ursula-第30章

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society。〃



〃You　see；　madame；〃　said　the　abbe；　〃that　my　friend　the　doctor　is　full

of　devotion　to　your　family。〃



〃We　shall　be　grateful；　monsieur；〃　said　Madame　de　Portenduere；　making　a

visible　effort；　〃a　journey　to　Paris；　at　your　age；　in　quest　of　a

prodigal；　is〃



〃Madame；　I　had　the　honor　to　meet；　in　'65；　the　illustrious　Admiral　de

Portenduere　in　the　house　of　that　excellent　Monsieur　de　Malesherbes；

and　also　in　that　of　Monsieur　le　Comte　de　Buffon；　who　was　anxious　to

question　him　on　some　curious　results　of　his　voyages。　Possibly　Monsieur

de　Portenduere；　your　late　husband；　was　present。　Those　were　the

glorious　days　of　the　French　navy；　it　bore　comparison　with　that　of

Great　Britain；　and　its　officers　had　their　full　quota　of　courage。　With

what　impatience　we　awaited　in　'83　and　'84　the　news　from　St。　Roch。　I

came　very　near　serving　as　surgeon　in　the　king's　service。　Your　great…

uncle；　who　is　still　living；　Admiral　Kergarouet；　fought　his　splendid

battle　at　that　time　in　the　'Belle…Poule。'〃



〃Ah！　if　he　did　but　know　his　great…nephew　is　in　prison！〃



〃He　would　not　leave　him　there　a　day；〃　said　old　Minoret；　rising。



He　held　out　his　hand　to　take　that　of　the　old　lady；　which　she　allowed

him　to　do；　then　he　kissed　it　respectfully；　bowed　profoundly；　and　left

the　room；　but　returned　immediately　to　say：



〃My　dear　abbe；　may　I　ask　you　to　engage　a　place　in　the　diligence　for　me

to…morrow？〃



The　abbe　stayed　behind　for　half　an　hour　to　sing　the　praises　of　his

friend；　who　meant　to　win　and　had　succeeded　in　winning　the　good　graces

of　the　old　lady。



〃He　is　an　astonishing　man　for　his　age；〃　she　said。　〃He　talks　of　going

to　Paris　and　attending　to　my　son's　affairs　as　if　he　were　only　twenty…

five。　He　has　certainly　seen　good　society。〃



〃The　very　best；　madame；　and　to…day　more　than　one　son　of　a　peer　of

France　would　be　glad　to　marry　his　goddaughter　with　a　million。　Ah！　if

that　idea　should　come　into　Savinien's　head！times　are　so　changed　that

the　objections　would　not　come　from　your　side；　especially　after　his

late　conduct〃



The　amazement　into　which　the　speech　threw　the　old　lady　alone　enabled

him　to　finish　it。



〃You　have　lost　your　senses；〃　she　said　at　last。



〃Think　it　over；　madame；　God　grant　that　your　son　may　conduct　himself　in

future　in　a　manner　to　win　that　old　man's　respect。〃



〃If　it　were　not　you；　Monsieur　l'abbe；〃　said　Madame　de　Portenduere；　〃if

it　were　any　one　else　who　spoke　to　me　in　that　way〃



〃You　would　not　see　him　again；〃　said　the　abbe；　smiling。　〃Let　us　hope

that　your　dear　son　will　enlighten　you　as　to　what　occurs　in　Paris　in

these　days　as　to　marriages。　You　will　think　only　of　Savinien's　good；　as

you　really　have　helped　to　compromise　his　future　you　will　not　stand　in

the　way　of　his　making　himself　another　position。〃



〃And　it　is　you　who　say　that　to　me？〃



〃If　I　did　not　say　it　to　you；　who　would？〃　cried　the　abbe　rising　and

making　a　hasty　retreat。



As　he　left　the　house　he　saw　Ursula　and　her　godfather　standing　in　their

courtyard。　The　weak　doctor　had　been　so　entreated　by　Ursula　that　he　had

just　yielded　to　her。　She　wanted　to　go　with　him　to　Paris；　and　gave　a

thousand　reasons。　He　called　to　the　abbe　and　begged　him　to　engage　the

whole　coupe　for　him　that　very　evening　if　the　booking…office　were　still

open。



The　next　day　at　half…past　six　o'clock　the　old　man　and　the　young　girl

reached　Paris；　and　the　doctor　went　at　once　to　consult　his　notary。

Political　events　were　then　very　threatening。　Monsieur　Bongrand　had

remarked　in　the　course　of　the　preceding　evening　that　a　man　must　be　a

fool　to　keep　a　penny　in　the　public　funds　so　long　as　the　quarrel

between　the　press　and　the　court　was　not　made　up。　Minoret's　notary　now

indirectly　approved　of　this　opinion。　The　doctor　therefore　took

advantage　of　his　journey　to　sell　out　his　manufacturing　stocks　and　his

shares　in　the　Funds；　all　of　which　were　then　at　a　high　value；

depositing　the　proceeds　in　the　Bank　of　France。　The　notary　also　advised

