and　sensible　enough　to　weigh　their　conduct。



There　comes　a　moment　in　the　private　life　of　every　family　when　the

children；　voluntarily　or　involuntarily；　judge　their　parents。　Madame

Claes　foresaw　the　dangers　of　that　moment。　Her　love　for　Balthazar

impelled　her　to　justify　in　Marguerite's　eyes　conduct　that　might；　to

the　upright　mind　of　a　girl　of　sixteen；　seem　faulty　in　a　father。　The

very　respect　which　she　showed　at　this　moment　for　her　husband；　making

herself　and　her　condition　of　no　account　that　nothing　might　disturb　his

meditation；　impressed　her　children　with　a　sort　of　awe　of　the　paternal

majesty。　Such　self…devotion；　however　infectious　it　might　be；　only

increased　Marguerite's　admiration　for　her　mother；　to　whom　she　was　more

particularly　bound　by　the　close　intimacy　of　their　daily　lives。　This

feeling　was　based　on　the　intuitive　perception　of　sufferings　whose

causes　naturally　occupied　the　young　girl's　mind。　No　human　power　could

have　hindered　some　chance　word　dropped　by　Martha；　or　by　Josette；　from

enlightening　her　as　to　the　real　reasons　for　the　condition　of　her　home

during　the　last　four　years。　Notwithstanding　Madame　Claes's　reserve；

Marguerite　discovered　slowly；　thread　by　thread；　the　clue　to　the

domestic　drama。　She　was　soon　to　be　her　mother's　active　confidante；　and

later；　under　other　circumstances；　a　formidable　judge。



Madame　Claes's　watchful　care　now　centred　upon　her　eldest　daughter；　to

whom　she　endeavored　to　communicate　her　own　self…devotion　towards

Balthazar。　The　firmness　and　sound　judgment　which　she　recognized　in　the

young　girl　made　her　tremble　at　the　thought　of　a　possible　struggle

between　father　and　daughter　whenever　her　own　death　should　make　the

latter　mistress　of　the　household。　The　poor　woman　had　reached　a　point

where　she　dreaded　the　consequences　of　her　death　far　more　than　death

itself。　Her　tender　solicitude　for　Balthazar　showed　itself　in　the

resolution　she　had　this　day　taken。　By　freeing　his　property　from

encumbrance　she　secured　his　independence；　and　prevented　all　future

disputes　by　separating　his　interests　from　those　of　her　children。　She

hoped　to　see　him　happy　until　she　closed　her　eyes　on　earth；　and　she

studied　to　transmit　the　tenderness　of　her　own　heart　to　Marguerite；

trusting　that　his　daughter　might　continue　to　be　to　him　an　angel　of

love；　while　exercising　over　the　family　a　protecting　and　conservative

authority。　Might　she　not　thus　shed　the　light　of　her　love　upon　her　dear

ones　from　beyond　the　grave？　Nevertheless；　she　was　not　willing　to　lower

the　father　in　the　eyes　of　his　daughter　by　initiating　her　into　the

secret　dangers　of　his　scientific　passion　before　it　became　necessary　to

do　so。　She　studied　Marguerite's　soul　and　character；　seeking　to

discover　if　the　girl's　own　nature　would　lead　her　to　be　a　mother　to　her

brothers　and　her　sister；　and　a　tender；　gentle　helpmeet　to　her　father。



Madame　Claes's　last　days　were　thus　embittered　by　fears　and　mental

disquietudes　which　she　dared　not　confide　to　others。　Conscious　that　the

recent　scene　had　struck　her　death…blow；　she　turned　her　thoughts　wholly

to　the　future。　Balthazar；　meanwhile；　now　permanently　unfitted　for　the

care　of　property　or　the　interests　of　domestic　life；　thought　only　of

the　Absolute。



The　heavy　silence　that　reigned　in　the　parlor　was　broken　only　by　the

monotonous　beating　of　Balthazar's　foot；　which　he　continued　to　trot；

wholly　unaware　that　Jean　had　slid　from　his　knee。　Marguerite；　who　was

sitting　beside　her　mother　and　watching　the　changes　on　that　pallid；

convulsed　face；　turned　now　and　again　to　her　father；　wondering　at　his

indifference。　Presently　the　street…door　clanged；　and　the　family　saw

the　Abbe　de　Solis　leaning　on　the　arm　of　his　nephew　and　slowly　crossing

the　court…yard。



〃Ah！　there　is　Monsieur　Emmanuel；〃　said　Felicie。



〃That　good　young　man！〃　exclaimed　Madame　Claes；　〃I　am　glad　to　welcome

him。〃



Marguerite　blushed　at　the　praise　that　escaped　her　mother's　lips。　For

the　last　two　days　a　remembrance　of　the　young　man　had　stirred

mysterious　feelings　in　her　heart；　and　wakened　in　her　mind　thoughts

that　had　lain　dormant。　During　the　visit　made　by　the　Abbe　de　Solis　to

Madame　Claes　on　the　occasion　of　his　examining　the　pictures；　there

happened　certain　of　those　imperceptible　events　which　wield　so　great　an

influence　upon　life；　and　their　results　were　sufficiently　important　to

necessitate　a　brief　sketch　of　the　two　personages　now　first　introduced

into　the　history　of　this　family。



It　was　a　matter　of　principle　with　Madame　Claes　to　perform　the　duties

of　her　religion　privately。　Her　confessor；　who　was　almost　unknown　in

the　family；　now　entered　the　house　for　the　second　time　only；　but　there；

as　elsewhere；　every　one　was　impressed　with　a　sort　of　tender　admiration

at　the　aspect　of　the　uncle　and　his　nephew。



The　Abbe　de　Solis　was　an　octogenarian；　with　silvery　hair；　and　a

withered　face　from　which　the　vitality　seemed　to　have　retreated　to　the

eyes。　He　walked　with　difficulty；　for　one　of　his　shrunken　legs　ended　in

a　painfully　deformed　foot；　which　was　cased　in　a　species　of　velvet