ursula-第49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！



follows：





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

resolved。　If　you　are　not　mine　living　you　shall　be　mine　dead。　To

your　refusal　you　may　attribute　not　only　your　own　misfortunes；　but

those　which　will　fall　on　others。



〃He　who　loves　you；　and　whose　wife　you　will　be。〃





Curiously　enough；　at　the　very　moment　that　the　gentle　victim　of　this

plot　was　drooping　like　a　cut　flower；　Mesdemoiselles　Massin；　Dionis；

and　Cremiere　were　envying　her　lot。



〃She　is　a　lucky　girl；〃　they　were　saying；　〃people　talk　of　her；　and

court　her；　and　quarrel　about　her。　The　serenade　was　charming；　there　was

a　cornet…a…piston。〃



〃What's　a　piston？〃



〃A　new　musical　instrument；　as　big　as　this；　see！〃　replied　Angelique

Cremiere　to　Pamela　Massin。



Early　that　morning　Savinien　had　gone　to　Fontainebleau　to　endeavor　to

find　out　who　had　engaged　the　musicians　of　the　regiment　then　in

garrison。　But　as　there　were　two　men　to　each　instrument　it　was

impossible　to　find　out　which　of　them　had　gone　to　Nemours。　The　colonel

forbade　them　to　play　for　any　private　person　in　future　without　his

permission。　Savinien　had　an　interview　with　the　procureur　du　roi；

Ursula's　legal　guardian；　and　explained　to　him　the　injury　these　scenes

would　do　to　a　young　girl　naturally　so　delicate　and　sensitive；　begging

him　to　take　some　action　to　discover　the　author　of　such　wrong。



Three　nights　later　three　violins；　a　flute；　a　guitar；　and　a　hautboy

began　another　serenade。　This　time　the　musicians　fled　towards

Montargis；　where　there　happened　then　to　be　a　company　of　comic　actors。

A　loud　and　ringing　voice　called　out　as　they　left：　〃To　the　daughter　of

the　regimental　bandsman　Mirouet。〃　By　this　means　all　Nemours　came　to

know　the　profession　of　Ursula's　father；　a　secret　the　old　doctor　had

sedulously　kept。



Savinien　did　not　go　to　Montargis。　He　received　in　the　course　of　the　day

an　anonymous　letter　containing　a　prophecy：



　　〃You　will　never　marry　Ursula。　If　you　wish　her　to　live；　give　her　up

　　at　once　to　a　man　who　loves　her　more　than　you　love　her。　He　has　made

　　himself　a　musician　and　an　artist　to　please　her；　and　he　would

　　rather　see　her　dead　than　let　her　be　your　wife。〃



The　doctor　came　to　Ursula　three　times　in　the　course　of　that　day；　for

she　was　really　in　danger　of　death　from　the　horror　of　this　mysterious

persecution。　Feeling　that　some　infernal　hand　had　plunged　her　into　the

mire；　the　poor　girl　lay　like　a　martyr；　she　said　nothing；　but　lifted

her　eyes　to　heaven；　and　wept　no　more；　she　seemed　awaiting　other　blows；

and　prayed　fervently。



〃I　am　glad　I　cannot　go　down　into　the　salon；〃　she　said　to　Monsieur

Bongrand　and　the　abbe；　who　left　her　as　little　as　possible；　〃HE　would

come；　and　I　am　now　unworthy　of　the　looks　with　which　HE　blessed　me。　Do

you　think　HE　will　suspect　me？〃



〃If　Savinien　does　not　discover　the　author　of　these　infamies　he　means

to　get　the　assistance　of　the　Paris　police；〃　said　Bongrand。



〃Whoever　it　is　will　know　I　am　dying；〃　said　Ursula；　〃and　will　cease　to

trouble　me。〃



The　abbe；　Bongrand；　and　Savinien　were　lost　in　conjectures　and

suspicions。　Together　with　Tiennette；　La　Bougival；　and　two　persons　on

whom　the　abbe　could　rely；　they　kept　the　closest　watch　and　were　on

their　guard　night　and　day　for　a　week；　but　no　indiscretion　could　betray

Goupil；　whose　machinations　were　known　to　himself　only。　There　were　no

more　serenades　and　no　more　letters；　and　little　by　little　the　watch

relaxed。　Bongrand　thought　the　author　of　the　wrong　was　frightened；

Savinien　believed　that　the　procureur　du　roi　to　whom　he　had　sent　the

letters　received　by　Ursula　and　himself　and　his　mother；　had　taken　steps

to　put　an　end　to　the　persecution。



The　armistice　was　not　of　long　duration；　however。　When　the　doctor　had

checked　the　nervous　fever　from　which　poor　Ursula　was　suffering；　and

just　as　she　was　recovering　her　courage；　a　rope…ladder　was　found；　early

one　morning　in　July；　attached　to　her　window。　The　postilion　of　the

