the alkahest-第21节

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amount　to　over　one　hundred　thousand　ducats；　you　will　have　enough　to

continue　the　experiments。　Your　daughters　and　I　will　be　content　with

very　little；　we　can　fill　up　the　empty　frames　with　other　pictures　in

course　of　time　and　by　economy；　meantime　you　will　be　happy。〃



Balthazar　raised　his　head　and　looked　at　his　wife　with　a　joy　that　was

mingled　with　fear。　Their　roles　were　changed。　The　wife　was　the

protector　of　the　husband。　He；　so　tender；　he；　whose　heart　was　so　at　one

with　his　Pepita's；　now　held　her　in　his　arms　without　perceiving　the

horrible　convulsion　that　made　her　palpitate；　and　even　shook　her　hair

and　her　lips　with　a　nervous　shudder。



〃I　dared　not　tell　you；〃　he　said；　〃that　between　me　and　the

Unconditioned；　the　Absolute；　scarcely　a　hair's　breadth　intervenes。　To

gasify　metals；　I　only　need　to　find　the　means　of　submitting　them　to

intense　heat　in　some　centre　where　the　pressure　of　the　atmosphere　is

nil；in　short；　in　a　vacuum。〃



Madame　Claes　could　not　endure　the　egotism　of　this　reply。　She　expected

a　passionate　acknowledgment　of　her　sacrificesshe　received　a　problem

in　chemistry！　The　poor　woman　left　her　husband　abruptly　and　returned　to

the　parlor；　where　she　fell　into　a　chair　between　her　frightened

daughters；　and　burst　into　tears。　Marguerite　and　Felicie　took　her

hands；　kneeling　one　on　each　side　of　her；　not　knowing　the　cause　of　her

grief；　and　asking　at　intervals；　〃Mother；　what　is　it？〃



〃My　poor　children；　I　am　dying；　I　feel　it。〃



The　answer　struck　home　to　Marguerite's　heart；　she　saw；　for　the　first

time　on　her　mother's　face；　the　signs　of　that　peculiar　pallor　which

only　comes　on　olive…tinted　skins。



〃Martha；　Martha！〃　cried　Felicie；　〃come　quickly；　mamma　wants　you。〃



The　old　duenna　ran　in　from　the　kitchen；　and　as　soon　as　she　saw　the

livid　hue　of　the　dusky　skin　usually　high…colored；　she　cried　out　in

Spanish；



〃Body　of　Christ！　madame　is　dying！〃



Then　she　rushed　precipitately　back；　told　Josette　to　heat　water　for　a

footbath；　and　returned　to　the　parlor。



〃Don't　alarm　Monsieur　Claes；　say　nothing　to　him；　Martha；〃　said　her

mistress。　〃My　poor　dear　girls；〃　she　added；　pressing　Marguerite　and

Felicie　to　her　heart　with　a　despairing　action；　〃I　wish　I　could　live

long　enough　to　see　you　married　and　happy。　Martha；〃　she　continued；

〃tell　Lemulquinier　to　go　to　Monsieur　de　Solis　and　ask　him　in　my　name

to　come　here。〃



The　shock　of　this　attack　extended　to　the　kitchen。　Josette　and　Martha；

both　devoted　to　Madame　Claes　and　her　daughters；　felt　the　blow　in　their

own　affections。　Martha's　dreadful　announcement；〃Madame　is　dying；

monsieur　must　have　killed　her；　get　ready　a　mustard…bath；〃forced

certain　exclamations　from　Josette；　which　she　launched　at　Lemulquinier。

He；　cold　and　impassive；　went　on　eating　at　the　corner　of　a　table　before

one　of　the　windows　of　the　kitchen；　where　all　was　kept　as　clean　as　the

boudoir　of　a　fine　lady。



〃I　knew　how　it　would　end；〃　said　Josette；　glancing　at　the　valet　and

mounting　a　stool　to　take　down　a　copper　kettle　that　shone　like　gold。

〃There's　no　mother　could　stand　quietly　by　and　see　a　father　amusing

himself　by　chopping　up　a　fortune　like　his　into　sausage…meat。〃



Josette；　whose　head　was　covered　by　a　round　cap　with　crimped　borders；

which　made　it　look　like　a　German　nut…cracker；　cast　a　sour　look　at

Lemulquinier；　which　the　greenish　tinge　of　her　prominent　little　eyes

made　almost　venomous。　The　old　valet　shrugged　his　shoulders　with　a

motion　worthy　of　Mirobeau　when　irritated；　then　he　filled　his　large

mouth　with　bread　and　butter　sprinkled　with　chopped　onion。



〃Instead　of　thwarting　monsieur；　madame　ought　to　give　him　more　money；〃

he　said；　〃and　then　we　should　soon　be　rich　enough　to　swim　in　gold。

There's　not　the　thickness　of　a　farthing　between　us　and〃



〃Well；　you've　got　twenty　thousand　francs　laid　by；　why　don't　you　give

'em　to　monsieur？　he's　your　master；　and　if　you　are　so　sure　of　his

doings〃



〃You　don't　know　anything　about　them；　Josette。　Mind　your　pots　and　pans；

and　heat　the　water；〃　remarked　the　old　Fleming；　interrupting　the　cook。



〃I　know　enough　to　know　there　used　to　be　several　thousand　ounces　of

silver…ware　about　this　house　which　you　and　your　master　have　melted　up；

and　if　you　are　allowed　to　have　your　way；　you'll　make　ducks　and　drakes

of　everything　till　there's　nothing　left。〃



〃And　monsieur；〃　added　Martha；　entering　the　kitchen；　〃will　kill　madame；

just　to　get　rid　of　a　woman　who　restrains　him　and　won't　let　him　swallow

