ursula-第53章

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will　in　favor　of　Savinien。　The　writing；　as　she　afterwards　told　the

abbe；　shone　as　if　traced　by　sunbeams〃it　burned　my　eyes；〃　she　said。

When　she　looked　at　her　uncle　to　thank　him　she　saw　the　old　benevolent

smile　upon　his　discolored　lips。　Then；　in　a　feeble　voice；　but　still

clearly；　he　told　her　to　look　at　Minoret；　who　was　listening　in　the

corridor　to　what　he　said　to　her；　and　next；　slipping　the　lock　of　the

library　door　with　his　knife；　and　taking　the　papers　from　the　study。

With　his　right　hand　the　old　man　seized　his　goddaughter　and　obliged　her

to　walk　at　the　pace　of　death　and　follow　Minoret　to　his　own　house。

Ursula　crossed　the　town；　entered　the　post　house　and　went　into　Zelie's

old　room；　where　the　spectre　showed　her　Minoret　unfolding　the　letters；

reading　them　and　burning　them。



〃He　could　not；〃　said　Ursula；　telling　her　dream　to　the　abbe；　〃light　the

first　two　matches；　but　the　third　took　fire；　he　burned　the　papers　and

buried　their　remains　in　the　ashes。　Then　my　godfather　brought　me　back

to　our　house；　and　I　saw　Minoret…Levrault　slipping　into　the　library；

where　he　took　from　the　third　volume　of　Pandects　three　certificates　of

twelve　thousand　francs　each；　also；　from　the　preceding　volume；　a　number

of　banknotes。　'He　is；'　said　my　godfather；　'the　cause　of　all　the

trouble　which　has　brought　you　to　the　verge　of　the　tomb；　but　God　wills

that　you　shall　yet　be　happy。　You　will　not　die　now；　you　will　marry

Savinien。　If　you　love　me；　and　if　you　love　Savinien；　I　charge　you　to

demand　your　fortune　from　my　nephew。　Swear　it。'〃



Resplendent　as　though　transfigured；　the　spectre　had　so　powerful　an

influence　on　Ursula's　soul　that　she　promised　all　her　uncle　asked；

hoping　to　put　an　end　to　the　nightmare。　She　woke　suddenly　and　found

herself　standing　in　the　middle　of　her　bedroom；　facing　her　godfather's

portrait；　which　had　been　placed　there　during　her　illness。　She　went

back　to　bed　and　fell　asleep　after　much　agitation；　and　on　waking　again

she　remembered　all　the　particulars　of　this　singular　vision；　but　she

dared　not　speak　of　it。　Her　judgment　and　her　delicacy　both　shrank　from

revealing　a　dream　the　end　and　object　of　which　was　her　pecuniary

benefit。　She　attributed　the　vision；　not　unnaturally；　to　remarks　made

by　La　Bougival　the　preceding　evening；　when　the　old　woman　talked　of　the

doctor's　intended　liberality　and　of　her　own　convictions　on　that

subject。　But　the　dream　returned；　with　aggravated　circumstances　which

made　it　fearful　to　the　poor　girl。　On　the　second　occasion　the　icy　hand

of　her　godfather　was　laid　upon　her　shoulder；　causing　her　the　most

horrible　distress；　an　indefinable　sensation。　〃You　must　obey　the　dead；〃

he　said；　in　a　sepulchral　voice。　〃Tears；〃　said　Ursula；　relating　her

dreams；　〃fell　from　his　white；　wide…open　eyes。〃



The　third　time　the　vision　came　the　dead　man　took　her　by　the　braids　of

her　long　hair　and　showed　her　the　post　master　talking　with　Goupil　and

promising　money　if　he　would　remove　Ursula　to　Sens。　Ursula　then　decided

to　relate　the　three　dreams　to　the　Abbe　Chaperon。



〃Monsieur　l'abbe；〃　she　said；　〃do　you　believe　that　the　dead　reappear？〃



〃My　child；　sacred　history；　profane　history；　and　modern　history；　have

much　testimony　to　that　effect；　but　the　Church　has　never　made　it　an

article　of　faith；　and　as　for　science；　in　France　science　laughs　at　the

idea。〃



〃What　do　YOU　believe？〃



〃That　the　power　of　God　is　infinite。〃



〃Did　my　godfather　ever　speak　to　you　of　such　matters？〃



〃Yes；　often。　He　had　entirely　changed　his　views　of　them。　His

conversion；　as　he　told　me　at　least　twenty　times；　dated　from　the　day

when　a　woman　in　Paris　heard　you　praying　for　him　in　Nemours；　and　saw

the　red　dot　you　made　against　Saint…Savinien's　day　in　your　almanac。〃



Ursula　uttered　a　piercing　cry；　which　alarmed　the　priest；　she

remembered　the　scene　when；　on　returning　to　Nemours；　her　godfather　read

her　soul；　and　took　away　the　almanac。



〃If　that　is　so；〃　she　said；　〃then　my　visions　are　possibly　true。　My

