ursula-第1章

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Ursula



by　Honore　de　Balzac



Translated　by　Katharine　Prescott　Wormeley






DEDICATION



To　Mademoiselle　Sophie　Surville；



It　is　a　true　pleasure；　my　dear　niece；　to　dedicate　to　you　this

book；　the　subject　and　details　of　which　have　won　the

approbation；　so　difficult　to　win；　of　a　young　girl　to　whom　the

world　is　still　unknown；　and　who　has　compromised　with　none　of

the　lofty　principles　of　a　saintly　education。　Young　girls　are

indeed　a　formidable　public；　for　they　ought　not　to　be　allowed

to　read　books　less　pure　than　the　purity　of　their　souls；　they

are　forbidden　certain　reading；　just　as　they　are　carefully

prevented　from　seeing　social　life　as　it　is。　Must　it　not

therefore　be　a　source　of　pride　to　a　writer　to　find　that　he　has

pleased　you？



God　grant　that　your　affection　for　me　has　not　misled　you。　Who　can　tell？

the　future；　which　you；　I　hope；　will　see；　though　not；　perhaps。





Your　uncle；

De　Balzac。











URSULA







CHAPTER　I



THE　FRIGHTENED　HEIRS



Entering　Nemours　by　the　road　to　Paris；　we　cross　the　canal　du　Loing；

the　steep　banks　of　which　serve　the　double　purpose　of　ramparts　to　the

fields　and　of　picturesque　promenades　for　the　inhabitants　of　that

pretty　little　town。　Since　1830　several　houses　had　unfortunately　been

built　on　the　farther　side　of　the　bridge。　If　this　sort　of　suburb

increases；　the　place　will　lose　its　present　aspect　of　graceful

originality。



In　1829；　however；　both　sides　of　the　road　were　clear；　and　the　master　of

the　post　route；　a　tall；　stout　man　about　sixty　years　of　age；　sitting

one　fine　autumn　morning　at　the　highest　part　of　the　bridge；　could　take

in　at　a　glance　the　whole　of　what　is　called　in　his　business　a　〃ruban　de

queue。〃　The　month　of　September　was　displaying　its　treasures；　the

atmosphere　glowed　above　the　grass　and　the　pebbles；　no　cloud　dimmed　the

blue　of　the　sky；　the　purity　of　which　in　all　parts；　even　close　to　the

horizon；　showed　the　extreme　rarefaction　of　the　air。　So　Minoret…

Levrault　（for　that　was　the　post　master's　name）　was　obliged　to　shade

his　eyes　with　one　hand　to　keep　them　from　being　dazzled。　With　the　air

of　a　man　who　was　tired　of　waiting；　he　looked　first　to　the　charming

meadows　which　lay　to　the　right　of　the　road　where　the　aftermath　was

springing　up；　then　to　the　hill…slopes　covered　with　copses　which

extend；　on　the　left；　from　Nemours　to　Bouron。　He　could　hear　in　the

valley　of　the　Loing；　where　the　sounds　on　the　road　were　echoed　back

from　the　hills；　the　trot　of　his　own　horses　and　the　crack　of　his

postilion's　whip。



None　but　a　post　master　could　feel　impatient　within　sight　of　such

meadows；　filled　with　cattle　worthy　of　Paul　Potter　and　glowing　beneath

a　Raffaelle　sky；　and　beside　a　canal　shaded　with　trees　after　Hobbema。

Whoever　knows　Nemours　knows　that　nature　is　there　as　beautiful　as　art；

whose　mission　is　to　spiritualize　it；　there；　the　landscape　has　ideas

and　creates　thought。　But；　on　catching　sight　of　Minoret…Levrault　an

artist　would　very　likely　have　left　the　view　to　sketch　the　man；　so

original　was　his　in　his　native　commonness。　Unite　in　a　human　being　all

the　conditions　of　the　brute　and　you　have　a　Caliban；　who　is　certainly　a

great　thing。　Wherever　form　rules；　sentiment　disappears。　The　post

master；　a　living　proof　of　that　axiom；　presented　a　physiognomy　in　which

an　observer　could　with　difficulty　trace；　beneath　the　vivid　carnation

of　its　coarsely　developed　flesh；　the　semblance　of　a　soul。　His　cap　of

blue　cloth；　with　a　small　peak；　and　sides　fluted　like　a　melon；　outlined

a　head　of　vast　dimensions；　showing　that　Gall's　science　has　not　yet

produced　its　chapter　of　exceptions。　The　gray　and　rather　shiny　hair

which　appeared　below　the　cap　showed　that　other　causes　than　mental　toil

or　grief　had　whitened　it。　Large　ears　stood　out　from　the　head；　their

edges　scarred　with　the　eruptions　of　his　over…abundant　blood；　which

seemed　ready　to　gush　at　the　least　exertion。　His　skin　was　crimson　under

an　outside　layer　of　brown；　due　to　the　habit　of　standing　in　the　sun。

