"
Every one kept silence in the presence of such a man. The disconnected
words wrung from him by his anguish were too sincere not to be
sublime.
Suddenly, Balthazar drove back his despair into the depths of his own
being, and cast upon the assembly a majestic look which affected the
souls of all; he took the diamond and offered it to Marguerite,
saying,--
"It is thine, my angel."
Then he dismissed Lemulquinier with a gesture, and motioned to the
notary, saying, "Go on."
The two words sent a shudder of emotion through the company such as
Talma in certain roles produced among his auditors. Balthazar, as he
reseated himself, said in a low voice,--
"To-day I must be a father only."
Marguerite hearing the words went up to him and caught his hand and
kissed it respectfully.
"No man was ever greater," said Emmanuel, when his bride returned to
him; "no man was ever so mighty; another would have gone mad."
After the three contracts were read and signed, the company hastened
to question Balthazar as to the manner in which the diamond had been
formed; but he could tell them nothing about so strange an accident.
He looked through the window at his garret and pointed to it with an
angry gesture.
"Yes, the awful power resulting from a movement of fiery matter which
no doubt produces metals, diamonds," he said, "was manifested there
for one moment, by one chance."
"That chance was of course some natural effect," whispered a guest
belonging to the class of people who are ready with an explanation of
everything.
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