ursula-第26章

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〃But　listen：　even　if　he　loved　you；　even　if　his　mother　asked　me　to　give

him　your　hand；　I　should　not　consent　to　the　marriage　until　I　had

subjected　him　to　a　long　and　thorough　probation。　His　conduct　has　been

such　as　to　make　families　distrust　him　and　to　put　obstacles　between

himself　and　heiresses　which　cannot　be　easily　overcome。〃



A　soft　smile　came　in　place　of　tears　on　Ursula's　sweet　face　as　she

said；　〃Then　poverty　is　good　sometimes。〃



The　doctor　could　find　no　answer　to　such　innocence。



〃What　has　he　done；　godfather？〃　she　asked。



〃In　two　years；　my　treasure；　he　has　incurred　one　hundred　and　twenty

thousand　francs　of　debt。　He　has　had　the　folly　to　get　himself　locked　up

in　Saint…Pelagie；　the　debtor's　prison；　an　impropriety　which　will

always　be；　in　these　days；　a　discredit　to　him。　A　spendthrift　who　is

willing　to　plunge　his　poor　mother　into　poverty　and　distress　might

cause　his　wife；　as　your　poor　father　did；　to　die　of　despair。〃



〃Don't　you　think　he　will　do　better？〃　she　asked。



〃If　his　mother　pays　his　debts　he　will　be　penniless；　and　I　don't　know　a

worse　punishment　than　to　be　a　nobleman　without　means。〃



This　answer　made　Ursula　thoughtful；　she　dried　her　tears；　and　said：



〃If　you　can　save　him；　save　him；　godfather；　that　service　will　give　you

a　right　to　advise　him；　you　can　remonstrate〃



〃Yes；〃　said　the　doctor；　imitating　her；　〃and　then　he　can　come　here；　and

the　old　lady　will　come　here；　and　we　shall　see　them；　and〃



〃I　was　thinking　only　of　him；〃　said　Ursula；　blushing。



〃Don't　think　of　him；　my　child；　it　would　be　folly；〃　said　the　doctor

gravely。　〃Madame　de　Portenduere；　who　was　a　Kergarouet；　would　never

consent；　even　if　she　had　to　live　on　three　hundred　francs　a　year；　to

the　marriage　of　her　son；　the　Vicomte　Savinien　de　Portenduere；　with

whom？with　Ursula　Mirouet；　daughter　of　a　bandsman　in　a　regiment；

without　money；　and　whose　fatheralas！　I　must　now　tell　you　allwas

the　bastard　son　of　an　organist；　my　father…in…law。〃



〃O　godfather！　you　are　right；　we　are　equal　only　in　the　sight　of　God。　I

will　not　think　of　him　againexcept　in　my　prayers；〃　she　said；　amid　the

sobs　which　this　painful　revelation　excited。　〃Give　him　what　you　meant

to　give　mewhat　can　a　poor　girl　like　me　want？ah；　in　prison；　he！〃



〃Offer　to　God　your　disappointments；　and　perhaps　he　will　help　us。〃



There　was　silence　for　some　minutes。　When　Ursula；　who　at　first　did　not

dare　to　look　at　her　godfather；　raised　her　eyes；　her　heart　was　deeply

moved　to　see　the　tears　which　were　rolling　down　his　withered　cheeks。

The　tears　of　old　men　are　as　terrible　as　those　of　children　are　natural。



〃Oh　what　is　it？〃　cried　Ursula；　flinging　herself　at　his　feet　and

kissing　his　hands。　〃Are　you　not　sure　of　me？〃



〃I；　who　longed　to　gratify　all　your　wishes；　it　is　I　who　am　obliged　to

cause　the　first　great　sorrow　of　your　life！〃　he　said。　〃I　suffer　as　much

as　you。　I　never　wept　before；　except　when　I　lost　my　childrenand；

Ursula　Yes；〃　he　cried　suddenly；　〃I　will　do　all　you　desire！〃



Ursula　gave　him；　through　her　tears　a　look　that　was　vivid　as　lightning。

She　smiled。



〃Let　us　go　into　the　salon；　darling；〃　said　the　doctor。　〃Try　to　keep　the

secret　of　all　this　to　yourself；〃　he　added；　leaving　her　alone　for　a

moment　in　his　study。



He　felt　himself　so　weak　before　that　heavenly　smile　that　he　feared　he

might　say　a　word　of　hope　and　thus　mislead　her。







CHAPTER　X



THE　FAMILY　OF　PORTENDUERE



Madame　de　Portenduere　was　at　this　moment　alone　with　the　abbe　in　her

frigid　little　salon　on　the　ground　floor；　having　finished　the　recital

of　her　troubles　to　the　good　priest；　her　only　friend。　She　held　in　her

hand　some　letters　which　he　had　just　returned　to　her　after　reading

them；　these　letters　had　brought　her　troubles　to　a　climax。　Seated　on

her　sofa　beside　a　square　table　covered　with　the　remains　of　a　dessert；

the　old　lady　was　looking　at　the　abbe；　who　sat　on　the　other　side　of　the

table；　doubled　up　in　his　armchair　and　stroking　his　chin　with　the

