the alkahest-第50章

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deep　and　so　imposing　that　all　present　kept　silence；　as　men　are　silent

before　great　sorrows　or　great　joys。



〃Dear　children；〃　he　cried；　〃you　have　killed　the　fatted　calf　to　welcome

home　the　prodigal　father。〃



These　words；　in　which　the　father　judged　himself　（and　perhaps　prevented

others　from　judging　him　more　severely）；　were　spoken　so　nobly　that　all

present　shed　tears；　they　were　the　last　expression　of　sadness；　however；

and　the　general　happiness　soon　took　on　the　merry；　animated　character

of　a　family　fete。



Immediately　after　dinner　the　principal　people　of　the　city　began　to

arrive　for　the　ball；　which　proved　worthy　of　the　almost　classic

splendor　of　the　restored　House　of　Claes。　The　three　marriages　followed

this　happy　day；　and　gave　occasion　to　many　fetes；　and　balls；　and

dinners；　which　involved　Balthazar　for　some　months　in　the　vortex　of

social　life。　His　eldest　son　and　his　wife　removed　to　an　estate　near

Cambrai　belonging　to　Monsieur　Conyncks；　who　was　unwilling　to　separate

from　his　daughter。　Madame　Pierquin　also　left　her　father's　house　to　do

the　honors　of　a　fine　mansion　which　Pierquin　had　built；　and　where　he

desired　to　live　in　all　the　dignity　of　rank；　for　his　practise　was　sold；

and　his　uncle　des　Racquets　had　died　and　left　him　a　large　property

scraped　together　by　slow　economy。　Jean　went　to　Paris　to　finish　his

education；　and　Monsieur　and　Madame　de　Solis　alone　remained　with　their

father　in　the　House　de　Claes。　Balthazar　made　over　to　them　the　family

home　in　the　rear　house；　and　took　up　his　own　abode　on　the　second　floor

of　the　front　building。







CHAPTER　XVI



Marguerite　continued　to　keep　watch　over　her　father's　material　comfort；

aided　in　the　sweet　task　by　Emmanuel。　The　noble　girl　received　from　the

hands　of　love　that　most　envied　of　all　garlands；　the　wreath　that

happiness　entwines　and　constancy　keeps　ever　fresh。　No　couple　ever

afforded　a　better　illustration　of　the　complete；　acknowledged；　spotless

felicity　which　all　women　cherish　in　their　dreams。　The　union　of　two

beings　so　courageous　in　the　trials　of　life；　who　had　loved　each　other

through　years　with　so　sacred　an　affection；　drew　forth　the　respectful

admiration　of　the　whole　community。　Monsieur　de　Solis；　who　had　long

held　an　appointment　as　inspector…general　of　the　University；　resigned

those　functions　to　enjoy　his　happiness　more　freely；　and　remained　at

Douai　where　every　one　did　such　homage　to　his　character　and　attainments

that　his　name　was　proposed　as　candidate　for　the　Electoral　college

whenever　he　should　reach　the　required　age。　Marguerite；　who　had　shown

herself　so　strong　in　adversity；　became　in　prosperity　a　sweet　and

tender　woman。



Throughout　the　following　year　Claes　was　grave　and　preoccupied；　and

yet；　though　he　made　a　few　inexpensive　experiments　for　which　his

ordinary　income　sufficed；　he　seemed　to　neglect　his　laboratory。

Marguerite　restored　all　the　old　customs　of　the　House　of　Claes；　and

gave　a　family　fete　every　month　in　honor　of　her　father；　at　which　the

Pierquins　and　the　Conyncks　were　present；　and　she　also　received　the

upper　ranks　of　society　one　day　in　the　week　at　a　〃cafe〃　which　became

celebrated。　Though　frequently　absent…minded；　Claes　took　part　in　all

these　assemblages　and　became；　to　please　his　daughter；　so　willingly　a

man　of　the　world　that　the　family　were　able　to　believe　he　had　renounced

his　search　for　the　solution　of　the　great　problem。



Three　years　went　by。　In　1828　family　affairs　called　Emmanuel　de　Solis

to　Spain。　Although　there　were　three　numerous　branches　between　himself

and　the　inheritance　of　the　house　of　Solis；　yellow　fever；　old　age；

barrenness；　and　other　caprices　of　fortune；　combined　to　make　him　the

last　lineal　descendant　of　the　family　and　heir　to　the　titles　and

estates　of　his　ancient　house。　Moreover；　by　one　of　those　curious

chances　which　seem　impossible　except　in　a　book；　the　house　of　Solis　had

acquired　the　territory　and　titles　of　the　Comtes　de　Nourho。　Marguerite

did　not　wish　to　separate　from　her　husband；　who　was　to　stay　in　Spain

