the alkahest-第43章

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Claes　returned　to　the　parlor　he　found　his　daughter　alone。



〃My　kind　father；〃　she　said　in　a　trembling　voice；　〃nothing　could　have

made　me　leave　home　but　the　serious　position　in　which　we　found

ourselves；　but　now；　after　much　anxiety；　after　surmounting　the　greatest

difficulties；　I　return　with　some　chances　of　deliverance　for　all　of　us。

Thanks　to　your　name；　and　to　my　uncle's　influence；　and　to　the　support

of　Monsieur　de　Solis；　we　have　obtained　for　you　an　appointment　under

government　as　receiver　of　customs　in　Bretagne；　the　place　is　worth；

they　say；　eighteen　to　twenty　thousand　francs　a　year。　Our　uncle　has

given　bonds　as　your　security。　Here　is　the　nomination；〃　she　added；

drawing　a　paper　from　her　bag。　〃Your　life　in　Douai；　in　this　house；

during　the　coming　years　of　privation　and　sacrifice　would　be

intolerable　to　you。　Our　father　must　be　placed　in　a　situation　at　least

equal　to　that　in　which　he　has　always　lived。　I　ask　nothing　from　the

salary　you　will　receive　from　this　appointment；　employ　it　as　you　see

fit。　I　will　only　beg　you　to　remember　that　we　have　not　a　penny　of

income；　and　that　we　must　live　on　what　Gabriel　can　give　us　out　of　his。

The　town　shall　know　nothing　of　our　inner　life。　If　you　were　still　to

live　in　this　house　you　would　be　an　obstacle　to　the　means　my　sister　and

I　are　about　to　employ　to　restore　comfort　and　ease　to　the　home。　Have　I

abused　the　authority　you　gave　me　by　putting　you　in　a　position　to

remake　your　own　fortune？　In　a　few　years；　if　you　so　will；　you　can

easily　become　the　receiver…general。〃



〃In　other　words；　Marguerite；〃　said　Balthazar；　gently；　〃you　turn　me　out

of　my　own　house。〃



〃I　do　not　deserve　that　bitter　reproach；〃　replied　the　daughter；

quelling　the　tumultuous　beatings　of　her　heart。　〃You　will　come　back　to

us　in　a　manner　becoming　to　your　dignity。　Besides；　father；　I　have　your

promise。　You　are　bound　to　obey　me。　My　uncle　has　stayed　here　that　he

might　himself　accompany　you　to　Bretagne；　and　not　leave　you　to　make　the

journey　alone。〃



〃I　shall　not　go；〃　said　Balthazar；　rising；　〃I　need　no　help　from　any　one

to　restore　my　property　and　pay　what　I　owe　to　my　children。〃



〃It　would　be　better；　certainly；〃　replied　Marguerite；　calmly。　〃But　now

I　ask　you　to　reflect　on　our　respective　situations；　which　I　will

explain　in　a　few　words。　If　you　stay　in　this　house　your　children　will

leave　it；　so　that　you　may　remain　its　master。〃



〃Marguerite！〃　cried　Balthazar。



〃In　that　case；〃　she　said；　continuing　her　words　without　taking　notice

of　her　father's　anger；　〃it　will　be　necessary　to　notify　the　minister　of

your　refusal；　if　you　decide　not　to　accept　this　honorable　and　lucrative

post；　which；　in　spite　of　our　many　efforts；　we　should　never　have

obtained　but　for　certain　thousand…franc　notes　my　uncle　slipped　into

the　glove　of　a　lady。〃



〃My　children　leave　me！〃　he　exclaimed。



〃You　must　leave　us　or　we　must　leave　you；〃　she　said。　〃If　I　were　your

only　child；　I　should　do　as　my　mother　did；　without　murmuring　against　my

fate；　but　my　brothers　and　sister　shall　not　perish　beside　you　with

hunger　and　despair。　I　promised　it　to　her　who　died　there；〃　she　said；

pointing　to　the　place　where　her　mother's　bed　had　stood。　〃We　have

hidden　our　troubles　from　you；　we　have　suffered　in　silence；　our

strength　is　gone。　My　father；　we　are　not　on　the　edge　of　an　abyss；　we

are　at　the　bottom　of　it。　Courage　is　not　sufficient　to　drag　us　out　of

it；　our　efforts　must　not　be　incessantly　brought　to　nought　by　the

caprices　of　a　passion。〃



〃My　dear　children；〃　cried　Balthazar；　seizing　Marguerite's　hand；　〃I

will　help　you；　I　will　work；　I〃



〃Here　is　the　means；〃　she　answered；　showing　him　the　official　letter。



〃But；　my　darling；　the　means　you　offer　me　are　too　slow；　you　make　me

lose　the　fruits　of　ten　years'　work；　and　the　enormous　sums　of　money

which　my　laboratory　represents。　There；〃　he　said；　pointing　towards　the

garret；　〃are　our　real　resources。〃



Marguerite　walked　towards　the　door；　saying：



