the alkahest-第52章

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these　sudden　cries；　made　a　gesture　of　amazement　which　caused　a　general

shout　of　laughter。



〃Come；　come；　boys；　be　respectful　to　a　great　man；〃　said　Lemulquinier。



〃Hi；　the　old　harlequin！〃　cried　the　lads；　〃the　old　sorcerer！　you　are

sorcerers！　sorcerers！　sorcerers！〃



Lemulquinier　sprang　to　his　feet　and　threatened　the　crowd　with　his

cane；　they　all　ran　to　a　little　distance；　picking　up　stones　and　mud。　A

workman　who　was　eating　his　breakfast　near　by；　seeing　Lemulquinier

brandish　his　cane　to　drive　the　boys　away；　thought　he　had　struck　them；

and　took　their　part；　crying　out；



〃Down　with　the　sorcerers！〃



The　boys；　feeling　themselves　encouraged；　flung　their　missiles　at　the

old　men；　just　as　the　Comte　de　Solis；　accompanied　by　Pierquin's

servants；　appeared　at　the　farther　end　of　the　square。　The　latter　were

too　late；　however；　to　save　the　old　man　and　his　valet　from　being　pelted

with　mud。　The　shock　was　given。　Balthazar；　whose　faculties　had　been

preserved　by　a　chastity　of　spirit　natural　to　students　absorbed　in　a

quest　of　discovery　that　annihilates　all　passions；　now　suddenly

divined；　by　the　phenomenon　of　introsusception；　the　true　meaning　of　the

scene：　his　decrepit　body　could　not　sustain　the　frightful　reaction　he

underwent　in　his　feelings；　and　he　fell；　struck　with　paralysis；　into

the　arms　of　Lemulquinier；　who　brought　him　to　his　home　on　a　shutter；

attended　by　his　sons…in…law　and　their　servants。　No　power　could　prevent

the　population　of　Douai　from　following　the　body　of　the　old　man　to　the

door　of　his　house；　where　Felicie　and　her　children；　Jean；　Marguerite；

and　Gabriel；　whom　his　sister　had　sent　for；　were　waiting　to　receive

him。



The　arrival　of　the　old　man　gave　rise　to　a　frightful　scene；　he

struggled　less　against　the　assaults　of　death　than　against　the　horror

of　seeing　that　his　children　had　entered　the　house　and　penetrated　the

secret　of　his　impoverished　life。　A　bed　was　at　once　made　up　in　the

parlor　and　every　care　bestowed　upon　the　stricken　man；　whose　condition；

towards　evening；　allowed　hopes　that　his　life　might　be　preserved。　The

paralysis；　though　skilfully　treated；　kept　him　for　some　time　in　a　state

of　semi…childhood；　and　when　by　degrees　it　relaxed；　the　tongue　was

found　to　be　especially　affected；　perhaps　because　the　old　man's　anger

had　concentrated　all　his　forces　upon　it　at　the　moment　when　he　was

about　to　apostrophize　the　children。



This　incident　roused　a　general　indignation　throughout　the　town。　By　a

law；　up　to　that　time　unknown；　which　guides　the　affects　of　the　masses；

this　event　brought　back　all　hearts　to　Monsieur　Claes。　He　became　once

more　a　great　man；　he　excited　the　admiration　and　received　the　good…will

that　a　few　hours　earlier　were　denied　to　him。　Men　praised　his　patience；

his　strength　of　will；　his　courage；　his　genius。　The　authorities　wished

to　arrest　all　those　who　had　a　share　in　dealing　him　this　blow。　Too

late；the　evil　was　done！　The　Claes　family　were　the　first　to　beg　that

the　matter　might　be　allowed　to　drop。



Marguerite　ordered　furniture　to　be　brought　into　the　parlor；　and　the

denuded　walls　to　be　hung　with　silk；　and　when；　a　few　days　after　his

seizure；　the　old　father　recovered　his　faculties　and　found　himself　once

more　in　a　luxurious　room　surrounded　by　all　that　makes　life　easy；　he

tried　to　express　his　belief　that　his　daughter　Marguerite　had　returned。

At　that　moment　she　entered　the　room。　When　Balthazar　caught　sight　of

her　he　colored；　and　his　eyes　grew　moist；　though　the　tears　did　not

fall。　He　was　able　to　press　his　daughter's　hand　with　his　cold　fingers；

putting　into　that　pressure　all　the　thoughts；　all　the　feelings　he　no

longer　had　the　power　to　utter。　There　was　something　holy　and　solemn　in

