ursula-第2章

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

whom　the　whole　countryside；　from　Montargis　to　Essonne；　was　in　the

habit　of　saying；　〃Pere　Minoret　doesn't　even　know　how　rich　he　is〃？



This　saying　had　obtained　fresh　force　about　four　years　before　this

history　begins；　when　Minoret；　after　selling　his　inn；　built　stables　and

a　splendid　dwelling；　and　removed　the　post…house　from　the　Grand'Rue　to

the　wharf。　The　new　establishment　cost　two　hundred　thousand　francs；

which　the　gossip　of　thirty　miles　in　circumference　more　than　doubled。

The　Nemours　mail…coach　service　requires　a　large　number　of　horses。　It

goes　to　Fontainebleau　on　the　road　to　Paris；　and　from　there　diverges　to

Montargis　and　also　to　Montereau。　The　relays　are　long；　and　the　sandy

soil　of　the　Montargis　road　calls　for　the　mythical　third　horse；　always

paid　for　but　never　seen。　A　man　of　Minoret's　build；　and　Minoret's

wealth；　at　the　head　of　such　an　establishment　might　well　be　called；

without　contradiction；　the　master　of　Nemours。　Though　he　never　thought

of　God　or　devil；　being　a　practical　materialist；　just　as　he　was　a

practical　agriculturist；　a　practical　egoist；　and　a　practical　miser；

Minoret　had　enjoyed　up　to　this　time　a　life　of　unmixed　happiness；if

we　can　call　pure　materialism　happiness。　A　physiologist；　observing　the

rolls　of　flesh　which　covered　the　last　vertebrae　and　pressed　upon　the

giant's　cerebellum；　and；　above　all；　hearing　the　shrill；　sharp　voice

which　contrasted　so　absurdly　with　his　huge　body；　would　have　understood

why　this　ponderous；　coarse　being　adored　his　only　son；　and　why　he　had

so　long　expected　him；a　fact　proved　by　the　name；　Desire；　which　was

given　to　the　child。



The　mother；　whom　the　boy　fortunately　resembled；　rivaled　the　father　in

spoiling　him。　No　child　could　long　have　resisted　the　effects　of　such

idolatry。　As　soon　as　Desire　knew　the　extent　of　his　power　he　milked　his

mother's　coffer　and　dipped　into　his　father's　purse；　making　each　author

of　his　being　believe　that　he；　or　she；　alone　was　petitioned。　Desire；

who　played　a　part　in　Nemours　far　beyond　that　of　a　prince　royal　in　his

father's　capital；　chose　to　gratify　his　fancies　in　Paris　just　as　he　had

gratified　them　in　his　native　town；　he　had　therefore　spent　a　yearly　sum

of　not　less　than　twelve　thousand　francs　during　the　time　of　his　legal

studies。　But　for　that　money　he　had　certainly　acquired　ideas　that　would

never　had　come　to　him　in　Nemours；　he　had　stripped　off　the　provincial

skin；　learned　the　power　of　money　and　seen　in　the　magistracy　a　means　of

advancement　which　he　fancied。　During　the　last　year　he　had　spent　an

extra　sum　of　ten　thousand　francs　in　the　company　of　artists；

journalists；　and　their　mistresses。　A　confidential　and　rather

disquieting　letter　from　his　son；　asking　for　his　consent　to　a　marriage；

explains　the　watch　which　the　post　master　was　now　keeping　on　the

bridge；　for　Madame　Minoret…Levrault；　busy　in　preparing　a　sumptuous

breakfast　to　celebrate　the　triumphal　return　of　the　licentiate；　had

sent　her　husband　to　the　mail　road；　advising　him　to　take　a　horse　and

ride　out　if　he　saw　nothing　of　the　diligence。　The　coach　which　was

conveying　the　precious　son　usually　arrived　at　five　in　the　morning　and

it　was　now　nine！　What　could　be　the　meaning　of　such　delay？　Was　the

coach　overturned？　Could　Desire　be　dead？　Or　was　it　nothing　worse　than　a

broken　leg？



Three　distinct　volleys　of　cracking　whips　rent　the　air　like　a　discharge

of　musketry；　the　red　waistcoats　of　the　postilions　dawned　in　sight；　ten

horses　neighed。　The　master　pulled　off　his　cap　and　waved　it；　he　was

seen。　The　best　mounted　postilion；　who　was　returning　with　two　gray

carriage…horses；　set　spurs　to　his　beast　and　came　on　in　advance　of　the

five　diligence　horses　and　the　three　other　carriage…horses；　and　soon

reached　his　master。



〃Have　you　seen　the　'Ducler'？〃



On　the　great　mail　routes　names；　often　fantastic；　are　given　to　the

different　coaches；　such；　for　instance；　as　the　〃Caillard；〃　the　〃Ducler〃

