the alkahest-第47节

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his　bedside　and　kissed　him　with　an　affection　which　the　sense　of　coming

death　made　day　by　day　more　ardent　and　more　eager；　he　showed　none　of

his　usual　satisfaction　at　these　signs　of　their　tenderness。　Emmanuel；

instigated　by　the　doctor；　hastened　to　open　the　newspaper　to　try　if　the

usual　reading　might　not　relieve　the　inward　crisis　in　which　Balthazar

was　evidently　struggling。　As　he　unfolded　the　sheet　he　saw　the　words；

〃DISCOVERY　OF　THE　ABSOLUTE；〃which　startled　him；　and　he　read　a

paragraph　to　Marguerite　concerning　a　sale　made　by　a　celebrated　Polish

mathematician　of　the　secret　of　the　Absolute。　Though　Emmanuel　read　in　a

low　voice；　and　Marguerite　signed　to　him　to　omit　the　passage；　Balthazar

heard　it。



Suddenly　the　dying　man　raised　himself　by　his　wrists　and　cast　on　his

frightened　children　a　look　which　struck　like　lightning；　the　hairs　that

fringed　the　bald　head　stirred；　the　wrinkles　quivered；　the　features

were　illumined　with　spiritual　fires；　a　breath　passed　across　that　face

and　rendered　it　sublime；　he　raised　a　hand；　clenched　in　fury；　and

uttered　with　a　piercing　cry　the　famous　word　of　Archimedes；　〃EUREKA！〃

I　have　found。



He　fell　back　upon　his　bed　with　the　dull　sound　of　an　inert　body；　and

died；　uttering　an　awful　moan；his　convulsed　eyes　expressing　to　the

last；　when　the　doctor　closed　them；　the　regret　of　not　bequeathing　to

Science　the　secret　of　an　Enigma　whose　veil　was　rent　away；too　late！

by　the　fleshless　fingers　of　Death。









End