godfather　has　appeared　to　me；　as　Jesus　appeared　to　his　disciples。　He

was　wrapped　in　yellow　light；　he　spoke　to　me。　I　beg　you　to　say　a　mass

for　the　repose　of　his　soul　and　to　implore　the　help　of　God　that　these

visions　may　cease；　for　they　are　destroying　me。〃



She　then　related　the　three　dreams　with　all　their　details；　insisting　on

the　truth　of　what　she　said；　on　her　own　freedom　of　action；　on　the

somnambulism　of　her　inner　being；　which；　she　said；　detached　itself　from

her　body　at　the　bidding　of　the　spectre　and　followed　him　with　perfect

ease。　The　thing　that　most　surprised　the　abbe；　to　whom　Ursula's

veracity　was　known；　was　the　exact　description　which　she　gave　of　the

bedroom　formerly　occupied　by　Zelie　at　the　post　house；　which　Ursula　had

never　entered　and　about　which　no　one　had　ever　spoken　to　her。



〃By　what　means　can　these　singular　apparitions　take　place？〃　asked

Ursula。　〃What　did　my　godfather　think？〃



〃Your　godfather；　my　dear　child；　argued　my　hypothesis。　He　recognized

the　possibility　of　a　spiritual　world；　a　world　of　ideas。　If　ideas　are

of　man's　creation；　if　they　subsist　in　a　life　of　their　own；　they　must

have　forms　which　our　external　senses　cannot　grasp；　but　which　are

perceptible　to　our　inward　senses　when　brought　under　certain

conditions。　Thus　your　godfather's　ideas　might　so　enfold　you　that　you

would　clothe　them　with　his　bodily　presence。　Then；　if　Minoret　really

committed　those　actions；　they　too　resolve　themselves　into　ideas；　for

all　action　is　the　result　of　many　ideas。　Now；　if　ideas　live　and　move　in

a　spiritual　world；　your　spirit　must　be　able　to　perceive　them　if　it

penetrates　that　world。　These　phenomena　are　not　more　extraordinary　than

those　of　memory；　and　those　of　memory　are　quite　as　amazing　and

inexplicable　as　those　of　the　perfume　of　plantswhich　are　perhaps　the

ideas　of　the　plants。〃



〃How　you　enlarge　and　magnify　the　world！〃　exclaimed　Ursula。　〃But　to

hear　the　dead　speak；　to　see　them　walk；　actdo　you　think　it　possible？〃



〃In　Sweden；〃　replied　the　abbe；　〃Swedenborg　has　proved　by　evidence　that

he　communicated　with　the　dead。　But　come　with　me　into　the　library　and

you　shall　read　in　the　life　of　the　famous　Duc　de　Montmorency；　beheaded

at　Toulouse；　and　who　certainly　was　not　a　man　to　invent　foolish　tales；

an　adventure　very　like　yours；　which　happened　a　hundred　years　earlier

at　Cardan。〃



Ursula　and　the　abbe　went　upstairs；　and　the　good　man　hunted　up　a　little

edition　in　12mo；　printed　in　Paris　in　1666；　of　the　〃History　of　Henri　de

Montmorency；〃　written　by　a　priest　of　that　period　who　had　known　the

prince。



〃Read　it；〃　said　the　abbe；　giving　Ursula　the　volume；　which　he　had

opened　at　the　175th　page。　〃Your　godfather　often　re…read　that　passage；

and　see！　here's　a　little　of　his　snuff　in　it。〃



〃And　he　not　here！〃　said　Ursula；　taking　the　volume　to　read　the　passage。



　　〃The　siege　of　Privat　was　remarkable　for　the　loss　of　a　great　number

　　of　officers。　Two　brigadier…generals　died　therenamely；　the

　　Marquis　d'Uxelles；　of　a　wound　received　at　the　outposts；　and　the

　　Marquis　de　Portes；　from　a　musket…shot　through　the　head。　The　day

　　the　latter　was　killed　he　was　to　have　been　made　a　marshal　of

　　France。　About　the　moment　when　the　marquis　expired　the　Duc　de

　　Montmorency；　who　was　sleeping　in　his　tent；　was　awakened　by　a　voice

　　like　that　of　the　marquis　bidding　him　farewell。　The　affection　he

　　felt　for　a　friend　so　near　made　him　attribute　the　illusion　of　this

　　dream　to　the　force　of　his　own　imagination；　and　owing　to　the

　　fatigues　of　the　night；　which　he　had　spent；　according　to　his

　　custom；　in　the　trenches；　he　fell　asleep　once　more　without　any

　　sense　of　dread。　But　the　same　voice　disturbed　him　again；　and　the

　　phantom　obliged　him　to　wake　up　and　listen　to　the　same　words　it　had

　　said　as　it　first　passed。　The　duke　then　recollected　that　he　had

　　heard　the　philosopher　Pitrat　discourse　on　the　possibility　of　the

　　separation　of　the　soul　from　the　body；　and　that　he　and　the　marquis

　　had　agreed　that　the　first　who　died　should　bid　adieu　to　the　other。

　　On　which；　not　being　able　t