the alkahest-第27章

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amount；　falling　due　in　consecutive　months。



〃All　is　over！〃　cried　Marguerite；　〃the　time　has　come。〃



She　sent　for　her　father；　and　walked　up　and　down　the　parlor　with　hasty

steps；　talking　to　herself：



〃A　hundred　thousand　francs！〃　she　cried。　〃I　must　find　them；　or　see　my

father　in　prison。　What　am　I　to　do？〃



Balthazar　did　not　come。　Weary　of　waiting　for　him；　Marguerite　went　up

to　the　laboratory。　As　she　entered　she　saw　him　in　the　middle　of　an

immense；　brilliantly…lighted　room；　filled　with　machinery　and　dusty

glass　vessels：　here　and　there　were　books；　and　tables　encumbered　with

specimens　and　products　ticketed　and　numbered。　On　all　sides　the

disorder　of　scientific　pursuits　contrasted　strongly　with　Flemish

habits。　This　litter　of　retorts　and　vaporizers；　metals；　fantastically

colored　crystals；　specimens　hooked　upon　the　walls　or　lying　on　the

furnaces；　surrounded　the　central　figure　of　Balthazar　Claes；　without　a

coat；　his　arms　bare　like　those　of　a　workman；　his　breast　exposed；　and

showing　the　white　hair　which　covered　it。　His　eyes　were　gazing　with

horrible　fixity　at　a　pneumatic　trough。　The　receiver　of　this　instrument

was　covered　with　a　lens　made　of　double　convex　glasses；　the　space

between　the　glasses　being　filled　with　alchohol；　which　focussed　the

light　coming　through　one　of　the　compartments　of　the　rose…window　of　the

garret。　The　shelf　of　the　receiver　communicated　with　the　wire　of　an

immense　galvanic　battery。　Lemulquinier；　busy　at　the　moment　in　moving

the　pedestal　of　the　machine；　which　was　placed　on　a　movable　axle　so　as

to　keep　the　lens　in　a　perpendicular　direction　to　the　rays　of　the　sun；

turned　round；　his　face　black　with　dust；　and　called　out；



〃Ha！　mademoiselle；　don't　come　in。〃



The　aspect　of　her　father；　half…kneeling　beside　the　instrument；　and

receiving　the　full　strength　of　the　sunlight　upon　his　head；　the

protuberances　of　his　skull；　its　scanty　hairs　resembling　threads　of

silver；　his　face　contracted　by　the　agonies　of　expectation；　the

strangeness　of　the　objects　that　surrounded　him；　the　obscurity　of　parts

of　the　vast　garret　from　which　fantastic　engines　seemed　about　to

spring；　all　contributed　to　startle　Marguerite；　who　said　to　herself；　in

terror；



〃He　is　mad！〃



Then　she　went　up　to　him　and　whispered　in　his　ear；　〃Send　away

Lemulquinier。〃



〃No；　no；　my　child；　I　want　him：　I　am　in　the　midst　of　an　experiment　no

one　has　yet　thought　of。　For　the　last　three　days　we　have　been　watching

for　every　ray　of　sun。　I　now　have　the　means　of　submitting　metals；　in　a

complete　vacuum；　to　concentrated　solar　fires　and　to　electric　currents。

At　this　very　moment　the　most　powerful　action　a　chemist　can　employ　is

about　to　show　results　which　I　alone〃



〃My　father；　instead　of　vaporizing　metals　you　should　employ　them　in

paying　your　notes　of　hand〃



〃Wait；　wait！〃



〃Monsieur　Merkstus　has　been　here；　father；　and　he　must　have　ten

thousand　francs　by　four　o'clock。〃



〃Yes；　yes；　presently。　True；　I　did　sign　a　little　note　which　is　payable

this　month。　I　felt　sure　I　should　have　found　the　Absolute。　Good　God！　If

I　could　only　have　a　July　sun　the　experiment　would　be　successful。〃



He　grasped　his　head　and　sat　down　on　an　old　cane　chair；　a　few　tears

rolled　from　his　eyes。



〃Monsieur　is　quite　right；〃　said　Lemulquinier；　〃it　is　all　the　fault　of

that　rascally　sun　which　is　too　feeble；the　coward；　the　lazy　thing！〃



Master　and　valet　paid　no　further　attention　to　Marguerite。



〃Leave　us；　Mulquinier；〃　she　said。



〃Ah！　I　see　a　new　experiment！〃　cried　Claes。



〃Father；　lay　aside　your　experiments；〃　said　his　daughter；　when　they

