the alkahest-第39章

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recovered　from　his　surprise。



His　words　and　manner　tortured　the　heroic　girl；　she　saw　the　delirium　of

joy　and　hope　in　her　father's　face　as　he　looked　about　him　to　discover

the　gold。



〃Father；〃　she　said；　〃I　have　my　own　fortune。〃



〃Give　it　to　me；〃　he　said　with　a　rapacious　gesture；　〃I　will　return　you

a　hundred…fold。〃



〃Yes；　I　will　give　it　to　you；〃　answered　Marguerite；　looking　gravely　at

Balthazar；　who　did　not　know　the　meaning　she　put　into　her　words。



〃Ah；　my　dear　daughter！〃　he　cried；　〃you　save　my　life。　I　have　thought　of

a　last　experiment；　after　which　nothing　more　is　possible。　If；　this

time；　I　do　not　find　the　Absolute；　I　must　renounce　the　search。　Come　to

my　arms；　my　darling　child；　I　will　make　you　the　happiest　woman　upon

earth。　You　give　me　glory；　you　bring　me　back　to　happiness；　you　bestow

the　power　to　heap　treasures　upon　my　childrenyes！　I　will　load　you

with　jewels；　with　wealth。〃



He　kissed　his　daughter's　forehead；　took　her　hands　and　pressed　them；

and　testified　his　joy　by　fondling　caresses　which　to　Marguerite　seemed

almost　obsequious。　During　the　dinner　he　thought　only　of　her；　he　looked

at　her　eagerly　with　the　assiduous　devotion　displayed　by　a　lover　to　his

mistress：　if　she　made　a　movement；　he　tried　to　divine　her　wish；　and

rose　to　fulfil　it；　he　made　her　ashamed　by　the　youthful　eagerness　of

his　attentions；　which　were　painfully　out　of　keeping　with　his　premature

old　age。　To　all　these　cajoleries；　Marguerite　herself　presented　the

contrast　of　actual　distress；　shown　sometimes　by　a　word　of　doubt；

sometimes　by　a　glance　along　the　empty　shelves　of　the　sideboards　in　the

dining…room。



〃Well；　well；〃　he　said；　following　her　eyes；　〃in　six　months　we　shall

fill　them　again　with　gold；　and　marvellous　things。　You　shall　be　like　a

queen。　Bah！　nature　herself　will　belong　to　us；　we　shall　rise　above　all

created　beingsthrough　you；　you　my　Marguerite！　Margarita；〃　he　said；

smiling；　〃thy　name　is　a　prophecy。　'Margarita'　means　a　pearl。　Sterne

says　so　somewhere。　Did　you　ever　read　Sterne？　Would　you　like　to　have　a

Sterne？　it　would　amuse　you。〃



〃A　pearl；　they　say；　is　the　result　of　a　disease；〃　she　answered；　〃we

have　suffered　enough　already。〃



〃Do　not　be　sad；　you　will　make　the　happiness　of　those　you　love；　you

shall　be　rich　and　all…powerful。〃



〃Mademoiselle　has　got　such　a　good　heart；〃　said　Lemulquinier；　whose

seamed　face　stretched　itself　painfully　into　a　smile。



For　the　rest　of　the　evening　Balthazar　displayed　to　his　daughters　all

the　natural　graces　of　his　character　and　the　charms　of　his

conversation。　Seductive　as　the　serpent；　his　lips；　his　eyes；　poured　out

a　magnetic　fluid；　he　put　forth　that　power　of　genius；　that　gentleness

of　spirit；　which　once　fascinated　Josephine　and　now　drew；　as　it　were；

his　daughters　into　his　heart。　When　Emmanuel　de　Solis　came　he　found；

for　the　first　time　in　many　months；　the　father　and　the　children

reunited。　The　young　professor；　in　spite　of　his　reserve；　came　under　the

influence　of　the　scene；　for　Claes's　manners　and　conversation　had

recovered　their　former　irresistible　seduction！



Men　of　science；　plunged　though　they　be　in　abysses　of　thought　and

ceaselessly　employed　in　studying　the　moral　world；　take　notice；

nevertheless；　of　the　smallest　details　of　the　sphere　in　which　they

live。　More　out　of　date　with　their　surroundings　than　really　absent…

minded；　they　are　never　in　harmony　with　the　life　about　them；　they　know

and　forget　all；　they　prejudge　the　future　in　their　own　minds；　prophesy

to　their　own　souls；　know　of　an　event　before　it　happens；　and　yet　they

say　nothing　of　all　this。　If；　in　the　hush　of　meditation；　they　sometimes

use　their　power　to　observe　and　recognize　that　which　goes　on　around

them；　they　are　satisfied　with　having　divined　its　meaning；　their

occupations　hurry　them　on；　and　they　frequently　make　false　application

of　the　knowledge　they　have　acquired　about　the　things　of　life。

Sometimes　they　wake　from　their　social　apathy；　or　they　drop　from　the

