ursula-第38章

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

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

goddaughter；　to　whose　excessive　pride　and　ambition　Massin；　Cremiere；

the　post　master；　and　their　wives　attributed　this　extravagant　folly　of

the　old　man。



〃A　caleche！　Hey；　Massin！〃　cried　Goupil。　〃Your　inheritance　will　go　at

top　speed　now！〃



〃You　ought　to　be　getting　good　wages；　Cabirolle；〃　said　the　post　master

to　the　son　of　one　of　his　conductors；　who　stood　by　the　horses；　〃for　it

is　to　be　supposed　an　old　man　of　eighty…four　won't　use　up　many　horse…

shoes。　What　did　those　horses　cost？〃



〃Four　thousand　francs。　The　caleche；　though　second…hand；　was　two

thousand；　but　it's　a　fine　one；　the　wheels　are　patent。〃



〃Yes；　it's　a　good　carriage；〃　said　Cremiere；　〃and　a　man　must　be　rich　to

buy　that　style　of　thing。〃



〃Ursula　means　to　go　at　a　good　pace；〃　said　Goupil。　〃She's　right；　she's

showing　you　how　to　enjoy　life。　Why　don't　you　have　fine　carriages　and

horses；　papa　Minoret？　I　wouldn't　let　myself　be　humiliated　if　I　were

youI'd　buy　a　carriage　fit　for　a　prince。〃



〃Come；　Cabirolle；　tell　us；〃　said　Massin；　〃is　it　the　girl　who　drives

our　uncle　into　such　luxury？〃



〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Cabirolle；　〃but　she　is　almost　mistress　of　the

