the alkahest-第29章

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world　of　thought　to　the　world　of　life；　at　such　times　they　come　with

well…stored　memories；　and　are　by　no　means　strangers　to　what　is

happening。



Balthazar；　who　joined　the　perspicacity　of　the　heart　to　that　of　the

brain；　knew　his　daughter's　whole　past；　he　knew；　or　he　had　guessed；　the

history　of　the　hidden　love　that　united　her　with　Emmanuel：　he　now

showed　this　delicately；　and　sanctioned　their　affection　by　taking　part

in　it。　It　was　the　sweetest　flattery　a　father　could　bestow；　and　the

lovers　were　unable　to　resist　it。　The　evening　passed　delightfully；

contrasting　with　the　griefs　which　threatened　the　lives　of　these　poor

children。　When　Balthazar　retired；　after；　as　we　may　say；　filling　his

family　with　light　and　bathing　them　with　tenderness；　Emmanuel　de　Solis；

who　had　shown　some　embarrassment　of　manner；　took　from　his　pockets

three　thousand　ducats　in　gold；　the　possession　of　which　he　had　feared

to　betray。　He　placed　them　on　the　work…table；　where　Marguerite　covered

them　with　some　linen　she　was　mending；　and　then　he　went　to　his　own

house　to　fetch　the　rest　of　the　money。　When　he　returned；　Felicie　had

gone　to　bed。　Eleven　o'clock　struck；　Martha；　who　sat　up　to　undress　her

mistress；　was　still　with　Felicie。



〃Where　can　we　hide　it？〃　said　Marguerite；　unable　to　resist　the　pleasure

of　playing　with　the　gold　ducats；a　childish　amusement　which　proved

disastrous。



〃I　will　lift　this　marble　pedestal；　which　is　hollow；〃　said　Emmanuel；

〃you　can　slip　in　the　packages；　and　the　devil　himself　will　not　think　of

looking　for　them　there。〃



Just　as　Marguerite　was　making　her　last　trip　but　one　from　the　work…

table　to　the　pedestal；　carrying　the　gold；　she　suddenly　gave　a　piercing

cry；　and　let　fall　the　packages；　the　covers　of　which　broke　as　they

fell；　and　the　coins　were　scattered　about　the　room。　Her　father　stood　at

the　parlor　door；　the　avidity　of　his　eyes　terrified　her。



〃What　are　you　doing；〃　he　said；　looking　first　at　his　daughter；　whose

terror　nailed　her　to　the　floor；　and　then　at　the　young　man；　who　had

hastily　sprung　up；though　his　attitude　beside　the　pedestal　was

sufficiently　significant。　The　rattle　of　the　gold　upon　the　ground　was

horrible；　the　scattering　of　it　prophetic。



〃I　could　not　be　mistaken；〃　said　Balthazar；　sitting　down；　〃I　heard　the

sound　of　gold。〃



He　was　not　less　agitated　than　the　young　people；　whose　hearts　were

beating　so　in　unison　that　their　throbs　might　be　heard；　like　the

ticking　of　a　clock；　amid　the　profound　silence　which　suddenly　settled

on　the　parlor。



〃Thank　you；　Monsieur　de　Solis；〃　said　Marguerite；　giving　Emmanuel　a

glance　which　meant；　〃Come　to　my　rescue　and　help　me　to　save　this

money。〃



〃What　gold　is　this？〃　resumed　Balthazar；　casting　at　Marguerite　and

Emmanuel　a　glance　of　terrible　clear…sightedness。



〃This　gold　belongs　to　Monsieur　de　Solis；　who　is　kind　enough　to　lend　it

to　me　that　I　may　pay　our　debts　honorably；〃　she　answered。



Emmanuel　colored　and　turned　as　though　to　leave　the　room：　Balthazar

caught　him　by　the　arm。



〃Monsieur；〃　he　said；　〃you　must　not　escape　my　thanks。〃



〃Monsieur；　you　owe　me　none。　This　money　belongs　to　Mademoiselle

Marguerite；　who　borrows　it　from　me　on　the　security　of　her　own

property；〃　Emmanuel　replied；　looking　at　his　mistress；　who　thanked　him

with　an　almost　imperceptible　movement　of　her　eyelids。



〃I　shall　not　allow　that；〃　said　Claes；　taking　a　pen　and　a　sheet　of

paper　from　the　table　where　Felicie　did　her　writing；　and　turning　to　the

astonished　young　people。　〃How　much　is　it？〃　His　eager　passion　made　him

more　astute　than　the　wiliest　of　rascally　bailiffs：　the　sum　was　to　be

