ursula-第18章

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〃Ignorant　persons　suppose　that　condition　to　be　sleep。　But　she　will

prove　to　you　that　there　is　a　spiritual　universe；　and　that　the　mind

when　there　does　not　obey　the　laws　of　this　material　universe。　I　will

send　her　wherever　you　wish　to　go；a　hundred　miles　from　here　or　to

China；　as　you　will。　She　will　tell　you　what　is　happening　there。〃



〃Send　her　to　my　house　in　Nemours；　Rue　des　Bourgeois；　that　will　do；〃

said　Minoret。



He　took　Minoret's　hand；　which　the　doctor　let　him　take；　and　held　it　for

a　moment　seeming　to　collect　himself；　then　with　his　other　hand　he　took

that　of　the　woman　sitting　in　the　arm…chair　and　placed　the　hand　of　the

doctor　in　it；　making　a　sign　to　the　old　sceptic　to　seat　himself　beside

this　oracle　without　a　tripod。　Minoret　observed　a　slight　tremor　on　the

absolutely　calm　features　of　the　woman　when　their　hands　were　thus

united　by　the　Swedenborgian；　but　the　action；　though　marvelous　in　its

effects；　was　very　simply　done。



〃Obey　him；〃　said　the　unknown　personage；　extending　his　hand　above　the

head　of　the　sleeping　woman；　who　seemed　to　imbibe　both　light　and　life

from　him；　〃and　remember　that　what　you　do　for　him　will　please　me。You

can　now　speak　to　her；〃　he　added；　addressing　Minoret。



〃Go　to　Nemours；　to　my　house；　Rue　des　Bourgeois；〃　said　the　doctor。



〃Give　her　time；　put　your　hand　in　hers　until　she　proves　to　you　by　what

she　tells　you　that　she　is　where　you　wish　her　to　be；〃　said　Bouvard　to

his　old　friend。



〃I　see　a　river；〃　said　the　woman　in　a　feeble　voice；　seeming　to　look

within　herself　with　deep　attention；　notwithstanding　her　closed

eyelids。　〃I　see　a　pretty　garden〃



〃Why　do　you　enter　by　the　river　and　the　garden？〃　said　Minoret。



〃Because　they　are　there。〃



〃Who？〃



〃The　young　girl　and　her　nurse；　whom　you　are　thinking　of。〃



〃What　is　the　garden　like？〃　said　Minoret。



〃Entering　by　the　steps　which　go　down　to　the　river；　there　is　the　right；

a　long　brick　gallery；　in　which　I　see　books；　it　ends　in　a　singular

building；there　are　wooden　bells；　and　a　pattern　of　red　eggs。　To　the

left；　the　wall　is　covered　with　climbing　plants；　wild　grapes；　Virginia

jessamine。　In　the　middle　is　a　sun…dial。　There　are　many　plants　in　pots。

Your　child　is　looking　at　the　flowers。　She　shows　them　to　her　nurseshe

is　making　holes　in　the　earth　with　her　trowel；　and　planting　seeds。　The

nurse　is　raking　the　path。　The　young　girl　is　pure　as　an　angel；　but　the

beginning　of　love　is　there；　faint　as　the　dawn〃



〃Love　for　whom？〃　asked　the　doctor；　who；　until　now；　would　have　listened

to　no　word　said　to　him　by　somnambulists。　He　considered　it　all

jugglery。



〃You　know　nothingthough　you　have　lately　been　uneasy　about　her

health；〃　answered　the　woman。　〃Her　heart　has　followed　the　dictates　of

nature。〃



〃A　woman　of　the　people　to　talk　like　this！〃　cried　the　doctor。



〃In　the　state　she　is　in　all　persons　speak　with　extraordinary

perception；〃　said　Bouvard。



〃But　who　is　it　that　Ursula　loves？〃



〃Ursula　does　not　know　that　she　loves；〃　said　the　woman　with　a　shake　of

the　head；　〃she　is　too　angelic　to　know　what　love　is；　but　her　mind　is

occupied　by　him；　she　thinks　of　him；　she　tries　to　escape　the　thought；

but　she　returns　to　it　in　spite　of　her　will　to　abstain。She　is　at　the

piano〃



〃But　who　is　he？〃



〃The　son　of　a　lady　who　lives　opposite。〃



〃Madame　de　Portenduere？〃



〃Portenduere；　did　you　say？〃　replied　the　sleeper。　〃Perhaps　so。　But

there's　no　danger；　he　is　not　in　the　neighbourhood。〃



〃Have　they　spoken　to　each　other？〃　asked　the　doctor。



〃Never。　They　have　looked　at　one　another。　She　thinks　him　charming。　He

is；　in　fact；　a　fine　man；　he　has　a　good　heart。　She　sees　him　from　her

window；　they　see　each　other　in　church。　But　the　young　man　no　longer

thinks　of　her。〃



〃His　name？〃



〃Ah！　to　tell　you　that　I　must　read　it；　or　hear　it。　He　is　named

Savinien；　she　has　just　spoken　his　name；　she　thinks　it　sweet　to　say；

she　has　looked　in　the　almanac　for　his　fete…day　and　marked　a　red　dot

