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that　I　sincerely　love　your　sister　Felicie。　Treat　me　therefore　as　a

brother；　accept　my　purse；　take　what　you　will　from　it；the　more　you

take　the　better　you　prove　your　regard　for　me。　I　am　wholly　at　your

serviceWITHOUT　INTEREST；　you　understand；　neither　at　twelve　nor　at

one　quarter　per　cent。　Let　me　be　thought　worthy　of　Felicie；　that　is　all

I　ask。　Forgive　my　defects；　they　come　from　business　habits；　my　heart　is

good；　and　I　would　fling　myself　into　the　Scarpe　sooner　than　not　make　my

wife　happy。〃



〃This　is　all　satisfactory；　cousin；〃　answered　Marguerite；　〃but　my

sister's　choice　depends　upon　herself　and　also　on　my　father's　will。〃



〃I　know　that；　my　dear　cousin；〃　said　the　lawyer；　〃but　you　are　the

mother　of　the　whole　family；　and　I　have　nothing　more　at　heart　than　that

you　should　judge　me　rightly。〃



This　conversation　paints　the　mind　of　the　honest　notary。　Later　in　life；

Pierquin　became　celebrated　by　his　reply　to　the　commanding　officer　at

Saint…Omer；　who　had　invited　him　to　be　present　at　a　military　fete；　the

note　ran　as　follows：　〃Monsieur　Pierquin…Claes　de　Molina…Nourho；　mayor

of　the　city　of　Douai；　chevalier　of　the　Legion　of　honor；　will　have　THAT

of　being　present；　etc。〃



Marguerite　accepted　the　lawyer's　offer　only　so　far　as　it　related　to

his　professional　services；　so　that　she　might　not　in　any　degree

compromise　either　her　own　dignity　as　a　woman；　or　her　sister's　future；

or　her　father's　authority。



The　next　day　she　confided　Felicie　to　the　care　of　Martha　and　Josette

（who　vowed　themselves　body　and　soul　to　their　young　mistress；　and

seconded　all　her　economies）；　and　started　herself　for　Waignies；　where

she　began　operations；　which　were　judiciously　overlooked　and　directed

by　Pierquin。　Devotion　was　now　set　down　as　a　good　speculation　in　the

mind　of　that　worthy　man；　his　care　and　trouble　were　in　fact　an

investment；　and　he　had　no　wish　to　be　niggardly　in　making　it。　First　he

contrived　to　save　Marguerite　the　trouble　of　clearing　the　land　and

working　the　ground　intended　for　the　farms。　He　found　three　young　men；

sons　of　rich　farmers；　who　were　anxious　to　settle　themselves　in　life；

and　he　succeeded；　through　the　prospect　he　held　out　to　them　of　the

fertility　of　the　land；　in　making　them　take　leases　of　the　three　farms

on　which　the　buildings　were　to　be　constructed。　To　gain　possession　of

the　farms　rent…free　for　three　years　the　tenants　bound　themselves　to

pay　ten　thousand　francs　a　year　the　fourth　year；　twelve　thousand　the

sixth　year；　and　fifteen　thousand　for　the　remainder　of　the　term；　to

drain　the　land；　make　the　plantations；　and　purchase　the　cattle。　While

the　buildings　were　being　put　up　the　farmers　were　to　clear　the　land。



Four　years　after　Balthazar　Claes's　departure　from　his　home　Marguerite

had　almost　recovered　the　property　of　her　brothers　and　sister。　Two

hundred　thousand　francs；　lent　to　her　by　Emmanuel；　had　sufficed　to　put

up　the　farm　buildings。　Neither　help　nor　counsel　was　withheld　from　the

brave　girl；　whose　conduct　excited　the　admiration　of　the　whole　town。

Marguerite　superintended　the　buildings；　and　looked　after　her　contracts

and　leases　with　the　good　sense；　activity；　and　perseverance；　which

women　know　so　well　how　to　call　up　when　they　are　actuated　by　a　strong

sentiment。　By　the　fifth　year　she　was　able　to　apply　thirty　thousand

francs　from　the　rental　of　the　farms；　together　with　the　income　from　the

Funds　standing　in　her　brother's　name；　and　the　proceeds　of　her　father's

property；　towards　paying　off　the　mortgages　on　that　property；　and

repairing　the　devastation　which　her　father's　passion　had　wrought　in

the　old　mansion　of　the　Claes。　This　redemption　went　on　more　rapidly　as

the　interest　account　decreased。　Emmanuel　de　Solis　persuaded　Marguerite

to　take　the　remaining　one　hundred　thousand　francs　of　his　uncle's

bequest；　and　by　joining　to　it　twenty　thousand　francs　of　his　own

savings；　pay　off　in　the　third　year　of　her　management　a　large　slice　of

the　debts。　This　life　of　courage；　privation；　and　endurance　was　never

relaxed　for　five　years；　but　all　went　well；everything　prospered　under

the　administration　and　influence　of　Marguerite　Claes。



Gabriel；　now　holding　an　appointment　under　government　as　engineer　in

the　department　of　Roads　and　Bridges；　made　a　rapid　fortune；　aided　by

his　great…uncle；　in　a　canal　which　he　was　able　to　construct；　moreover；

he　succeeded　in　pleasing　his　cousin　Mademoiselle　Conyncks；　the　idol　of

her　father；　and　one　of　the　richest　heiresses　in　Flanders。　In　1824　the