his。　Marguerite　and　Monsieur　de　Solis　hesitated。



〃Let　us　count　it；〃　he　said。



〃There　are　six　thousand　ducats；〃　said　Emmanuel。



〃Seventy　thousand　francs；〃　remarked　Claes。



The　glance　which　Marguerite　threw　at　her　lover　gave　him　courage。



〃Monsieur；〃　he　said；　〃your　note　bears　no　value；　pardon　this　purely

technical　term。　I　have　to…day　lent　Mademoiselle　Claes　one　hundred

thousand　francs　to　redeem　your　notes　of　hand　which　you　had　no　means　of

paying：　you　are　therefore　unable　to　give　me　any　security。　These　one

hundred　and　seventy　thousand　francs　belong　to　Mademoiselle　Claes；　who

can　dispose　of　them　as　she　sees　fit；　but　I　have　lent　them　on　a　pledge

that　she　will　sign　a　deed　securing　them　to　me　on　her　share　of　the　now

denuded　land　of　the　forest　of　Waignies。〃



Marguerite　turned　away　her　head　that　her　lover　might　not　see　the　tears

that　gathered　in　her　eyes。　She　knew　Emmanuel's　purity　of　soul。　Brought

up　by　his　uncle　to　the　practice　of　the　sternest　religious　virtues；　the

young　man　had　an　especial　horror　of　falsehood：　after　giving　his　heart

and　life　to　Marguerite　Claes　he　now　made　her　the　sacrifice　of　his

conscience。



〃Adieu；　monsieur；〃　said　Balthazar；　〃I　thought　you　had　more　confidence

in　a　man　who　looked　upon　you　with　the　eyes　of　a　father。〃



After　exchanging　a　despairing　look　with　Marguerite；　Emmanuel　was　shown

out　by　Martha；　who　closed　and　fastened　the　street…door。



The　moment　the　father　and　daughter　were　alone　Claes　said；



〃You　love　me；　do　you　not？〃



〃Come　to　the　point；　father。　You　want　this　money：　you　cannot　have　it。〃



She　began　to　pick　up　the　coins；　her　father　silently　helped　her　to

gather　them　together　and　count　the　sum　she　had　dropped；　Marguerite

allowed　him　to　do　so　without　manifesting　the　least　distrust。　When　two

thousand　ducats　were　piled　on　the　table；　Balthazar　said；　with　a

desperate　air；



〃Marguerite；　I　must　have　that　money。〃



〃If　you　take　it；　it　will　be　robbery；〃　she　replied　coldly。　〃Hear　me；

father：　better　kill　us　at　one　blow　than　make　us　suffer　a　hundred

deaths　a　day。　Let　it　now　be　seen　which　of　us　must　yield。〃



〃Do　you　mean　to　kill　your　father？〃



〃We　avenge　our　mother；〃　she　said；　pointing　to　the　spot　where　Madame

Claes　died。



〃My　daughter；　if　you　knew　the　truth　of　the　matter；　you　would　not　use

those　words　to　me。　Listen；　and　I　will　endeavor　to　exlain　the　great

problembut　no；　you　cannot　comprehend　me；〃　he　cried　in　accents　of

despair。　〃Come；　give　me　the　money；　believe　for　once　in　your　father。

Yes；　I　know　I　caused　your　mother　pain：　I　have　dissipatedto　use　the

word　of　foolsmy　own　fortune　and　injured　yours；　I　know　my　children

are　sacrificed　for　a　thing　you　call　madness；　but　my　angel；　my　darling；

my　love；　my　Marguerite；　hear　me！　If　I　do　not　now　succeed；　I　will　give

myself　up　to　you；　I　will　obey　you　as　you　are　bound　to　obey　me；　I　will

do　your　will；　you　shall　take　charge　of　all　my　property；　I　will　no

longer　be　the　guardian　of　my　children；　I　pledge　myself　to　lay　down　my

authority。　I　swear　by　your　mother's　memory！〃　he　cried；　shedding　tears。



Marguerite　turned　away　her　head；　unable　to　bear　the　sight。　Claes；

thinking　she　meant　to　yield；　flung　himself　on　his　knees　beside　her。



〃Marguerite；　Marguerite！　give　it　to　megive　it！〃　he　cried。　〃What　are

sixty　thousand　francs　against　eternal　remorse？　See；　I　shall　die；　this

will　kill　me。　Listen；　my　word　is　sacred。　If　I　fail　now　I　will　abandon

my　labors；　I　will　leave　Flanders；France　even；　if　you　demand　it；　I

will　go　away　and　toil　like　a　day…laborer　to　recover；　sou　by　sou；　the

fortunes　I　have　lost；　and　restore　to　my　children　all　that　Science　has

taken　from　them。〃



Marguerite　tried　to　raise　her　father；　but　he　persisted　in　remaining　on

