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such　deep　feeling　that　Marguerite　took　her　father's　hand　and　kissed

it。



〃To…morrow；　then；〃　said　Pierquin。



〃Come　to　breakfast；〃　said　Claes；　then　he　seemed　to　gather　his

scattered　senses　together　and　exclaimed：　〃But　in　my　marriage　contract；

which　was　drawn　under　the　laws　of　Hainault；　I　released　my　wife　from

the　obligation　of　making　an　inventory；　in　order　that　she　might　not　be

annoyed　by　it：　it　is　very　probable　that　I　was　equally　released〃



〃Oh；　what　happiness！〃　cried　Marguerite。　〃It　would　have　been　so

distressing　to　us。〃



〃Well；　I　will　look　into　your　marriage　contract　to…morrow；〃　said　the

notary；　rather　confused。



〃Then　you　did　not　know　of　this？〃　said　Marguerite。



This　remark　closed　the　interview；　the　lawyer　was　far　too　much　confused

to　continue　it　after　the　young　girl's　comment。



〃The　devil　is　in　it！〃　he　said　to　himself　as　he　crossed　the　court…yard。

〃That　man's　wandering　memory　comes　back　to　him　in　the　nick　of　time；

just　when　he　needed　it　to　hinder　us　from　taking　precautions　against

him！　I　have　cracked　my　brains　to　save　the　property　of　those　children。

I　meant　to　proceed　regularly　and　come　to　an　understanding　with　old

Conyncks；　and　here's　the　end　of　it！　I　shall　lose　ground　with

Marguerite；　for　she　will　certainly　ask　her　father　why　I　wanted　an

inventory　of　the　property；　which　she　now　sees　was　not　necessary；　and

Claes　will　tell　her　that　notaries　have　a　passion　for　writing

documents；　that　we　are　lawyers　above　all；　above　cousins　or　friends　or

relatives；　and　all　such　stuff　as　that。〃



He　slammed　the　street　door　violently；　railing　at　clients　who　ruin

themselves　by　sensitiveness。



Balthazar　was　right。　No　inventory　could　be　made。　Nothing；　therefore；

was　done　to　settle　the　relation　of　the　father　to　the　children　in　the

matter　of　property。







CHAPTER　XI



Several　months　went　by　and　brought　no　change　to　the　House　of　Claes。

Gabriel；　under　the　wise　management　of　his　tutor；　Monsieur　de　Solis；

worked　studiously；　acquired　foreign　languages；　and　prepared　to　pass

the　necessary　examinations　to　enter　the　Ecole　Polytechnique。

Marguerite　and　Felicie　lived　in　absolute　retirement；　going　in　summer

to　their　father's　country　place　as　a　measure　of　economy。　Monsieur

Claes　attended　to　his　business　affairs；　paid　his　debts　by　borrowing　a

considerable　sum　of　money　on　his　property；　and　went　to　see　the　forest

at　Waignies。



About　the　middle　of　the　year　1817；　his　grief；　slowly　abating；　left　him

a　prey　to　solitude　and　defenceless　under　the　monotony　of　the　life　he

was　leading；　which　heavily　oppressed　him。　At　first　he　struggled

bravely　against　the　allurements　of　Science　as　they　gradually　beset

him；　he　forbade　himself　even　to　think　of　Chemistry。　Then　he　did　think

of　it。　Still；　he　would　not　actively　take　it　up；　and　only　gave　his　mind

to　his　researches　theoretically。　Such　constant　study；　however；　swelled

his　passion　which　soon　became　exacting。　He　asked　himself　whether　he

was　really　bound　not　to　continue　his　researches；　and　remembered　that

his　wife　had　refused　his　oath。　Though　he　had　pledged　his　word　to

himself　that　he　would　never　pursue　the　solution　of　the　great　Problem；

might　he　not　change　that　determination　at　a　moment　when　he　foresaw

success？　He　was　now　fifty…nine　years　old。　At　that　age　a　predominant

idea　contracts　a　certain　peevish　fixedness　which　is　the　first　stage　of

monomania。



Circumstances　conspired　against　his　tottering　loyalty。　The　peace　which

Europe　now　enjoyed　encouraged　the　circulation　of　discoveries　and

scientific　ideas　acquired　during　the　war　by　the　learned　of　various

countries；　who　for　nearly　twenty　years　had　been　unable　to　hold

communication。　Science　was　making　great　strides。　Claes　found　that　the

progress　of　chemistry　had　been　directed；　unknown　to　chemists

themselves；　towards　the　object　of　his　researches。　Learned　men　devoted

to　the　higher　sciences　thought；　as　he　did；　that　light；　heat；

electricity；　galvanism；　magnetism　were　all　different　effects　of　the

same　cause；　and　that　the　difference　existing　between　substances

hitherto　considered　simple　must　be　produced　by　varying　proportions　of

an　unknown　principle。　The　fear　that　some　other　chemist　might　effect

the　reduction　of　metals　and　discover　the　constituent　principle　of

electricity；two　achievements　which　would　lead　to　the　solution　of　the

chemical　Absolute；increased　what　the　people　of　Douai　called　a　mania；

and　drove　his　desires　to　a　paroxysm　conceivable　to　those　who　devote

