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sixty　thousand　francs　against　eternal　remorse？　See；　I　shall　die；　this

will　kill　me。　Listen；　my　word　is　sacred。　If　I　fail　now　I　will　abandon

my　labors；　I　will　leave　Flanders；France　even；　if　you　demand　it；　I

will　go　away　and　toil　like　a　day…laborer　to　recover；　sou　by　sou；　the

fortunes　I　have　lost；　and　restore　to　my　children　all　that　Science　has

taken　from　them。〃



Marguerite　tried　to　raise　her　father；　but　he　persisted　in　remaining　on

his　knees；　and　continued；　still　weeping：



〃Be　tender　and　obedient　for　this　last　time！　If　I　do　not　succeed；　I

will　myself　declare　your　hardness　just。　You　shall　call　me　a　fool；　you

shall　say　I　am　a　bad　father；　you　may　even　tell　me　that　I　am　ignorant

and　incapable。　And　when　I　hear　you　say　those　words　I　will　kiss　your

hands。　You　may　beat　me；　if　you　will；　and　when　you　strike　I　will　bless

you　as　the　best　of　daughters；　remembering　that　you　have　given　me　your

blood。〃



〃If　it　were　my　blood；　my　life's　blood；　I　would　give　it　to　you；〃　she

cried；　〃but　can　I　let　Science　cut　the　throats　of　my　brothers　and

sister？　No。　Cease；　cease！〃　she　said；　wiping　her　tears　and　pushing

aside　her　father's　caressing　hands。



〃Sixty　thousand　francs　and　two　months；〃　he　said；　rising　in　anger；

〃that　is　all　I　want：　but　my　daughter　stands　between　me　and　fame　and

wealth。　I　curse　you！〃　he　went　on；　〃you　are　no　daughter　of　mine；　you

are　not　a　woman；　you　have　no　heart；　you　will　never　be　a　mother　or　a

wife！　Give　it　to　me；　let　me　take　it；　my　little　one；　my　precious

child；　I　will　love　you　forever；〃and　he　stretched　his　hand　with　a

movement　of　hideous　energy　towards　the　gold。



〃I　am　helpless　against　physical　force；　but　God　and　the　great　Claes　see

us　now；〃　she　said；　pointing　to　the　picture。



〃Try　to　live；　if　you　can；　with　your　father's　blood　upon　you；〃　cried

Balthazar；　looking　at　her　with　abhorrence。　He　rose；　glanced　round　the

room；　and　slowly　left　it。　When　he　reached　the　door　he　turned　as　a

beggar　might　have　done　and　implored　his　daughter　with　a　gesture；　to

which　she　replied　by　a　negative　motion　of　her　head。



〃Farewell；　my　daughter；〃　he　said；　gently；　〃may　you　live　happy！〃



When　he　had　disappeared；　Marguerite　remained　in　a　trance　which

separated　her　from　earth；　she　was　no　longer　in　the　parlor；　she　lost

consciousness　of　physical　existence；　she　had　wings；　and　soared　amid

the　immensities　of　the　moral　world；　where　Thought　contracts　the　limits

both　of　Time　and　Space；　where　a　divine　hand　lifts　the　veil　of　the

Future。　It　seemed　to　her　that　days　elapsed　between　each　footfall　of

her　father　as　he　went　up　the　stairs；　then　a　shudder　of　dread　went　over

her　as　she　heard　him　enter　his　chamber。　Guided　by　a　presentiment　which

flashed　into　her　soul　with　the　piercing　keenness　of　lightning；　she　ran

up　the　stairway；　without　light；　without　noise；　with　the　velocity　of　an

arrow；　and　saw　her　father　with　a　pistol　at　his　head。



〃Take　all！〃　she　cried；　springing　towards　him。



She　fell　into　a　chair。　Balthazar；　seeing　her　pallor；　began　to　weep　as

old　men　weep；　he　became　like　a　child；　he　kissed　her　brow；　he　spoke　in

disconnected　words；　he　almost　danced　with　joy；　and　tried　to　play　with

her　as　a　lover　with　a　mistress　who　has　made　him　happy。



〃Enough；　father；　enough；〃　she　said；　〃remember　your　promise。　If　you　do

not　succeed　now；　you　pledge　yourself　to　obey　me？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Oh；　mother！〃　she　cried；　turning　towards　Madame　Claes's　chamber；　〃YOU

