第51章

"Mademoiselle," answered Emmanuel in a voice of feeling, "I scarcely know if I have the right to speak to you as I am about to do.Think only of my desire to be of service to you, and give me the right of a teacher to be interested in the future of a pupil.Your brother Gabriel is over fifteen; he is in the second class; it is now necessary to direct his studies in the line of whatever future career he may take up.It is for your father to decide what that career shall be: if he gives the matter no thought, the injury to Gabriel would be serious.But then, again, would it not mortify your father if you showed him that he is neglecting his son's interests? Under these circumstances, could you not yourself consult Gabriel as to his tastes, and help him to choose a career, so that later, if his father should think of making him a public officer, an administrator, a soldier, he might be prepared with some special training? I do not suppose that either you or Monsieur Claes would wish to bring Gabriel up in idleness.""Oh, no!" said Marguerite; "when my mother taught us to make lace, and took such pains with our drawing and music and embroidery, she often said we must be prepared for whatever might happen to us.Gabriel ought to have a thorough education and a personal value.But tell me, what career is best for a man to choose?""Mademoiselle," said Emmanuel, trembling with pleasure, "Gabriel is at the head of his class in mathematics; if he would like to enter the Ecole Polytechnique, he could there acquire the practical knowledge which will fit him for any career.When he leaves the Ecole he can choose the path in life for which he feels the strongest bias.Thus, without compromising his future, you will have saved a great deal of time.Men who leave the Ecole with honors are sought after on all sides; the school turns out statesmen, diplomats, men of science, engineers, generals, sailors, magistrates, manufacturers, and bankers.

There is nothing extraordinary in the son of a rich or noble family preparing himself to enter it.If Gabriel decides on this course Ishall ask you to--will you grant my request? Say yes!""What is it?"

"Let me be his tutor," he answered, trembling.

Marguerite looked at Monsieur de Solis; then she took his hand, and said, "Yes"--and paused, adding presently in a broken voice:--"How much I value the delicacy which makes you offer me a thing I can accept from you.In all that you have said I see how much you have thought for us.I thank you."Though the words were simply said, Emmanuel turned away his head not to show the tears that the delight of being useful to her brought to his eyes.

"I will bring both boys to see you," he said, when he was a little calmer; "to-morrow is a holiday."He rose and bowed to Marguerite, who followed him into the house; when he had crossed the court-yard he turned and saw her still at the door of the dining-room, from which she made him a friendly sign.

After dinner Pierquin came to see Monsieur Claes, and sat down between father and daughter on the very bench in the garden where Emmanuel had sat that morning.

"My dear cousin," he said to Balthazar, "I have come to-night to talk to you on business.It is now forty-two days since the decease of your wife.""I keep no account of time," said Balthazar, wiping away the tears that came at the word "decease.""Oh, monsieur!" cried Marguerite, looking at the lawyer, "how can you?""But, my dear Marguerite, we notaries are obliged to consider the limits of time appointed by law.This is a matter which concerns you and your co-heirs.Monsieur Claes has none but minor children, and he must make an inventory of his property within forty-five days of his wife's decease, so as to render in his accounts at the end of that time.It is necessary to know the value of his property before deciding whether to accept it as sufficient security, or whether we must fall back on the legal rights of minors."Marguerite rose.

"Do not go away, my dear cousin," continued Pierquin; "my words concern you--you and your father both.You know how truly I share your grief, but to-day you must give your attention to legal details.If you do not, every one of you will get into serious difficulties.I am only doing my duty as the family lawyer.""He is right," said Claes.

"The time expires in two days," resumed Pierquin; "and I must begin the inventory to-morrow, if only to postpone the payment of the legacy-tax which the public treasurer will come here and demand.

Treasurers have no hearts; they don't trouble themselves about feelings; they fasten their claws upon us at all seasons.Therefore for the next two days my clerk and I will be here from ten till four with Monsieur Raparlier, the public appraiser.After we get through the town property we shall go into the country.As for the forest of Waignies, we shall be obliged to hold a consultation about that.Now let us turn to another matter.We must call a family council and appoint a guardian to protect the interests of the minor children.

Monsieur Conyncks of Bruges is your nearest relative; but he has now become a Belgian.You ought," continued Pierquin, addressing Balthazar, "to write to him on this matter; you can then find out if he has any intention of settling in France, where he has a fine property.Perhaps you could persuade him and his daughter to move into French Flanders.If he refuses, then I must see about making up the council with the other near relatives.""What is the use of an inventory?" asked Marguerite.

"To put on record the value and the claims of the property, its debts and its assets.When that is all clearly scheduled, the family council, acting on behalf of the minors, makes such dispositions as it sees fit.""Pierquin," said Claes, rising from the bench, "do all that is necessary to protect the rights of my children; but spare us the distress of selling the things that belonged to my dear--" he was unable to continue; but he spoke with so noble an air and in a tone of such deep feeling that Marguerite took her father's hand and kissed it.

"To-morrow, then," said Pierquin.

"Come to breakfast," said Claes; then he seemed to gather his scattered senses together and exclaimed: "But in my marriage contract, which was drawn under the laws of Hainault, I released my wife from the obligation of making an inventory, in order that she might not be annoyed by it: it is very probable that I was equally released--""Oh, what happiness!" cried Marguerite."It would have been so distressing to us.""Well, I will look into your marriage contract to-morrow," said the notary, rather confused.

"Then you did not know of this?" said Marguerite.

This remark closed the interview; the lawyer was far too much confused to continue it after the young girl's comment.

"The devil is in it!" he said to himself as he crossed the court-yard.

"That man's wandering memory comes back to him in the nick of time,--just when he needed it to hinder us from taking precautions against him! I have cracked my brains to save the property of those children.

I meant to proceed regularly and come to an understanding with old Conyncks, and here's the end of it! I shall lose ground with Marguerite, for she will certainly ask her father why I wanted an inventory of the property, which she now sees was not necessary; and Claes will tell her that notaries have a passion for writing documents, that we are lawyers above all, above cousins or friends or relatives, and all such stuff as that."He slammed the street door violently, railing at clients who ruin themselves by sensitiveness.

Balthazar was right.No inventory could be made.Nothing, therefore, was done to settle the relation of the father to the children in the matter of property.