In Search of a Son

"You have never seen oxygen any more than you have seen air," continued Monsieur Roger. "You have never seen it, and you never will see it with your eyes,--for those organs are...

Monsieur Roger stayed up all the remainder of that night by the side of Paul, whose sleep was calm and dreamless, like the sleep which succeeds to some strong emotion, some grea...

Monsieur Roger had deferred his explanations for three days. He was awaiting the air-pump which Monsieur Dalize, at Miette's desire, had decided to purchase in Paris. Monsieur R...

Next evening Monsieur Roger, as well as his friend Monsieur Dalize, seemed to have forgotten completely that there was such a thing as physical science. He sat in a corner and c...

Certainly Monsieur Roger had heard, certainly he tried to convince himself; but when his looks fell upon Paul, his reason forsook him and he doubted again, and even he hoped. So...

"Well, it is only recently that we have found out, although the old scientists, who called themselves alchemists, had remarked that besides those things that come within reach o...

"Of course: because it did not encounter the resistance of the air. This resistance is very easy to prove; and if Miss Miette will give me a sheet of any kind of paper----"

But days had elapsed since Monsieur Dalize had, according to promise, written to the registrar of births, to ask him to forward a copy of the register of birth of Paul Solange,...

In the great silence of the fields a far-off clock struck seven. The sun, an August sun, had been up for some time, lighting up and warming the left wing of the old French chate...

"The rudder no longer guided us. What a night we passed! We made a roll-call: how many were wanting? and the boats which contained our wives, our children,--had those boats foun...

The days passed by at the chateau of Sainte-Gemme quietly and happily. Monsieur Roger, having fulfilled his promise to give the explanation of gravity and of attraction, was car...

Next morning at six o'clock Paul Solange opened the door of the chateau and stepped out on to the lawn. He held a sketch-book in his hand. He directed his steps along a narrow p...

"Now, respiration consists in the absorption by the blood of some of the oxygen of the air and in breathing out carbonic acid. The oxygen, in combining with the carbon and hydro...

Paul returned to the tower more quickly than Monsieur Roger had expected. Instead of returning to the chateau, he had taken the shortest cut, had reached the village, and had pr...

"No, my child," answered Madame Dalize, "we are not going out to take a walk at all; but we have to go and make our excuses to Monsieur and Madame Sylvestre at the farm, because...

For a moment Monsieur Dalize was disconcerted, and knew not what to say in answer. Happily, Monsieur Roger came to his aid. He took the book from Miette's hands, looked at the e...

Albert still looked. Then he saw Paul Solange raise himself upon his bed, and, seeing the fire, pass his hands over his eyes and his forehead, jump to the floor, reflect a momen...

Monsieur Dalize took his friend Roger by the arm, and they walked together down one of the solitary pathways of the park. When they were some distance off from Madame Dalize and...

In the evening, after dinner, Monsieur Roger, to whom Paul recalled his promise, asked Miette to go and find him a pebble in the pathway before the chateau. When he had the bit...

Monsieur Roger, hiding his satisfaction, seemed to attach no importance to this request of Miette under the assent given by Paul. Wishing to profit by the awakened curiosity of...

The chateau of Sainte-Gemme, which was some miles from the village of Sens, had belonged to Monsieur Dalize for some years. It was in this old chateau, which had often been rest...

Miette ran to the kitchen and succeeded in obtaining that article which was once so common, and which is now so rare, known as a candle. Monsieur Roger lit the candle and placed...

At the end of this long talk every one rose. Monsieur and Madame Dalize, with Monsieur Roger and Albert, walked towards the chateau. Paul Solange, silent and motionless, followe...

The evening had come, the evening of that happy day when the two friends, after ten years of absence, had come together again. Monsieur Roger had known from the first that he wo...

For some days Monsieur Roger made no allusion to the secret which now filled his soul, nor to that strange idea which filled his whole brain. He retired into himself, thinking t...

"It is an amusing bit of childishness," answered Madame Dalize, "as you see. But, really, Miss Miette, although she teases him often, has a very kindly feeling for our friend Pa...

"We say that a body has density when it is thick and packed close. We give the name of density to the quantity of matter contained in a body of a certain size.

"At this moment, a moment that I shall never forget, I heard a sudden crackling noise, strange and unexpected, coming from a point seemingly close to me. I turned around and saw...