gesture　common　to　valets　on　the　stage；　mathematicians；　and　priests；a

sign　of　profound　meditation　on　a　problem　that　was　difficult　to　solve。



This　little　salon；　lighted　by　two　windows　on　the　street　and　finished

with　a　wainscot　painted　gray；　was　so　damp　that　the　lower　panels　showed

the　geometrical　cracks　of　rotten　wood　when　the　paint　no　longer　binds

it。　The　red…tiled　floor；　polished　by　the　old　lady's　one　servant；

required；　for　comfort's　sake；　before　each　seat　small　round　mats　of

brown　straw；　on　one　of　which　the　abbe　was　now　resting　his　feet。　The

old　damask　curtains　of　light　green　with　green　flowers　were　drawn；　and

the　outside　blinds　had　been　closed。　Two　wax　candles　lighted　the　table；

leaving　the　rest　of　the　room　in　semi…obscurity。　Is　it　necessary　to　say

that　between　the　two　windows　was　a　fine　pastel　by　Latour　representing

the　famous　Admiral　de　Portenduere；　the　rival　of　the　Suffren；　Guichen；

Kergarouet　and　Simeuse　naval　heroes？　On　the　paneled　wall　opposite　to

the　fireplace　were　portraits　of　the　Vicomte　de　Portenduere　and　of　the

mother　of　the　old　lady；　a　Kergarouet…Ploegat。　Savinien's　great…uncle

was　therefore　the　Vice…admiral　de　Kergarouet；　and　his　cousin　was　the

Comte　de　Portenduere；　grandson　of　the　admiral；both　of　them　very

rich。



The　Vice…admiral　de　Kergarouet　lived　in　Paris　and　the　Comte　de

Portenduere　at　the　chateau　of　that　name　in　Dauphine。　The　count

represented　the　elder　branch；　and　Savinien　was　the　only　scion　of　the

younger。　The　count；　who　was　over　forty　years　of　age　and　married　to　a

rich　wife；　had　three　children。　His　fortune；　increased　by　various

legacies；　amounted；　it　was　said；　to　sixty　thousand　francs　a　year。　As

deputy　from　Isere　he　passed　his　winters　in　Paris；　where　he　had　bought

the　hotel　de　Portenduere　with　the　indemnities　he　obtained　under　the

Villele　law。　The　vice…admiral　had　recently　married　his　niece　by

marriage；　for　the　sole　purpose　of　securing　his　money　to　her。



The　faults　of　the　young　viscount　were　therefore　likely　to　cost　him　the

favor　of　two　powerful　protectors。　If　Savinien　had　entered　the　navy；

young　and　handsome　as　he　was；　with　a　famous　name；　and　backed　by　the

influence　of　an　admiral　and　a　deputy；　he　might；　at　twenty…three　years

of　age；　been　a　lieutenant；　but　his　mother；　unwilling　that　her　only　son

should　go　into　either　naval　or　military　service；　had　kept　him　at

Nemours　under　the　tutelage　of　one　of　the　Abbe　Chaperon's　assistants；

hoping　that　she　could　keep　him　near　her　until　her　death。　She　meant　to

marry　him　to　a　demoiselle　d'Aiglemont　with　a　fortune　of　twelve

thousand　francs　a　year；　to　whose　hand　the　name　of　Portenduere　and　the

farm　at　Bordieres　enabled　him　to　pretend。　This　narrow　but　judicious

plan；　which　would　have　carried　the　family　to　a　second　generation；　was

already　balked　by　events。　The　d'Aiglemonts　were　ruined；　and　one　of　the

daughters；　Helene；　had　disappeared；　and　the　mystery　of　her

disappearance　was　never　solved。



The　weariness　of　a　life　without　atmosphere；　without　prospects；　without

action；　without　other　nourishment　than　the　love　of　a　son　for　his

mother；　so　worked　upon　Savinien　that　he　burst　his　chains；　gentle　as

they　were；　and　swore　that　he　would　never　live　in　the　provinces

comprehending；　rather　late；　that　his　future　fate　was　not　to　be　in　the

Rue　des　Bourgeois。　At　twenty…one　years　of　age　he　left　his　mother's

house　to　make　acquaintance　with　his　relations；　and　try　his　luck　in

Paris。　The　contrast　between　life　in　Paris　and　life　in　Nemours　was

likely　to　be　fatal　to　a　young　man　of　twenty…one；　free；　with　no　one　to

say　him　nay；　naturally　eager　for　pleasure；　and　for　whom　his　name　and

his　connections　opened　the　doors　of　all　the　salons。　Quite　convinced

that　his　mother　had　the　savings　of　many　years　in　her　strong…box；

Savinien　soon　spent　the　six　thousand　francs　which　she　had　given　him　to

see　Paris。　That　sum　did　not　defray　his　expenses　for　six　months；　and　he

soon　owed　double　that　sum　to　his　hotel；　his　tailor；　his　boot　maker；　to

the　man　from　whom　he　hired　his　carriages　and　horses；　to　a