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第44章

ursula-第44章

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

search of the doctor's house and furniture excited a more wide…spread

curiosity than before。 Some said the money would be found in bank

bills hidden away in the furniture; others that the old man had

slipped them into his books。 The sale of the effects exhibited a

spectacle of the most extraordinary precautions on the part of the

heirs。 Dionis; who was doing duty as auctioneeer; declared; as each

lot was cried out; that the heirs only sold the article (whatever it

was) and not what it might contain; then; before allowing it to be

taken away it was subjected to a final investigation; being thumped

and sounded; and when at last it left the house the sellers followed

with the looks a father might cast upon a son who was starting for

India。



〃Ah; mademoiselle;〃 cried La Bougival; returning from the first

session in despair; 〃I shall not go again。 Monsieur Bongrand is right;

you could never bear the sight。 Everything is ticketed。 All the town

is coming and going just as in the street; the handsome furniture is

being ruined; they even stand upon it; the whole place is such a

muddle that a hen couldn't find her chicks。 You'd think there had been

a fire。 Lots of things are in the courtyard; the closets are all open;

and nothing in them。 Oh! the poor dear man; it's well he died; the

sight would have killed him。〃



Bongrand; who bought for Ursula certain articles which her uncle

cherished; and which were suitable for her little house; did not

appear at the sale of the library。 Shrewder than the heirs; whose

cupidity might have run up the price of the books had they known he

was buying them for Ursula; he commissioned a dealer in old books

living in Melun to buy them for him。 As a result of the heir's anxiety

the whole library was sold book by book。 Three thousand volumes were

examined; one by one; held by the two sides of the binding and shaken

so that loose papers would infallibly fall out。 The whole amount of

the purchases on Ursula's account amounted to six thousand five

hundred francs or thereabouts。 The book…cases were not allowed to

leave the premises until carefully examined by a cabinet…maker;

brought down from Paris to search for secret drawers。 When at last

Monsieur Bongrand gave orders to take the books and the bookcases to

Mademoiselle Mirouet's house the heirs were tortured with vague fears;

not dissipated until in course of time they saw how poorly she lived。



Minoret bought up his uncle's house; the value of which his co…heirs

ran up to fifty thousand francs; imagining that the post master

expected to find a treasure in the walls; in fact the house was sold

with a reservation on this subject。 Two weeks later Minoret disposed

of his post establishment; with all the coaches and horses; to the son

of a rich farmer; and went to live in his uncle's house; where he

spent considerable sums in repairing and refurnishing the rooms。 By

making this move he thoughtlessly condemned himself to live within

sight of Ursula。



〃I hope;〃 he said to Dionis the day when Madame de Portenduere was

summoned to pay her debt; 〃that we shall soon be rid of those nobles;

after they are gone we'll drive out the rest。〃



〃That old woman with fourteen quarterings;〃 said Goupil; 〃won't want

to witness her own disaster; she'll go and die in Brittany; where she

can manage to find a wife for her son。〃



〃No;〃 said the notary; who had that morning drawn out a deed of sale

at Bongrand's request。 〃Ursula has just bought the house she is living

in。〃



〃That cursed fool does everything she can to annoy me!〃 cried the post

master imprudently。



〃What does it signify to you whether she lives in Nemours or not?〃

asked Goupil; surprised at the annoyance which the colossus betrayed。



〃Don't you know;〃 answered Minoret; turning as red as a poppy; 〃that

my son is fool enough to be in love with her? I'd give five hundred

francs if I could get Ursula out of this town。〃







CHAPTER XVI



THE TWO ADVERSARIES



Perhaps the foregoing conduct on the part of the post master will have

shown already that Ursula; poor and resigned; was destined to be a

thorn in the side of the rich Minoret。 The bustle attending the

settlement of an estate; the sale of the property; the going and

coming necessitated by such unusual business; his discussions with his

wife about the most trifling details; the purchase of the doctor's

house; where Zelie wished to live in bourgeois style to advance her

son's interests;all this hurly…burly; contrasting with his usually

tranquil life hindered the huge Minoret from thinking of his victim。

But about the middle of May; a few days after his installation in the

doctor's house; as he was coming home from a walk; he heard the sound

of a piano; saw La Bougival sitting at a window; like a dragon

guarding a treasure; and suddenly became aware of an importunate voice

within him。



To explain why to a man of Minoret's nature the sight of Ursula; who

had no suspicion of the theft committed upon her; now became

intolerable; why the spectacle of so much fortitude under misfortune

impelled him to a desire to drive the girl out of town; and how and

why it was that this desire took the form of hatred and revenge; would

require a whole treatise on moral philosophy。 Perhaps he felt he was

not the real possessor of thirty…six thousand francs a year so long as

she to whom they really belonged lived near him。 Perhaps he fancied

some mere chance might betray his theft if the person despoiled was

not got rid of。 Perhaps to a nature in some sort primitive; almost

uncivilized; and whose owner up to that time had never done anything

illegal; the presence of Ursula awakened remorse。 Possibly this

remorse goaded him the more because he had received his share of the

property legitimately acquired。 In his own mind he no doubt attributed

these stirrings of his conscience to the fact of Ursula's presence;

imagining that if she were removed all his uncomfortable feelings

would disappear with her。 But still; after all; perhaps crime has its

own doctrine of perfection。 A beginning of evil demands its end; a

first stab must be followed by the blow that kills。 Perhaps robbery is

doomed to lead to murder。 Minoret had committed the crime without the

slightest reflection; so rapidly had the events taken place;

reflection came later。 Now; if you have thoroughly possessed yourself

of this man's nature and bodily presence you will understand the

mighty effect produced on him by a thought。 Remorse is more than a

thought; it comes from a feeling which can no more be hidden than

love; like love; it has its own tyranny。 But; just as Minoret had

committed the crime against Ursula without the slightest reflection;

so he now blindly longed to drive her from Nemours when he felt

himself disturbed by the sight of that wronged innocence。 Being; in a

sense; imbecile; he never thought of the consequences; he went from

danger to danger; driven by a selfish instinct; like a wild animal

which does not foresee the huntsman's skill; and relies on its own

rapidity or strength。 Before long the rich bourgeois; who still met in

Dionis's salon; noticed a great change in the manners and behavior of

the man who had hitherto been so free of care。



〃I don't know what has come to Minoret; he is all NO HOW;〃 said his

wife; from whom he was resolved to hide his daring deed。



Everybody explained his condition as being; neither more nor less;

ennui (in fact the thought now expressed on his face did resemble

ennui); caused; they said; by the sudden cessation of business and the

change from an active life to one of well…to…do leisure。



While Minoret was thinking only of destroying Ursula's life in

Nemours; La Bougival never let a day go by without torturing her

foster child with some allusion to the fortune she ought to have had;

or without comparing her miser

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