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第37章

ursula-第37章

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bench; and when Savinien sat beside her; entreating pardon; he saw the

doctor standing before them。



〃My friend;〃 said the old man; 〃Ursula is a born sensitive; too rough

a word might kill her。 For her sake you must moderate the enthusiasm

of your loveAh! if you had loved her for sixteen years as I have;

you would have been satisfied with her word of promise;〃 he added; to

revenge himself for the last sentence in Savinien's second letter。



Two days later the young man departed。 In spite of the letters which

he wrote regularly to Ursula; she fell a prey to an illness without

apparent cause。 Like a fine fruit with a worm at the core; a single

thought gnawed her heart。 She lost both appetite and color。 The first

time her godfather asked her what she felt; she replied:



〃I want to see the ocean。〃



〃It is difficult to take you to a sea…port in the depth of winter;〃

answered the old man。



〃Shall I really go?〃 she said。



If the wind was high; Ursula was inwardly convulsed; certain; in spite

of the learned assurances of the doctor and the abbe; that Savinien

was being tossed about in a whirlwind。 Monsieur Bongrand made her

happy for days with the gift of an engraving representing a midshipman

in uniform。 She read the newspapers; imagining that they would give

news of the cruiser on which her lover sailed。 She devoured Cooper's

sea…tales and learned to use sea…terms。 Such proofs of concentration

of feeling; often assumed by other women; were so genuine in Ursula

that she saw in dreams the coming of Savinien's letters; and never

failed to announce them; relating the dream as a forerunner。



〃Now;〃 she said to the doctor the fourth time that this happened; 〃I

am easy; wherever Savinien may be; if he is wounded I shall know it

instantly。〃



The old doctor thought over this remark so anxiously that the abbe and

Monsieur Bongrand were troubled by the sorrowful expression of his

face。



〃What pains you?〃 they said; when Ursula had left them。



〃Will she live?〃 replied the doctor。 〃Can so tender and delicate a

flower endure the trials of the heart?〃



Nevertheless; the 〃little dreamer;〃 as the abbe called her; was

working hard。 She understood the importance of a fine education to a

woman of the world; and all the time she did not give to her singing

and to the study of harmony and composition she spent in reading the

books chosen for her by the abbe from her godfather's rich library。

And yet while leading this busy life she suffered; though without

complaint。 Sometimes she would sit for hours looking at Savinien's

window。 On Sundays she would leave the church behind Madame de

Portenduere and watch her tenderly; for; in spite of the old lady's

harshness; she loved her as Savinien's mother。 Her piety increased;

she went to mass every morning; for she firmly believed that her

dreams were the gift of God。



At last her godfather; frightened by the effects produced by this

nostalgia of love; promised on her birthday to take her to Toulon to

see the departure of the fleet for Algiers。 Savinien's ship formed

part of it; but he was not to be informed beforehand of their

intention。 The abbe and Monsieur Bongrand kept secret the object of

this journey; said to be for Ursula's health; which disturbed and

greatly puzzled the relations。 After beholding Savinien in his naval

uniform; and going on board the fine flag…ship of the admiral; to whom

the minister had given young Portenduere a special recommendation;

Ursula; at her lover's entreaty; went with her godfather to Nice; and

along the shores of the Mediterranean to Genoa; where she heard of the

safe arrival of the fleet at Algiers and the landing of the troops。

The doctor would have liked to continue the journey through Italy; as

much to distract Ursula's mind as to finish; in some sense; her

education; by enlarging her ideas through comparison with other

manners and customs and countries; and by the fascination of a land

where the masterpieces of art can still be seen; and where so many

civilizations have left their brilliant traces。 But the tidings of the

opposition by the throne to the newly elected Chamber of 1830 obliged

the doctor to return to France; bringing back his treasure in a

flourishing state of health and possessed of a charming little model

of the ship on which Savinien was serving。



The elections of 1830 united into an active body the various Minoret

relations;Desire and Goupil having formed a committee in Nemours by

whose efforts a liberal candidate was put in nomination at

Fontainebleau。 Massin; as collector of taxes; exercised an enormous

influence over the country electors。 Five of the post master's farmers

were electors。 Dionis represented eleven votes。 After a few meetings

at the notary's; Cremiere; Massin; the post master; and their

adherents took a habit of assembling there。 By the time the doctor

returned; Dionis's office and salon were the camp of his heirs。 The

justice of peace and the mayor; who had formed an alliance; backed by

the nobility in the neighbouring castles; to resist the liberals of

Nemours; now worsted in their efforts; were more closely united than

ever by their defeat。



By the time Bongrand and the Abbe Chaperon were able to tell the

doctor by word of mouth the result of the antagonism; which was

defined for the first time; between the two classes in Nemours (giving

incidentally such importance to his heirs) Charles X。 had left

Rambouillet for Cherbourg。 Desire Minoret; whose opinions were those

of the Paris bar; sent for fifteen of his friends; commanded by Goupil

and mounted on horses from his father's stable; who arrived in Paris

on the night of the 28th。 With this troop Goupil and Desire took part

in the capture of the Hotel…de…Veille。 Desire was decorated with the

Legion of honor and appointed deputy procureur du roi at

Fontainebleau。 Goupil received the July cross。 Dionis was elected

mayor of Nemours; and the city council was composed of the post master

(now assistant…mayor); Massin; Cremiere; and all the adherents of the

family faction。 Bongrand retained his place only through the influence

of his son; procureur du roi at Melun; whose marriage with

Mademoiselle Levrault was then on the tapis。



Seeing the three…per…cents quoted at forty…five; the doctor started by

post for Paris; and invested five hundred and forty thousand francs

in shares to bearer。 The rest of his fortune which amounted to about

two hundred and seventy thousand francs; standing in his own name in

the same funds; gave him ostensibly an income of fifteen thousand

francs a year。 He made the same disposition of Ursula's little capital

bequeathed to her by de Jordy; together with the accrued interest

thereon; which gave her about fourteen hundred francs a year in her

own right。 La Bougival; who had laid by some five thousand francs of

her savings; did the same by the doctor's advice; receiving in future

three hundred and fifty francs a year in dividends。 These judicious

transactions; agreed on between the doctor and Monsieur Bongrand; were

carried out in perfect secrecy; thanks to the political troubles of

the time。



When quiet was again restored the doctor bought the little house which

adjoined his own and pulled it down so as to build a coach…house and

stables on its side。 To employ a capital which would have given him a

thousand francs a year on outbuildings seemed actual folly to the

Minoret heirs。 This folly; if it were one; was the beginning of a new

era in the doctor's existence; for he now (at a period when horses and

carriages were almost given away) brought back from Paris three fine

horses and a caleche。



When; in the early part of November; 1830; the old man came to church

on a rainy day in the new carriage; and gave his hand to Ursula to

help her out; all the inhabitants flocked to the square;as much to

see the caleche and question the coachman; as to criticize the

goddau

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