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

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