ursula-第39章

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that　told　all。



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

before　the　marriage　of　young　Portenduere　with　that　affected　minx　can

take　place；〃　she　said。



Goupil　accompanied　Monsieur　and　Madame　Minoret　to　the　middle　of　their

great　courtyard；　and　there　said；　looking　round　to　see　if　they　were

quite　alone：



〃Will　you　give　me　the　means　of　buying　Dionis's　practice？　If　you　will；

I　will　break　off　the　marriage　between　Portenduere　and　Ursula。〃



〃How？〃　asked　the　colossus。



〃Do　you　think　I　am　such　a　fool　as　to　tell　you　my　plan？〃　said　the

notary's　head　clerk。



〃Well；　my　lad；　separate　them；　and　we'll　see　what　we　can　do；〃　said

Zelie。



〃I　don't　embark　in　any　such　business　on　a　'we'll　see。'　The　young　man

is　a　fire…eater　who　might　kill　me；　I　ought　to　be　rough…shod　and　as

good　a　hand　with　a　sword　or　a　pistol　as　he　is。　Set　me　up　in　business；

and　I'll　keep　my　word。〃



〃Prevent　the　marriage　and　I　will　set　you　up；〃　said　the　post　master。



〃It　is　nine　months　since　you　have　been　thinking　of　lending　me　a　paltry

fifteen　thousand　francs　to　buy　Lecoeur's　practice；　and　you　expect　me

to　trust　you　now！　Nonsense；　you'll　lose　your　uncle's　property；　and

serve　you　right。〃



〃It　if　were　only　a　matter　of　fifteen　thousand　francs　and　Lecoeur's

practice；　that　might　be　managed；〃　said　Zelie；　〃but　to　give　security

for　you　in　a　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　is　another　thing。〃