long　enough　to　settle　his　affairs；　and　she　was；　moreover；　curious　to

see　the　castle　of　Casa…Real　where　her　mother　had　passed　her　childhood；

and　the　city　of　Granada；　the　cradle　of　the　de　Solis　family。　She　left

Douai；　consigning　the　care　of　the　house　to　Martha；　Josette；　and

Lemulquinier。　Balthazar；　to　whom　Marguerite　had　proposed　a　journey

into　Spain；　declined　to　accompany　her　on　the　ground　of　his　advanced

age；　but　certain　experiments　which　he　had　long　meditated；　and　to　which

he　now　trusted　for　the　realization　of　his　hopes　were　the　real　reason

of　his　refusal。



The　Comte　and　Comtesse　de　Solis　y　Nourho　were　detained　in　Spain　longer

than　they　intended。　Marguerite　gave　birth　to　a　son。　It　was　not　until

the　middle　of　1830　that　they　reached　Cadiz；　intending　to　embark　for

Italy　on　their　way　back　to　France。　There；　however；　they　received　a

letter　from　Felicie　conveying　disastrous　news。　Within　a　few　months；

their　father　had　completely　ruined　himself。　Gabriel　and　Pierquin　were

obliged　to　pay　Lemulquinier　a　monthly　stipend　for　the　bare　necessaries

of　the　household。　The　old　valet　had　again　sacrificed　his　little

property　to　his　master。　Balthazar　was　no　longer　willing　to　see　any

one；　and　would　not　even　admit　his　children　to　the　house。　Martha　and

Josette　were　dead。　The　coachman；　the　cook；　and　the　other　servants　had

long　been　dismissed；　the　horses　and　carriages　were　sold。　Though

Lemulquinier　maintained　the　utmost　secrecy　as　to　his　master's

proceedings；　it　was　believed　that　the　thousand　francs　supplied　by

Gabriel　and　Pierquin　were　spent　chiefly　on　experiments。　The　small

amount　of　provisions　which　the　old　valet　purchased　in　the　town　seemed

to　show　that　the　two　old　men　contented　themselves　with　the　barest

necessaries。　To　prevent　the　sale　of　the　House　of　Claes；　Gabriel　and

Pierquin　were　paying　the　interest　of　the　sums　which　their　father　had

again　borrowed　on　it。　None　of　his　children　had　the　slightest　influence

upon　the　old　man；　who　at　seventy　years　of　age　displayed　extraordinary

energy　in　bending　everything　to　his　will；　even　in　matters　that　were

trivial。　Gabriel；　Conyncks；　and　Pierquin　had　decided　not　to　pay　off

his　debts。



This　letter　changed　all　Marguerite's　travelling　plans；　and　she

immediately　took　the　shortest　road　to　Douai。　Her　new　fortune　and　her

past　savings　enabled　her　to　pay　off　Balthazar's　debts；　but　she　wished

to　do　more；　she　wished　to　obey　her　mother's　last　injunction　and　save

him　from　sinking　dishonored　to　the　grave。　She　alone　could　exercise

enough　ascendancy　over　the　old　man　to　keep　him　from　completing　the

work　of　ruin；　at　an　age　when　no　fruitful　toil　could　be　expected　from

his　enfeebled　faculties。　But　she　was　also　anxious　to　control　him

without　wounding　his　susceptibilities；not　wishing　to　imitate　the

children　of　Sophocles；　in　case　her　father　neared　the　scientific　result

for　which　he　had　sacrificed　so　much。



Monsieur　and　Madame　de　Solis　reached　Flanders　in　the　last　days　of

September；　1831；　and　arrived　at　Douai　during　the　morning。　Marguerite

ordered　the　coachman　to　drive　to　the　house　in　the　rue　de　Paris；　which

they　found　closed。　The　bell　was　loudly　rung；　but　no　one　answered。　A

shopkeeper　left　his　door…step；　to　which　he　had　been　attracted　by　the

noise　of　the　carriages；　others　were　at　their　windows　to　enjoy　a　sight

of　the　return　of　the　de　Solis　family　to　whom　all　were　attached；

enticed　also　by　a　vague　curiosity　as　to　what　would　happen　in　that

house　on　Marguerite's　return　to　it。　The　shopkeeper　told　Monsieur　de

Solis's　valet　that　old　Claes　had　gone　out　an　hour　before；　and　that

Monsieur　Lemulquinier　was　no　doubt　taking　him　to　walk　on　the　ramparts。



Marguerite　sent　for　a　locksmith　to　force　the　door；glad　to　escape　a

scene　in　case　her　father；　as　Felicie　had　written；　should　refuse　to

admit　her　into　the　house。　Meantime　Emmanuel　went　to　meet　the　old　man

and　prepare　him　for　the　arrival　of　his　daughter；　despatching　a　servant

to　notify　Monsieur　and　Madame　Pierquin。



When　the　door　was　opened；　Marguer