ursula-第28章

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solid。　You　are　what　I　call　an　elegant　male　brunette。　Your　face　is　of

the　style　Louis　XII。；　hardly　any　color；　well…formed　nose；　and　you　have

the　thing　that　pleases　women；　a　something；　I　don't　know　what　it　is；

which　men　take　no　account　of　themselves；　it　is　in　the　air；　the　manner；

the　tone　of　the　voice；　the　dart　of　the　eye；　the　gesture；in　short；　in

a　number　of　little　things　which　women　see　and　to　which　they　attach　a

meaning　which　escapes　us。　You　don't　know　your　merits；　my　dear　fellow。

Take　a　certain　tone　and　style　and　in　six　months　you'll　captivate　an

English…woman　with　a　hundred　thousand　pounds；　but　you　must　call

yourself　viscount；　a　title　which　belongs　to　you。　My　charming　step…

mother；　Lady　Dudley；　who　has　not　her　equal　for　matching　two　hearts；

will　find　you　some　such　woman　in　the　fens　of　Great　Britain。　What　you

must　now　do　is　to　get　the　payment　of　your　debts　postponed　for　ninety

days。　Why　didn't　you　tell　us　about　them？　The　money…lenders　at　Baden

would　have　spared　youserved　you　perhaps；　but　now；　after　you　have

once　been　in　prison；　they'll　despise　you。　A　money…lender　is；　like

society；　like　the　masses；　down　on　his　knees　before　the　man　who　is

strong　enough　to　trick　him；　and　pitiless　to　the　lambs。　To　the　eyes　of

some　persons　Sainte…Pelagie　is　a　she…devil　who　burns　the　souls　of

young　men。　Do　you　want　my　candid　advice？　I　shall　tell　you　as　I　told

that　little　d'Esgrignon：　'Arrange　to　pay　your　debts　leisurely；　keep

enough　to　live　on　for　three　years；　and　marry　some　girl　in　the

provinces　who　can　bring　you　an　income　of　thirty　thousand　francs。'　In

the　course　of　three　years　you　can　surely　find　some　virtuous　heiress

who　is　willing　to　call　herself　Madame　la　Vicomtesse　de　Portenduere。

Such　is　virtue；let's　drink　to　it。　I　give　you　a　toast：　'The　girl　with

money！〃



The　young　men　did　not　leave　their　ex…friend　till　the　official　hour　for

parting。　The　gate　was　no　sooner　closed　behind　them　than　they　said　to

each　other：　〃He's　not　strong　enough！〃　〃He's　quite　crushed。〃　〃I　don't

believe　he'll　pull　through　it？〃



The　next　day　Savinien　wrote　his　mother　a　confession　in　twenty…two

pages。　Madame　de　Portenduere；　after　weeping　for　one　whole　day；　wrote

first　to　her　son；　promising　to　get　him　out　of　prison；　and　then　to　the

Comte　de　Portenduere　and　to　Admiral　Kergarouet。



The　letters　the　abbe　had　just　read　and　which　the　poor　mother　was

holding　in　her　hand　and　moistening　with　tears；　were　the　answers　to　her

appeal；　which　had　arrived　that　morning；　and　had　almost　broken　her

heart。





Paris；　September；　1829。



To　Madame　de　Portenduere：



Madame；You　cannot　doubt　the　interest　which　the　admiral　and　I

both　feel　in　your　troubles。　What　you　ask　of　Monsieur　de

Kergarouet　grieves　me　all　the　more　because　our　house　was　a　home　to

your　son；　we　were　proud　of　him。　If　Savinien　had　had　more

confidence　in　the　admiral　we　could　have　taken　him　to　live　with　us；

and　he　would　already　have　obtained　some　good　situation。　But；

unfortunately；　he　told　us　nothing；　he　ran　into　debt　of　his　own

accord；　and　even　involved　himself　for　me；　who　knew　nothing　of　his

pecuniary　position。　It　is　all　the　more　to　be　regretted　because

Savinien　has；　for　the　moment；　tied　our　hands　by　allowing　the

authorities　to　arrest　him。



If　my　nephew　had　not　shown　a　foolish　passion　for　me　and　sacrificed

our　relationship　to　the　vanity　of　a　lover；　we　could　have　sent　him

to　travel　in　Germany　while　his　affairs　were　being　settled　here。

Monsieur　de　Kergarouet　intended　to　get　him　a　place　in　the　War

office；　but　this　imprisonment　for　debt　will　paralyze　such　efforts。

You　must　pay　his　debts；　let　him　enter　the　navy；　he　will　make　his

way　like　the　true　Portenduere　that　he　is；　he　has　the　fire　of　the

family　in　his　beautiful　black　eyes；　and　we　will　all　help　him。



Do　not　be　disheartened；　madame；　you　have　many　friends；　among　whom

I　beg　you　to　consider　me　as　one　of　the　most　sincere；　I　send　you　our

best　wishes；　with　the　respects　of



