ursula-第41章

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to　open　the　mysterious　package　and　know　its　contents。





To　my　dear　Ursula　Mirouet；　daughter　of　my　natural　half…brother；

Joseph　Mirouet；　and　Dinah　Grollman：



My　dear　Angel；The　fatherly　affection　I　bear　youand　which　you

have　so　fully　justifiedcame　not　only　from　the　promise　I　gave

your　father　to　take　his　place；　but　also　from　your　resemblance　to

my　wife；　Ursula　Mirouet；　whose　grace；　intelligence；　frankness；　and

charm　you　constantly　recall　to　my　mind。　Your　position　as　the

daughter　of　a　natural　son　of　my　father…in…law　might　invalidate　all

testamentary　bequests　made　by　me　in　your　favor



〃The　old　rascal！〃　cried　the　post　master。



Had　I　adopted　you　the　result　might　also　have　been　a　lawsuit；　and　I

shrank　from　the　idea　of　transmitting　my　fortune　to　you　by

marriage；　for　I　might　live　years　and　thus　interfere　with　your

happiness；　which　is　now　delayed　only　by　Madame　de　Portenduere。

Having　weighted　these　difficulties　carefully；　and　wishing　to　leave

you　enough　money　to　secure　to　you　a　prosperous　existence



〃The　scoundrel；　he　has　thought　of　everything！〃



　　without　injuring　my　heirs



〃The　Jesuit！　as　if　he　did　not　owe　us　every　penny　of　his　money！〃



I　intend　you　to　have　the　savings　from　my　income　which　I　have　for

the　last　eighteen　years　steadily　invested；　by　the　help　of　my

notary；　seeking　to　make　you　thereby　as　happy　as　any　one　can　be

made　by　riches。　Without　means；　your　education　and　your　lofty　ideas

would　cause　you　unhappiness。　Besides；　you　ought　to　bring　a　liberal

dowry　to　the　fine　young　man　who　loves　you。　You　will　therefore　find

in　the　middle　of　the　third　volume　of　Pandects；　folio；　bound　in　red

morocco　（the　last　volume　on　the　first　shelf　above　the　little　table

in　the　library；　on　the　side　of　the　room　next　the　salon）；　three

certificates　of　Funds　in　the　three…per…cents；　made　out　to　bearer；

each　amounting　to　twelve　thousand　francs　a　year



〃What　depths　of　wickedness！〃　screamed　the　post　master。　〃Ah！　God　would

not　permit　me　to　be　so　defrauded。〃



Take　these　at　once；　and　also　some　uninvested　savings　made　to　this

date；　which　you　will　find　in　the　preceding　volume。　Remember；　my

darling　child；　that　you　must　obey　a　wish　that　has　made　the

happiness　of　my　whole　life；　a　wish　that　will　force　me　to　ask　the

intervention　of　God　should　you　disobey　me。　But；　to　guard　against

all　scruples　in　your　dear　consciencefor　I　well　know　how　ready　it

is　to　torture　youyou　will　find　herewith　a　will　in　due　form

bequeathing　these　certificates　to　Monsieur　Savinien　de

Portenduere。　So；　whether　you　possess　them　in　your　own　name；　or

whether　they　come　to　you　from　him　you　love；　they　will　be；　in　every

sense；　your　legitimate　property。



Your　godfather；

Denis　Minoret。





To　this　letter　was　annexed　the　following　paper　written　on　a　sheet　of

stamped　paper。





This　is　my　will：　I；　Denis　Minoret；　doctor　of　medicine；　settled　in

Nemours；　being　of　sound　mind　and　body；　as　the　date　of　this

document　will　show；　do　bequeath　my　soul　to　God；　imploring　him　to

pardon　my　errors　in　view　of　my　sincere　repentance。　Next；　having

found　in　Monsieur　le　Vicomte　Savinien　de　Portenduere　a　true　and

honest　affection　for　me；　I　bequeath　to　him　the　sum　of　thirty…six

thousand　francs　a　year　from　the　Funds；　at　three　per　cent；　the　said

bequest　to　take　precedence　of　all　inheritance　accruing　to　my

heirs。



Written　by　my　own　hand；　at　Nemours；　on　the　11th　of　January；　1831。



Denis　Minoret。





Without　an　instant's　hesitation　the　post　master；　who　had　locked

himself　into　his　wife's　bedroom　to　insure　being　alone；　looked　about

for　the　tinder…box；　and　received　two　warnings　from　heaven　by　the

extinction　of　two　matches　which　obstinately　refused　to　light。　The

third　took　fire。　He　burned　the　letter　and　the　will　on　the　hearth　and

buried　the　vestiges　of　paper　and　sealing…wax　in　the　ashes　by　way　of

superfluous　caution。　Then；　allured　by　the　thought　of　possessing

thirty…six　thousand　francs　a　year　of　which　his　wife　knew　nothing；　he

