ursula-第22章

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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　by　his

grandfather；　who；　as　grandfather；　was　as　distant　to　a　natural　grandson

as　the　doctor；　being　an　uncle；　is　to　Ursula。〃



〃All　that；〃　said　Goupil；　〃seems　to　me　to　relate　only　to　the　bequests

made　by　grandfathers　to　natural　descendants。　Ursula　is　not　a　blood

relation　of　Doctor　Minoret。　I　remember　a　decision　of　the　royal　court

at　Colmar；　rendered　in　1825；　just　before　I　took　my　degree；　which

declared　that　after　the　decease　of　a　natural　child　his　descendants

could　no　longer　be　prohibited　from　inheriting。　Now；　Ursula's　father　is

dead。〃



Goupil's　argument　produced　what　journalists　who　report　the　sittings　of

legislative　assemblies　are　wont　to　call　〃profound　sensation。〃



〃What　does　that　signify？〃　cried　Dionis。　〃The　actual　case　of　the

bequest　of　an　uncle　to　an　illegitimate　child　may　not　yet　have　been

presented　for　trial；　but　when　it　is；　the　sternness　of　French　law

against　such　children　will　be　all　the　more　firmly　applied　because　we

live　in　times　when　religion　is　honored。　I'll　answer　for　it　that　out　of

such　a　suit　as　I　propose　you　could　get　a　compromise；especially　if

they　see　you　are　determined　to　carry　Ursula　to　a　court　of　appeals。〃



Here　the　joy　of　the　heirs　already　fingering　their　gold　was　made

manifest　in　smiles；　shrugs；　and　gestures　round　the　table；　and

prevented　all　notice　of　Goupil's　dissent。　This　elation；　however；　was

succeeded　by　deep　silence　and　uneasiness　when　the　notary　uttered　his

next　word；　a　terrible　〃But！〃



As　if　he　had　pulled　the　string　of　a　puppet…show；　starting　the　little

people　in　jerks　by　means　of　machinery；　Dionis　beheld　all　eyes　turned

on　him　and　all　faces　rigid　in　one　and　the　same　pose。



〃BUT　no　law　prevents　your　uncle　from　adopting　or　marrying　Ursula；〃　he

continued。　〃As　for　adoption；　that　could　be　contested；　and　you　would；　I

think；　have　equity　on　your　side。　The　royal　courts　would　never　trifle

with　questions　of　adoptions；　you　would　get　a　hearing　there。　It　is　true

the　doctor　is　an　officer　of　the　Legion　of　honor；　and　was　formerly

surgeon　to　the　ex…emperor；　but；　nevertheless；　he　would　get　the　worst

of　it。　Moreover；　you　would　have　due　warning　in　case　of　adoptionbut

how　about　marriage？　Old　Minoret　is　shrewd　enough　to　go　to　Paris　and

marry　her　after　a　year's　domicile；　and　give　her　a　million　by　the

marriage　contract。　The　only　thing；　therefore；　that　really　puts　your

property　in　danger　is　your　uncle's　marriage　with　the　girl。〃



Here　the　notary　paused。



〃There's　another　danger；〃　said　Goupil；　with　a　knowing　air；〃that　of　a

will　made　in　favor　of　a　third　person；　old　Bongrand　for　instance；　who

will　hold　the　property　in　trust　for　Mademoiselle　Ursula〃



〃If　you　tease　your　uncle；〃　continued　Dionis；　cutting　short　his　head…

clerk；　〃if　you　are　not　all　of　you　very　polite　to　Ursula；　you　will

drive　him　into　either　a　marriage　or　into　making　that　private　trust

which　Goupil　speaks　of；though　I　don't　think　him　capable　of　that；　it

is　a　dangerous　thing。　As　for　marriage；　that　is　easy　to　prevent。　Desire

there　has　only　got　to　hold　out　a　finger　to　the　girl；　she's　sure　to

prefer　a　handsome　young　man；　cock　of　the　walk　in　Nemours；　to　an　old

one。〃



〃Mother；〃　said　Desire　to　Zelie's　ear；　as　much　allured　by　the　millions

as　by　Ursula's　beauty；　〃If　I　married　her　we　should　get　the　whole

property。〃



〃Are　you　crazy？you；　who'll　some　day　have　fifty　thousand　francs　a

year　and　be　made　a　deputy！　As　long　as　I　live　you　never　shall　cut　your

throat　by　a　foolish　marriage。　Seven　hundred　thousand　francs；　indeed！

Why；　the　mayor's　only　daughter　will　have　fifty　thousand　a　year；　and

they　have　already　proposed　her　to　me〃



This　reply；　the　first　rough　speech　his　mother　had　ever　made　to　him；

extinguished　in　Desire's　breast　all　desire　for　a　marriage　with　the

beautiful　Ursula；　for　his　father　and　he　never　got　the　better　of　any

decision　once　written　in　the　terrible　blue　eyes　of　Zelie　Minoret。



