the alkahest-第41章

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inexplicable　phenomenon；　many　people　have　hope　when　they　have　no

faith。　Hope　is　the　flower　of　Desire；　faith　is　the　fruit　of　Certainty。

Marguerite　said　to　herself；　〃If　my　father　succeeds；　we　shall　be

happy。〃　Claes　and　Lemulquinier　alone　said：　〃We　shall　succeed。〃

Unhappily；　from　day　to　day　the　Searcher's　face　grew　sadder。　Sometimes；

when　he　came　to　dinner　he　dared　not　look　at　his　daughter；　at　other

times　he　glanced　at　her　in　triumph。　Marguerite　employed　her　evenings

in　making　young　de　Solis　explain　to　her　many　legal　points　and

difficulties。　At　last　her　masculine　education　was　completed；　she　was

evidently　preparing　herself　to　execute　the　plan　she　had　resolved　upon

if　her　father　were　again　vanquished　in　his　duel　with　the　Unknown　（X）。



About　the　beginning　of　July；　Balthazar　spend　a　whole　day　sitting　on　a

bench　in　the　garden；　plunged　in　gloomy　meditation。　He　gazed　at　the

mound　now　bare　of　tulips；　at　the　windows　of　his　wife's　chamber；　he

shuddered；　no　doubt；　as　he　thought　of　all　that　his　search　had　cost

him：　his　movements　betrayed　that　his　thoughts　were　busy　outside　of

Science。　Marguerite　brought　her　sewing　and　sat　beside　him　for　a　while

before　dinner。



〃You　have　not　succeeded；　father？〃



〃No；　my　child。〃



〃Ah！〃　said　Marguerite；　in　a　gentle　voice。　〃I　will　not　say　one　word　of

reproach；　we　are　both　equally　guilty。　I　only　claim　the　fulfilment　of

your　promise；　it　is　surely　sacred　to　youyou　are　a　Claes。　Your

children　will　surround　you　with　love　and　filial　respect；　but　you　now

belong　to　me；　you　owe　me　obedience。　Do　not　be　uneasy；　my　reign　will　be

gentle；　and　I　will　endeavor　to　bring　it　quickly　to　an　end。　Father；　I

am　going　to　leave　you　for　a　month；　I　shall　be　busy　with　your　affairs；

for；〃　she　said；　kissing　him　on　his　brow；　〃you　are　now　my　child。　I　take

Martha　with　me；　to…morrow　Felicie　will　manage　the　household。　The　poor

child　is　only　seventeen；　and　she　will　not　know　how　to　resist　you；

therefore　be　generous；　do　not　ask　her　for　money；　she　has　only　enough

for　the　barest　necessaries　of　the　household。　Take　courage：　renounce

your　labors　and　your　thoughts　for　three　or　four　years。　The　great

problem　may　ripen　towards　discovery；　by　that　time　I　shall　have

gathered　the　money　that　is　necessary　to　solve　it；and　you　will　solve

it。　Tell　me；　father；　your　queen　is　clement；　is　she　not？〃



〃Then　all　is　not　lost？〃　said　the　old　man。



〃No；　not　if　you　keep　your　word。〃



〃I　will　obey　you；　my　daughter；〃　answered　Claes；　with　deep　emotion。



The　next　day；　Monsieur　Conyncks　of　Cambrai　came　to　fetch　his　great…

niece。　He　was　in　a　travelling…carriage；　and　would　only　remain　long

enough　for　Marguerite　and　Martha　to　make　their　last　arrangements。

Monsieur　Claes　received　his　cousin　with　courtesy；　but　he　was　obviously

sad　and　humiliated。　Old　Conyncks　guessed　his　thoughts；　and　said　with

blunt　frankness　while　they　were　breakfasting：



〃I　have　some　of　your　pictures；　cousin；　I　have　a　taste　for　pictures；a

ruinous　passion；　but　we　all　have　our　manias。〃



〃Dear　uncle！〃　exclaimed　Marguerite。



〃The　world　declares　that　you　are　ruined；　cousin；　but　the　treasure　of　a

Claes　is　there；〃　said　Conyncks；　tapping　his　forehead；　〃and　here；〃

striking　his　heart；　〃don't　you　think　so？　I　count　upon　you：　and　for

that　reason；　having　a　few　spare　ducats　in　my　wallet；　I　put　them　to　use

in　your　service。〃



〃Ah！〃　cried　Balthazar；　〃I　will　repay　you　with　treasures〃



〃The　only　treasures　we　possess　in　Flanders　are　patience　and　labor；〃

replied　Conyncks；　sternly。　〃Our　ancestor　has　those　words　engraved　upon

his　brow；〃　he　said；　pointing　to　the　portrait　of　Van　Claes。



Marguerite　kissed　her　father　and　bade　him　good…bye；　gave　her　last

directions　to　Josette　and　to　Felicie；　and　started　with　Monsieur

Conyncks　for　Paris。　The　great…uncle　was　a　widower　with　one　child；　a

daughter　twelve　years　old；　and　he　was　possessed　of　an　immense　fortune。

It　was　not　impossible　that　he　would　take　a　wife；　consequently；　the

good　people　of　Douai　believed　that　Mademoiselle　Claes　would　marry　her