were　alone。　〃You　have　one　hundred　thousand　francs　to　pay；　and　we　have

not　a　penny。　Leave　your　laboratory；　your　honor　is　in　question。　What

will　become　of　you　if　you　are　put　in　prison？　Will　you　soil　your　white

hairs　and　the　name　of　Claes　with　the　disgrace　of　bankruptcy？　I　will

not　allow　it。　I　shall　have　strength　to　oppose　your　madness；　it　would

be　dreadful　to　see　you　without　bread　in　your　old　age。　Open　your　eyes

to　our　position；　see　reason　at　last！〃



〃Madness！〃　cried　Balthazar；　struggling　to　his　feet。　He　fixed　his

luminous　eyes　upon　his　daughter；　crossed　his　arms　on　his　breast；　and

repeated　the　word　〃Madness！〃　so　majestically　that　Marguerite　trembled。



〃Ah！〃　he　cried；　〃your　mother　would　never　have　uttered　that　word　to　me。

She　was　not　ignorant　of　the　importance　of　my　researches；　she　learned　a

science　to　understand　me；　she　recognized　that　I　toiled　for　the　human

race；　she　knew　there　was　nothing　sordid　or　selfish　in　my　aims。　The

feelings　of　a　loving　wife　are　higher；　I　see　it　now；　than　filial

affection。　Yes；　Love　is　above　all　other　feelings。　See　reason！〃　he　went

on；　striking　his　breast。　〃Do　I　lack　reason？　Am　I　not　myself？　You　say

we　are　poor；　well；　my　daughter；　I　choose　it　to　be　so。　I　am　your

father；　obey　me。　I　will　make　you　rich　when　I　please。　Your　fortune？　it

is　a　pittance！　When　I　find　the　solvent　of　carbon　I　will　fill　your

parlor　with　diamonds；　and　they　are　but　a　scintilla　of　what　I　seek。　You

can　well　afford　to　wait　while　I　consume　my　life　in　superhuman

efforts。〃



〃Father；　I　have　no　right　to　ask　an　account　of　the　four　millions　you

have　already　engulfed　in　this　fatal　garret。　I　will　not　speak　to　you　of

my　mother　whom　you　killed。　If　I　had　a　husband；　I　should　love　him；

doubtless；　as　she　loved　you；　I　should　be　ready　to　sacrifice　all　to

him；　as　she　sacrificed　all　for　you。　I　have　obeyed　her　orders　in　giving

myself　wholly　to　you；　I　have　proved　it　in　not　marrying　and　compelling

you　to　render　an　account　of　your　guardianship。　Let　us　dismiss　the　past

and　think　of　the　present。　I　am　here　now　to　represent　the　necessity

which　you　have　created　for　yourself。　You　must　have　money　to　meet　your

notesdo　you　understand　me？　There　is　nothing　left　to　seize　here　but

the　portrait　of　your　ancestor；　the　Claes　martyr。　I　come　in　the　name　of

my　mother；　who　felt　herself　too　feeble　to　defend　her　children　against

their　father；　she　ordered　me　to　resist　you。　I　come　in　the　name　of　my

brothers　and　my　sister；　I　come；　father；　in　the　name　of　all　the　Claes；

and　I　command　you　to　give　up　your　experiments；　or　earn　the　means　of

pursuing　them　hereafter；　if　pursue　them　you　must。　If　you　arm　yourself

with　the　power　of　your　paternity；　which　you　employ　only　for　our

destruction；　I　have　on　my　side　your　ancestors　and　your　honor；　whose

voice　is　louder　than　that　of　chemistry。　The　Family　is　greater　than

Science。　I　have　been　too　long　your　daughter。〃



〃And　you　choose　to　be　my　executioner；〃　he　said；　in　a　feeble　voice。



Marguerite　turned　and　fled　away；　that　she　might　not　abdicate　the　part

she　had　just　assumed：　she　fancied　she　heard　again　her　mother's　voice

saying　to　her；　〃Do　not　oppose　your　father　too　much；　love　him　well。〃







CHAPTER　XII



〃Mademoiselle　has　made　a　pretty　piece　of　work　up　yonder；〃　said

Lemulquinier；　coming　down　to　the　kitchen　for　his　breakfast。　〃We　were

just　going　to　put　our　hands　on　the　great　secret；　we　only　wanted　a

scrap　of　July　sun；　for　monsieur；ah；　what　a　man！　he's　almost　in　the

shoes　of　the　good　God　himself！was　almost　within　THAT；〃　he　said　to

Josette；　clicking　his　thumbnail　against　a　front　tooth；　〃of　getting

hold　of　the　Absolute；　when　up　she　came；　slam　bang；　screaming　some

nonsense　about　notes　of　hand。〃



