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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　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