up　everything　he's　got。　He's　possessed　by　the　devil；　anybody　can　see

that。　You　don't　risk　your　soul　in　helping　him；　Mulquinier；　because　you

haven't　got　any；　look　at　you！　sitting　there　like　a　bit　of　ice　when　we

are　all　in　such　distress；　the　young　ladies　are　crying　like　two

Magdalens。　Go　and　fetch　Monsieur　l'Abbe　de　Solis。〃



〃I've　got　something　to　do　for　monsieur。　He　told　me　to　put　the

laboratory　in　order；〃　said　the　valet。　〃Besides；　it's　too　fargo

yourself。〃



〃Just　hear　the　brute！〃　cried　Martha。　〃Pray　who　is　to　give　madame　her

foot…bath？　do　you　want　her　to　die？　she　has　got　a　rush　of　blood　to　the

head。〃



〃Mulquinier；〃　said　Marguerite；　coming　into　the　servants'　hall；　which

adjoined　the　kitchen；　〃on　your　way　back　from　Monsieur　de　Solis；　call

at　Dr。　Pierquin's　house　and　ask　him　to　come　here　at　once。〃



〃Ha！　you've　got　to　go　now；〃　said　Josette。



〃Mademoiselle；　monsieur　told　me　to　put　the　laboratory　in　order；〃　said

Lemulquinier；　facing　the　two　women　and　looking　them　down；　with　a

despotic　air。



〃Father；〃　said　Marguerite；　to　Monsieur　Claes　who　was　just　then

descending　the　stairs；　〃can　you　let　Mulquinier　do　an　errand　for　us　in

town？〃



〃Now　you're　forced　to　go；　you　old　barbarian！〃　cried　Martha；　as　she

heard　Monsieur　Claes　put　Mulquinier　at　his　daughter's　bidding。



The　lack　of　good…will　and　devotion　shown　by　the　old　valet　for　the

family　whom　he　served　was　a　fruitful　cause　of　quarrel　between　the　two

women　and　Lemulquinier；　whose　cold…heartedness　had　the　effect　of

increasing　the　loyal　attachment　of　Josette　and　the　old　duenna。



This　dispute；　apparently　so　paltry；　was　destined　to　influence　the

future　of　the　Claes　family　when；　at　a　later　period；　they　needed　succor

in　misfortune。







CHAPTER　VIII



Balthazar　was　again　so　absorbed　that　he　did　not　notice　Josephine's

condition。　He　took　Jean　upon　his　knee　and　trotted　him　mechanically；

pondering；　no　doubt；　the　problem　he　now　had　the　means　of　solving。　He

saw　them　bring　the　footbath　to　his　wife；　who　was　still　in　the　parlor；

too　weak　to　rise　from　the　low　chair　in　which　she　was　lying；　he　gazed

abstractedly　at　his　daughters　now　attending　on　their　mother；　without

inquiring　the　cause　of　their　tender　solicitude。　When　Marguerite　or

Jean　attempted　to　speak　aloud；　Madame　Claes　hushed　them　and　pointed　to

Balthazar。　Such　a　scene　was　of　a　nature　to　make　a　young　girl　think；

and　Marguerite；　placed　as　she　was　between　her　father　and　mother；　was

old　enough　and　sensible　enough　to　weigh　their　conduct。



There　comes　a　moment　in　the　private　life　of　every　family　when　the

children；　voluntarily　or　involuntarily；　judge　their　parents。　Madame

Claes　foresaw　the　dangers　of　that　moment。　Her　love　for　Balthazar

impelled　her　to　justify　in　Marguerite's　eyes　conduct　that　might；　to

the　upright　mind　of　a　girl　of　sixteen；　seem　faulty　in　a　father。　The

very　respect　which　she　showed　at　this　moment　for　her　husband；　making

herself　and　her　condition　of　no　account　that　nothing　might　disturb　his

meditation；　impressed　her　children　with　a　sort　of　awe　of　the　paternal

majesty。　Such　self…devotion；　however　infectious　it　might　be；　only

increased　Marguerite's　admiration　for　her　mother；　to　whom　she　was　more

particularly　bound　by　the　close　intimacy　of　their　daily　lives。　This

feeling　was　based　on　the　intuitive　perception　of　sufferings　whose

causes　naturally　occupied　the　young　girl's　mind。　No　human　power　could

have　hindered　some　chance　word　dropped　by　Martha；　or　by　Josette；　from

enlightening　her　as　to　the　real　reasons　for　the　condition　of　her　home

during　the　last　four　years。　Notwithstanding　Madame　Claes's　reserve；

Marguerite　discovered　slowly；　thread　by　thread；　the　clue　to　the

domestic　drama。　She　was　soon　to　be　her　mother's　active　confidante；　and

later；　under　other　circumstances；　a　formidable　judge。



Madame　Claes's　watchful　care　now　centred　upon　her　eldest　daughter；　to

whom　she　endeavored　to　communicate　her　own　self…devotion　towards

Balthazar。　The　firmness　and　sound　judgment　which　she　recognized　in　the

young　girl　made　her　tremble　at　the　thought　of　a　possible　struggle

between　father　and　daughter　whenever　her　own　death　should　make　the

latter　mistress　of　the　household。　The　poor　woman　had　reached　a　point

where　she　dreaded　the　consequences　of　her　death　far　more　than　death

itself。　Her　tender　solicitude　for　Balthazar　showed　itself　in　the

resolution　she　had　this　day　taken。　By　freeing　his　property　from

encumbrance　she　secured　his　independence；　and　prevented　all　future

disputes　by　separating　his　i