ursula-第43章

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removing　Ursula　from　the　village　inn　than　to　buy　a　small　house　on　the

Grand'Rue　at　the　corner　of　the　bridge　over　the　Loing。　The　little

building　had　a　front　door　opening　on　a　corridor；　and　one　room　on　the

ground…floor　with　two　windows　on　the　street；　behind　this　came　the

kitchen；　with　a　glass　door　opening　to　an　inner　courtyard　about　thirty

feet　square。　A　small　staircase；　lighted　on　the　side　towards　the　river

by　small　windows；　led　to　the　first　floor　where　there　were　three

chambers；　and　above　these　were　two　attic　rooms。　Monsieur　Bongrand

borrowed　two　thousand　francs　from　La　Bougival's　savings　to　pay　the

first　instalment　of　the　price；six　thousand　francs；and　obtained

good　terms　for　payment　of　the　rest。　As　Ursula　wished　to　buy　her

uncle's　books；　Bongrand　knocked　down　the　partition　between　two　rooms

on　the　bedroom　floor；　finding　that　their　united　length　was　the　same　as

that　of　the　doctor's　library；　and　gave　room　for　his　bookshelves。



Savinien　and　Bongrand　urged　on　the　workmen　who　were　cleaning；

painting；　and　otherwise　renewing　the　tiny　place；　so　that　before　the

end　of　March　Ursula　was　able　to　leave　the　inn　and　take　up　her　abode　in

the　ugly　house；　where；　however；　she　found　a　bedroom　exactly　like　the

one　she　had　left；　for　it　was　filled　with　all　her　furniture；　claimed　by

the　justice　of　peace　when　the　seals　were　removed。　La　Bougival；

sleeping　in　the　attic；　could　be　summoned　by　a　bell　placed　near　the

head　of　the　young　girl's　bed。　The　room　intended　for　the　books；　the

salon　on　the　ground…floor　and　the　kitchen；　though　still　unfurnished；

had　been　hung　with　fresh　papers　and　repainted；　and　only　awaited　the

purchases　which　the　young　girl　hoped　to　make　when　her　godfather's

effects　were　sold。



Though　the　strength　of　Ursula's　character　was　well　known　to　the　abbe

and　Monsieur　Bongrand；　they　both　feared　the　sudden　change　from　the

comfort　and　elegancies　to　which　her　uncle　had　accustomed　her　to　this

barren　and　denuded　life。　As　for　Savinien　he　wept　over　it。　He　did；　in

fact；　make　private　payments　to　the　workman　and　to　the　upholsterer；　so

that　Ursula　should　perceive　no　difference　between　the　new　chamber　and

the　old　one。　But　the　young　girl　herself；　whose　happiness　now　lay　in

Savinien's　own　eyes；　showed　the　gentlest　resignation；　which　endeared

her　more　and　more　to　her　two　old　friends；　and　proved　to　them　for　the

hundredth　time　that　no　troubles　but　those　of　the　heart　could　make　her

suffer。　The　grief　she　felt　for　the　loss　of　her　godfather　was　far　too

deep　to　let　her　even　feel　the　bitterness　of　her　change　of　fortune；

though　it　added　fresh　obstacles　to　her　marriage。　Savinien's　distress

in　seeing　her　thus　reduced　did　her　so　much　harm　that　she　whispered　to

him；　as　they　came　from　mass　on　the　morning　on　the　day　when　she　first

went　to　live　in　her　new　house：



〃Love　could　not　exist　without　patience；　let　us　wait。〃



As　soon　as　the　form　of　the　inventory　was　drawn　up；　Massin；　advised　by

Goupil　（who　turned　to　him　under　the　influence　of　his　secret　hatred　to

the　post　master）；　summoned　Monsieur　and　Madame　de　Portenduere　to　pay

off　the　mortgage　which　had　now　elapsed；　together　with　the　interest

accruing　thereon。　The　old　lady　was　bewildered　at　a　summons　to　pay　one

hundred　and　twenty…nine　thousand　five　hundred　and　seventeen　francs

within　twenty…four　hours　under　pain　of　execution　on　her　house。　It　was

impossible　for　her　to　borrow　the　money。　Savinien　went　to

Fontainebleau　to　consult　a　lawyer。



〃You　are　dealing　with　a　bad　set　of　people　who　will　not　compromise；〃

was　the　lawyer's　opinion。　〃They　intend　to　sue　in　the　matter　and　get

your　farm　at　Bordieres。　The　best　way　for　you　would　be　to　make　a

voluntary　sale　of　it　and　so　escape　costs。〃



This　dreadful　news　broke　down　the　old　lady。　Her　son　very　gently

pointed　out　to　her　that　had　she　consented　to　his　marriage　in　Minoret's

life…time；　the　doctor　would　have　left　his　property　to　Ursula's　husband

and　they　would　to…day　have　been　opulent　instead　of　being；　as　they　now

