Pierquin had ceased to come to the house, judging that the family ruin would soon be complete.Balthazar's rural estates, which yielded sixteen thousand francs a year, and were worth about six hundred thousand, were now encumbered by mortgages to the amount of three hundred thousand francs; for, in order to recommence his researches, Claes had borrowed a considerable sum of money.The rents were exactly enough to pay the interest of the mortgages; but, with the improvidence of a man who is the slave of an idea, he made over the income of his farm lands to Marguerite for the expenses of the household, and the notary calculated that three years would suffice to bring matters to a crisis, when the law would step in and eat up all that Balthazar had not squandered.Marguerite's coldness brought Pierquin to a state of almost hostile indifference.To give himself an appearance in the eyes of the world of having renounced her hand, he frequently remarked of the Claes family in a tone of compassion:--"Those poor people are ruined; I have done my best to save them.Well, it can't be helped; Mademoiselle Claes refused to employ the legal means which might have rescued them from poverty."Emmanuel de Solis, who was now principal of the college-school in Douai, thanks to the influence of his uncle and to his own merits which made him worthy of the post, came every evening to see the two young girls, who called the old duenna into the parlor as soon as their father had gone to bed.Emmanuel's gentle rap at the street-door was never missing.For the last three months, encouraged by the gracious, though mute gratitude with which Marguerite now accepted his attentions, he became at his ease, and was seen for what he was.The brightness of his pure spirit shone like a flawless diamond;Marguerite learned to understand its strength and its constancy when she saw how inexhaustible was the source from which it came.She loved to watch the unfolding, one by one, of the blossoms of his heart, whose perfume she had already breathed.Each day Emmanuel realized some one of Marguerite's hopes, and illumined the enchanted regions of love with new lights that chased away the clouds and brought to view the serene heavens, giving color to the fruitful riches hidden away in the shadow of their lives.More at his ease, the young man could display the seductive qualities of his heart until now discreetly hidden, the expansive gaiety of his age, the simplicity which comes of a life of study, the treasures of a delicate mind that life has not adulterated, the innocent joyousness which goes so well with loving youth.His soul and Marguerite's understood each other better; they went together to the depths of their hearts and found in each the same thoughts,--pearls of equal lustre, sweet fresh harmonies like those the legends tell of beneath the waves, which fascinate the divers.
They made themselves known to one another by an interchange of thought, a reciprocal introspection which bore the signs, in both, of exquisite sensibility.It was done without false shame, but not without mutual coquetry.The two hours which Emmanuel spent with the sisters and old Martha enabled Marguerite to accept the life of anguish and renunciation on which she had entered.This artless, progressive love was her support.In all his testimonies of affection Emmanuel showed the natural grace that is so winning, the sweet yet subtile mind which breaks the uniformity of sentiment as the facets of a diamond relieve, by their many-sided fires, the monotony of the stone,--adorable wisdom, the secret of loving hearts, which makes a woman pliant to the artistic hand that gives new life to old, old forms, and refreshes with novel modulations the phrases of love.Love is not only a sentiment, it is an art.Some simple word, a trifling vigilance, a nothing, reveals to a woman the great, the divine artist who shall touch her heart and yet not blight it.The more Emmanuel was free to utter himself, the more charming were the expressions of his love.
"I have tried to get here before Pierquin," he said to Marguerite one evening."He is bringing some bad news; I would rather you heard it from me.Your father has sold all the timber in your forest at Waignies to speculators, who have resold it to dealers.The trees are already felled, and the logs are carried away.Monsieur Claes received three hundred thousand francs in cash as a first instalment of the price, which he has used towards paying his bills in Paris; but to clear off his debts entirely he has been forced to assign a hundred thousand francs of the three hundred thousand still due to him on the purchase-money."Pierquin entered at this moment.
"Ah! my dear cousin," he said, "you are ruined.I told you how it would be; but you would not listen to me.Your father has an insatiable appetite.He has swallowed your woods at a mouthful.Your family guardian, Monsieur Conyncks, is just now absent in Amsterdam, and Claes has seized the opportunity to strike the blow.It is all wrong.I have written to Monsieur Conyncks, but he will get here too late; everything will be squandered.You will be obliged to sue your father.The suit can't be long, but it will be dishonorable.Monsieur Conyncks has no alternative but to institute proceedings; the law requires it.This is the result of your obstinacy.Do you now see my prudence, and how devoted I was to your interests?""I bring you some good news, mademoiselle," said young de Solis in his gentle voice."Gabriel has been admitted to the Ecole Polytechnique.
The difficulties that seemed in the way have all been removed."Marguerite thanked him with a smile as she said:--"My savings will now come in play! Martha, we must begin to-morrow on Gabriel's outfit.My poor Felicie, we shall have to work hard," she added, kissing her sister's forehead.