Your　very　affectionate　servant；

Emilie　de　Kergarouet。





The　second　letter　was　as　follows：





Portenduere；　August；　1829。



To　Madame　de　Portenduere：



My　dear　aunt；I　am　more　annoyed　than　surprised　at　Savinien's

pranks。　As　I　am　married　and　the　father　of　two　sons　and　one

daughter；　my　fortune；　already　too　small　for　my　position　and

prospects；　cannot　be　lessened　to　ransom　a　Portenduere　from　the

hands　of　the　Jews。　Sell　your　farm；　pay　his　debts；　and　come　and

live　with　us　at　Portenduere。　You　shall　receive　the　welcome　we　owe　

you；　even　though　our　views　may　not　be　entirely　in　accordance　with

yours。　You　shall　be　made　happy；　and　we　will　manage　to　marry

Savinien；　whom　my　wife　thinks　charming。　This　little　outbreak　is

nothing；　do　not　make　yourself　unhappy；　it　will　never　be　known　in

this　part　of　the　country；　where　there　are　a　number　of　rich　girls

who　would　be　delighted　to　enter　our　family。



My　wife　joins　me　in　assuring　you　of　the　happiness　you　would　give

us；　and　I　beg　you　to　accept　her　wishes　for　the　realization　of　this

plan；　together　with　my　affectionate　respects。



Luc…Savinien；　Comte　de　Portenduere。





〃What　letters　for　a　Kergarouet　to　receive！〃　cried　the　old　Breton　lady；

wiping　her　eyes。



〃The　admiral　does　not　know　his　nephew　is　in　prison；〃　said　the　Abbe

Chaperon　at　last；　〃the　countess　alone　read　your　letter；　and　has

answered　it　for　him。　But　you　must　decide　at　once　on　some　course；〃　he

added　after　a　pause；　〃and　this　is　what　I　have　the　honor　to　advise。　Do

not　sell　your　farm。　The　lease　is　just　out；　having　lasted　twenty…four

years；　in　a　few　months　you　can　raise　the　rent　to　six　thousand　francs

and　get　a　premium　for　double　that　amount。　Borrow　what　you　need　of　some

honest　man；not　from　the　townspeople　who　make　a　business　of

mortgages。　Your　neighbour　here　is　a　most　worthy　man；　a　man　of　good

society；　who　knew　it　as　it　was　before　the　Revolution；　who　was　once　an

atheist；　and　is　now　an　earnest　Catholic。　Do　not　let　your　feelings

debar　you　from　going　to　his　house　this　very　evening；　he　will　fully

understand　the　step　you　take；　forget　for　a　moment　that　you　are　a

Kergarouet。〃



〃Never！〃　said　the　old　mother；　in　a　sharp　voice。



〃Well；　then；　be　an　amiable　Kergarouet；　come　when　he　is　alone。　He　will

lend　you　the　money　at　three　and　a　half　per　cent；　perhaps　even　at　three

per　cent；　and　will　do　you　this　service　delicately；　you　will　be　pleased

with　him。　He　can　go　to　Paris　and　release　Savinien　himself；for　he

will　have　to　go　there　to　sell　out　his　funds；and　he　can　bring　the　lad

back　to　you。〃



〃Are　you　speaking　of　that　little　Minoret？〃



〃That　little　Minoret　is　eighty…three　years　old；〃　said　the　abbe；

smiling。　〃My　dear　lady；　do　have　a　little　Christian　charity；　don't

wound　him；he　might　be　useful　to　you　in　other　ways。〃



〃What　ways？〃



〃He　has　an　angel　in　his　house；　a　precious　young　girl〃



〃Oh！　that　little　Ursula。　What　of　that？〃



The　poor　abbe　did　not　pursue　the　subject　after　these　significant

words；　the　laconic　sharpness　of　which　cut　through　the　proposition　he

was　about　to　make。



〃I　think　Doctor　Minoret　is　very　rich；〃　he　said。



〃So　much　the　better　for　him。〃



〃You　have　indirectly　caused　your　son's　misfortunes　by　refusing　to　give

him　a　profession；　beware　for　the　future；〃　said　the　abbe　sternly。　〃Am　I

to　tell　Doctor　Minoret　that　you　are　coming？〃



〃Why　cannot　he　come　to　me　if　he　knows　I　want　him？〃　she　replied。



〃Ah；　madame；　if　you　go　to　him　you　will　pay　him　three　per　cent；　if　he

comes　to　you　you　will　pay　him　five；〃　said　the　abbe；　inventing　this

reason　to　influence　the　old　lady。　〃And　if　you　are　forced　to　sell　your

farm　by　Dionis　the　notary；　or　by　Massin　the　clerk　（who　would　refuse　to

lend　you　the　money；　knowing　it　was　more　their　interest　to　buy）；　you

would　lose　half　its　value。　I　have　not　the　slightest　influence　on　the

Dionis；　Massins；　or　Levraults；　or　any　of　those　rich　men　who　covet　your

farm　and　know　that　your　son　is　in　prison。〃



〃They　know　it！　oh；　do　they　know　it？〃　she　exclaimed；　throwing　up　her

arms。　〃The