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〃What　can　we　do；　what　will　become　of　us？　He　sees　nothing；　he　cares　for

nothing；neither　for　us　nor　for　himself。　I　know　not　how　he　can　live

in　that　garret；　where　the　air　is　stifling。〃



〃What　can　you　expect　of　a　man　who　calls　incessantly；　like　Richard

III。；　'My　kingdom　for　a　horse'？〃　said　Emmanuel。　〃He　is　pitiless；　and

in　that　you　must　imitate　him。　Pay　his　notes；　give　him；　if　you　will；

your　whole　fortune；　but　that　of　your　sister　and　of　your　brothers　is

neither　yours　nor　his。〃



〃Give　him　my　fortune？〃　she　said；　pressing　her　lover's　hand　and　looking

at　him　with　ardor　in　her　eyes；　〃you　advise　it；　you！and　Pierquin　told

a　hundred　lies　to　make　me　keep　it！〃



〃Alas！　I　may　be　selfish　in　my　own　way；〃　he　said。　〃Sometimes　I　long　for

you　without　fortune；　you　seem　nearer　to　me　then！　At　other　times　I　want

you　rich　and　happy；　and　I　feel　how　paltry　it　is　to　think　that　the　poor

grandeurs　of　wealth　can　separate　us。〃



〃Dear；　let　us　not　speak　of　ourselves。〃



〃Ourselves！〃　he　repeated；　with　rapture。　Then；　after　a　pause；　he　added：

〃The　evil　is　great；　but　it　is　not　irreparable。〃



〃It　can　be　repaired　only　by　us：　the　Claes　family　has　now　no　head。　To

reach　the　stage　of　being　neither　father　nor　man；　to　have　no

consciousness　of　justice　or　injustice　（for；　in　defiance　of　the　laws；

he　has　dissipatedhe；　so　great；　so　noble；　so　uprightthe　property　of

the　children　he　was　bound　to　defend）；　oh；　to　what　depths　must　he　have

fallen！　My　God！　what　is　this　thing　he　seeks？〃



〃Unfortunately；　dear　Marguerite；　wrong　as　he　is　in　his　relation　to　his

family；　he　is　right　scientifically。　A　score　of　men　in　Europe　admire

him　for　the　very　thing　which　others　count　as　madness。　But　nevertheless

you　must；　without　scruple；　refuse　to　let　him　take　the　property　of　his

children。　Great　discoveries　have　always　been　accidental。　If　your

father　ever　finds　the　solution　of　the　problem；　it　will　be　when　it

costs　him　nothing；　in　a　moment；　perhaps；　when　he　despairs　of　it。〃



〃My　poor　mother　is　happy；〃　said　Marguerite；　〃she　would　have　suffered　a

thousand　deaths　before　she　died：　as　it　was；　her　first　encounter　with

Science　killed　her。　Alas！　the　strife　is　endless。〃



〃There　is　an　end；〃　said　Emmanuel。　〃When　you　have　nothing　left；

Monsieur　Claes　can　get　no　further　credit；　then　he　will　stop。〃



〃Let　him　stop　now；　then；〃　cried　Marguerite；　〃for　we　are　without　a

penny！〃



Monsieur　de　Solis　went　to　buy　up　Claes's　notes　and　returned；　bringing

them　to　Marguerite。　Balthazar；　contrary　to　his　custom；　came　down　a　few

moments　before　dinner。　For　the　first　time　in　two　years　his　daughter

noticed　the　signs　of　a　human　grief　upon　his　face：　he　was　again　a

father；　reason　and　judgment　had　overcome　Science；　he　looked　into　the

court…yard；　then　into　the　garden；　and　when　he　was　certain　he　was　alone

with　his　daughter；　he　came　up　to　her　with　a　look　of　melancholy

kindness。



〃My　child；〃　he　said；　taking　her　hand　and　pressing　it　with　persuasive

tenderness；　〃forgive　your　old　father。　Yes；　Marguerite；　I　have　done

wrong。　You　spoke　truly。　So　long　as　I　have　not　FOUND　I　am　a　miserable

wretch。　I　will　go　away　from　here。　I　cannot　see　Van　Claes　sold；〃　he

went　on；　pointing　to　the　martyr's　portrait。　〃He　died　for　Liberty；　I

die　for　Science；　he　is　venerated；　I　am　hated。〃



〃Hated？　oh；　my　father；　no；〃　she　cried；　throwing　herself　on　his　breast；

〃we　all　adore　you。　Do　we　not；　Felicie？〃　she　said；　turning　to　her

sister　who　came　in　at　the　moment。



〃What　is　the　matter；　dear　father？〃　said　his　youngest　daughter；　taking

his　hand。



〃I　have　ruined　you。〃



〃Ah！〃　cried　Felicie；　〃but　our　brothers　will　make　our　fortune。　Jean　is

always　at　the　head　of　his　class。〃



〃See；　father；〃　said　Marguerite；　leading　Balthazar　in　a　coaxing；　filial

way　to　the　chimney…piece　and　taking　some　papers　from　beneath　the

clock；　〃here　are　your　notes　of　hand；　but　do　not　sign　any　more；　there

is　nothing　left　to　pay　them　with〃



〃Then　you　have　money？〃　whispered　Balthazar　in　her　ear；　when　he