world　of　thought　to　the　world　of　life；　at　such　times　they　come　with

well…stored　memories；　and　are　by　no　means　strangers　to　what　is

happening。



Balthazar；　who　joined　the　perspicacity　of　the　heart　to　that　of　the

brain；　knew　his　daughter's　whole　past；　he　knew；　or　he　had　guessed；　the

history　of　the　hidden　love　that　united　her　with　Emmanuel：　he　now

showed　this　delicately；　and　sanctioned　their　affection　by　taking　part

in　it。　It　was　the　sweetest　flattery　a　father　could　bestow；　and　the

lovers　were　unable　to　resist　it。　The　evening　passed　delightfully；

contrasting　with　the　griefs　which　threatened　the　lives　of　these　poor

children。　When　Balthazar　retired；　after；　as　we　may　say；　filling　his

family　with　light　and　bathing　them　with　tenderness；　Emmanuel　de　Solis；

who　had　shown　some　embarrassment　of　manner；　took　from　his　pockets

three　thousand　ducats　in　gold；　the　possession　of　which　he　had　feared

to　betray。　He　placed　them　on　the　work…table；　where　Marguerite　covered

them　with　some　linen　she　was　mending；　and　then　he　went　to　his　own

house　to　fetch　the　rest　of　the　money。　When　he　returned；　Felicie　had

gone　to　bed。　Eleven　o'clock　struck；　Martha；　who　sat　up　to　undress　her

mistress；　was　still　with　Felicie。



〃Where　can　we　hide　it？〃　said　Marguerite；　unable　to　resist　the　pleasure

of　playing　with　the　gold　ducats；a　childish　amusement　which　proved

disastrous。



〃I　will　lift　this　marble　pedestal；　which　is　hollow；〃　said　Emmanuel；

〃you　can　slip　in　the　packages；　and　the　devil　himself　will　not　think　of

looking　for　them　there。〃



Just　as　Marguerite　was　making　her　last　trip　but　one　from　the　work…

table　to　the　pedestal；　carrying　the　gold；　she　suddenly　gave　a　piercing

cry；　and　let　fall　the　packages；　the　covers　of　which　broke　as　they

fell；　and　the　coins　were　scattered　about　the　room。　Her　father　stood　at

the　parlor　door；　the　avidity　of　his　eyes　terrified　her。



〃What　are　you　doing；〃　he　said；　looking　first　at　his　daughter；　whose

terror　nailed　her　to　the　floor；　and　then　at　the　young　man；　who　had

hastily　sprung　up；though　his　attitude　beside　the　pedestal　was

sufficiently　significant。　The　rattle　of　the　gold　upon　the　ground　was

horrible；　the　scattering　of　it　prophetic。



〃I　could　not　be　mistaken；〃　said　Balthazar；　sitting　down；　〃I　heard　the

sound　of　gold。〃



He　was　not　less　agitated　than　the　young　people；　whose　hearts　were

beating　so　in　unison　that　their　throbs　might　be　heard；　like　the

ticking　of　a　clock；　amid　the　profound　silence　which　suddenly　settled

on　the　parlor。



〃Thank　you；　Monsieur　de　Solis；〃　said　Marguerite；　giving　Emmanuel　a

glance　which　meant；　〃Come　to　my　rescue　and　help　me　to　save　this

money。〃



〃What　gold　is　this？〃　resumed　Balthazar；　casting　at　Marguerite　and

Emmanuel　a　glance　of　terrible　clear…sightedness。



〃This　gold　belongs　to　Monsieur　de　Solis；　who　is　kind　enough　to　lend　it

to　me　that　I　may　pay　our　debts　honorably；〃　she　answered。



Emmanuel　colored　and　turned　as　though　to　leave　the　room：　Balthazar

caught　him　by　the　arm。



〃Monsieur；〃　he　said；　〃you　must　not　escape　my　thanks。〃



〃Monsieur；　you　owe　me　none。　This　money　belongs　to　Mademoiselle

Marguerite；　who　borrows　it　from　me　on　the　security　of　her　own

property；〃　Emmanuel　replied；　looking　at　his　mistress；　who　thanked　him

with　an　almost　imperceptible　movement　of　her　eyelids。



〃I　shall　not　allow　that；〃　said　Claes；　taking　a　pen　and　a　sheet　of

paper　from　the　table　where　Felicie　did　her　writing；　and　turning　to　the

astonished　young　people。　〃How　much　is　it？〃　His　eager　passion　made　him

more　astute　than　the　wiliest　of　rascally　bailiffs：　the　sum　was　to　be

his。　Marguerite　and　Monsieur　de　Solis　hesitated。



〃Let　us　count　it；〃　he　said。



〃There　are　six　thousand　ducats；〃　said　Emmanuel。



〃Seventy　thousand　francs；〃　remarked　Claes。



The　glance　which　Marguerite　threw　at　her　lover　gave　him　courage。



〃Monsieur；〃　he　said；　〃your　note　bears　no　value；　pardon　this　purely

technical　term。　I　have　to…day　lent　Mademoiselle　Claes　one　hundred

thousand　francs　to　redeem　your　notes　of　hand　whi