mail…post　declared　that　as　he　drove　past　the　house　in　the　middle　of

the　night　a　small　man　was　in　the　act　of　coming　down　the　ladder；　and

though　he　tried　to　pull　up；　his　horses；　being　startled；　carried　him

down　the　hill　so　fast　that　he　was　out　of　Nemours　before　he　stopped

them。　Some　of　the　persons　who　frequented　Dionis's　salon　attributed

these　manoeuvres　to　the　Marquis　du　Rouvre；　then　much　hampered　in

means；　for　Massin　held　his　notes　to　a　large　amount。　It　was　said　that　a

prompt　marriage　of　his　daughter　to　Savinien　would　save　Chateau　du

Rouvre　from　his　creditors；　and　Madame　de　Portenduere；　the　gossips

added；　would　approve　of　anything　that　would　discredit　and　degrade

Ursula　and　lead　to　this　marriage　of　her　son。



So　far　from　this　being　true；　the　old　lady　was　well…nigh　vanquished　by

the　sufferings　of　the　innocent　girl。　The　abbe　was　so　painfully

overcome　by　this　act　of　infernal　wickedness　that　he　fell　ill　himself

and　was　kept　to　the　house　for　several　days。　Poor　Ursula；　to　whom　this

last　insult　had　caused　a　relapse；　received　by　post　a　letter　from　the

abbe；　which　was　taken　in　by　La　Bougival　on　recognizing　the

handwriting。　It　was　as　follows：





My　child；Leave　Nemours；　and　thus　evade　the　malice　of　your

enemies。　Perhaps　they　are　seeking　to　endanger　Savinien's　life。　I

will　tell　you　more　when　I　am　able　to　go　to　you。



Your　devoted　friend；



Chaperon。





When　Savinien；　who　was　almost　maddened　by　these　proceedings；　carried

this　letter　to　the　abbe；　the　poor　priest　read　it　and　re…read　it；　so

amazed　and　horror…stricken　was　he　to　see　the　perfection　with　which　his

own　handwriting　and　signature　were　imitated。　The　dangerous　condition

into　which　this　last　atrocity　threw　poor　Ursula　sent　Savinien　once

more　to　the　procureur　du　roi　with　the　forged　letter。



〃A　murder　is　being　committed　by　means　that　the　law　cannot　touch；〃　he

said；　〃upon　an　orphan　whom　the　Code　places　in　your　care　as　legal

guardian。　What　is　to　be　done？〃



〃If　you　can　find　any　means　of　repression；〃　said　the　official；　〃I　will

adopt　them；　but　I　know　of　none。　That　infamous　wretch　gives　the　best

advice。　Mademoiselle　Mirouet　must　be　sent　to　the　sisters　of　the

Adoration　of　the　Sacred　Heart。　Meanwhile　the　commissary　of　police　at

Fontainebleau　shall　at　my　request　authorize　you　to　carry　arms　in　your

own　defence。　I　have　been　myself　to　Rouvre；　and　I　found　Monsieur　du

Rouvre　justly　indignant　at　the　suspicions　some　of　the　Nemours　people

have　put　upon　him。　Minoret；　the　father　of　my　assistant；　is　in　treaty

for　the　purchase　of　the　estate。　Mademoiselle　is　to　marry　a　rich　Polish

count；　and　Monsieur　du　Rouvre　himself　left　the　neighbourhood　the　day　I

saw　him；　to　avoid　arrest　for　debt。〃



Desire　Minoret；　when　questioned　by　his　chief；　dared　not　tell　his

thought。　He　recognized　Goupil。　Goupil；　he　fully　believed；　was　the　only

man　capable　of　carrying　a　persecution　to　the　very　verge　of　the　penal

code　without　infringing　a　hair's…breadth　upon　it。







CHAPTER　XVIII



A　TWO…FOLD　VENGEANCE



Impunity；　secrecy；　and　success　increased　Goupil's　audacity。　He　made

Massin；　who　was　completely　his　dupe；　sue　the　Marquis　du　Rouvre　for　his

notes；　so　as　to　force　him　to　sell　the　remainder　of　his　property　to

Minoret。　Thus　prepared；　he　opened　negotiations　for　a　practice　at　Sens；

and　then　resolved　to　strike　a　last　blow　to　obtain　Ursula。　He　meant　to

imitate　certain　young　men　in　Paris　who　owed　their　wives　and　their

fortunes　to　abduction。　He　knew　that　the　services　he　had　rendered　to

Minoret；　to　Massin；　and　to　Cremiere；　and　the　protection　of　Dionis　and

the　mayor　of　Nemours　would　enable　him　to　hush　up　the　affair。　He

resolved　to　throw　off　the　mask；　believing　Ursula　too　feeble　in　the

condition　to　which　he　had　reduced　her　to　make　any　resistance。　But

before　risking　this　last　throw　in　the　game　he　thought　it　best　to　have

an　explanation　with　Minoret；　and　he　chose　his　opportunity　at　Rouvre；

where　he　went　with　his　patron　for　the　first　time　after　the　deeds　were

signed。



Minoret　had　that　morning　received　a