The　roving　gray　eyes；　deep…sunken；　and　hidden　by　bushy　black　brows；

were　like　those　of　the　Kalmucks　who　entered　France　in　1815；　if　they

ever　sparkled　it　was　only　under　the　influence　of　a　covetous　thought。

His　broad　pug　nose　was　flattened　at　the　base。　Thick　lips；　in　keeping

with　a　repulsive　double　chin；　the　beard　of　which；　rarely　cleaned　more

than　once　a　week；　was　encircled　with　a　dirty　silk　handkerchief　twisted

to　a　cord；　a　short　neck；　rolling　in　fat；　and　heavy　cheeks　completed

the　characteristics　of　brute　force　which　sculptors　give　to　their

caryatids。　Minoret…Levrault　was　like　those　statues；　with　this

difference；　that　whereas　they　supported　an　edifice；　he　had　more　than

he　could　well　do　to　support　himself。　You　will　meet　many　such　Atlases

in　the　world。　The　man's　torso　was　a　block；　it　was　like　that　of　a　bull

standing　on　his　hind…legs。　His　vigorous　arms　ended　in　a　pair　of　thick；

hard　hands；　broad　and　strong　and　well　able　to　handle　whip；　reins；　and

pitchfork；　hands　which　his　postilions　never　attempted　to　trifle　with。

The　enormous　stomach　of　this　giant　rested　on　thighs　which　were　as

large　as　the　body　of　an　ordinary　adult；　and　feet　like　those　of　an

elephant。　Anger　was　a　rare　thing　with　him；　but　it　was　terrible；

apoplectic；　when　it　did　burst　forth。　Though　violent　and　quite

incapable　of　reflection；　the　man　had　never　done　anything　that

justified　the　sinister　suggestions　of　his　bodily　presence。　To　all

those　who　felt　afraid　of　him　his　postilions　would　reply；　〃Oh！　he's　not

bad。〃



The　master　of　Nemours；　to　use　the　common　abbreviation　of　the　country；

wore　a　velveteen　shooting…jacket　of　bottle…green；　trousers　of　green

linen　with　great　stripes；　and　an　ample　yellow　waistcoat　of　goat's

skin；　in　the　pocket　of　which　might　be　discerned　the　round　outline　of　a

monstrous　snuff…box。　A　snuff…box　to　a　pug　nose　is　a　law　without

exception。



A　son　of　the　Revolution　and　a　spectator　of　the　Empire；　Minoret…

Levrault　did　not　meddle　with　politics；　as　to　his　religious　opinions；

he　had　never　set　foot　in　a　church　except　to　be　married；　as　to　his

private　principles；　he　kept　them　within　the　civil　code；　all　that　the

law　did　not　forbid　or　could　not　prevent　he　considered　right。　He　never

read　anything　but　the　journal　of　the　department　of　the　Seine…et…Oise；

and　a　few　printed　instructions　relating　to　his　business。　He　was

considered　a　clever　agriculturist；　but　his　knowledge　was　only

practical。　In　him　the　moral　being　did　not　belie　the　physical。　He

seldom　spoke；　and　before　speaking　he　always　took　a　pinch　of　snuff　to

give　himself　time；　not　to　find　ideas；　but　words。　If　he　had　been　a

talker　you　would　have　felt　that　he　was　out　of　keeping　with　himself。

Reflecting　that　this　elephant　minus　a　trumpet　and　without　a　mind　was

called　Minoret…Levrault；　we　are　compelled　to　agree　with　Sterne　as　to

the　occult　power　of　names；　which　sometimes　ridicule　and　sometimes

foretell　characters。



In　spite　of　his　visible　incapacity　he　had　acquired　during　the　last

thirty…six　years　（the　Revolution　helping　him）　an　income　of　thirty

thousand　francs；　derived　from　farm　lands；　woods　and　meadows。　If

Minoret；　being　master　of　the　coach…lines　of　Nemours　and　those　of　the

Gatinais　to　Paris；　still　worked　at　his　business；　it　was　less　from

habit　than　for　the　sake　of　an　only　son；　to　whom　he　was　anxious　to　give

a　fine　career。　This　son；　who　was　now　（to　use　an　expression　of　the

peasantry）　a　〃monsieur；〃　had　just　completed　his　legal　studies　and　was

about　to　take　his　degree　as　licentiate；　preparatory　to　being　called　to

the　Bar。　Monsieur　and　Madame　Minoret…Levraultfor　behind　our　colossus

every　one　will　perceive　a　woman　without　whom　this　signal　good…fortune

would　have　been　impossibleleft　their　son　free　to　choose　his　own

career；　he　might　be　a　notary　in　Paris；　king's…attorney　in　some

district；　collector　of　customs　no　matter　where；　broker；　or　post

master；　as　he　pleased。　What　fancy　of　his　could　they　ever　refuse　him？

to　what　position　of　life　might　he　not　aspire　as　the　son　of