that　farewell　of　the　brain　which　still　lived；　of　the　heart　which

gratitude　revived。　Worn　out　by　fruitless　efforts；　exhausted　in　the

long　struggle　with　the　gigantic　problem；　desperate　perhaps　at　the

oblivion　which　awaited　his　memory；　this　giant　among　men　was　about　to

die。　His　children　surrounded　him　with　respectful　affection；　his　dying

eyes　were　cheered　with　images　of　plenty　and　the　touching　picture　of

his　prosperous　and　noble　family。　His　every　lookby　which　alone　he

could　manifest　his　feelingswas　unchangeably　affectionate；　his　eyes

acquired　such　variety　of　expression　that　they　had；　as　it　were；　a

language　of　light；　easy　to　comprehend。



Marguerite　paid　her　father's　debts；　and　restored　a　modern　splendor　to

the　House　of　Claes　which　removed　all　outward　signs　of　decay。　She　never

left　the　old　man's　bedside；　endeavoring　to　divine　his　every　thought

and　accomplish　his　slightest　wish。



Some　months　went　by　with　those　alternations　of　better　and　worse　which

attend　the　struggle　of　life　and　death　in　old　people；　every　morning　his

children　came　to　him　and　spent　the　day　in　the　parlor；　dining　by　his

bedside　and　only　leaving　him　when　he　went　to　sleep　for　the　night。　The

occupation　which　gave　him　most　pleasure；　among　the　many　with　which　his

family　sought　to　enliven　him；　was　the　reading　of　newspapers；　to　which

the　political　events　then　occurring　gave　great　interest。　Monsieur

Claes　listened　attentively　as　Monsieur　de　Solis　read　them　aloud　beside

his　bed。



Towards　the　close　of　the　year　1832；　Balthazar　passed　an　extremely

critical　night；　during　which　Monsieur　Pierquin；　the　doctor；　was

summoned　by　the　nurse；　who　was　greatly　alarmed　at　the　sudden　change

which　took　place　in　the　patient。　For　the　rest　of　the　night　the　doctor

remained　to　watch　him；　fearing　he　might　at　any　moment　expire　in　the

throes　of　inward　convulsion；　whose　effects　were　like　those　of　a　last

agony。



The　old　man　made　incredible　efforts　to　shake　off　the　bonds　of　his

paralysis；　he　tried　to　speak　and　moved　his　tongue；　unable　to　make　a

sound；　his　flaming　eyes　emitted　thoughts；　his　drawn　features　expressed

an　untold　agony；　his　fingers　writhed　in　desperation；　the　sweat　stood

out　in　drops　upon　his　brow。　In　the　morning　when　his　children　came　to

his　bedside　and　kissed　him　with　an　affection　which　the　sense　of　coming

death　made　day　by　day　more　ardent　and　more　eager；　he　showed　none　of

his　usual　satisfaction　at　these　signs　of　their　tenderness。　Emmanuel；

instigated　by　the　doctor；　hastened　to　open　the　newspaper　to　try　if　the

usual　reading　might　not　relieve　the　inward　crisis　in　which　Balthazar

was　evidently　struggling。　As　he　unfolded　the　sheet　he　saw　the　words；

〃DISCOVERY　OF　THE　ABSOLUTE；〃which　startled　him；　and　he　read　a

paragraph　to　Marguerite　concerning　a　sale　made　by　a　celebrated　Polish

mathematician　of　the　secret　of　the　Absolute。　Though　Emmanuel　read　in　a

low　voice；　and　Marguerite　signed　to　him　to　omit　the　passage；　Balthazar

heard　it。



Suddenly　the　dying　man　raised　himself　by　his　wrists　and　cast　on　his

frightened　children　a　look　which　struck　like　lightning；　the　hairs　that

fringed　the　bald　head　stirred；　the　wrinkles　quivered；　the　features

were　illumined　with　spiritual　fires；　a　breath　passed　across　that　face

and　rendered　it　sublime；　he　raised　a　hand；　clenched　in　fury；　and

uttered　with　a　piercing　cry　the　famous　word　of　Archimedes；　〃EUREKA！〃

I　have　found。



He　fell　back　upon　his　bed　with　the　dull　sound　of　an　inert　body；　and

died；　uttering　an　awful　moan；his　convulsed　eyes　expressing　to　the

last；　when　the　doctor　closed　them；　the　regret　of　not　bequeathing　to

Science　the　secret　of　an　Enigma　whose　veil　was　rent　away；too　late！

by　the　fleshless　fingers　of　Death。









End