his　knees；　and　continued；　still　weeping：



〃Be　tender　and　obedient　for　this　last　time！　If　I　do　not　succeed；　I

will　myself　declare　your　hardness　just。　You　shall　call　me　a　fool；　you

shall　say　I　am　a　bad　father；　you　may　even　tell　me　that　I　am　ignorant

and　incapable。　And　when　I　hear　you　say　those　words　I　will　kiss　your

hands。　You　may　beat　me；　if　you　will；　and　when　you　strike　I　will　bless

you　as　the　best　of　daughters；　remembering　that　you　have　given　me　your

blood。〃



〃If　it　were　my　blood；　my　life's　blood；　I　would　give　it　to　you；〃　she

cried；　〃but　can　I　let　Science　cut　the　throats　of　my　brothers　and

sister？　No。　Cease；　cease！〃　she　said；　wiping　her　tears　and　pushing

aside　her　father's　caressing　hands。



〃Sixty　thousand　francs　and　two　months；〃　he　said；　rising　in　anger；

〃that　is　all　I　want：　but　my　daughter　stands　between　me　and　fame　and

wealth。　I　curse　you！〃　he　went　on；　〃you　are　no　daughter　of　mine；　you

are　not　a　woman；　you　have　no　heart；　you　will　never　be　a　mother　or　a

wife！　Give　it　to　me；　let　me　take　it；　my　little　one；　my　precious

child；　I　will　love　you　forever；〃and　he　stretched　his　hand　with　a

movement　of　hideous　energy　towards　the　gold。



〃I　am　helpless　against　physical　force；　but　God　and　the　great　Claes　see

us　now；〃　she　said；　pointing　to　the　picture。



〃Try　to　live；　if　you　can；　with　your　father's　blood　upon　you；〃　cried

Balthazar；　looking　at　her　with　abhorrence。　He　rose；　glanced　round　the

room；　and　slowly　left　it。　When　he　reached　the　door　he　turned　as　a

beggar　might　have　done　and　implored　his　daughter　with　a　gesture；　to

which　she　replied　by　a　negative　motion　of　her　head。



〃Farewell；　my　daughter；〃　he　said；　gently；　〃may　you　live　happy！〃



When　he　had　disappeared；　Marguerite　remained　in　a　trance　which

separated　her　from　earth；　she　was　no　longer　in　the　parlor；　she　lost

consciousness　of　physical　existence；　she　had　wings；　and　soared　amid

the　immensities　of　the　moral　world；　where　Thought　contracts　the　limits

both　of　Time　and　Space；　where　a　divine　hand　lifts　the　veil　of　the

Future。　It　seemed　to　her　that　days　elapsed　between　each　footfall　of

her　father　as　he　went　up　the　stairs；　then　a　shudder　of　dread　went　over

her　as　she　heard　him　enter　his　chamber。　Guided　by　a　presentiment　which

flashed　into　her　soul　with　the　piercing　keenness　of　lightning；　she　ran

up　the　stairway；　without　light；　without　noise；　with　the　velocity　of　an

arrow；　and　saw　her　father　with　a　pistol　at　his　head。



〃Take　all！〃　she　cried；　springing　towards　him。



She　fell　into　a　chair。　Balthazar；　seeing　her　pallor；　began　to　weep　as

old　men　weep；　he　became　like　a　child；　he　kissed　her　brow；　he　spoke　in

disconnected　words；　he　almost　danced　with　joy；　and　tried　to　play　with

her　as　a　lover　with　a　mistress　who　has　made　him　happy。



〃Enough；　father；　enough；〃　she　said；　〃remember　your　promise。　If　you　do

not　succeed　now；　you　pledge　yourself　to　obey　me？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Oh；　mother！〃　she　cried；　turning　towards　Madame　Claes's　chamber；　〃YOU

would　have　given　him　allwould　you　not？〃



〃Sleep　in　peace；〃　said　Balthazar；　〃you　are　a　good　daughter。〃



〃Sleep！〃　she　said；　〃the　nights　of　my　youth　are　gone；　you　have　made　me

old；　father；　just　as　you　slowly　withered　my　mother's　heart。〃



〃Poor　child；　would　I　could　re…assure　you　by　explaining　the　effects　of

the　glorious　experiment　I　have　now　imagined！　you　would　then　comprehend

the　truth。〃



〃I　comprehend　our　ruin；〃　she　said；　leaving　him。



The　next　morning；　being　a　holiday；　Emmanuel　de　Solis　brought　Jean　to

spend　the　day。



〃Well？〃　he　said；　approaching　Marguerite　anxiously。



〃I　yielded；〃　she　replied。



〃My　dear　life；