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