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第26章

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

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