whole　Claes　property　was　free；　and　the　house　in　the　rue　de　Paris　had

repaired　its　losses。　Pierquin　made　a　formal　application　to　Balthazar

for　the　hand　of　Felicie；　and　Monsieur　de　Solis　did　the　same　for　that

of　Marguerite。



At　the　beginning　of　January；　1825；　Marguerite　and　Monsieur　Conyncks

left　Douai　to　bring　home　the　exiled　father；　whose　return　was　eagerly

desired　by　all；　and　who　had　sent　in　his　resignation　that　he　might

return　to　his　family　and　crown　their　happiness　by　his　presence。

Marguerite　had　often　expressed　a　regret　at　not　being　able　to　replace

the　pictures　which　had　formerly　adorned　the　gallery　and　the　reception…

rooms；　before　the　day　when　her　father　would　return　as　master　of　his

house。　In　her　absence　Pierquin　and　Monsieur　de　Solis　plotted　with

Felicie　to　prepare　a　surprise　which　should　make　the　younger　sister　a

sharer　in　the　restoration　of　the　House　of　Claes。　The　two　bought　a

number　of　fine　pictures；　which　they　presented　to　Felicie　to　decorate

the　gallery。　Monsieur　Conyncks　had　thought　of　the　same　thing。　Wishing

to　testify　to　Marguerite　the　satisfaction　he　had　taken　in　her　noble

conduct　and　in　the　self…devotion　with　which　she　had　fulfilled　her

mother's　dying　mandate；　he　arranged　that　fifty　of　his　fine　pictures；

among　them　several　of　those　which　Balthazar　had　formerly　sold；　should

be　brought　to　Douai　in　Marguerite's　absence；　so　that　the　Claes　gallery

might　once　more　be　complete。



During　the　years　that　had　elapsed　since　Balthazar　Claes　left　his　home；

Marguerite　had　visited　her　father　several　times；　accompanied　by　her

sister　or　by　Jean。　Each　time　she　had　found　him　more　and　more　changed；

but　since　her　last　visit　old　age　had　come　upon　Balthazar　with　alarming

symptoms；　the　gravity　of　which　was　much　increased　by　the　parsimony

with　which　he　lived　that　he　might　spend　the　greater　part　of　his　salary

in　experiments　the　results　of　which　forever　disappointed　him。　Though

he　was　only　sixty…five　years　of　age；　he　appeared　to　be　eighty。　His

eyes　were　sunken　in　their　orbits；　his　eyebrows　had　whitened；　only　a

few　hairs　remained　as　a　fringe　around　his　skull；　he　allowed　his　beard

to　grow；　and　cut　it　off　with　scissors　when　its　length　annoyed　him；　he

was　bent　like　a　field…laborer；　and　the　condition　of　his　clothes　had

reached　a　degree　of　wretchedness　which　his　decrepitude　now　rendered

hideous。　Thought　still　animated　that　noble　face；　whose　features　were

scarcely　discernible　under　its　wrinkles；　but　the　fixity　of　the　eyes；　a

certain　desperation　of　manner；　a　restless　uneasiness；　were　all

diagnostics　of　insanity；　or　rather　of　many　forms　of　insanity。

Sometimes　a　flash　of　hope　gave　him　the　look　of　a　monomaniac；　at　other

times　impatient　anger　at　not　seizing　a　secret　which　flitted　before　his

eyes　like　a　will　o'　the　wisp　brought　symptoms　of　madness　into　his

face；　or　sudden　bursts　of　maniacal　laughter　betrayed　his

irrationality：　but　during　the　greater　part　of　the　time；　he　was　sunk　in

a　state　of　complete　depression　which　combined　all　the　phases　of

insanity　in　the　cold　melancholy　of　an　idiot。　However　fleeting　and

imperceptible　these　symptoms　may　have　been　to　the　eye　of　strangers；

they　were；　unfortunately；　only　too　plain　to　those　who　had　known

Balthazar　Claes　sublime　in　goodness；　noble　in　heart；　stately　in

person；a　Claes　of　whom；　alas；　scarcely　a　vestige　now　remained。



Lemulquinier；　grown　old　and　wasted　like　his　master　with　incessant

toil；　had　not；　like　him；　been　subjected　to　the　ravages　of　thought。　The

expression　of　the　old　valet's　face　showed　a　singular　mixture　of

anxiety　and　admiration　for　his　master　which　might　easily　have　misled

an　onlooker。　Though　he　listened　to　Balthazar's　words　with　respect；　and

followed　his　every　movement　with　tender　solicitude；　he　took　charge　of

the　servant　of　science　very　much　as　a　mother　takes　care　of　her　child；

and　even　seemed　to　protect　him；　because　in　the　vulgar　details　of　life；

to　which　Balthazar　gave　no　thought；　he　actually　did　protect　him。　These

old　men；　wrapped　in　one　idea；　confident　of　the　reality　of　their　hope；

stirred　by　the　same　breath；　the　one　representing　the　shell；　the　other

the　soul　of　their　mutual　existence；　formed　a　spectacle　at　once　tender

and　distressing。



When　Marguerite　and　Monsieur　Conyncks　arrived；　they　found　Claes　living

at　an　inn。　His　successor　had　not　been　kept　waiting；　and　was　already　in

possession　of　his　office。







CHAPTER　XV



Through　all　the　preoccupations　of　science；　the　desire　to　see　his

native　town；　his　house；　his　family；　agitated　Balthazar's　mind。　His

daught