recovered　from　his　surprise。



His　words　and　manner　tortured　the　heroic　girl；　she　saw　the　delirium　of

joy　and　hope　in　her　father's　face　as　he　looked　about　him　to　discover

the　gold。



〃Father；〃　she　said；　〃I　have　my　own　fortune。〃



〃Give　it　to　me；〃　he　said　with　a　rapacious　gesture；　〃I　will　return　you

a　hundred…fold。〃



〃Yes；　I　will　give　it　to　you；〃　answered　Marguerite；　looking　gravely　at

Balthazar；　who　did　not　know　the　meaning　she　put　into　her　words。



〃Ah；　my　dear　daughter！〃　he　cried；　〃you　save　my　life。　I　have　thought　of

a　last　experiment；　after　which　nothing　more　is　possible。　If；　this

time；　I　do　not　find　the　Absolute；　I　must　renounce　the　search。　Come　to

my　arms；　my　darling　child；　I　will　make　you　the　happiest　woman　upon

earth。　You　give　me　glory；　you　bring　me　back　to　happiness；　you　bestow

the　power　to　heap　treasures　upon　my　childrenyes！　I　will　load　you

with　jewels；　with　wealth。〃



He　kissed　his　daughter's　forehead；　took　her　hands　and　pressed　them；

and　testified　his　joy　by　fondling　caresses　which　to　Marguerite　seemed

almost　obsequious。　During　the　dinner　he　thought　only　of　her；　he　looked

at　her　eagerly　with　the　assiduous　devotion　displayed　by　a　lover　to　his

mistress：　if　she　made　a　movement；　he　tried　to　divine　her　wish；　and

rose　to　fulfil　it；　he　made　her　ashamed　by　the　youthful　eagerness　of

his　attentions；　which　were　painfully　out　of　keeping　with　his　premature

old　age。　To　all　these　cajoleries；　Marguerite　herself　presented　the

contrast　of　actual　distress；　shown　sometimes　by　a　word　of　doubt；

sometimes　by　a　glance　along　the　empty　shelves　of　the　sideboards　in　the

dining…room。



〃Well；　well；〃　he　said；　following　her　eyes；　〃in　six　months　we　shall

fill　them　again　with　gold；　and　marvellous　things。　You　shall　be　like　a

queen。　Bah！　nature　herself　will　belong　to　us；　we　shall　rise　above　all

created　beingsthrough　you；　you　my　Marguerite！　Margarita；〃　he　said；

smiling；　〃thy　name　is　a　prophecy。　'Margarita'　means　a　pearl。　Sterne

says　so　somewhere。　Did　you　ever　read　Sterne？　Would　you　like　to　have　a

Sterne？　it　would　amuse　you。〃



〃A　pearl；　they　say；　is　the　result　of　a　disease；〃　she　answered；　〃we

have　suffered　enough　already。〃



〃Do　not　be　sad；　you　will　make　the　happiness　of　those　you　love；　you

shall　be　rich　and　all…powerful。〃



〃Mademoiselle　has　got　such　a　good　heart；〃　said　Lemulquinier；　whose

seamed　face　stretched　itself　painfully　into　a　smile。



For　the　rest　of　the　evening　Balthazar　displayed　to　his　daughters　all

the　natural　graces　of　his　character　and　the　charms　of　his

conversation。　Seductive　as　the　serpent；　his　lips；　his　eyes；　poured　out

a　magnetic　fluid；　he　put　forth　that　power　of　genius；　that　gentleness

of　spirit；　which　once　fascinated　Josephine　and　now　drew；　as　it　were；

his　daughters　into　his　heart。　When　Emmanuel　de　Solis　came　he　found；

for　the　first　time　in　many　months；　the　father　and　the　children

reunited。　The　young　professor；　in　spite　of　his　reserve；　came　under　the

influence　of　the　scene；　for　Claes's　manners　and　conversation　had

recovered　their　former　irresistible　seduction！



Men　of　science；　plunged　though　they　be　in　abysses　of　thought　and

ceaselessly　employed　in　studying　the　moral　world；　take　notice；

nevertheless；　of　the　smallest　details　of　the　sphere　in　which　they

live。　More　out　of　date　with　their　surroundings　than　really　absent…

minded；　they　are　never　in　harmony　with　the　life　about　them；　they　know

and　forget　all；　they　prejudge　the　future　in　their　own　minds；　prophesy

to　their　own　souls；　know　of　an　event　before　it　happens；　and　yet　they

say　nothing　of　all　this。　If；　in　the　hush　of　meditation；　they　sometimes

use　their　power　to　observe　and　recognize　that　which　goes　on　around

them；　they　are　satisfied　with　having　divined　its　meaning；　their

occupations　hurry　them　on；　and　they　frequently　make　false　application

of　the　knowledge　they　have　acquired　about　the　things　of　life。

Sometimes　they　wake　from　their　social　apathy；　or　they　drop　from　the

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　sprun