ursula-第48章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





〃She　is　cross；〃　said　Minoret　to　the　abbe。



〃Mademoiselle　Mirouet　is　quite　right　not　to　talk　to　men　on　the

threshold　of　her　door；〃　said　the　abbe；　〃she　is　too　young〃



〃Oh！〃　said　Goupil。　〃I　am　told　she　doesn't　lack　lovers。〃



The　abbe　bowed　hurriedly　and　went　as　fast　as　he　could　to　the　Rue　des

Bourgeois。



〃Well；〃　said　Goupil　to　Minoret；　〃the　thing　is　working。　Did　you　notice

how　pale　she　was。　Within　a　fortnight　she'll　have　left　the　townyou'll

see。〃



〃Better　have　you　for　a　friend　than　an　enemy；〃　cried　Minoret；

frightened　at　the　atrocious　grin　which　gave　to　Goupil's　face　the

diabolical　expression　of　the　Mephistopheles　of　Joseph　Brideau。



〃I　should　think　so！〃　returned　Goupil。　〃If　she　doesn't　marry　me　I'll

make　her　die　of　grief。〃



〃Do　it；　my　boy；　and　I'll　GIVE　you　the　money　to　buy　a　practice　in

Paris。　You　can　then　marry　a　rich　woman〃



〃Poor　Ursula！　what　makes　you　so　bitter　against　her？　what　has　she　done

to　you？〃　asked　the　clerk　in　surprise。



〃She　annoys　me；〃　said　Minoret；　gruffly。



〃Well；　wait　till　Monday　and　you　shall　see　how　I'll　rasp　her；〃　said

Goupil；　studying　the　expression　of　the　late　post　master's　face。



The　next　day　La　Bougival　carried　the　following　letter　to　Savinien。



〃I　don't　know　what　the　dear　child　has　written　to　you；〃　she　said；　〃but

she　is　almost　dead　this　morning。〃



Who；　reading　this　letter　to　her　lover；　could　fail　to　understand　the

sufferings　the　poor　girl　had　gone　through　during　the　night。



　　My　dear　Savinien；Your　mother　wishes　you　to　marry　Mademoiselle　du

　　Rouvre；　and　perhaps　she　is　right。　You　are　placed　between　a　life

　　that　is　almost　poverty…stricken　and　a　life　of　opulence；　between

　　the　betrothed　of　your　heart　and　a　wife　in　conformity　with　the

　　demands　of　the　world；　between　obedience　to　your　mother　and　the

　　fulfilment　of　your　own　choicefor　I　still　believe　that　you　have

　　chosen　me。　Savinien；　if　you　have　now　to　make　your　decision　I　wish

　　you　to　do　so　in　absolute　freedom；　I　give　you　back　the　promise　you

　　made　to　yourselfnot　to　mein　a　moment　which　can　never　fade　from

　　my　memory；　for　it　was；　like　other　days　that　have　succeeded　it；　of

　　angelic　purity　and　sweetness。　That　memory　will　suffice　me　for　my

　　life。　If　you　should　persist　in　your　pledge　to　me；　a　dark　and

　　terrible　idea　would　henceforth　trouble　my　happiness。　In　the　midst

　　of　our　privationswhich　we　have　hitherto　accepted　so　gaylyyou

　　might　reflect；　too　late；　that　life　would　have　been　to　you　a　better

　　thing　had　you　now　conformed　to　the　laws　of　the　world。　If　you　were

　　a　man　to　express　that　thought；　it　would　be　to　me　the　sentence　of

　　an　agonizing　death；　if　you　did　not　express　it；　I　should　watch

　　suspiciously　every　cloud　upon　your　brow。



　　Dear　Savinien；　I　have　preferred　you　to　all　else　on　earth。　I　was

　　right　to　do　so；　for　my　godfather；　though　jealous　of　you；　used　to

　　say　to　me；　〃Love　him；　my　child；　you　will　certainly　belong　to　each

　　other　one　of　these　days。〃　When　I　went　to　Paris　I　loved　you

　　hopelessly；　and　the　feeling　contented　me。　I　do　not　know　if　I　can

　　now　return　to　it；　but　I　shall　try。　What　are　we；　after　all；　at　this

　　moment？　Brother　and　sister。　Let　us　stay　so。　Marry　that　happy　girl

　　who　can　have　the　joy　of　giving　to　your　name　the　lustre　it　ought　to

　　have；　and　which　your　mother　thinks　I　should　diminish。　You　will　not

　　hear　of　me　again。　The　world　will　approve　of　you；　I　shall　never

　　blame　youbut　I　shall　love　you　ever。　Adieu；　then！



〃Wait；〃　cried　the　young　man。　Signing　to　La　Bougival　to　sit　down；　he

scratched　off　hastily　the　following　reply：



　　My　dear　Ursula；Your　letter　cuts　me　to　the　heart；　inasmuch　as　you

　　have　needlessly　felt　such　pain；　and　also　because　our　hearts；　for

　　the　first　time；　have　failed　to　understand　each　other。　If　you　are

　　not　my　wife　now；　it　is　solely　because　I　cannot　marry　without　my

　　mother's　consent。　Dear；　eight　thousand　francs　a　year　and　a　pretty

　　cottage　on　the　Loing；　why；　that's　a　fortune；　is　it　not？　You　know

