"Thank you, Monsieur de Solis," said Marguerite, giving Emmanuel a glance which meant, "Come to my rescue and help me to save this money.""What gold is this?" resumed Balthazar, casting at Marguerite and Emmanuel a glance of terrible clear-sightedness.
"This gold belongs to Monsieur de Solis, who is kind enough to lend it to me that I may pay our debts honorably," she answered.
Emmanuel colored and turned as though to leave the room: Balthazar caught him by the arm.
"Monsieur," he said, "you must not escape my thanks.""Monsieur, you owe me none.This money belongs to Mademoiselle Marguerite, who borrows it from me on the security of her own property," Emmanuel replied, looking at his mistress, who thanked him with an almost imperceptible movement of her eyelids.
"I shall not allow that," said Claes, taking a pen and a sheet of paper from the table where Felicie did her writing, and turning to the astonished young people."How much is it?" His eager passion made him more astute than the wiliest of rascally bailiffs: the sum was to be his.Marguerite and Monsieur de Solis hesitated.
"Let us count it," he said.
"There are six thousand ducats," said Emmanuel.
"Seventy thousand francs," remarked Claes.
The glance which Marguerite threw at her lover gave him courage.
"Monsieur," he said, "your note bears no value; pardon this purely technical term.I have to-day lent Mademoiselle Claes one hundred thousand francs to redeem your notes of hand which you had no means of paying: you are therefore unable to give me any security.These one hundred and seventy thousand francs belong to Mademoiselle Claes, who can dispose of them as she sees fit; but I have lent them on a pledge that she will sign a deed securing them to me on her share of the now denuded land of the forest of Waignies."Marguerite turned away her head that her lover might not see the tears that gathered in her eyes.She knew Emmanuel's purity of soul.Brought up by his uncle to the practice of the sternest religious virtues, the young man had an especial horror of falsehood: after giving his heart and life to Marguerite Claes he now made her the sacrifice of his conscience.
"Adieu, monsieur," said Balthazar, "I thought you had more confidence in a man who looked upon you with the eyes of a father."After exchanging a despairing look with Marguerite, Emmanuel was shown out by Martha, who closed and fastened the street-door.
The moment the father and daughter were alone Claes said,--"You love me, do you not?"
"Come to the point, father.You want this money: you cannot have it."She began to pick up the coins; her father silently helped her to gather them together and count the sum she had dropped; Marguerite allowed him to do so without manifesting the least distrust.When two thousand ducats were piled on the table, Balthazar said, with a desperate air,--"Marguerite, I must have that money."
"If you take it, it will be robbery," she replied coldly."Hear me, father: better kill us at one blow than make us suffer a hundred deaths a day.Let it now be seen which of us must yield.""Do you mean to kill your father?"
"We avenge our mother," she said, pointing to the spot where Madame Claes died.
"My daughter, if you knew the truth of the matter, you would not use those words to me.Listen, and I will endeavor to exlain the great problem--but no, you cannot comprehend me," he cried in accents of despair."Come, give me the money; believe for once in your father.
Yes, I know I caused your mother pain: I have dissipated--to use the word of fools--my own fortune and injured yours; I know my children are sacrificed for a thing you call madness; but my angel, my darling, my love, my Marguerite, hear me! If I do not now succeed, I will give myself up to you; I will obey you as you are bound to obey me; I will do your will; you shall take charge of all my property; I will no longer be the guardian of my children; I pledge myself to lay down my authority.I swear by your mother's memory!" he cried, shedding tears.
Marguerite turned away her head, unable to bear the sight.Claes, thinking she meant to yield, flung himself on his knees beside her.