〃Yes；　but　see　here；　Monsieur　Dionis；〃　cried　Cremiere；　whose　wife　had

been　nudging　him；　〃if　the　good　man　took　the　thing　seriously　and

married　his　goddaughter　to　Desire；　giving　her　the　reversion　of　all　the

property；　good…by　to　our　share　in　it；　if　he　lives　five　years　longer

uncle　may　be　worth　a　million。〃



〃Never！〃　cried　Zelie；　〃never　in　my　life　shall　Desire　marry　the

daughter　of　a　bastard；　a　girl　picked　up　in　the　streets　out　of　charity。

My　son　will　represent　the　Minorets　after　the　death　of　his　uncle；　and

the　Minorets　have　five　hundred　years　of　good　bourgeoisie　behind　them。

That's　equal　to　the　nobility。　Don't　be　uneasy；　any　of　you；　Desire　will

marry　when　we　find　a　chance　to　put　him　in　the　Chamber　of　deputies。〃



This　lofty　declaration　was　backed　by　Goupil；　who　said：



〃Desire；　with　an　allowance　of　twenty…four　thousand　francs　a　year；　will

be　president　of　a　royal　court　or　solicitor…general；　either　office

leads　to　the　peerage。　A　foolish　marriage　would　ruin　him。〃



The　heirs　were　now　all　talking　at　once；　but　they　suddenly　held　their

tongues　when　Minoret　rapped　on　the　table　with　his　fist　to　keep　silence

for　the　notary。



〃Your　uncle　is　a　worthy　man；〃　continued　Dionis。　〃He　believes　he's

immortal；　and；　like　most　clever　men；　he'll　let　death　overtake　him

before　he　has　made　a　will。　My　advice　therefore　is　to　induce　him　to

invest　his　capital　in　a　way　that　will　make　it　difficult　for　him　to

disinherit　you；　and　I　know　of　an　opportunity；　made　to　hand。　That

little　Portenduere　is　in　Saint…Pelagie；　locked…up　for　one　hundred　and

some　odd　thousand　francs'　worth　of　debt。　His　old　mother　knows　he　is　in

prison；　she　is　crying　like　a　Magdalen。　The　abbe　is　to　dine　with　her；

no　doubt　she　wants　to　talk　to　him　about　her　troubles。　Well；　I'll　go

and　see　your　uncle　to…night　and　persuade　him　to　sell　his　five　per　cent

consols；　which　are　now　at　118；　and　lend　Madame　de　Portenduere；　on　the

security　of　her　farm　at　Bordieres　and　her　house　here；　enough　to　pay

the　debts　of　the　prodigal　son。　I　have　a　right　as　notary　to　speak　to

him　in　behalf　of　young　Portenduere；　and　it　is　quite　natural　that　I

should　wish　to　make　him　change　his　investments；　I　get　deeds　and

commissions　out　of　the　business。　If　I　become　his　adviser　I'll　propose

to　him　other　land　investments　for　his　surplus　capital；　I　have　some

excellent　ones　now　in　my　office。　If　his　fortune　were　once　invested　in

landed　estate　or　in　mortgage　notes　in　this　neighbourhood；　it　could　not

take　wings　to　itself　very　easily。　It　is　easy　to　make　difficulties

between　the　wish　to　realize　and　the　realization。〃



The　heirs；　struck　with　the　truth　of　this　argument　（much　cleverer　than

that　of　Monsieur　Josse）；　murmured　approval。



〃You　must　be　careful；〃　said　the　notary　in　conclusion；　〃to　keep　your

uncle　in　Nemours；　where　his　habits　are　known；　and　where　you　can　watch

him。　Find　him　a　lover　for　the　girl　and　you'll　prevent　his　marrying　her

himself。〃



〃Suppose　she　married　the　lover？〃　said　Goupil；　seized　by　an　ambitious

desire。



〃That　wouldn't　be　a　bad　thing；　then　you　could　figure　up　the　loss；　the

old　man　would　have　to　say　how　much　he　gives　her；〃　replied　the　notary。

〃But　if　you　set　Desire　at　her　he　could　keep　the　girl　dangling　on　till

the　old　man　died。　Marriages　are　made　and　unmade。〃



〃The　shortest　way；〃　said　Goupil；　〃if　the　doctor　is　likely　to　live　much

longer；　is　to　marry　her　to　some　worthy　young　man　who　will　get　her　out

of　your　way　by　settling　at　Sens；　or　Montargis；　or　Orleans　with　a

hundred　thousand　francs　in　hand。〃



Dionis；　Massin；　Zelie；　and　Goupil；　the　only　intelligent　heads　in　the

company；　exchanged　four　thoughtful　smiles。



〃He'd　be　a　worm　at　the　core；〃　whispered　Zelie　to　Massin。



〃How　did　he　get　here？〃　returned　the　clerk。



〃That　will　just　suit　you！〃　cried　Desire　to　Goupil。　〃But　do　you　think

you　can　behave　decently　enough　to　satisfy　the　old　man　and　the　girl？〃



〃In　these　days；〃　whispered　Zelie　again　in　Massin's　year；　〃notaries

look　out　for　no　interests　b