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francs　which　belong　to　Gabriel　in　the　public　Funds　you　will　get；

according　to　present　rates；　more　than　four　thousand　francs'　income；

which　will　suffice　to　pay　your　brother's　board　and　lodging　and　all　his

other　expenses　in　Paris。　Gabriel　cannot　touch　the　capital　until　he　is

of　age；　therefore　you　need　not　fear　that　he　will　waste　a　penny　of　it；

and　you　will　have　one　expense　the　less。　Besides；　you　will　have　your

own　fifty　thousand。〃



〃My　father　will　ask　me　for　them；〃　she　said　in　a　frightened　tone；　〃and

I　shall　not　be　able　to　refuse　him。〃



〃Well；　dear　Marguerite；　even　so；　you　can　evade　that　by　robbing

yourself。　Place　your　money　in　the　Grand…Livre　in　Gabriel's　name：　it

will　bring　you　twelve　or　thirteen　thousand　francs　a　year。　Minors　who

are　emancipated　cannot　sell　property　without　permission　of　the　family

council；　you　will　thus　gain　three　years'　peace　of　mind。　By　that　time

your　father　will　either　have　solved　his　problem　or　renounced　it；　and

Gabriel；　then　of　age；　will　reinvest　the　money　in　your　own　name。〃



Marguerite　made　him　explain　to　her　once　more　the　legal　points　which

she　did　not　at　first　understand。　It　was　certainly　a　novel　sight　to　see

this　pair　of　lovers　poring　over　the　Code；　which　Emmanuel　had　brought

with　him　to　show　his　mistress　the　laws　which　protected　the　property　of

minors；　she　quickly　caught　the　meaning　of　them；　thanks　to　the　natural

penetration　of　women；　which　in　this　case　love　still　further　sharpened。



Gabriel　came　home　to　his　father's　house　on　the　following　day。　When

Monsieur　de　Solis　brought　him　up　to　Balthazar　and　told　of　his

admission　to　the　Ecole　Polytechnique；　the　father　thanked　the　professor

with　a　wave　of　his　hand；　and　said：



〃I　am　very　glad；　Gabriel　may　become　a　man　of　science。〃



〃Oh；　my　brother；〃　cried　Marguerite；　as　Balthazar　went　back　to　his

laboratory；　〃work　hard；　waste　no　money；　spend　what　is　necessary；　but

practise　economy。　On　the　days　when　you　are　allowed　to　go　out；　pass

your　time　with　our　friends　and　relations；　contract　none　of　the　habits

which　ruin　young　men　in　Paris。　Your　expenses　will　amount　to　nearly

three　thousand　francs；　and　that　will　leave　you　a　thousand　francs　for

your　pocket…money；　that　is　surely　enough。〃



〃I　will　answer　for　him；〃　said　Emmanuel　de　Solis；　laying　his　hand　on

his　pupil's　shoulder。



A　month　later；　Monsieur　Conyncks；　in　conjunction　with　Marguerite；　had

obtained　all　necessary　securities　from　Claes。　The　plan　so　wisely

proposed　by　Emmanuel　de　Solis　was　fully　approved　and　executed。　Face　to

face　with　the　law；　and　in　presence　of　his　cousin；　whose　stern　sense　of

honor　allowed　no　compromise；　Balthazar；　ashamed　of　the　sale　of　the

timber　to　which　he　had　consented　at　a　moment　when　he　was　harassed　by

creditors；　submitted　to　all　that　was　demanded　of　him。　Glad　to　repair

the　almost　involuntary　wrong　that　he　had　done　to　his　children；　he

signed　the　deeds　in　a　preoccupied　way。　He　was　now　as　careless　and

improvident　as　a　Negro　who　sells　his　wife　in　the　morning　for　a　drop　of

brandy；　and　cries　for　her　at　night。　He　gave　no　thought　to　even　the

immediate　future；　and　never　asked　himself　what　resources　he　would　have

when　his　last　ducat　was　melted　up。　He　pursued　his　work　and　continued

his　purchases；　apparently　unaware　that　he　was　now　no　more　than　the

titular　owner　of　his　house　and　lands；　and　that　he　could　not；　thanks　to

the　severity　of　the　laws；　raise　another　penny　upon　a　property　of　which

