ursula-第13章

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seemed　to　be　expecting　some　one；　and　looked　behind　her　from　time　to

time。　Now；　the　fact　of　Madame　de　Portenduere　looking　behind　her　was

really　as　remarkable　in　its　way　as　the　conversion　of　Doctor　Minoret。



〃Who　can　Madame　de　Portenduere　be　looking　for？〃　said　Madame　Massin；

rejoining　the　other　heirs；　who　were　for　the　moment　struck　dumb　by　the

doctor's　answer。



〃For　the　cure；〃　said　Dionis；　the　notary；　suddenly　striking　his

forehead　as　if　some　forgotten　thought　or　memory　had　occurred　to　him。

〃I　have　an　idea！　I'll　save　your　inheritance！　Let　us　go　and　breakfast

gayly　with　Madame　Minoret。〃



We　can　well　imagine　the　alacrity　with　which　the　heirs　followed　the

notary　to　the　post　house。　Goupil；　who　accompanied　his　friend　Desire；

locked　arm　in　arm　with　him；　whispered　something　in　the　youth's　ear

with　an　odious　smile。



〃What　do　I　care？〃　answered　the　son　of　the　house；　shrugging　his

shoulders。　〃I　am　madly　in　love　with　Florine；　the　most　celestial

creature　in　the　world。〃



〃Florine！　and　who　may　she　be？〃　demanded　Goupil。　〃I'm　too　fond　of　you

to　let　you　make　a　goose　of　yourself　wish　such　creatures。〃



〃Florine　is　the　idol　of　the　famous　Nathan；　my　passion　is　wasted；　I

know　that。　She　has　positively　refused　to　marry　me。〃



〃Sometimes　those　girls　who　are　fools　with　their　bodies　are　wise　with

their　heads；〃　responded　Goupil。



〃If　you　could　but　see　heronly　once；〃　said　Desire；　lackadaisically；

〃you　wouldn't　say　such　things。〃



〃If　I　saw　you　throwing　away　your　whole　future　for　nothing　better　than

a　fancy；〃　said　Goupil；　with　a　warmth　which　might　even　have　deceived

his　master；　〃I　would　break　your　doll　as　Varney　served　Amy　Robsart　in

'Kenilworth。'　Your　wife　must　be　a　d'Aiglement　or　a　Mademoiselle　du

Rouvre；　and　get　you　made　a　deputy。　My　future　depends　on　yours；　and　I

sha'n't　let　you　commit　any　follies。〃



〃I　am　rich　enough　to　care　only　for　happiness；〃　replied　Desire。



〃What　are　you　two　plotting　together？〃　cried　Zelie；　beckoning　to　the

two　friends；　who　were　standing　in　the　middle　of　the　courtyard；　to　come

into　the　house。



The　doctor　disappeared　into　the　Rue　des　Bourgeois　with　the　activity　of

a　young　man；　and　soon　reached　his　own　house；　where　strange　events　had

lately　taken　place；　the　visible　results　of　which　now　filled　the　minds

of　the　whole　community　of　Nemours。　A　few　explanations　are　needed　to

make　this　history　and　the　notary's　remark　to　the　heirs　perfectly

intelligible　to　the　reader。







CHAPTER　V



URSULA



The　father…in…law　of　Doctor　Minoret；　the　famous　harpsichordist　and

maker　of　instruments；　Valentin　Mirouet；　also　one　of　our　most

celebrated　organists；　died　in　1785　leaving　a　natural　son；　the　child　of

his　old　age；　whom　he　acknowledged　and　called　by　his　own　name；　but　who

turned　out　a　worthless　fellow。　He　was　deprived　on　his　death　bed　of　the

comfort　of　seeing　this　petted　son。　Joseph　Mirouet；　a　singer　and

composer；　having　made　his　debut　at　the　Italian　opera　under　a　feigned

name；　ran　away　with　a　young　lady　in　Germany。　The　dying　father

commended　the　young　man；　who　was　really　full　of　talent；　to　his　son…in…

law；　proving　to　him；　at　the　same　time；　that　he　had　refused　to　marry

the　mother　that　he　might　not　injure　Madame　Minoret。　The　doctor

promised　to　give　the　unfortunate　Joseph　half　of　whatever　his　wife

inherited　from　her　father；　whose　business　was　purchased　by　the　Erards。

He　made　due　search　for　his　illegitimate　brother…in…law；　but　Grimm

informed　him　one　day　that　after　enlisting　in　a　Prussian　regiment

Joseph　had　deserted　and　taken　a　false　name　and　that　all　efforts　to

find　him　would　be　frustrated。



Joseph　Mirouet；　gifted　by　nature　with　a　delightful　voice；　a　fine

figure；　a　handsome　face；　and　being　moreover　a　composer　of　great　taste

and　much　brilliancy；　led　for　over　fifteen　years　the　Bohemian　life

which　Hoffman　has　so　well　described。　So；　by　the　time　he　was　forty；　he

was　reduced　to　such　depths　of　poverty　that　he　took　advantage　of　the