great…uncle。　The　rumor　of　this　marriage　reached　Pierquin；　and　brought

him　back　in　hot　haste　to　the　House　of　Claes。



Great　changes　had　taken　place　in　the　ideas　of　that　clever　speculator。

For　the　last　two　years　society　in　Douai　had　been　divided　into　hostile

camps。　The　nobility　formed　one　circle；　the　bourgeoisie　another；　the

latter　naturally　inimical　to　the　former。　This　sudden　separation　took

place；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　all　over　France；　and　divided　the　country

into　two　warring　nations；　whose　jealous　squabbles；　always　augmenting；

were　among　the　chief　reasons　why　the　revolution　of　July；　1830；　was

accepted　in　the　provinces。　Between　these　social　camps；　the　one　ultra…

monarchical；　the　other　ultra…liberal；　were　a　number　of　functionaries

of　various　kinds；　admitted；　according　to　their　importance；　to　one　or

the　other　of　these　circles；　and　who；　at　the　moment　of　the　fall　of　the

legitimate　power；　were　neutral。　At　the　beginning　of　the　struggle

between　the　nobility　and　the　bourgeoisie；　the　royalist　〃cafes〃

displayed　an　unheard…of　splendor；　and　eclipsed　the　liberal　〃cafes〃　so

brilliantly　that　these　gastronomic　fetes　were　said　to　have　cost　the

lives　of　some　of　their　frequenters　who；　like　ill…cast　cannon；　were

unable　to　withstand　such　practice。　The　two　societies　naturally　became

exclusive。



Pierquin；　though　rich　for　a　provincial　lawyer；　was　excluded　from

aristocratic　circles　and　driven　back　upon　the　bourgeoisie。　His　self…

love　must　have　suffered　from　the　successive　rebuffs　which　he　received

when　he　felt　himself　insensibly　set　aside　by　people　with　whom　he　had

rubbed　shoulders　up　to　the　time　of　this　social　change。　He　had　now

reached　his　fortieth　year；　the　last　epoch　at　which　a　man　who　intends

to　marry　can　think　of　a　young　wife。　The　matches　to　which　he　was　able

to　aspire　were　all　among　the　bourgeoisie；　but　ambition　prompted　him　to

enter　the　upper　circle　by　means　of　some　creditable　alliance。



The　isolation　in　which　the　Claes　family　were　now　living　had　hitherto

kept　them　aloof　from　these　social　changes。　Though　Claes　belonged　to

the　old　aristocracy　of　the　province；　his　preoccupation　of　mind

prevented　him　from　sharing　the　class　antipathies　thus　created。　However

poor　a　daughter　of　the　Claes　might　be；　she　would　bring　to　a　husband

the　dower　of　social　vanity　so　eagerly　desired　by　all　parvenus。

Pierquin　therefore　returned　to　his　allegiance；　with　the　secret

intention　of　making　the　necessary　sacrifices　to　conclude　a　marriage

which　should　realize　all　his　ambitions。　He　kept　company　with　Balthazar

and　Felicie　during　Marguerite's　absence；　but　in　so　doing　he

discovered；　rather　late　in　the　day；　a　formidable　competitor　in

Emmanuel　de　Solis。　The　property　of　the　deceased　abbe　was　thought　to　be

considerable；　and　to　the　eyes　of　a　man　who　calculated　all　the　affairs

of　life　in　figures；　the　young　heir　seemed　more　powerful　through　his

money　than　through　the　seductions　of　the　heartas　to　which　Pierquin

never　made　himself　uneasy。　In　his　mind　the　abbe's　fortune　restored　the

de　Solis　name　to　all　its　pristine　value。　Gold　and　nobility　of　birth

were　two　orbs　which　reflected　lustre　on　one　another　and　doubled　the

illumination。



The　sincere　affection　which　the　young　professor　testified　for　Felicie；

whom　he　treated　as　a　sister；　excited　Pierquin's　spirit　of　emulation。

He　tried　to　eclipse　Emmanuel　by　mingling　a　fashionable　jargon　and

sundry　expressions　of　superficial　gallantry　with　anxious　elegies　and

business　airs　which　sat　more　naturally　on　his　countenance。　When　he

declared　himself　disenchanted　with　the　world　he　looked　at　Felicie；　as

if　to　let　her　know　that　she　alone　could　reconcile　him　with　life。

Felicie；　who　received　for　the　first　time　in　her　life　the　compliments

of　a　man；　listened　to　this　language；　always　sweet　however　deceptive；

she　took　emptiness　for　depth；　and　needing　an　object　on　which　to　fix

the　vague　emotions　of　her　heart；　she　allowed　the　lawyer　to　occupy　her

mind。　Envious　perhaps；　though　quite　unconsciously；　o