登陆注册
15387700000045

第45章

"Marguerite," she resumed, drawing the letter from her pillow, "here is a paper which you must not open or read until a time, after my death, when some great disaster has overtaken you; when, in short, you are without the means of living.My dear Marguerite, love your father, but take care of your brothers and your sister.In a few days, in a few hours perhaps, you will be the head of this household.Be economical.Should you find yourself opposed to the wishes of your father,--and it may so happen, because he has spent vast sums in searching for a secret whose discovery is to bring glory and wealth to his family, and he will no doubt need money, perhaps he may demand it of you,--should that time come, treat him with the tenderness of a daughter, strive to reconcile the interests of which you will be the sole protector with the duty which you owe to a father, to a great man who sacrificed his happiness and his life to the glory of his family;he can only do wrong in act, his intentions are noble, his heart is full of love; you will see him once more kind and affectionate--YOU!

Marguerite, it is my duty to say these words to you on the borders of the grave.If you wish to soften the anguish of my death, promise me, my child, to take my place beside your father; to cause him no grief;never to reproach him; never to condemn him.Be a gentle, considerate guardian of the home until--his work accomplished--he is again the master of his family.""I understand you, dear mother," said Marguerite, kissing the swollen eyelids of the dying woman."I will do as you wish.""Do not marry, my darling, until Gabriel can succeed you in the management of the property and the household.If you married, your husband might not share your feelings, he might bring trouble into the family and disturb your father's life."Marguerite looked at her mother and said, "Have you nothing else to say to me about my marriage?""Can you hesitate, my child?" cried the dying woman in alarm.

"No," the daughter answered; "I promise to obey you.""Poor girl! I did not sacrifice myself for you," said the mother, shedding hot tears."Yet I ask you to sacrifice yourself for all.

Happiness makes us selfish.Be strong; preserve your own good sense to guard others who as yet have none.Act so that your brothers and your sister may not reproach my memory.Love your father, and do not oppose him--too much."She laid her head on her pillow and said no more; her strength was gone; the inward struggle between the Wife and the Mother had been too violent.

A few moments later the clergy came, preceded by the Abbe de Solis, and the parlor was filled by the children and the household.When the ceremony was about to begin, Madame Claes, awakened by her confessor, looked about her and not seeing Balthazar said quickly,--"Where is my husband?"

Those words--summing up, as it were, her life and her death--were uttered in such lamentable tones that all present shuddered.Martha, in spite of her great age, darted out of the room, ran up the staircase and through the gallery, and knocked loudly on the door of the laboratory.

"Monsieur, madame is dying; they are waiting for you, to administer the last sacraments," she cried with the violence of indignation.

"I am coming," answered Balthazar.

Lemulquinier came down a moment later, and said his master was following him.Madame Claes's eyes never left the parlor door, but her husband did not appear until the ceremony was over.When at last he entered, Josephine colored and a few tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Were you trying to decompose nitrogen?" she said to him with an angelic tenderness which made the spectators quiver.

"I have done it!" he cried joyfully; "Nitrogen contains oxygen and a substance of the nature of imponderable matter, which is apparently the principle of--"A murmur of horror interrupted his words and brought him to his senses.

"What did they tell me?" he demanded."Are you worse? What is the matter?""This is the matter, monsieur," whispered the Abbe de Solis, indignant at his conduct; "your wife is dying, and you have killed her."Without waiting for an answer the abbe took the arm of his nephew and went out followed by the family, who accompanied him to the court-yard.Balthazar stood as if thunderstruck; he looked at his wife, and a few tears dropped from his eyes.

"You are dying, and I have killed you!" he said."What does he mean?""My husband," she answered, "I only lived in your love, and you have taken my life away from me; but you knew not what you did.""Leave us," said Claes to his children, who now re-entered the room.

"Have I for one moment ceased to love you?" he went on, sitting down beside his wife, and taking her hands and kissing them.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 兽性狂啸

    兽性狂啸

    在生死之间,李小健发出了野兽般的咆哮,从此他的一生都不再平凡。比起他人在修仙路上的战战兢兢,步步为营,我李小健宁愿做一头野兽,横冲直撞,看看这苍天,究竟有多高,探探这大地,究竟有多厚!(新书首发,大家多多支持QvQ)
  • 异形之邦

    异形之邦

    从蓝星人入侵以来,最后一批“蓝盾”军校毕业的学生罗杰,在一次袭击中罗杰得到了一种特殊能量体Vnzx但也没能逃脱被抓的命运,罗杰被迫关在休眠舱中休眠。罗杰苏醒后,出现了新的敌人,新的政权,在Vnzx的引导下罗杰走出了一条不平凡的路,最后罗杰发现这真正的敌人其实就是自己......
  • 缘来是你之天才少女秒变低能儿

    缘来是你之天才少女秒变低能儿

    缘来是你?冷酷少年化身纯情少男只为她绽放笑容。天才少女在商业天才面前秒变智商不足低能儿?!校园青春,纯纯的,很贴心!(∩???????????∩)
  • 览天传

    览天传

    览天地之意,观大千万道。屠世间万邪,君莫凡尘落。看四月年华,水柔情弥月。红尘道仓皇,尽是逐群雄。看天涯海角,忘前世今朝。梦我今日忆,不再记千年。
  • 无限之剑噬天下

    无限之剑噬天下

    当有一天你一觉醒来,发现自己有了颠覆世界的力量,你是为善?还是为恶!若为善,傲世当代万古同尊,若为恶,苍天震怒神魔共逐。
  • 佛说遍照般若波罗蜜经

    佛说遍照般若波罗蜜经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 吞天真帝

    吞天真帝

    南宫云飞一个华夏人只因一年前无意中穿越到异世界,在那里年活了三千六百五十年后,回归华夏此时的的他会发生什么故事呢
  • 浪里白龙

    浪里白龙

    一个柔情反派的故事。(ps.为啥挑冷门的武侠来写?1.向那些年我们追过的好作品致敬。2.媳妇儿爱看。)
  • 或许我们应该在一起

    或许我们应该在一起

    啦啦啦啦,不知道怎么写,想不出来,啊啊啊疯了。
  • 我家的龙族少女

    我家的龙族少女

    地球,真的是你看到的这样吗?为何希腊神话泰坦巨人,华夏传说有盘古开天?为何圣经有巴别之塔,华夏有颛顼断天梯?为何各国神话都有洪水灭世,华夏历史亦有大禹治水?神仙妖魔只是传说?古武修真并不存在?那些历上有名的名刀宝剑,只是夸大其词?想了解这一切的真相吗?走进本书,带你逐步认识这个不一样的世界!这是小说,但说不定,这也是现实!