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in which I live； close to my uncle； makes me prefer those flowers that
are softer to the eye。〃
Saying these words he glanced at Marguerite； but the look； full as it
was of confused desires； contained no allusion to the lily whiteness；
the sweet serenity； the tender coloring which made her face a flower。
〃Do you work very hard？〃 she asked； leading him to a wooden seat with
a back； painted green。 〃Here；〃 she continued； 〃the tulips are not so
close； they will not tire your eyes。 Yes； you are right； those colors
are dazzling； they give pain。〃
〃Do I work hard？〃 replied the young man after a short silence； as he
smoothed the gravel with his foot。 〃Yes； I work at many things。 My
uncle wished to make me a priest。〃
〃Oh！〃 exclaimed Marguerite； naively。
〃I resisted； I felt no vocation for it。 But it required great courage
to oppose my uncle's wishes。 He is so good； he loves me so much！ Quite
recently he bought a substitute to save me from the conscriptionme；
a poor orphan！〃
〃What do you mean to be？〃 asked Marguerite； then； immediately checking
herself as though she would unsay the words； she added with a pretty
gesture； 〃I beg your pardon； you must think me very inquisitive。〃
〃Oh； mademoiselle；〃 said Emmanuel； looking at her with tender
admiration； 〃except my uncle； no one ever asked me that question。 I am
studying to be a teacher。 I cannot do otherwise； I am not rich。 If I
were principal of a college…school in Flanders I should earn enough to
live moderately； and I might marry some single woman whom I could
love。 That is the life I look forward to。 Perhaps that is why I prefer
a daisy in the meadows to these splendid tulips； whose purple and gold
and rubies and amethysts betoken a life of luxury； just as the daisy
is emblematic of a sweet and patriarchal life；the life of a poor
teacher like me。〃
〃I have always called the daisies marguerites；〃 she said。
Emmanuel colored deeply and sought an answer from the sand at his
feet。 Embarrassed to choose among the thoughts that came to him； which
he feared were silly； and disconcerted by his delay in answering； he
said at last； 〃I dared not pronounce your name〃then he paused。
〃A teacher？〃 she said。
〃Mademoiselle； I shall be a teacher only as a means of living： I shall
undertake great works which will make me nobly useful。 I have a strong
taste for historical researches。〃
〃Ah！〃
That 〃ah！〃 so full of secret thoughts added to his confusion； he gave
a foolish laugh and said：
〃You make me talk of myself when I ought only to speak of you。〃
〃My mother and your uncle must have finished their conversation； I
think；〃 said Marguerite； looking into the parlor through the windows。
〃Your mother seems to me greatly changed；〃 said Emmanuel。
〃She suffers； but she will not tell us the cause of her sufferings；
and we can only try to share them with her。〃
Madame Claes had； in fact； just ended a delicate consultation which
involved a case of conscience the Abbe de Solis alone could decide。
Foreseeing the utter ruin of the family； she wished to retain； unknown
to Balthazar who paid no attention to his business affairs； part of
the price of the pictures which Monsieur de Solis had undertaken to
sell in Holland； intending to hold it secretly in reserve against the
day when poverty should overtake her children。 With much deliberation；
and after weighing every circumstance； the old Dominican approved the
act as one of prudence。 He took his leave to prepare at once for the
sale； which he engaged to make secretly； so as not to injure Monsieur
Claes in the estimation of others。
The next day Monsieur de Solis despatched his nephew； armed with
letters of introduction； to Amsterdam； where Emmanuel； delighted to do
a service to the Claes family； succeeded in selling all the pictures
in the gallery to the noted bankers Happe and Duncker for the
ostensible sum of eighty…five thousand Dutch ducats and fifteen
thousand more which were paid over secretly to Madame Claes。 The
pictures were so well known that nothing was needed to complete the
sale but an answer from Balthazar to the letter which Messieurs Happe
and Duncker addressed to him。 Emmanuel de Solis was commissioned by
Claes to receive the price of the pictures； which were thereupon
packed and sent away secretly； to conceal the sale from the people of
Douai。
Towards the end of September； Balthazar paid off all the sums that he
had borrowed； released his property from encumbrance； and resumed his
chemical researches； but the House of Claes was deprived of its
noblest ornament。 Blinded by his passion； the master showed no regret；
he felt so sure of repairing the loss that in selling the pictures he
reserved the right of redemption。 In Josephine's eyes a hundred
pictures were as nothing compared to domestic happiness and the
satisfaction of her husband's mind； moreover； she refilled the gallery
with other paintings taken from the reception…rooms； and to conceal
the gaps which these left in the front house； she changed the
arrangement of the furniture。
When Balthazar's debts were all paid he had about two hundred thousand
francs with which to carry on his experiments。 The Abbe de Solis and
his nephew took charge secretly of the fifteen thousand ducats
reserved by Madame Claes。 To increase that sum； the abbe sold the
Dutch ducats； to which the events of the Continental war had given a
commercial value。 One hundred and sixty…five thousand francs were
buried in the cellar of the house in which the abbe and his nephew
resided。
Madame Claes had the melancholy happiness of seeing her husband
incessantly busy and satisfied for nearly eight months。 But the shock
he had lately given her was too severe； she sank into a state of
languor and debility which steadily increased。 Balthazar was now so
completely absorbed in science that neither the reverses which had
overtaken France； nor the first fall of Napoleon； nor the return of
the Bourbons； drew him from his laboratory； he was neither husband；
father； nor citizen；solely chemist。
Towards the close of 1814 Madame Claes declined so rapidly that she
was no longer able to leave her bed。 Unwilling to vegetate in her own
chamber； the scene of so much happiness； where the memory of vanished
joys forced involuntary comparisons with the present and depressed
her； she moved into the parlor。 The doctors encouraged this wish by
declaring the room more airy； more cheerful； and therefore better
suited to her condition。 The bed in which the unfortunate woman ended
her life was placed between the fireplace and a window looking on the
garden。 There she passed her last days； sacredly occupied in training
the souls of her young daughters； striving to leave within them the
fire of her own。 Conjugal love； deprived of its manifestations；
allowed maternal love to have its way。 The mother now seemed the more
delightful because her motherhood had blosso