〃Father；　you　must　choose。〃



〃Ah！　my　daughter；　you　are　very　hard；〃　he　replied；　sitting　down　in　an

armchair　and　allowing　her　to　leave　him。



The　next　morning；　on　coming　downstairs；　Marguerite　learned　from

Lemulquinier　that　Monsieur　Claes　had　gone　out。　This　simple

announcement　turned　her　pale；　her　face　was　so　painfully　significant

that　the　old　valet　remarked　hastily：



〃Don't　be　troubled；　mademoiselle；　monsieur　said　he　would　be　back　at

eleven　o'clock　to　breakfast。　He　didn't　go　to　bed　all　night。　At　two　in

the　morning　he　was　still　standing　in　the　parlor；　looking　through　the

window　at　the　laboratory。　I　was　waiting　up　in　the　kitchen；　I　saw　him；

he　wept；　he　is　in　trouble。　Here's　the　famous　month　of　July　when　the

sun　is　able　to　enrich　us　all；　and　if　you　only　would〃



〃Enough；〃　said　Marguerite；　divining　the　thoughts　that　must　have

assailed　her　father's　mind。



A　phenomenon　which　often　takes　possession　of　persons　leading　sedentary

lives　had　seized　upon　Balthazar；　his　life　depended；　so　to　speak；　on

the　places　with　which　it　was　identified；　his　thought　was　so　wedded　to

his　laboratory　and　to　the　house　he　lived　in　that　both　were

indispensable　to　him；just　as　the　Bourse　becomes　a　necessity　to　a

stock…gambler；　to　whom　the　public　holidays　are　so　much　lost　time。　Here

were　his　hopes；　here　the　heavens　contained　the　only　atmosphere　in

which　his　lungs　could　breathe　the　breath　of　life。　This　alliance　of

places　and　things　with　men；　which　is　so　powerful　in　feeble　natures；

becomes　almost　tyrannical　in　men　of　science　and　students。　To　leave　his

house　was；　for　Balthazar；　to　renounce　Science；　to　abandon　the　Problem；

it　was　death。



Marguerite　was　a　prey　to　anxiety　until　the　breakfast　hour。　The　former

scene　in　which　Balthazar　had　meant　to　kill　himself　came　back　to　her

memory；　and　she　feared　some　tragic　end　to　the　desperate　situation　in

which　her　father　was　placed。　She　came　and　went　restlessly　about　the

parlor；　and　quivered　every　time　the　bell　or　the　street…door　sounded。



At　last　Balthazar　returned。　As　he　crossed　the　courtyard　Marguerite

studied　his　face　anxiously　and　could　see　nothing　but　an　expression　of

stormy　grief。　When　he　entered　the　parlor　she　went　towards　him　to　bid

him　good…morning；　he　caught　her　affectionately　round　the　waist；

pressed　her　to　his　heart；　kissed　her　brow；　and　whispered；



〃I　have　been　to　get　my　passport。〃



The　tones　of　his　voice；　his　resigned　look；　his　feeble　movements；

crushed　the　poor　girl's　heart；　she　turned　away　her　head　to　conceal　her

tears；　and　then；　unable　to　repress　them；　she　went　into　the　garden　to

weep　at　her　ease。　During　breakfast；　Balthazar　showed　the　cheerfulness

of　a　man　who　had　come　to　a　decision。



〃So　we　are　to　start　for　Bretagne；　uncle；〃　he　said　to　Monsieur

Conyncks。　〃I　have　always　wished　to　go　there。〃



〃It　is　a　place　where　one　can　live　cheaply；〃　replied　the　old　man。



〃Is　our　father　going　away？〃　cried　Felicie。



Monsieur　de　Solis　entered；　bringing　Jean。



〃You　must　leave　him　with　me　to…day；〃　said　Balthazar；　putting　his　son

beside　him。　〃I　am　going　away　to…morrow；　and　I　want　to　bid　him　good…

bye。〃



Emmanuel　glanced　at　Marguerite；　who　held　down　her　head。　It　was　a

gloomy　day　for　the　family；　every　one　was　sad；　and　tried　to　repress

both　thoughts　and　tears。　This　was　not　an　absence；　it　was　an　exile。　All

instinctively　felt　the　humiliation　of　the　father　in　thus　publicly

declaring　his　ruin　by　accepting　an　office　and　leaving　his　family；　at

Balthazar's　age。　At　this　crisis　he　was　great；　while　Marguerite　was

firm；　he　seemed　to　accept　nobly　the　punishment　of　faults　which　the

tyrannous　power　of　genius　had　forced　him　to　commit。　When　the　evening

was　over；　and　father　and　daughter　were　again　alone；　Balthazar；　who

throughout　the　day　had　shown　himself　tender　and　affectionate　as　in　the

first　years　of　his　fatherhood；　held　out　his　hand　and　said　to

Marguerite　with　a　tenderness　that　was　mingled　with　despair；



〃Are　you　satisfied　with　your　father？〃



〃You　are　worthy　of　HIM；〃　said　Marguerite；　pointing　to　the　portrait　o