〃But　I'll　do　my　part；〃　said　Goupil；　flinging　a　seductive　look　at

Zelie；　which　encountered　the　imperious　glance　of　the　post　mistress。



The　effect　was　that　of　venom　on　steel。



〃We　can　wait；〃　said　Zelie。



〃The　devil's　own　spirit　is　in　you；〃　thought　Goupil。　〃If　I　ever　catch

that　pair　in　my　power；〃　he　said　to　himself　as　he　left　the　yard；　〃I'll

squeeze　them　like　lemons。〃



By　cultivating　the　society　of　the　doctor；　the　abbe；　and　Monsieur

Bongrand；　Savinien　proved　the　excellence　of　his　character。　The　love　of

this　young　man　for　Ursula；　so　devoid　of　self…interest；　and　so

persistent；　interested　the　three　friends　deeply；　and　they　now　never

separated　the　lovers　in　their　thoughts。　Soon　the　monotony　of　this

patriarchal　life；　and　the　certainty　of　a　future　before　them；　gave　to

their　affection　a　fraternal　character。　The　doctor　often　left　the　pair

alone　together。　He　judged　the　young　man　rightly；　he　saw　him　kiss　her

hand　on　arriving；　but　he　knew　he　would　ask　no　kiss　when　alone　with

her；　so　deeply　did　the　lover　respect　the　innocence；　the　frankness　of

the　young　girl；　whose　excessive　sensibility；　often　tried；　taught　him

that　a　harsh　word；　a　cold　look；　or　the　alternations　of　gentleness　and

roughness　might　kill　her。　The　only　freedom　between　the　two　took　place

before　the　eyes　of　the　old　man　in　the　evenings。



Two　years；　full　of　secret　happiness；　passed　thus；without　other

events　than　the　fruitless　efforts　made　by　the　young　man　to　obtain　from

his　mother　her　consent　to　his　marriage。　He　talked　to　her　sometimes　for

hours　together。　She　listened　and　made　no　answer　to　his　entreaties；

other　than　by　Breton　silence　or　a　positive　denial。



At　nineteen　years　of　age　Ursula；　elegant　in　appearance；　a　fine

musician；　and　well　brought　up；　had　nothing　more　to　learn；　she　was

perfected。　The　fame　of　her　beauty　and　grace　and　education　spread　far。

The　doctor　was　called　upon　to　decline　the　overtures　of　Madame

d'Aiglemont；　who　was　thinking　of　Ursula　for　her　eldest　son。　Six　months

later；　in　spite　of　the　secrecy　the　doctor　and　Ursula　maintained　on

this　subject；　Savinien　heard　of　it。　Touched　by　so　much　delicacy；　he

made　use　of　the　incident　in　another　attempt　to　vanquish　his　mother's

obstinacy；　but　she　merely　replied：



〃If　the　d'Aiglemonts　choose　to　ally　themselves　ill；　is　that　any　reason

why　we　should　do　so？〃



In　December；　1834；　the　kind　and　now　truly　pious　old　doctor；　then

eighty…eight　years　old；　declined　visibly。　When　seen　out　of　doors；　his

face　pinched　and　wan　and　his　eyes　pale；　all　the　town　talked　of　his

approaching　death。　〃You'll　soon　know　results；〃　said　the　community　to

the　heirs。　In　truth　the　old　man's　death　had　all　the　attraction　of　a

problem。　But　the　doctor　himself　did　not　know　he　was　ill；　he　had　his

illusions；　and　neither　poor　Ursula　nor　Savinien　nor　Bongrand　nor　the

abbe　were　willing　to　enlighten　him　as　to　his　condition。　The　Nemours

doctor　who　came　to　see　him　every　day　did　not　venture　to　prescribe。　Old

Minoret　felt　no　pain；　his　lamp　of　life　was　gently　going　it。　His　mind

continued　firm　and　clear　and　powerful。　In　old　men　thus　constituted　the

soul　governs　the　body；　and　gives　it　strength　to　die　erect。　The　abbe；

anxious　not　to　hasten　the　fatal　end；　released　his　parishioner　from　the

duty　of　hearing　mass　in　church；　and　allowed　him　to　read　the　services

at　home；　for　the　doctor　faithfully　attended　to　all　his　religious

duties。　The　nearer　he　came　to　the　grave　the　more　he　loved　God；　the

lights　eternal　shone　upon　all　difficulties　and　explained　them　more　and

more　clearly　to　his　mind。　Early　in　the　year　Ursula　persuaded　him　to

sell　the　carriage　and　horses　and　dismiss　Cabirolle。　Monsieur　Bongrand；

whose　uneasiness　about　Ursula's　future　was　far　from　quieted　by　the

doctor's　half…confidence；　boldly　opened　the　subject　one　evening　and

showed　his　old　friend　the　importance　of　making　Ursula　legally　of　age。

Still　the　old　man；　though　he　had　often　consulted　the　justice　of　peace；

would　not　reveal　to　him　the　secret　of　his　provision　for　Ursula；　though

he　agreed　to　the　necessity　of　securing　her　independence　by　majority。

The　more　Monsieur　Bongrand　persisted　in　his　efforts　to　discover　the

means　selected　by　his　old　friend　to　provide　for　his　darling　the　more

wary　the　doctor　became。



〃Why　not　secure　the　thing；〃　said　Bongrand；　〃why　run　any　risks？〃



〃When　you　are　between　two　risks；〃　replied　the　doctor；　〃avoid　the　most

risky。〃



Bongrand　carried　through　the　business　of　making　Ursula　of　age　so

promptly　that　the　papers　were　ready　by　the　day　she　was　twenty。　That

anniversary　was　the　last　pleasure　of　the　old　doctor　who；　seized

perhaps　with　a　presentiment　of　his　end；　gave　a　little　ball；　to　which

he　invited　all　the　young　people　in　the　families　of　Dionis；　Cremiere；

Minoret；　and　Massin。　Savinien；　Bongrand；　the　abbe　and　his　two

assistant　priests；　the　Nemours　doctor；　and　Mesdames　Zelie　Minoret；

Massin；　and　Cremiere；　together　with　old　Schmucke；　were　the　guests　at　a

grand　dinner　which　preceded　the　ball。



〃I　feel　I　am　going；〃　said　the　old　man　to　the　notary　towards　the　close

of　the　evening。　〃I　beg　you　to　come　to…morrow　and　draw　up　my

guardianship　account　with　Ursula；　so　as　not　to　complicate　my　property

after　my　death。　Thank　God！　I　have　not　withdrawn　one　penny　from　my

heirs；I　have　disposed　of　nothing　but　my　income。　Messieurs　Cremiere；

Massin；　and　Minoret　my　nephew　are　members　of　the　family　council

appointed　for　Ursula；　and　I　wish　them　to　be　present　at　the　rendering

of　my　account。〃



These　words；　heard　by　Massin　and　quickly　passed　from　one　to　another

round　the　ball…room；　poured　balm　into　the　minds　of　the　three　families；

who　had　lived　in　perpetual　alternations　of　hope　and　fear；　sometimes

thinking　they　were　certain　of　wealth；　oftener　that　they　were

disinherited。



When；　about　two　in　the　morning；　the　guests　were　all　gone　and　no　one

remained　in　the　salon　but　Savinien；　Bongrand；　and　the　abbe；　the　old

doctor　said；　pointing　to　Ursula；　who　was　charming　in　her　ball　dress；

〃To　you；　my　friends；　I　confide　her！　A　few　days　more；　and　I　shall　be

here　no　longer　to　protect　her。　Put　yourselves　between　her　and　the

world　until　she　is　married；I　fear　for　her。〃



The　words　made　a　painful　impression。　The　guardian's　account；　rendered

a　day　or　two　later　in　presence　of　the　family　council；　showed　that

Doctor　Minoret　owed　a　balance　to　his　ward　of　ten　thousand　six　hundred

francs　from　the　bequest　of　Monsieur　de　Jordy；　and　also　from　a　little

capital　of　gifts　made　by　the　doctor　himself　to　Ursula　during　the　last

fifteen　years；　on　birthdays　and　other　anniversaries。



This　for