returned　at　full　speed　to　his　uncle's　house；　spurred　by　the　only　idea；

a　clear…cut；　simple　idea；　which　was　able　to　piece　and　penetrate　his

dull　brain。　Finding　the　house　invaded　by　the　three　families；　now

masters　of　the　place；　he　trembled　lest　he　should　be　unable　to

accomplish　a　project　to　which　he　gave　no　reflection　whatever；　except

so　far　as　to　fear　the　obstacles。



〃What　are　you　doing　here？〃　he　said　to　Massin　and　Cremiere。　〃We　can't

leave　the　house　and　the　property　to　be　pillaged。　We　are　the　heirs；　but

we　can't　camp　here。　You；　Cremiere；　go　to　Dionis　at　once　and　tell　him

to　come　and　certify　to　the　death；　I　can't　draw　up　the　mortuary

certificate　for　an　uncle；　though　I　am　assistant…mayor。　You；　Massin；　go

and　ask　old　Bongrand　to　attach　the　seals。　As　for　you；　ladies；〃　he

added；　turning　to　his　wife　and　Mesdames　Cremiere　and　Massin；　〃go　and

look　after　Ursula；　then　nothing　can　be　stolen。　Above　all；　close　the

iron　gate　and　don't　let　any　one　leave　the　house。〃



The　women；　who　felt　the　justice　of　this　remark；　ran　to　Ursula's

bedroom；　where　they　found　the　noble　girl；　so　cruelly　suspected；　on　her

knees　before　God；　her　face　covered　with　tears。　Minoret；　suspecting

that　the　women　would　not　long　remain　with　Ursula；　went　at　once　to　the

library；　found　the　volume；　opened　it；　took　the　three　certificates；　and

found　in　the　other　volume　about　thirty　bank　notes。　In　spite　of　his

brutal　nature　the　colossus　felt　as　though　a　peal　of　bells　were　ringing

in　each　ear。　The　blood　whistled　in　his　temples　as　he　committed　the

theft；　cold　as　the　weather　was；　his　shirt　was　wet　on　his　back；　his

legs　gave　way　under　him　and　he　fell　into　a　chair　in　the　salon　as　if　an

axe　had　fallen　on　his　head。



〃How　the　inheritance　of　money　loosens　a　man's　tongue！　Did　you　hear

Minoret？〃　said　Massin　to　Cremiere　as　they　hurried　through　the　town。

〃'Go　here；　go　there；'　just　as　if　he　knew　everything。〃



〃Yes；　for　a　dull　beast　like　him　he　had　a　certain　air　of〃



〃Stop！〃　said　Massin；　alarmed　at　a　sudden　thought。　〃His　wife　is　there；

they've　got　some　plan！　Do　you　do　both　errands；　I'll　go　back。〃



Just　as　the　post　master　fell　into　the　chair　he　saw　at　the　gate　the

heated　face　of　the　clerk　of　the　court　who　returned　to　the　house　of

death　with　the　celerity　of　a　weasel。



〃Well；　what　is　it　now？〃　asked　the　post　master；　unlocking　the　gate　for

his　co…heir。



〃Nothing；　I　have　come　back　to　be　present　at　the　sealing；〃　answered

Massin；　giving　him　a　savage　look。



〃I　wish　those　seals　were　already　on；　so　that　we　could　go　home；〃　said

Minoret。



〃We　shall　have　to　put　a　watcher　over　them；〃　said　Massin。　〃La　Bougival

is　capable　of　anything　in　the　interests　of　that　minx。　We'll　put　Goupil

there。〃



〃Goupil！〃　said　the　post　master；　〃put　a　rat　in　the　meal！〃



〃Well；　let's　consider；〃　returned　Massin。　〃To…night　they'll　watch　the

body；　the　seals　can　be　affixed　in　an　hour；　our　wives　could　look　after

them。　To…morrow　we'll　have　the　funeral　at　twelve　o'clock。　But　the

inventory　can't　be　made　under　a　week。〃



〃Let's　get　rid　of　that　girl　at　once；〃　said　the　colossus；　〃then　we　can

safely　leave　the　watchman　of　the　town…hall　to　look　after　the　house　and

the　seals。〃



〃Good；〃　cried　Massin。　〃You　are　the　head　of　the　Minoret　family。〃



〃Ladies；〃　said　Minoret；　〃be　good　enough　to　stay　in　the　salon；　we　can't

think　of　our　dinner　to…day；　the　seals　must　be　put　on　at　once　for　the

security　of　all　interests。〃



He　took　his　wife　apart　and　told　her　Massin's　proposition　about　Ursula。

The　women；　whose　hearts　were　full　of　vengeance　against　the　minx；　as

they　called　her；　hailed　the　idea　of　turning　her　out。　Bongrand　arrived

with　his　assistants　to　apply　the　seals；　and　was　indignant　when　the

request　was　made　to　him；　by　Zelie　and　Madame　Massin；　as　a　near　friend

of　the　deceased；　to　tell　Ursula　to　leave　the　house。



〃Go　and　turn　her　out　of　her　father's　house；　her　benefactor's　house

yourselves；〃　he　cried。　〃Go！　you　who　owe　your　inheritance　to　the

generosity　of　her　soul；　take　her　by　the　shoul