house。　There　are　masters　upon　masters　down　from　Paris。　They　say　now

she　is　going　to　study　painting。〃



〃Then　I　shall　seize　the　occasion　to　have　my　portrait　drawn；〃　said

Madame　Cremiere。



In　the　provinces　they　always　say　a　picture　is　drawn；　not　painted。



〃The　old　German　is　not　dismissed；　is　he？〃　said　Madame　Massin。



〃He　was　there　yesterday；〃　replied　Cabirolle。



〃Now；〃　said　Goupil；　〃you　may　as　well　give　up　counting　on　your

inheritance。　Ursula　is　seventeen　years　old；　and　she　is　prettier　than

ever。　Travel　forms　young　people；　and　the　little　minx　has　got　your

uncle　in　the　toils。　Five　or　six　parcels　come　down　for　her　by　the

diligence　every　week；　and　the　dressmakers　and　milliners　come　too；　to

try　on　her　gowns　and　all　the　rest　of　it。　Madame　Dionis　is　furious。

Watch　for　Ursula　as　she　comes　out　of　church　and　look　at　the　little

scarf　she　is　wearing　round　her　neck；real　cashmere；　and　it　cost　six

hundred　francs！〃



If　a　thunderbolt　had　fallen　in　the　midst　of　the　heirs　the　effect　would

have　been　less　than　that　of　Goupil's　last　words；　the　mischief…maker

stood　by　rubbing　his　hands。



The　doctor's　old　green　salon　had　been　renovated　by　a　Parisian

upholsterer。　Judged　by　the　luxury　displayed；　he　was　sometimes　accused

of　hoarding　immense　wealth；　sometimes　of　spending　his　capital　on

Ursula。　The　heirs　called　him　in　turn　a　miser　and　a　spendthrift；　but

the　saying；　〃He's　an　old　fool！〃　summed　upon；　on　the　whole；　the　verdict

of　the　neighbourhood。　These　mistaken　judgments　of　the　little　town　had

the　one　advantage　of　misleading　the　heirs；　who　never　suspected　the

love　between　Savinien　and　Ursula；　which　was　the　secret　reason　of　the

doctor's　expenditure。　The　old　man　took　the　greatest　delights　in

accustoming　his　godchild　to　her　future　station　in　the　world。

Possessing　an　income　of　over　fifty　thousand　francs　a　year；　it　gave　him

pleasure　to　adorn　his　idol。



In　the　month　of　February；　1832；　the　day　when　Ursula　was　eighteen；　her

eyes　beheld　Savinien　in　the　uniform　of　an　ensign　as　she　looked　from

her　window　when　she　rose　in　the　morning。



〃Why　didn't　I　know　he　was　coming？〃　she　said　to　herself。



After　the　taking　of　Algiers；　Savinien　had　distinguished　himself　by　an

act　of　courage　which　won　him　the　cross。　The　corvette　on　which　he　was

serving　was　many　months　at　sea　without　his　being　able　to　communicate

with　the　doctor；　and　he　did　not　wish　to　leave　the　service　without

consulting　him。　Desirous　of　retaining　in　the　navy　a　name　already

illustrious　in　its　service；　the　new　government　had　profited　by　a

general　change　of　officers　to　make　Savinien　an　ensign。　Having　obtained

leave　of　absence　for　fifteen　days；　the　new　officer　arrived　from　Toulon

by　the　mail；　in　time　for　Ursula's　fete；　intending　to　consult　the

doctor　at　the　same　time。



〃He　has　come！〃　cried　Ursula　rushing　into　her　godfather's　bedroom。



〃Very　good；〃　he　answered；　〃I　can　guess　what　brings　him；　and　he　may　now

stay　in　Nemours。〃



〃Ah！　that's　my　birthday　presentit　is　all　in　that　sentence；〃　she

said；　kissing　him。



On　a　sign；　which　she　ran　up　to　make　from　her　window；　Savinien　came

over　at　once；　she　longed　to　admire　him；　for　he　seemed　to　her　so

changed　for　the　better。　Military　service　does；　in　fact；　give　a　certain

grave　decision　to　the　air　and　carriage　and　gestures　of　a　man；　and　an

erect　bearing　which　enables　the　most　superficial　observer　to　recognize

a　military　man　even　in　plain　clothes。　The　habit　of　command　produces

this　result。　Ursula　loved　Savinien　the　better　for　it；　and　took　a

childlike　pleasure　in　walking　round　the　garden　with　him；　taking　his

arm；　and　hearing　him　relate　the　part　he　played　（as　midshipman）　in　the

taking　of　Algiers。　Evidently　Savinien　had　taken　the　city。　The　doctor；

who　had　been　watching　them　from　his　window　as　he　dressed；　soon　came

down。　Without　telling　the　viscount　everything；　he　did　say　that；　in

case　Madame　de　Portenduere　consented　to　his　marriage　with　Ursula；　the

fortune　of　his　godchild　would　make　his　naval　pay　superfluous。



〃Alas！〃　said　Savinien。　〃It　will　take　a　great　deal　of　time　to　overcome

my　mother's　opposition。　Before　I　left　her　to　enter　the　navy　she　was

placed　between　two　alternatives；either　to　consent　to　my　marrying

Ursula　or　else　to　see　me　only　from　time　to　time　and　to　know　me　exposed

to　the　dangers　of　the　profession；　and　you　see　she　chose　to　let　me　go。〃



〃But；　Savinien；　we　shall　be　together；〃　said　Ursula；　taking　his　hand

and　shaking　it　with　a　sort　of　impatience。



To　see　each　other　and　not　to　part；that　was　the　all　of　love　to　her；

she　saw　nothing　beyond　it；　and　her　pretty　gesture　and　the　petulant

tone　of　her　voice　expressed　such　innocence　that　Savinien　and　the

doctor　were　both　moved　by　it。　The　resignation　was　written　and

despatched；　and　Ursula's　fete　received　full　glory　from　the　presence　of

her　betrothed。　A　few　months　later；　towards　the　month　of　May；　the　home…

life　of　the　doctor's　household　had　resumed　the　quite　tenor　of　its　way

but　with　one　welcome　visitor　the　more。　The　attentions　of　the　young

viscount　were　soon　interpreted　in　the　town　as　those　of　a　future

husband；all　the　more　because　his　manners　and　those　of　Ursula；

whether　in　church；　or　on　the　promenade；　though　dignified　and　reserved；

betrayed　the　understanding　of　their　hearts。　Dionis　pointed　out　to　the

heirs　that　the　doctor　had　never　asked　Madame　de　Portenduere　for　the

interest　of　his　money；　three　years　of　which　was　now　due。



〃She'll　be　forced　to　yield；　and　consent　to　this　derogatory　marriage　of

her　son；〃　said　the　notary。　〃If　such　a　misfortune　happens　it　is

probable　that　the　greater　part　of　your　uncle's　fortune　will　serve　for

what　Basile　calls　'an　irresistible　argument。'〃







CHAPTER　XIV



URSULA　AGAIN　ORPHANED



The　irritation　of　the　heirs；　when　convinced　that　their　uncle　loved

Ursula　too　well　not　to　secure　her　happiness　at　their　expense；　became

as　underhand　as　it　was　bitter。　Meeting　in　Dionis's　salon　（as　they　had

done　every　evening　since　the　revolution　of　1830）　they　inveighed

against　the　lovers；　and　seldom　separated　without　discussing　some　way

of　circumventing　the　old　man。　Zelie；　who　had　doubtless　profited　by　the

fall　in　the　Funds；　as　the　doctor　had　done；　to　invest　some；　at　least；

of　her　enormous　gains；　was　bitterest　of　them　all　against　the　orphan

girl　and　the　Portendueres。　One　evening；　when　Goupil；　who　usually

avoided　the　dullness　of　these　meetings；　had　come　in　to　learn　something

of　the　affairs　of　the　town　which　were　under　discussion；　Zelie's　hatred

was　freshly　excited；　she　had　seen　the　doctor；　Ursula；　and　Savinien

returning　in　the　caleche　from　a　country　drive；　with　an　air　of　intimacy

that　told　all。



〃I'd　give　thirty　thousand　francs　if　God　would　call　uncle　to　himself