he　was　now；　as　it　were；　the　legal　guardian。



The　year　1818　ended　without　bringing　any　new　misfortune。　The　sisters

paid　the　costs　of　Jean's　education　and　met　all　the　expenses　of　the

household　out　of　the　thirteen　thousand　francs　a　year　from　the　sum

placed　in　the　Grand…Livre　in　Gabriel's　name；　which　he　punctually

remitted　to　them。　Monsieur　de　Solis　lost　his　uncle；　the　abbe；　in

December　of　that　year。



Early　in　January　Marguerite　learned　through　Martha　that　her　father　had

sold　his　collection　of　tulips；　also　the　furniture　of　the　front　house；

and　all　the　family　silver。　She　was　obliged　to　buy　back　the　spoons　and

forks　that　were　necessary　for　the　daily　service　of　the　table；　and

these　she　now　ordered　to　be　stamped　with　her　initials。　Until　that　day

Marguerite　had　kept　silence　towards　her　father　on　the　subject　of　his

depredations；　but　that　evening　after　dinner　she　requested　Felicie　to

leave　her　alone　with　him；　and　when　he　seated　himself　as　usual　by　the

corner　of　the　parlor　fireplace；　she　said：



〃My　dear　father；　you　are　the　master　here；　and　can　sell　everything；

even　your　children。　We　are　ready　to　obey　you　without　a　murmur；　but　I

am　forced　to　tell　you　that　we　are　without　money；　that　we　have　barely

enough　to　live　on；　and　that　Felicie　and　I　are　obliged　to　work　night

and　day　to　pay　for　the　schooling　of　little　Jean　with　the　price　of　the

lace　dress　we　are　now　making。　My　dear　father；　I　implore　you　to　give　up

your　researches。〃



〃You　are　right；　my　dear　child；　in　six　weeks　they　will　be　finished；　I

shall　have　found　the　Absolute；　or　the　Absolute　will　be　proved

undiscoverable。　You　will　have　millions〃



〃Give　us　meanwhile　the　bread　to　eat；〃　replied　Marguerite。



〃Bread？　is　there　no　bread　here？〃　said　Claes；　with　a　frightened　air。

〃No　bread　in　the　house　of　a　Claes！　What　has　become　of　our　property？〃



〃You　have　cut　down　the　forest　of　Waignies。　The　ground　has　not　been

cleared　and　is　therefore　unproductive。　As　for　your　farms　at　Orchies；

the　rents　scarcely　suffice　to　pay　the　interest　of　the　sums　you　have

borrowed〃



〃Then　what　are　we　living　on？〃　he　demanded。



Marguerite　held　up　her　needle　and　continued：



〃Gabriel's　income　helps　us；　but　it　is　insufficient；　I　can　make　both

ends　meet　at　the　close　of　the　year　if　you　do　not　overwhelm　me　with

bills　that　I　do　not　expect；　for　purchases　you　tell　me　nothing　about。

When　I　think　I　have　enough　to　meet　my　quarterly　expenses　some

unexpected　bill　for　potash；　or　zinc；　or　sulphur；　is　brought　to　me。〃



〃My　dear　child；　have　patience　for　six　weeks；　after　that；　I　will　be

judicious。　My　little　Marguerite；　you　shall　see　wonders。〃



〃It　is　time　you　should　think　of　your　affairs。　You　have　sold

everything；pictures；　tulips；　plate；　nothing　is　left。　At　least；

refrain　from　making　debts。〃



〃I　don't　wish　to　make　any　more！〃　he　said。



〃Any　more？〃　she　cried；　〃then　you　have　some？〃



〃Mere　trifles；〃　he　said；　but　he　dropped　his　eyes　and　colored。



For　the　first　time　in　her　life　Marguerite　felt　humiliated　by　the

lowering　of　her　father's　character；　and　suffered　from　it　so　much　that

she　dared　not　question　him。



A　month　after　this　scene　one　of　the　Douai　bankers　brought　a　bill　of

exchange　for　ten　thousand　francs　signed　by　Claes。　Marguerite　asked　the

banker　to　wait　a　day；　and　expressed　her　regret　that　she　had　not　been

notified　to　prepare　for　this　payment；　whereupon　he　informed　her　that

the　house　of　Protez　and　Chiffreville　held　nine　other　bills　to　the　same

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　f