the alkahest-第44章

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〃Are　you　satisfied　with　your　father？〃



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

Van　Claes。



The　next　morning　Balthazar；　followed　by　Lemulquinier；　went　up　to　the

laboratory；　as　if　to　bid　farewell　to　the　hopes　he　had　so　fondly

cherished；　and　which　in　that　scene　of　his　toil　were　living　things　to

him。　Master　and　man　looked　at　each　other　sadly　as　they　entered　the

garret　they　were　about　to　leave；　perhaps　forever。　Balthazar　gazed　at

the　various　instruments　over　which　his　thoughts　so　long　had　brooded；

each　was　connected　with　some　experiment　or　some　research。　He　sadly

ordered　Lemulquinier　to　evaporate　the　gases　and　the　dangerous　acids；

and　to　separate　all　substances　which　might　produce　explosions。　While

taking　these　precautions；　he　gave　way　to　bitter　regrets；　like　those

uttered　by　a　condemned　man　before　going　to　the　scaffold。



〃Here；〃　he　said；　stopping　before　a　china　capsule　in　which　two　wires　of

a　voltaic　pile　were　dipped；　〃is　an　experiment　whose　results　ought　to

be　watched。　If　it　succeedsdreadful　thought！my　children　will　have

driven　from　their　home　a　father　who　could　fling　diamonds　at　their

feet。　In　a　combination　of　carbon　and　sulphur；〃　he　went　on；　speaking　to

himself；　〃carbon　plays　the　part　of　an　electro…positive　substance；　the

crystallization　ought　to　begin　at　the　negative　pole；　and　in　case　of

decomposition；　the　carbon　would　crop　into　crystals〃



〃Ah！　is　that　how　it　would　be？〃　said　Lemulquinier；　contemplating　his

master　with　admiration。



〃Now　here；〃　continued　Balthazar；　after　a　pause；　〃the　combination　is

subject　to　the　influence　of　the　galvanic　battery；　which　may　act〃



〃If　monsieur　wishes；　I　can　increase　its　force。〃



〃No；　no；　leave　it　as　it　is。　Perfect　stillness　and　time　are　the

conditions　of　crystallization〃



〃Confound　it；　it　takes　time　enough；　that　crystallization；〃　cried　the

old　valet　impatiently。



〃If　the　temperature　goes　down；　the　sulphide　of　carbon　will

crystallize；〃　said　Balthazar；　continuing　to　give　forth　shreds　of

indistinct　thoughts　which　were　parts　of　a　complete　conception　in　his

own　mind；　〃but　if　the　battery　works　under　certain　conditions　of　which

I　am　ignorantit　must　be　watched　carefullyit　is　quite　possible

that　Ah！　what　am　I　thinking　of？　It　is　no　longer　a　question　of

chemistry；　my　friend；　we　are　to　keep　accounts　in　Bretagne。〃



Claes　rushed　precipitately　from　the　laboratory；　and　went　downstairs　to

take　a　last　breakfast　with　his　family；　at　which　Pierquin　and　Monsieur

de　Solis　were　present。　Balthazar；　hastening　to　end　the　agony　Science

had　imposed　upon　him；　bade　his　children　farewell　and　got　into　the

carriage　with　his　uncle；　all　the　family　accompanying　him　to　the

threshold。　There；　as　Marguerite　strained　her　father　to　her　breast　with

a　despairing　pressure；　he　whispered　in　her　ear；　〃You　are　a　good　girl；

I　bear　you　no　ill…will〃；　then　she　darted　through　the　court…yard　into

the　parlor；　and　flung　herself　on　her　knees　upon　the　spot　where　her

mother　had　died；　and　prayed　to　God　to　give　her　strength　to　accomplish

the　hard　task　that　lay　before　her。　She　was　already　strengthened　by　an

inward　voice；　sounding　in　her　heart　the　encouragement　of　angels　and

the　gratitude　of　her　mother；　when　her　sister；　her　brother；　Emmanuel；

and　Pierquin　came　in；　after　watching　the　carriage　until　it

disappeared。







CHAPTER　XIV



〃And　now；　mademoiselle；　what　do　you　intend　to　do！〃　said　Pierquin。



〃Save　the　family；〃　she　answered　simply。　〃We　own　nearly　thirteen

hundred　acres　at　Waignies。　I　intend　to　clear　them；　divide　them　into

three　farms；　put　up　the　necessary　buildings；　and　then　let　them。　I

believe　that　in　a　few　years；　with　patience　and　great　economy；　each　of

us；〃　motioning　to　her　sister　and　brother；　〃will　have　a　farm　of　over

four…hundred　acres；　which　may　bring　in；　some　day；　a　rental　of　nearly

fifteen　thousand　francs。　My　brother　Gabriel　will　have　this　house；　and

all　that　now　stands　in　his　name　on　the　Grand…Livre；　for　his　portion。

