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第21章

ursula-第21章

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that he may not punish eternally the errors of a day。 I know he will

summon among the righteous a soul so pure; so beautiful; as yours。〃



That answer; said with angelic candor; in a tone of absolute

certainty; confounded error and converted Denis Minoret as God

converted Saul。 A ray of inward light overawed him; the knowledge of

this tenderness; covering his years to come; brought tears to his

eyes。 This sudden effect of grace had something that seemed electrical

about it。 The abbe clasped his hands and rose; troubled; from his

seat。 The girl; astonished at her triumph; wept。 The old man stood up

as if a voice had called him; looking into space as though his eyes

beheld the dawn; then he bent his knee upon his chair; clasped his

hands; and lowered his eyes to the ground as one humiliated。



〃My God;〃 he said in a trembling voice; raising his head; 〃if any one

can obtain my pardon and lead me to thee; surely it is this spotless

creature。 Have mercy on the repentant old age that this pure child

presents to thee!〃



He lifted his soul to God; mentally praying for the light of divine

knowledge after the gift of divine grace; then he turned to the abbe

and held out his hand。



〃My dear pastor;〃 he said; 〃I am become as a little child。 I belong to

you; I give my soul to your care。〃



Ursula kissed his hands and bathed them with her tears。 The old man

took her on his knee and called her gayly his godmother。 The abbe;

deeply moved; recited the 〃Veni Creator〃 in a species of religious

ecstasy。 The hymn served as the evening prayer of the three Christians

kneeling together for the first time。



〃What has happened?〃 asked La Bougival; amazed at the sight。



〃My godfather believes in God at last!〃 replied Ursula。



〃Ah! so much the better; he only needed that to make him perfect;〃

cried the old woman; crossing herself with artless gravity。



〃Dear doctor;〃 said the good priest; 〃you will soon comprehend the

grandeur of religion and the value of its practices; you will find its

philosophy in human aspects far higher than that of the boldest

sceptics。〃



The abbe; who showed a joy that was almost infantine; agreed to

catechize the old man and confer with him twice a week。 Thus the

conversion attributed to Ursula and to a spirit of sordid calculation;

was the spontaneous act of the doctor himself。 The abbe; who for

fourteen years had abstained from touching the wounds of that heart;

though all the while deploring them; was now asked for help; as a

surgeon is called to an injured man。 Ever since this scene Ursula's

evening prayers had been said in common with her godfather。 Day after

day the old man grew more conscious of the peace within him that

succeeded all his conflicts。 Having; as he said; God as the

responsible editor of things inexplicable; his mind was at ease。 His

dear child told him that he might know by how far he had advanced

already in God's kingdom。 During the mass which we have seen him

attend; he had read the prayers and applied his own intelligence to

them; from the first; he had risen to the divine idea of the communion

of the faithful。 The old neophyte understood the eternal symbol

attached to that sacred nourishment; which faith renders needful to

the soul after conveying to it her own profound and radiant essence。

When on leaving the church he had seemed in a hurry to get home; it

was merely that he might once more thank his dear child for having led

him to 〃enter religion;〃the beautiful expression of former days。 He

was holding her on his knee in the salon and kissing her forehead

sacredly at the very moment when his relatives were degrading that

saintly influence with their shameless fears; and casting their vulgar

insults upon Ursula。 His haste to return home; his assumed disdain for

their company; his sharp replies as he left the church were naturally

attributed by all the heirs to the hatred Ursula had excited against

them in the old man's mind。







CHAPTER VIII



THE CONFERENCE



While Ursula was playing variations on Weber's 〃Last Thought〃 to her

godfather; a plot was hatching in the Minoret…Levraults' dining…room

which was destined to have a lasting effect on the events of this

drama。 The breakfast; noisy as all provincial breakfasts are; and

enlivened by excellent wines brought to Nemours by the canal either

from Burgundy or Touraine; lasted more than two hours。 Zelie had sent

for oysters; salt…water fish; and other gastronomical delicacies to do

honor to Desire's return。 The dining…room; in the center of which a

round table offered a most appetizing sight; was like the hall of an

inn。 Content with the size of her kitchens and offices; Zelie had

built a pavilion for the family between the vast courtyard and a

garden planted with vegetables and full of fruit…trees。 Everything

about the premises was solid and plain。 The example of Levrault…

Levrault had been a warning to the town。 Zelie forbade her builder to

lead her into such follies。 The dining…room was; therefore; hung with

varnished paper and furnished with walnut chairs and sideboards; a

porcelain stove; a tall clock; and a barometer。 Though the plates and

dishes were of common white china; the table shone with handsome linen

and abundant silverware。 After Zelie had served the coffee; coming and

going herself like shot in a decanter;for she kept but one servant;

and when Desire; the budding lawyer; had been told of the event of

the morning and its probably consequences; the door was closed; and

the notary Dionis was called upon to speak。 By the silence in the room

and the looks that were cast on that authoritative face; it was easy

to see the power that such men exercise over families。



〃My dear children;〃 said he; 〃your uncle having been born in 1746; is

eighty…three years old at the present time; now; old men are given to

folly; and that little〃



〃Viper!〃 cried Madame Massin。



〃Hussy!〃 said Zelie。



〃Let us call her by her own name;〃 said Dionis。



〃Well; she's a thief;〃 said Madame Cremiere。



〃A pretty thief;〃 remarked Desire。



〃That little Ursula;〃 went on Dionis; 〃has managed to get hold of his

heart。 I have been thinking of your interests; and I did not wait

until now before making certain inquiries; now this is what I have

discovered about that young〃



〃Marauder;〃 said the collector。



〃Inveigler;〃 said the clerk of the court。



〃Hold your tongue; friends;〃 said the notary; 〃or I'll take my hat and

be off。〃



〃Come; come; papa;〃 cried Minoret; pouring out a little glass of rum

and offering it to the notary; 〃here; drink this; it comes from Rome

itself; and now go on。〃



〃Ursula is; it is true; the legitimate daughter of Joseph Mirouet; but

her father was the natural son of Valentin Mirouet; your uncle's

father…in…law。 Being therefore an illegitimate niece; any will the

doctor might make in her favor could probably be contested; and if he

leaves her his fortune in that way you could bring a suit against

Ursula。 This; however; might turn out ill for you; in case the court

took the view that there was no relationship between Ursula and the

doctor。 Still; the suit would frighten an unprotected girl; and bring

about a compromise〃



〃The law is so rigid as to the rights of natural children;〃 said the

newly fledged licentiate; eager to parade his knowledge; 〃that by the

judgment of the court of appeals dated July 7; 1817; a natural child

can claim nothing from his natural grandfather; not even a

maintenance。 So you see the illegitimate parentage is made

retrospective。 The law pursues the natural child even to its

legitimate descent; on the ground that benefactions done to

grandchildren reach the natural son through that medium。 This is shown

by articles 757; 908; and 911 of the civil Code。 The royal court of

Paris; by a decision of the 26th of January of last year; cut off a

legacy made to the legitimate child of a natural son

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