第22章

Oh, my dear wife! in a few days' time you will forgive me all my forgetfulness--I am forgetful sometimes, am I not? Was I not harsh to you just now? Be indulgent for a man who never ceases to think of you, whose toils are full of you--of us.""Enough, enough!" she said, "let us talk of it all to-night, dear friend.I suffered from too much grief, and now I suffer from too much joy.""To-night," he resumed; "yes, willingly: we will talk of it.If I fall into meditation, remind me of this promise.To-night I desire to leave my work, my researches, and return to family joys, to the delights of the heart--Pepita, I need them, I thirst for them!""You will tell me what it is you seek, Balthazar?""Poor child, you cannot understand it."

"You think so? Ah! my friend, listen; for nearly four months I have studied chemistry that I might talk of it with you.I have read Fourcroy, Lavoisier, Chaptal, Nollet, Rouelle, Berthollet, Gay-Lussac, Spallanzani, Leuwenhoek, Galvani, Volta,--in fact, all the books about the science you worship.You can tell me your secrets, I shall understand you.""Oh! you are indeed an angel," cried Balthazar, falling at her feet, and shedding tears of tender feeling that made her quiver."Yes, we will understand each other in all things.""Ah!" she cried, "I would throw myself into those hellish fires which heat your furnaces to hear these words from your lips and to see you thus." Then, hearing her daughter's step in the anteroom, she sprang quickly forward."What is it, Marguerite?" she said to her eldest daughter.

"My dear mother, Monsieur Pierquin has just come.If he stays to dinner we need some table-linen; you forgot to give it out this morning."Madame Claes drew from her pocket a bunch of small keys and gave them to the young girl, pointing to the mahogany closets which lined the ante-chamber as she said:

"My daughter, take a set of the Graindorge linen; it is on your right.""Since my dear Balthazar comes back to me, let the return be complete," she said, re-entering her chamber with a soft and arch expression on her face."My friend, go into your own room; do me the kindness to dress for dinner, Pierquin will be with us.Come, take off this ragged clothing; see those stains! Is it muratic or sulphuric acid which left these yellow edges to the holes? Make yourself young again,--I will send you Mulquinier as soon as I have changed my dress."Balthazar attempted to pass through the door of communication, forgetting that it was locked on his side.He went out through the anteroom.

"Marguerite, put the linen on a chair, and come and help me dress; Idon't want Martha," said Madame Claes, calling her daughter.

Balthazar had caught Marguerite and turned her towards him with a joyous action, exclaiming: "Good-evening, my child; how pretty you are in your muslin gown and that pink sash!" Then he kissed her forehead and pressed her hand.

"Mamma, papa has kissed me!" cried Marguerite, running into her mother's room."He seems so joyous, so happy!""My child, your father is a great man; for three years he has toiled for the fame and fortune of his family: he thinks he has attained the object of his search.This day is a festival for us all.""My dear mamma," replied Marguerite, "we shall not be alone in our joy, for the servants have been so grieved to see him unlike himself.

Oh! put on another sash, this is faded."

"So be it; but make haste, I want to speak to Pierquin.Where is he?""In the parlor, playing with Jean."

"Where are Gabriel and Felicie?"

"I hear them in the garden."

"Run down quickly and see that they do not pick the tulips; your father has not seen them in flower this year, and he may take a fancy to look at them after dinner.Tell Mulquinier to go up and assist your father in dressing."