were；　in　the　depths　of　poverty。　Though　said　without　reproach；　this

argument　annihilated　the　poor　woman　even　more　than　the　thought　of　her

coming　ejectment。　When　Ursula　heard　of　this　catastrophe　she　was

stupefied　with　grief；　having　scarcely　recovered　from　her　fever；　and

the　blow　which　the　heirs　had　already　dealt　her。　To　love　and　be　unable

to　succor　the　man　she　loves；that　is　one　of　the　most　dreadful　of　all

sufferings　to　the　soul　of　a　noble　and　sensitive　woman。



〃I　wished　to　buy　my　uncle's　house；〃　she　said；　〃now　I　will　buy　your

mother's。〃



〃Can　you？〃　said　Savinien。　〃You　are　a　minor；　and　you　cannot　sell　out

your　Funds　without　formalities　to　which　the　procureur　du　roi；　now　your

legal　guardian；　would　not　agree。　We　shall　not　resist。　The　whole　town

will　be　glad　to　see　the　discomfiture　of　a　noble　family。　These

bourgeois　are　like　hounds　after　a　quarry。　Fortunately；　I　still　have

ten　thousand　francs　left；　on　which　I　can　support　my　mother　till　this

deplorable　matter　is　settled。　Besides；　the　inventory　of　your

godfather's　property　is　not　yet　finished；　Monsieur　Bongrand　still

thinks　he　shall　find　something　for　you。　He　is　as　much　astonished　as　I

am　that　you　seem　to　be　left　without　fortune。　The　doctor　so　often　spoke

both　to　him　and　to　me　of　the　future　he　had　prepared　for　you　that

neither　of　us　can　understand　this　conclusion。〃



〃Pooh！〃　she　said；　〃so　long　as　I　can　buy　my　godfather's　books　and

furniture　and　prevent　their　being　dispersed；　I　am　content。〃



〃But　who　knows　the　price　these　infamous　creatures　will　set　on　anything

you　want？〃



Nothing　was　talked　of　from　Montargis　to　Fontainebleau　but　the　million

for　which　the　Minoret　heirs　were　searching。　But　the　most　minute　search

made　in　every　corner　of　the　house　after　the　seals　were　removed；

brought　no　discovery。　The　one　hundred　and　twenty…nine　thousand　francs

of　the　Portenduere　debt；　the　capital　of　the　fifteen　thousand　a　year　in

the　three　per　cents　（then　quoted　at　76）；　the　house；　valued　at　forty

thousand　francs；　and　its　handsome　furniture；　produced　a　total　of　about

six　hundred　thousand　francs；　which　to　most　persons　seemed　a　comforting

sum。　But　what　had　become　of　the　money　the　doctor　must　have　saved？



Minoret　began　to　have　gnawing　anxieties。　La　Bougival　and　Savinien；　who

persisted　in　believing；　as　did　the　justice　of　peace；　in　the　existence

of　a　will；　came　every　day　at　the　close　of　each　session　to　find　out

from　Bongrand　the　results　of　the　day's　search。　The　latter　would

sometimes　exclaim；　before　the　agents　and　the　heirs　were　fairly　out　of

hearing；　〃I　can't　understand　the　thing！〃　Bongrand；　Savinien；　and　the

abbe　often　declared　to　each　other　that　the　doctor；　who　received　no

interest　from　the　Portenduere　loan；　could　not　have　kept　his　house　as

he　did　on　fifteen　thousand　francs　a　year。　This　opinion；　openly

expressed；　made　the　post　master　turn　livid　more　than　once。



〃Yet　they　and　I　have　rummaged　everywhere；〃　said　Bongrand；〃they　to

find　money；　and　I　to　find　a　will　in　favor　of　Monsieur　de　Portenduere。

They　have　sifted　the　ashes；　lifted　the　marbles；　felt　of　the　slippers；

bored　into　the　wood…work　of　the　beds；　emptied　the　mattresses；　ripped

up　the　quilts；　turned　his　eider…down　inside…out；　examined　every　inch

of　paper　piece　by　piece；　searched　the　drawers；　dug　up　the　cellar　floor

and　I　have　urged　on　their　devastations。〃



〃What　do　you　think　about　it？〃　said　the　abbe。



〃The　will　has　been　suppressed　by　one　of　the　heirs。〃



〃But　where's　the　property？〃



〃We　may　whistle　for　it！〃



〃Perhaps　the　will　is　hidden　in　the　library；〃　said　Savinien。



〃Yes；　and　for　that　reason　I　don't　dissuade　Ursula　from　buying　it。　If

it　were　not　for　that；　it　would　be　absurd　to　let　her　put　every　penny　of

her　ready　money　into　books　she　will　never　open。〃



At　first　the　whole　town　believed　the　doctor's　niece　had　got　possession

of　the　unfound　capital；　but　when　it　was　known　positively　that　fourteen

hundred　francs　a　year　and　her　gifts　constituted　her　whole　fortune　the

search　of　the　doctor's　house　and　furnitu