We　shall　then　be　able　to　redeem　our　father's　property　and　return　it　to

him　free　from　all　encumbrance；　by　devoting　our　incomes；　each　of　us；　to

paying　off　his　debts。〃



〃But；　my　dear　cousin；〃　said　the　lawyer；　amazed　at　Marguerite's

understanding　of　business　and　her　cool　judgment；　〃you　will　need　at

least　two　hundred　thousand　francs　to　clear　the　land；　build　your

houses；　and　purchase　cattle。　Where　will　you　get　such　a　sum？〃



〃That　is　where　my　difficulties　begin；〃　she　said；　looking　alternately

at　Pierquin　and　de　Solis；　〃I　cannot　ask　it　from　my　uncle；　who　has

already　spent　much　money　for　us　and　has　given　bonds　as　my　father's

security。〃



〃You　have　friends！〃　cried　Pierquin；　suddenly　perceiving　that　the

demoiselles　Claes　were　〃four…hundred…thousand…franc　girls；〃　after　all。



Emmanuel　de　Solis　looked　tenderly　at　Marguerite。　Pierquin；

unfortunately　for　himself；　was　a　notary　still；　even　in　the　midst　of

his　enthusiasm；　and　he　promptly　added；



〃I　will　lend　you　these　two　hundred　thousand　francs。〃



Marguerite　and　Emmanuel　consulted　each　other　with　a　glance　which　was　a

flash　of　light　to　Pierquin；　Felicie　colored　highly；　much　gratified　to

find　her　cousin　as　generous　as　she　desired　him　to　be。　She　looked　at

her　sister；　who　suddenly　guessed　the　fact　that　during　her　absence　the

poor　girl　had　allowed　herself　to　be　caught　by　Pierquin's　meaningless

gallantries。



〃You　shall　only　pay　me　five　per　cent　interest；〃　went　on　the　lawyer；

〃and　refund　the　money　whenever　it　is　convenient　to　do　so；　I　will　take

a　mortgage　on　your　property。　And　don't　be　uneasy；　you　shall　only　have

the　outlay　on　your　improvements　to　pay；　I　will　find　you　trustworthy

farmers；　and　do　all　your　business　gratuitously；　so　as　to　help　you　like

a　good　relation。〃



Emmanuel　made　Marguerite　a　sign　to　refuse　the　offer；　but　she　was　too

much　occupied　in　studying　the　changes　of　her　sister's　face　to　perceive

it。　After　a　slight　pause；　she　looked　at　the　notary　with　an　amused

smile；　and　answered　of　her　own　accord；　to　the　great　joy　of　Monsieur　de

Solis：



〃You　are　indeed　a　good　relation；I　expected　nothing　less　of　you；　but

an　interest　of　five　per　cent　would　delay　our　release　too　long。　I　shall

wait　till　my　brother　is　of　age；　and　then　we　will　sell　out　what　he　has

in　the　Funds。〃



Pierquin　bit　his　lip。　Emmanuel　smiled　quietly。



〃Felicie；　my　dear　child；　take　Jean　back　to　school；　Martha　will　go　with

you；〃　said　Marguerite　to　her　sister。　〃Jean；　my　angel；　be　a　good　boy；

don't　tear　your　clothes；　for　we　shall　not　be　rich　enough　to　buy　you　as

many　new　ones　as　we　did。　Good…bye；　little　one；　study　hard。〃



Felicie　carried　off　her　brother。



〃Cousin；〃　said　Marguerite　to　Pierquin；　〃and　you；　monsieur；〃　she　said

to　Monsieur　de　Solis；　〃I　know　you　have　been　to　see　my　father　during　my

absence；　and　I　thank　you　for　that　proof　of　friendship。　You　will　not　do

less　I　am　sure　for　two　poor　girls　who　will　be　in　need　of　counsel。　Let

us　understand　each　other。　When　I　am　at　home　I　shall　receive　you　both

with　the　greatest　of　pleasure；　but　when　Felicie　is　here　alone　with

Josette　and　Martha；　I　need　not　tell　you　that　she　ought　to　see　no　one；

not　even　an　old　friend　or　the　most　devoted　of　relatives。　Under　the

circumstances　in　which　we　are　placed；　our　conduct　must　be

irreproachable。　We　are　vowed　to　toil　and　solitude　for　a　long；　long

time。〃



There　was　silence　for　some　minutes。　Emmanuel；　absorbed　in

contemplation　of　Marguerite's　head；　seemed　dumb。　Pierquin　did　not　know

what　to　say。　He　took　leave　of　his　cousin　with　feelings　of　rage　against

himself；　for　he　suddenly　perceived　that　Marguerite　loved　Emmanuel；　and

that　he；　Pierquin；　had　just　behaved　like　a　fool。



〃Pierquin；　my　friend；〃　he　said；　apostrophizing　himself　in　the　street；

〃if　a　man　said　you　were　an　idiot　he　would　tell　the　truth。　What　a　fool

I　am！　I've　got　twelve　thousand　francs　a　year　outside　of　my　business；

without　counting　what　I　am　to　inherit　from　my　uncle　des　Racquets；

which　is　likely　to　double　my　fortune　（not　that　I