events　of　1806　to　make　himself　once　more　a　Frenchman。　He　settled　in

Hamburg；　where　he　married　the　daughter　of　a　bourgeois；　a　girl　devoted

to　music；　who　fell　in　love　with　the　singer　（whose　fame　was　ever

prospective）　and　chose　to　devote　her　life　to　him。　But　after　fifteen

years　of　Bohemia；　Joseph　Mirouet　was　unable　to　bear　prosperity；　he　was

naturally　a　spendthrift；　and　though　kind　to　his　wife；　he　wasted　her

fortune　in　a　very　few　years。　The　household　must　have　dragged　on　a

wretched　existence　before　Joseph　Mirouet　reached　the　point　of

enlisting　as　a　musician　in　a　French　regiment。　In　1813　the　surgeon…

major　of　the　regiment；　by　the　merest　chance；　heard　the　name　of

Mirouet；　was　struck　by　it；　and　wrote　to　Doctor　Minoret；　to　whom　he　was

under　obligations。



The　answer　was　not　long　in　coming。　As　a　result；　in　1814；　before　the

allied　occupation；　Joseph　Mirouet　had　a　home　in　Paris；　where　his　wife

died　giving　birth　to　a　little　girl；　whom　the　doctor　desired　should　be

called　Ursula　after　his　wife。　The　father　did　not　long　survive　the

mother；　worn　out；　as　she　was；　by　hardship　and　poverty。　When　dying　the

unfortunate　musician　bequeathed　his　daughter　to　the　doctor；　who　was

already　her　godfather；　in　spite　of　his　repugnance　for　what　he　called

the　mummeries　of　the　Church。　Having　seen　his　own　children　die　in

succession　either　in　dangerous　confinements　or　during　the　first　year

of　their　lives；　the　doctor　had　awaited　with　anxiety　the　result　of　a

last　hope。　When　a　nervous；　delicate；　and　sickly　woman　begins　with　a

miscarriage　it　is　not　unusual　to　see　her　go　through　a　series　of　such

pregnancies　as　Ursula　Minoret　did；　in　spite　of　the　care　and

watchfulness　and　science　of　her　husband。　The　poor　man　often　blamed

himself　for　their　mutual　persistence　in　desiring　children。　The　last

child；　born　after　a　rest　of　nearly　two　years；　died　in　1792；　a　victim

of　its　mother's　nervous　conditionif　we　listen　to　physiologists；　who

tell　us　that　in　the　inexplicable　phenomenon　of　generation　the　child

derives　from　the　father　by　blood　and　from　the　mother　in　its　nervous

system。



Compelled　to　renounce　the　joys　of　a　feeling　all　powerful　within　him；

the　doctor　turned　to　benevolence　as　a　substitute　for　his　denied

paternity。　During　his　married　life；　thus　cruelly　disappointed；　he　had

longed　more　especially　for　a　fair　little　daughter；　a　flower　to　bring

joy　to　the　house；　he　therefore　gladly　accepted　Joseph　Mirouet's

legacy；　and　gave　to　the　orphan　all　the　hopes　of　his　vanished　dreams。

For　two　years　he　took　part；　as　Cato　for　Pompey；　in　the　most　minute

particulars　of　Ursula's　life；　he　would　not　allow　the　nurse　to　suckle

her　or　to　take　her　up　or　put　her　to　bed　without　him。　His　medical

science　and　his　experience　were　all　put　to　use　in　her　service。　After

going　through　many　trials；　alternations　of　hope　and　fear；　and　the　joys

and　labors　of　a　mother；　he　had　the　happiness　of　seeing　this　child　of

the　fair　German　woman　and　the　French　singer　a　creature　of　vigorous

health　and　profound　sensibility。



With　all　the　eager　feelings　of　a　mother　the　happy　old　man　watched　the

growth　of　the　pretty　hair；　first　down；　then　silk；　at　last　hair；　fine

and　soft　and　clinging　to　the　fingers　that　caressed　it。　He　often　kissed

the　little　naked　feet　the　toes　of　which；　covered　with　a　pellicle

through　which　the　blood　was　seen；　were　like　rosebuds。　He　was

passionately　fond　of　the　child。　When　she　tried　to　speak；　or　when　she

fixed　her　beautiful　blue　eyes　upon　some　object　with　that　serious；

reflective　look　which　seems　the　dawn　of　thought；　and　which　she　ended

with　a　laugh；　he　would　stay　by　her　side　for　hours；　seeking；　with

Jordy's　help；　to　understand　the　reasons　（which　most　people　call

caprices）　underlying　the　phenomena　of　this　delicious　phase　of　life；

when　childhood　is　both　flower　and　fruit；　a　confused　intelligence；　a

perpetual　movement；　a　powerful　desire。



Ursula's　beauty　and　gentleness　made　her　so　dear　to　the　doctor　that　he

would　have　liked　to　change　the　laws　of　nature　in　her　behalf。　He

declared　to　old　Jordy　that　his　teeth　ac