　　we　calculated　that　if　we　kept　La　Bougival　we　could　lay　by　half　our

　　income　every　year。　You　allowed　me　that　evening；　in　your　uncle's

　　garden；　to　consider　you　mine；　you　cannot　now　of　yourself　break

　　those　ties　which　are　common　to　both　of　us。Ursula；　need　I　tell

　　you　that　I　yesterday　informed　Monsieur　du　Rouvre　that　even　if　I　

　　were　free　I　could　not　receive　a　fortune　from　a　young　person　whom　I

　　did　not　know？　My　mother　refuses　to　see　you　again；　I　must　therefore

　　lose　the　happiness　of　our　evenings；　but　surely　you　will　not

　　deprive　me　of　the　brief　moments　I　can　spend　at　your　window？　This

　　evening；　then　Nothing　can　separate　us。



〃Take　this　to　her；　my　old　woman；　she　must　not　be　unhappy　one　moment

longer。〃



That　afternoon　at　four　o'clock；　returning　from　the　walk　which　he

always　took　expressly　to　pass　before　Ursula's　house；　Savinien　found

his　mistress　waiting　for　him；　her　face　a　little　pallid　from　these

sudden　changes　and　excitements。



〃It　seems　to　me　that　until　now　I　have　never　known　what　the　pleasure　of

seeing　you　is；〃　she　said　to　him。



〃You　once　said　to　me；〃　replied　Savinien；　smiling；〃for　I　remember　all

your　words；'Love　lives　by　patience；　we　will　wait！'　Dear；　you　have

separated　love　from　faith。　Ah！　this　shall　be　the　end　of　our　quarrels；

we　will　never　have　another。　You　have　claimed　to　love　me　better　than　I

love　you；　butdid　I　ever　doubt　you？〃　he　said；　offering　her　a　bouquet

of　wild…flowers　arranged　to　express　his　thoughts。



〃You　have　never　had　any　reason　to　doubt　me；〃　she　replied；　〃and；

besides；　you　don't　know　all；〃　she　added；　in　a　troubled　voice。



Ursula　had　refused　to　receive　letters　by　the　post。　But　that　afternoon；

without　being　able　even　to　guess　at　the　nature　of　the　trick；　she　had

found；　a　few　moments　before　Savinien's　arrival；　a　letter　tossed　on　her

sofa　which　contained　the　words：　〃Tremble！　a　rejected　lover　can　become

a　tiger。〃



Withstanding　Savinien's　entreaties；　she　refused　to　tell　him；　out　of

prudence；　the　secret　of　her　fears。　The　delight　of　seeing　him　again；

after　she　had　thought　him　lost　to　her；　could　alone　have　made　her

recover　from　the　mortal　chill　of　terror。　The　expectation　of　indefinite

evil　is　torture　to　every　one；　suffering　assumes　the　proportions　of　the

unknown；　and　the　unknown　is　the　infinite　of　the　soul。　To　Ursula　the

pain　was　exquisite。　Something　without　her　bounded　at　the　slightest

noise；　yet　she　was　afraid　of　silence；　and　suspected　even　the　walls　of

collusion。　Even　her　sleep　was　restless。　Goupil；　who　knew　nothing　of

her　nature；　delicate　as　that　of　a　flower；　had　found；　with　the　instinct

of　evil；　the　poison　that　could　wither　and　destroy　her。



The　next　day　passed　without　a　shock。　Ursula　sat　playing　on　her　piano

till　very　late；　and　went　to　bed　easier　in　mind　and　very　sleepy。　About

midnight　she　was　awakened　by　the　music　of　a　band　composed　of　a

clarinet；　hautboy；　flute；　cornet　a　piston；　trombone；　bassoon；

flageolet；　and　triangle。　All　the　neighbours　were　at　their　windows。　The

poor　girl；　already　frightened　at　seeing　the　people　in　the　street；

received　a　dreadful　shock　as　she　heard　the　coarse；　rough　voice　of　a

man　proclaiming　in　loud　tones：　〃For　the　beautiful　Ursula　Mirouet；　from

her　lover。〃



The　next　day；　Sunday；　the　whole　town　had　heard　of　it；　and　as　Ursula

entered　and　left　the　church　she　saw　the　groups　of　people　who　stood

gossiping　about　her；　and　felt　herself　the　object　of　their　terrible

curiosity。　The　serenade　set　all　tongues　wagging；　and　conjectures　were

rife　on　all　sides。　Ursula　reached　home　more　dead　than　alive；

determined　not　to　leave　the　house　again；the　abbe　having　advised　her

to　say　vespers　in　her　own　room。　As　she　entered　the　house　she　saw　lying

in　the　passage；　which　was　floored　with　brick；　a　letter　which　had

evidently　been　slipped　under　the　door。　She　picked　it　up　and　read　it；

under　the　idea　that　it　would　obtain　an　explanation。　It　was　as

follows：





〃Resign　yourself　to　becoming　my　wife；　rich　and　idolized。　I　am

resolved。　If　you　are　not