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Updated: June 25, 2025
The youngest of the troop, who had his basket full of provisions and was devouring a slice of bread and butter, advanced to the bench and said boldly to Lemulquinier, "Monsieur, is it true you make pearls and diamonds?" "Yes, my little man," replied the valet, smiling and tapping him on the cheek; "we will give you some of you study well."
"Ah! monsieur, give me some, too," was the general exclamation. The boys all rushed together like a flock of birds, and surrounded the old men. Balthazar, absorbed in meditation from which he was drawn by these sudden cries, made a gesture of amazement which caused a general shout of laughter. "Come, come, boys; be respectful to a great man," said Lemulquinier.
Lemulquinier, grown old and wasted like his master with incessant toil, had not, like him, been subjected to the ravages of thought. The expression of the old valet's face showed a singular mixture of anxiety and admiration for his master which might easily have misled an onlooker.
"Now you're forced to go, you old barbarian!" cried Martha, as she heard Monsieur Claes put Mulquinier at his daughter's bidding. The lack of good-will and devotion shown by the old valet for the family whom he served was a fruitful cause of quarrel between the two women and Lemulquinier, whose cold-heartedness had the effect of increasing the loyal attachment of Josette and the old duenna.
Old Lemulquinier seemed to renew his youth; he came and went about the table with unusual liveliness, caused by the accomplishment of his secret hopes. The sudden change in his master's ways was even more significant to him than to Madame Claes. Where the family saw happiness he saw fortune. While helping Balthazar in his experiments he had come to share his beliefs.
"Do not be sad; you will make the happiness of those you love; you shall be rich and all-powerful." "Mademoiselle has got such a good heart," said Lemulquinier, whose seamed face stretched itself painfully into a smile. For the rest of the evening Balthazar displayed to his daughters all the natural graces of his character and the charms of his conversation.
Lemulquinier, busy at the moment in moving the pedestal of the machine, which was placed on a movable axle so as to keep the lens in a perpendicular direction to the rays of the sun, turned round, his face black with dust, and called out, "Ha! mademoiselle, don't come in."
The next morning Balthazar, followed by Lemulquinier, went up to the laboratory, as if to bid farewell to the hopes he had so fondly cherished, and which in that scene of his toil were living things to him. Master and man looked at each other sadly as they entered the garret they were about to leave, perhaps forever.
"Yes," continued Lemulquinier, "I found the diamond in the china capsule which communicated with the battery which we left to work, monsieur and see!" he added, showing a white diamond of octahedral form, whose brilliancy drew the astonished gaze of all present. "My children, my friends," said Balthazar, "forgive my old servant, forgive me! This event will drive me mad.
It was not until the middle of 1830 that they reached Cadiz, intending to embark for Italy on their way back to France. There, however, they received a letter from Felicie conveying disastrous news. Within a few months, their father had completely ruined himself. Gabriel and Pierquin were obliged to pay Lemulquinier a monthly stipend for the bare necessaries of the household.
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