〃Well；　pay　them　yourself；〃　said　Martha；　〃out　of　your　wages。〃



〃Where's　the　butter　for　my　bread？〃　said　Lemulquinier　to　the　cook。



〃Where's　the　money　to　buy　it？〃　she　answered；　sharply。　〃Come；　old

villain；　if　you　make　gold　in　that　devil's　kitchen　of　yours；　why　don't

you　make　butter？　'Twouldn't　be　half　so　difficult；　and　you　could　sell

it　in　the　market　for　enough　to　make　the　pot　boil。　We　all　eat　dry

bread。　The　young　ladies　are　satisfied　with　dry　bread　and　nuts；　and　do

you　expect　to　be　better　fed　than　your　masters？　Mademoiselle　won't

spend　more　than　one　hundred　francs　a　month　for　the　whole　household。

There's　only　one　dinner　for　all。　If　you　want　dainties　you've　got　your

furnaces　upstairs　where　you　fricassee　pearls　till　there's　nothing　else

talked　of　in　town。　Get　your　roast　chickens　up　there。〃



Lemulquinier　took　his　dry　bread　and　went　out。



〃He　will　go　and　buy　something　to　eat　with　his　own　money；〃　said　Martha；

〃all　the　better；it　is　just　so　much　saved。　Isn't　he　stingy；　the　old

scarecrow！〃



〃Starve　him！　that's　the　only　way　to　manage　him；〃　said　Josette。　〃For　a

week　past　he　hasn't　rubbed　a　single　floor；　I　have　to　do　his　work；　for

he　is　always　upstairs。　He　can　very　well　afford　to　pay　me　for　it　with

the　present　of　a　few　herrings；　if　he　brings　any　home；　I　shall　lay

hands　on　them；　I　can　tell　him　that。〃



〃Ah！〃　exclaimed　Martha；　〃I　hear　Mademoiselle　Marguerite　crying。　Her

wizard　of　a　father　would　swallow　the　house　at　a　gulp　without　asking　a

Christian　blessing；　the　old　sorcerer！　In　my　country　he'd　be　burned

alive；　but　people　here　have　no　more　religion　than　the　Moors　in

Africa。〃



Marguerite　could　scarcely　stifle　her　sobs　as　she　came　through　the

gallery。　She　reached　her　room；　took　out　her　mother's　letter；　and　read

as　follows：



　　My　Child；If　God　so　wills；　my　spirit　will　be　within　your　heart

　　when　you　read　these　words；　the　last　I　shall　ever　write；　they　are

　　full　of　love　for　my　dear　ones；　left　at　the　mercy　of　a　demon　whom　I

　　have　not　been　able　to　resist。　When　you　read　these　words　he　will

　　have　taken　your　last　crust；　just　as　he　took　my　life　and　squandered

　　my　love。　You　know；　my　darling；　if　I　loved　your　father：　I　die

　　loving　him　less；　for　I　take　precautions　against　him　which　I　never

　　could　have　practised　while　living。　Yes；　in　the　depths　of　my　coffin

　　I　shall　have　kept　a　resource　for　the　day　when　some　terrible

　　misfortune　overtakes　you。　If　when　that　day　comes　you　are　reduced

　　to　poverty；　or　if　your　honor　is　in　question；　my　child；　send　for

　　Monsieur　de　Solis；　should　he　be　living；if　not；　for　his　nephew；

　　our　good　Emmanuel；　they　hold　one　hundred　and　seventy　thousand

　　francs　which　are　yours　and　will　enable　you　to　live。



　　If　nothing　shall　have　subdued　his　passion；　if　his　children　prove

　　no　stronger　barrier　than　my　happiness　has　been；　and　cannot　stop

　　his　criminal　career；leave　him；　leave　your　father；　that　you　may

　　live。　I　could　not　forsake　him；　I　was　bound　to　him。　You；

　　Marguerite；　you　must　save　the　family。　I　absolve　you　for　all　you

　　may　do　to　defend　Gabriel　and　Jean　and　Felicie。　Take　courage；　be

　　the　guardian　angel　of　the　Claes。　Be　firm；I　dare　not　say　be

　　pitiless；　but　to　repair　the　evil　already　done　you　must　keep　some

　　means　at　hand。　On　the　day　when　you　read　this　letter；　regard

　　yourself　as　ruined　already；　for　nothing　will　stay　the　fury　of　that

　　passion　which　has　torn　all　things　from　me。



　　My　child；　remember　this：　the　truest　love　is　to　forget　your　heart。

　　Even　though　you　be　forced　to　deceive　your　father；　your

　　dissimulation　will　be　blessed；　your　actions；　however　blamable　they

　　may　seem；　will　be　heroic　if　taken　to　protect　the　family。　The

　　virtuous