themselves　to　the　sciences；　or　who　have　ever　known　the　tyranny　of

ideas。



Thus　it　happened　that　Balthazar　was　again　carried　away　by　a　passion

all　the　more　violent　because　it　had　lain　dormant　so　long。　Marguerite；

who　watched　every　evidence　of　her　father's　state　of　mind；　opened　the

long…closed　parlor。　By　living　in　it　she　recalled　the　painful　memories

which　her　mother's　death　had　caused；　and　succeeded　for　a　time　in　re…

awaking　her　father's　grief；　and　retarding　his　plunge　into　the　gulf　to

the　depths　of　which　he　was；　nevertheless；　doomed　to　fall。　She

determined　to　go　into　society　and　force　Balthazar　to　share　in　its

distractions。　Several　good　marriages　were　proposed　to　her；　which

occupied　Claes's　mind；　but　to　all　of　them　she　replied　that　she　should

not　marry　until　after　she　was　twenty…five。　But　in　spite　of　his

daughter's　efforts；　in　spite　of　his　remorseful　struggles；　Balthazar；

at　the　beginning　of　the　winter；　returned　secretly　to　his　researches。

It　was　difficult；　however；　to　hide　his　operations　from　the　inquisitive

women　in　the　kitchen；　and　one　morning　Martha；　while　dressing

Marguerite；　said　to　her：



〃Mademoiselle；　we　are　as　good　as　lost。　That　monster　of　a　Mulquinier

who　is　a　devil　disguised；　for　I　never　saw　him　make　the　sign　of　the

crosshas　gone　back　to　the　garret。　There's　monsieur　on　the　high…road

to　hell。　Pray　God　he　mayn't　kill　you　as　he　killed　my　poor　mistress。〃



〃It　is　not　possible！〃　exclaimed　Marguerite。



〃Come　and　see　the　signs　of　their　traffic。〃



Mademoiselle　Claes　ran　to　the　window　and　saw　the　light　smoke　rising

from　the　flue　of　the　laboratory。



〃I　shall　be　twenty…one　in　a　few　months；〃　she　thought；　〃and　I　shall

know　how　to　oppose　the　destruction　of　our　property。〃



In　giving　way　to　his　passion　Balthazar　necessarily　felt　less　respect

for　the　interests　of　his　children　than　he　formerly　had　felt　for　the

happiness　of　his　wife。　The　barriers　were　less　high；　his　conscience　was

more　elastic；　his　passion　had　increased　in　strength。　He　now　set　forth

in　his　career　of　glory；　toil；　hope；　and　poverty；　with　the　fervor　of　a

man　profoundly　trustful　of　his　convictions。　Certain　of　the　result；　he

worked　night　and　day　with　a　fury　that　alarmed　his　daughters；　who　did

not　know　how　little　a　man　is　injured　by　work　that　gives　him　pleasure。



Her　father　had　no　sooner　recommenced　his　experiments　than　Marguerite

retrenched　the　superfluities　of　the　table；　showing　a　parsimony　worthy

of　a　miser；　in　which　Josette　and　Martha　admirably　seconded　her。　Claes

never　noticed　the　change　which　reduced　the　household　living　to　the

merest　necessaries。　First　he　ceased　to　breakfast　with　the　family；　then

he　only　left　his　laboratory　when　dinner　was　ready；　and　at　last；　before

he　went　to　bed；　he　would　sit　some　hours　in　the　parlor　between　his

daughters　without　saying　a　word　to　either　of　them；　when　he　rose　to　go

upstairs　they　wished　him　good…night；　and　he　allowed　them　mechanically

to　kiss　him　on　both　cheeks。　Such　conduct　would　have　led　to　great

domestic　misfortunes　had　Marguerite　not　been　prepared　to　exercise　the

authority　of　a　mother；　and　if；　moreover；　she　were　not　protected　by　a

secret　love　from　the　dangers　of　so　much　liberty。



Pierquin　had　ceased　to　come　to　the　house；　judging　that　the　family　ruin

would　soon　be　complete。　Balthazar's　rural　estates；　which　yielded

sixteen　thousand　francs　a　year；　and　were　worth　about　six　hundred

thousand；　were　now　encumbered　by　mortgages　to　the　amount　of　three

hundred　thousand　francs；　for；　in　order　to　recommence　his　researches；

Claes　had　borrowed　a　considerable　sum　of　money。　The　rents　were　exactly

enough　to　pay　the　interest　of　the　mortgages；　but；　with　the

improvidence　of　a　man　who　is　the　slave　of　an　idea；　he　made　over　the

income　of　his　farm　lands　to　Marguerite　for　the　expenses　of　the

household；　and　the　notary　calculated　that　three　years　would　suffice　to

bring　matters　to　a　crisis；　when　the　law　would　step　in　and　eat　up　all

that　Balthazar　had　not　squandered。　Marguerite's　coldness　brought

Pierquin　to　a　state　of　almost　hostile　indifference。　To　give　himself　an

appearance　in　the　eyes　of　the　world　of　having　renounced　her　hand；　he

frequently　remarked　of　the　Claes　family　in　a　tone　of　compassion：



〃Those　poor　people　are　ruined；　I　have　done　my　best　to　save　them。　Well；

it　can't　be　helped；　Mademoiselle　Claes　refused　to　employ　the　legal

means　which　might　have　rescued　them　from　poverty。〃



Emmanuel　de　Solis；　who　was　now　principal　of　the　college…school　in

Douai；　thanks　to　the　influence　of　his　uncle　and　t