would　have　given　him　allwould　you　not？〃



〃Sleep　in　peace；〃　said　Balthazar；　〃you　are　a　good　daughter。〃



〃Sleep！〃　she　said；　〃the　nights　of　my　youth　are　gone；　you　have　made　me

old；　father；　just　as　you　slowly　withered　my　mother's　heart。〃



〃Poor　child；　would　I　could　re…assure　you　by　explaining　the　effects　of

the　glorious　experiment　I　have　now　imagined！　you　would　then　comprehend

the　truth。〃



〃I　comprehend　our　ruin；〃　she　said；　leaving　him。



The　next　morning；　being　a　holiday；　Emmanuel　de　Solis　brought　Jean　to

spend　the　day。



〃Well？〃　he　said；　approaching　Marguerite　anxiously。



〃I　yielded；〃　she　replied。



〃My　dear　life；〃　he　said；　with　a　gesture　of　melancholy　joy；　〃if　you　had

withstood　him　I　should　greatly　have　admired　you；　but　weak　and　feeble；

I　adore　you！〃



〃Poor；　poor　Emmanuel；　what　is　left　for　us？〃



〃Leave　the　future　to　me；〃　cried　the　young　man；　with　a　radiant　look；

〃we　love　each　other；　and　all　is　well。〃







CHAPTER　XIII



Several　months　went　by　in　perfect　tranquillity。　Monsieur　de　Solis　made

Marguerite　see　that　her　petty　economies　would　never　produce　a　fortune；

and　he　advised　her　to　live　more　at　ease；　by　taking　all　that　remained

of　the　sum　which　Madame　Claes　had　entrusted　to　him　for　the　comfort　and

well…being　of　the　household。



During　these　months　Marguerite　fell　a　prey　to　the　anxieties　which

beset　her　mother　under　like　circumstances。　However　incredulous　she

might　be；　she　had　come　to　hope　in　her　father's　genius。　By　an

inexplicable　phenomenon；　many　people　have　hope　when　they　have　no

faith。　Hope　is　the　flower　of　Desire；　faith　is　the　fruit　of　Certainty。

Marguerite　said　to　herself；　〃If　my　father　succeeds；　we　shall　be

happy。〃　Claes　and　Lemulquinier　alone　said：　〃We　shall　succeed。〃

Unhappily；　from　day　to　day　the　Searcher's　face　grew　sadder。　Sometimes；

when　he　came　to　dinner　he　dared　not　look　at　his　daughter；　at　other

times　he　glanced　at　her　in　triumph。　Marguerite　employed　her　evenings

in　making　young　de　Solis　explain　to　her　many　legal　points　and

difficulties。　At　last　her　masculine　education　was　completed；　she　was

evidently　preparing　herself　to　execute　the　plan　she　had　resolved　upon

if　her　father　were　again　vanquished　in　his　duel　with　the　Unknown　（X）。



About　the　beginning　of　July；　Balthazar　spend　a　whole　day　sitting　on　a

bench　in　the　garden；　plunged　in　gloomy　meditation。　He　gazed　at　the

mound　now　bare　of　tulips；　at　the　windows　of　his　wife's　chamber；　he

shuddered；　no　doubt；　as　he　thought　of　all　that　his　search　had　cost

him：　his　movements　betrayed　that　his　thoughts　were　busy　outside　of

Science。　Marguerite　brought　her　sewing　and　sat　beside　him　for　a　while

before　dinner。



〃You　have　not　succeeded；　father？〃



〃No；　my　child。〃



〃Ah！〃　said　Marguerite；　in　a　gentle　voice。　〃I　will　not　say　one　word　of

reproach；　we　are　both　equally　guilty。　I　only　claim　the　fulfilment　of

your　promise；　it　is　surely　sacred　to　youyou　are　a　Claes。　Your

children　will　surround　you　with　love　and　filial　respect；　but　you　now

belong　to　me；　you　owe　me　obedience。　Do　not　be　uneasy；　my　reign　will　be

gentle；　and　I　will　endeavor　to　bring　it　quickly　to　an　end。　Father；　I

am　going　to　leave　you　for　a　month；　I　shall　be　busy　with　your　affairs；

for；〃　she　said；　kissing　him　on　his　brow；　〃you　are　now　my　child。　I　take

Martha　with　me；　to…morrow　Felicie　will　manage　the　household。　The　poor

child　is　only　seventeen；　and　she　will　not　know　how　to　resist　you；

therefore　be　generous；　do　not　ask　her　for　money；　she　has　only　enough

for　the　barest　necessaries　of　the　household。　Take　courage：　renounce

your　labors　and　your　thoughts　for　three　or　four　years。　The　great

problem　may　ripen　towards　discovery；　by　that　time　I　shall　have

gathered　the　money　that　is　necessary　to　solve　it；and　you　will　solve

it。　Tell　me；　father；　your　queen　is　clement；　is　she　not？〃



〃Then　all　is　not　lost？〃　said　the　old　man。



〃No；　not　if　you　keep　your　word。〃



〃I　will　obey　you；　my　daughter；〃　answered　Claes；　with　deep　emotion。



The　next　day；　Monsieur　Conyncks　of　Cambrai　came　to　fetch　his　great…

niece。　He　was　in　a　travelling…carriage；　and　would　only　remain　long

enough　for　Marguerite　and　Martha　to　make　their　last　arrangements。

Monsieur　Claes　received　his　cousin　with　courtesy；　but　he　was　obviously

sad　and　humiliated。　Old　Conyncks　guessed　his　thoughts；　and　said　with

blunt　frankness　while　they　were　breakfasting：



〃I　have　some　of　your　pictures；　cousin；　I　have　a　taste　for　pictures；a

ruinous　passion；　but　we　all　have　our　manias。〃



〃Dear　uncle！〃　exclaimed　Marguerite。



〃The　world　declares　that　you　are　ruined；　cousin；　but　the　treasure　of　a

Claes　is　there；〃　said　Conyncks；　tapping　his　forehead；　〃and　here；〃

striking　his　heart；　〃don't　you　think　so？　I　count　upon　you：　and　for

that　reason；　having　a　few　spare　ducats　in　my　wallet；　I　put　them　to　use

in　your　service。〃



〃Ah！〃　cried　Balthazar；　〃I　will　repay　you　with　treasures〃



〃The　only　treasures　we　possess　in　Flanders　are　patience　and　labor；〃

replied　Conyncks；　sternly。　〃Our　ancestor　has　those　words　engraved　upon

his　brow；〃　he　said；　pointing　to　the　portrait　of　Van　Claes。



Marguerite　kissed　her　father　and　bade　him　good…bye；　gave　her　last

directions　to　Josette　and　to　Felicie；　and　started　with　Monsieur

Conyncks　for　Paris。　The　great…uncle　was　a　widower　with　one　child；　a

daughter　twelve　years　old；　and　he　was　possessed　of　an　immense　fortune。

It　was　not　impossible　that　he　would　take　a　wife；　consequently；　the

good　people　of　Douai　believed　that　Mademoiselle　Claes　would　marry　her

great…uncle。　The　rumor　of　this　marriage　reac