his　client　to　sell　the　stocks　left　to　Ursula　by　Monsieur　de　Jordy。　He

promised　to　employ　an　extremely　clever　broker　to　treat　with　Savinien's

creditors；　but　said　that　in　order　to　succeed　it　would　be　necessary　for

the　young　man　to　stay　several　days　longer　in　prison。



〃Haste　in　such　matters　always　means　the　loss　of　at　least　fifteen　per

cent；〃　said　the　notary。　〃Besides；　you　can't　get　your　money　under　seven

or　eight　days。〃



When　Ursula　heard　that　Savinien　would　have　to　say　at　least　a　week

longer　in　jail　she　begged　her　godfather　to　let　her　go　there；　if　only

once。　Old　Minoret　refused。　The　uncle　and　niece　were　staying　at　a　hotel

in　the　Rue　Croix　des　Petits…Champs　where　the　doctor　had　taken　a　very

suitable　apartment。　Knowing　the　scrupulous　honor　and　propriety　of　his

goddaughter　he　made　her　promise　not　to　go　out　while　he　was　away；　at

other　times　he　took　her　to　see　the　arcades；　the　shops；　the　boulevards；

but　nothing　seemed　to　amuse　or　interest　her。



〃What　do　you　want　to　do？〃　asked　the　old　man。



〃See　Saint…Pelagie；〃　she　answered　obstinately。



Minoret　called　a　hackney…coach　and　took　her　to　the　Rue　de　la　Clef；

where　the　carriage　drew　up　before　the　shabby　front　of　an　old　convent

then　transformed　into　a　prison。　The　sight　of　those　high　gray　walls；

with　every　window　barred；　of　the　wicket　through　which　none　can　enter

without　stooping　（horrible　lesson！）；　of　the　whole　gloomy　structure　in

a　quarter　full　of　wretchedness；　where　it　rises　amid　squalid　streets

like　a　supreme　misery；this　assemblage　of　dismal　things　so　oppressed

Ursula's　heart　that　she　burst　into　tears。



〃Oh！〃　she　said；　〃to　imprison　young　men　in　this　dreadful　place　for

money！　How　can　a　debt　to　a　money…lender　have　a　power　the　king　has　not？

HE　there！〃　she　cried。　〃Where；　godfather？〃　she　added；　looking　from

window　to　window。



〃Ursula；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃you　are　making　me　commit　great　follies。

This　is　not　forgetting　him　as　you　promised。〃



〃But；〃　she　argued；　〃if　I　must　renounce　him　must　I　also　cease　to　feel

an　interest　in　him？　I　can　love　him　and　not　marry　at　all。〃



〃Ah！〃　cried　the　doctor；　〃there　is　so　much　reason　in　your

unreasonableness　that　I　am　sorry　I　brought　you。〃



Three　days　later　the　worthy　man　had　all　the　receipts　signed；　and　the

legal　papers　ready　for　Savinien's　release。　The　payings；　including　the

notaries'　fees；　amounted　to　eighty　thousand　francs。　The　doctor　went

himself　to　see　Savinien　released　on　Saturday　at　two　o'clock。　The　young

viscount；　already　informed　of　what　had　happened　by　his　mother；　thanked

his　liberator　with　sincere　warmth　of　heart。



〃You　must　return　at　once　to　see　your　mother；〃　the　old　doctor　said　to

him。



Savinien　answered　in　a　sort　of　confusion　that　he　had　contracted

certain　debts　of　honor　while　in　prison；　and　related　the　visit　of　his

friends。



〃I　suspected　there　was　some　personal　debt；〃　cried　the　doctor；　smiling。

〃Your　mother　borrowed　a　hundred　thousand　francs　of　me；　but　I　have　paid

out　only　eighty　thousand。　Here　is　the　rest；　be　careful　how　you　spend

it；　monsieur；　consider　what　you　have　left　of　it　as　your　stake　on　the

green　cloth　of　fortune。〃



During　the　last　eight　days　Savinien　had　made　many　reflections　on　the

present　conditions　of　life。　Competition　in　everything　necessitated

hard　work　on　the　part　of　whoever　sought　a　fortune。　Illegal　methods　and

underhand　dealing　demanded　more　talent　than　open　efforts　in　face　of

day。　Success　in　society；　far　from　giving　a　man　position；　wasted　his

time　and　required　an　immense　deal　of　money。　The　name　of　Portenduere；

which　his　mother　considered　all…powerful；　had　no　power　at　all　in

Paris。　His　cousin　the　deputy；　Comte　de　Portenduere；　cut　a　very　poor

figure　in　the　Elective　Chamber　in　presence　of　the　peerage　and　the

court；　and　had　none　too　much　credit　personally。　Admiral　Kergarouet

existed　only　as　the　husband　of　his　wife。　Savinien　admitted　to　himself

that　he　had　seen　orators；　men　from　the　middle　classes；　or　lesser

noblemen；　become　influential　personages。　Money　was　the　pivot；　the　sole