against　it；child's　play；　that。　Ah！　she　will　love　well；　with　as　much

strength　as　purity；　she　is　not　a　girl　to　love　twice；　love　will　so　dye

her　soul　and　fill　it　that　she　will　reject　all　other　sentiments。〃



〃Where　do　you　see　that？〃



〃In　her。　She　will　know　how　to　suffer；　she　inherits　that；　her　father

and　her　mother　suffered　much。〃



The　last　words　overcame　the　doctor；　who　felt　less　shaken　than

surprised。　It　is　proper　to　state　that　between　her　sentences　the　woman

paused　for　several　minutes；　during　which　time　her　attention　became

more　and　more　concentrated。　She　was　seen　to　see；　her　forehead　had　a

singular　aspect；　an　inward　effort　appeared　there；　it　seemed　to　clear

or　cloud　by　some　mysterious　power；　the　effects　of　which　Minoret　had

seen　in　dying　persons　at　moments　when　they　appeared　to　have　the　gift

of　prophecy。　Several　times　she　made　gestures　which　resembled　those　of

Ursula。



〃Question　her；〃　said　the　mysterious　stranger；　to　Minoret；　〃she　will

tell　you　secrets　you　alone　can　know。〃



〃Does　Ursula　love　me？〃　asked　Minoret。



〃Almost　as　much　as　she　loves　God；〃　was　the　answer。　〃But　she　is　very

unhappy　at　your　unbelief。　You　do　not　believe　in　God；　as　if　you　could

prevent　his　existence！　His　word　fills　the　universe。　You　are　the　cause

of　her　only　sorrow。Hear！　she　is　playing　scales；　she　longs　to　be　a

better　musician　than　she　is；　she　is　provoked　with　herself。　She　is

thinking；　'If　I　could　sing；　if　my　voice　were　fine；　it　would　reach　his

ear　when　he　is　with　his　mother。'〃



Doctor　Minoret　took　out　his　pocket…book　and　noted　the　hour。



〃Tell　me　what　seeds　she　planted？〃



〃Mignonette；　sweet…peas；　balsams〃



〃And　what　else？〃



〃Larkspur。〃



〃Where　is　my　money？〃



〃With　your　notary；　but　you　invest　it　so　as　not　to　lose　the　interest　of

a　single　day。〃



〃Yes；　but　where　is　the　money　that　I　keep　for　my　monthly　expenses？〃



〃You　put　it　in　a　large　book　bound　in　red；　entitled　'Pandects　of

Justinian；　Vol。　II。'　between　the　last　two　leaves；　the　book　is　on　the

shelf　of　folios　above　the　glass　buffet。　You　have　a　whole　row　of　them。

Your　money　is　in　the　last　volume　next　to　the　salon　See！　Vol。　III。　is

before　Vol。　II。but　you　have　no　money；　it　is　all　in〃



〃thousand…franc　notes；〃　said　the　doctor。



〃I　cannot　see；　they　are　folded。　No；　there　are　two　notes　of　five

hundred　francs。〃



〃You　see　them？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃How　do　they　look？〃



〃One　is　old　and　yellow；　the　other　white　and　new。〃



This　last　phase　of　the　inquiry　petrified　the　doctor。　He　looked　at

Bouvard　with　a　bewildered　air；　but　Bouvard　and　the　Swedenborgian；　who

were　accustomed　to　the　amazement　of　sceptics；　were　speaking　together

in　a　low　voice　and　appeared　not　to　notice　him。　Minoret　begged　them　to

allow　him　to　return　after　dinner。　The　old　philosopher　wished　to

compose　his　mind　and　shake　off　this　terror；　so　as　to　put　this　vast

power　to　some　new　test；　to　subject　it　to　more　decisive　experiments　and

obtain　answers　to　certain　questions；　the　truth　of　which　should　do　away

with　every　sort　of　doubt。



〃Be　here　at　nine　o'clock　this　evening；〃　said　the　stranger。　〃I　will

return　to　meet　you。〃



Doctor　Minoret　was　in　so　convulsed　a　state　that　he　left　the　room

without　bowing；　followed　by　Bouvard；　who　called　to　him　from　behind。

〃Well；　what　do　you　say？　what　do　you　say？〃



〃I　think　I　am　mad；　Bouvard；〃　answered　Minoret　from　the　steps　of　the

porte…cochere。　〃If　that　woman　tells　the　truth　about　Ursula；and　none

but　Ursula　can　know　the　things　that　sorceress　has　told　me；I　shall

say　that　YOU　ARE　RIGHT。　I　wish　I　had　wings　to　fly　to　Nemours　this

minute　and　verify　her　words。　But　I　shall　hire　a　carriage　and　start　at

ten　o'clock　to…night。　Ah！　am　I　losing　my　senses？〃



〃What　would　you　say　if　you　knew　of　a　life…long　incurable　disease

healed　in　a　moment；　if　you　saw　that　great　magnetizer　bring　sweat　in

torrents　from　an　herpetic　patient；　or　make　a　paralyzed　woman　walk？〃



〃Come　and　dine；　Bouvard；　stay　with　me　till　nine　o'clock。　I　must　find

some　decisive；　undeniable　test！〃