（the　coach　between　Nemours　and　Paris）；　the　〃Grand　Bureau。〃　Every　new

enterprise　is　called　the　〃Competition。〃　In　the　days　of　the　Lecompte

company　their　coaches　were　called　the　〃Countess。〃〃'Caillard'　could

not　overtake　the　'Countess'；　but　'Grand　Bureau'　caught　up　with　her

finely；〃　you　will　hear　the　men　say。　If　you　see　a　postilion　pressing

his　horses　and　refusing　a　glass　of　wine；　question　the　conductor　and　he

will　tell　you；　snuffing　the　air　while　his　eye　gazes　far　into　space；

〃The　'Competition'　is　ahead。〃〃We　can't　get　in　sight　of　her；〃　cries

the　postilion；　〃the　vixen！　she　wouldn't　stop　to　let　her　passengers

dine。〃〃The　question　is；　has　she　got　any？〃　responds　the　conductor。

〃Give　it　to　Polignac！〃　All　lazy　and　bad　horses　are　called　Polignac。

Such　are　the　jokes　and　the　basis　of　conversation　between　postilions

and　conductors　on　the　roofs　of　the　coaches。　Each　profession；　each

calling　in　France　has　its　slang。



〃Have　you　seen　the　'Ducler'？〃　asked　Minoret。



〃Monsieur　Desire？〃　said　the　postilion；　interrupting　his　master。　〃Hay！

you　must　have　heard　us；　didn't　our　whips　tell　you？　we　felt　you　were

somewhere　along　the　road。〃



Just　then　a　woman　dressed　in　her　Sunday　clothes；for　the　bells　were

pealing　from　the　clock　tower　and　calling　the　inhabitants　to　mass；a

woman　about　thirty…six　years　of　age　came　up　to　the　post　master。



〃Well；　cousin；〃　she　said；　〃you　wouldn't　believe　me　Uncle　is　with

Ursula　in　the　Grand'Rue；　and　they　are　going　to　mass。〃



In　spite　of　the　modern　poetic　canons　as　to　local　color；　it　is　quite

impossible　to　push　realism　so　far　as　to　repeat　the　horrible　blasphemy

mingled　with　oaths　which　this　news；　apparently　so　unexciting；　brought

from　the　huge　mouth　of　Minoret…Levrault；　his　shrill　voice　grew

sibilant；　and　his　face　took　on　the　appearance　of　what　people　oddly

enough　call　a　sunstroke。



〃Is　that　true？〃　he　asked；　after　the　first　explosion　of　his　wrath　was

over。



The　postilions　bowed　to　their　master　as　they　and　their　horses　passed

him；　but　he　seemed　to　neither　see　nor　hear　them。　Instead　of　waiting

for　his　son；　Minoret…Levrault　hurried　up　to　the　Grand'Rue　with　his

cousin。



〃Didn't　I　always　tell　you　so？〃　she　resumed。　〃When　Doctor　Minoret　goes

out　of　his　head　that　demure　little　hypocrite　will　drag　him　into

religion；　whoever　lays　hold　of　the　mind　gets　hold　of　the　purse；　and

she'll　have　our　inheritance。〃



〃But；　Madame　Massin〃　said　the　post　master；　dumbfounded。



〃There　now！〃　exclaimed　Madame　Massin；　interrupting　her　cousin。　〃You

are　going　to　say；　just　as　Massin　does；　that　a　little　girl　of　fifteen

can't　invent　such　plans　and　carry　them　out；　or　make　an　old　man　of

eighty…three；　who　has　never　set　foot　in　a　church　except　to　be　married；

change　his　opinions；now　don't　tell　me　he　has　such　a　horror　of

priests　that　he　wouldn't　even　go　with　the　girl　to　the　parish　church

when　she　made　her　first　communion。　I'd　like　to　know　why；　if　Doctor

Minoret　hates　priests；　he　has　spent　nearly　every　evening　for　the　last

fifteen　years　of　his　life　with　the　Abbe　Chaperon。　The　old　hypocrite

never　fails　to　give　Ursula　twenty　francs　for　wax　tapers　every　time　she

takes　the　sacrament。　Have　you　forgotten　the　gift　Ursula　made　to　the

church　in　gratitude　to　the　cure　for　preparing　her　for　her　first

communion？　She　spent　all　her　money　on　it；　and　her　godfather　returned

it　to　her　doubled。　You　men！　you　don't　pay　attention　to　things。　When　I

heard　that；　I　said　to　myself；　'Farewell　baskets；　the　vintage　is　done！'

A　rich　uncle　doesn't　behave　that　way　to　a　little　brat　picked　up　in　the

streets　without　some　good　reason。〃



〃Pooh；　cousin；　I　dare　say　the　good　man　is　only　taking　her　to　the　door

of　the　church；〃　replied　the　post　master。　〃It　is　a　fine　day；　and　he　is

out　for　a　walk。〃



〃I　tell　you　he　is　holding　a　prayer…book；　and　looks　sanctimonious

you'll　see　him。〃



〃They　hide　their　game　pretty　well；〃　said　Minoret；　〃La　Bougival　told　me

there　was　never　any　talk　of　religion　between　the　doctor　and　the　abbe。

Besides；　the　abbe　is　one　of　the　most　honest　men　on　t