ursula-第54章

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

　　On　which；　not　being　able　to　restrain　his　fears　as　to　the　truth　of

　　this　warning；　he　sent　a　servant　to　the　marquis's　quarters；　which

　　were　distant　from　him。　But　before　the　man　could　get　back；　the　king

　　sent　to　inform　the　duke；　by　persons　fitted　to　console　him；　of　the

　　great　loss　he　had　sustained。



　　〃I　leave　learned　men　to　discuss　the　cause　of　this　event；　which　I

　　have　frequently　heard　the　Duc　de　Montmorency　relate：　I　think　that

　　the　truth　and　singularity　of　the　fact　itself　ought　to　be　recorded

　　and　preserved。〃



〃If　all　this　is　so；〃　said　Ursula；　〃what　ought　I　do　do？〃



〃My　child；〃　said　the　abbe；　〃it　concerns　matters　so　important；　and

which　may　prove　so　profitable　to　you；　that　you　ought　to　keep

absolutely　silent　about　it。　Now　that　you　have　confided　to　me　the

secret　of　these　apparitions　perhaps　they　may　not　return。　Besides；　you

are　now　strong　enough　to　come　to　church；　well；　then；　come　to…morrow

and　thank　God　and　pray　to　him　for　the　repose　of　your　godfather's　soul。

Feel　quite　sure　that　you　have　entrusted　your　secret　to　prudent　hands。〃



〃If　you　knew　how　afraid　I　am　to　go　to　sleep；what　glances　my

godfather　gives　me！　The　last　time　he　caught　hold　of　my　dressI　awoke

with　my　face　all　covered　with　tears。〃



〃Be　at　peace；　he　will　not　come　again；〃　said　the　priest。



Without　losing　a　moment　the　Abbe　Chaperon　went　straight　to　Minoret　and

asked　for　a　few　moments　interview　in　the　Chinese　pagoda；　requesting

that　they　might　be　entirely　alone。



〃Can　any　one　hear　us？〃　he　asked。



〃No　one；〃　replied　Minoret。



〃Monsieur；　my　character　must　be　known　to　you；〃　said　the　abbe；

fastening　a　gentle　but　attentive　look　on　Minoret's　face。　〃I　have　to

speak　to　you　of　serious　and　extraordinary　matters；　which　concern　you；

and　about　which　you　may　be　sure　that　I　shall　keep　the　profoundest

secrecy；　but　it　is　impossible　for　me　to　do　otherwise　than　give　you

this　information。　While　your　uncle　lived；　there　stood　there；〃　said　the

priest；　pointing　to　a　certain　spot　in　the　room；　〃a　small　buffet　made

by　Boule；　with　a　marble　top〃　（Minoret　turned　livid）；　〃and　beneath　the

marble　your　uncle　placed　a　letter　for　Ursula〃　The　abbe　then　went　on

to　relate；　without　omitting　the　smallest　circumstance；　Minoret's

conduct　to　Minoret　himself。　When　the　last　post　master　heard　the　detail

of　the　two　matches　refusing　to　light　he　felt　his　hair　begin　to　writhe

on　his　skull。



〃Who　invented　such　nonsense？〃　he　said；　in　a　strangled　voice；　when　the

tale　ended。



〃The　dead　man　himself。〃



This　answer　made　Minoret　tremble；　for　he　himself　had　dreamed　of　the

doctor。



〃God　is　very　good；　Monsieur　l'abbe；　to　do　miracles　for　me；〃　he　said；

danger　inspiring　him　to　make　the　sole　jest　of　his　life。



〃All　that　God　does　is　natural；〃　replied　the　priest。



〃Your　phantoms　don't　frighten　me；〃　said　the　colossus；　recovering　his

coolness。



〃I　did　not　come　to　frighten　you；　for　I　shall　never　speak　of　this　to

any　one　in　the　world；〃　said　the　abbe。　〃You　alone　know　the　truth。　The

matter　is　between　you　and　God。〃



〃Come　now；　Monsieur　l'abbe；　do　you　really　think　me　capable　of　such　a

horrible　abuse　of　confidence？〃



〃I　believe　only　in　crimes　which　are　confessed　to　me；　and　of　which　the

sinner　repents；〃　said　the　priest；　in　an　apostolic　tone。



〃Crime？〃　cried　Minoret。



〃A　crime　frightful　in　its　consequences。〃



〃What　consequences？〃



〃In　the　fact　that　it　escapes　human　justice。　The　crimes　which　are　not

expiated　here　below　will　be　punished　in　another　world。　God　himself

avenges　innocence。〃



〃Do　you　think　God　concerns　himself　with　such　trifles？〃



〃If　he　did　not　see　the　worlds　in　all　their　details　at　a　glance；　as　you

take　a　landscape　into　your　eye；　he　would　not　be　God。〃



〃Monsieur　l'abbe；　will　you　give　me　your　word　of　honor　that　you　have

had　these　facts　from　my　uncle？〃



〃Your　uncle　has　appeared　three　times　to　Ursula　and　has　told　them　and

repeated　them　to　her。　Exhausted　by　such　visions　she　revealed　them　to

me　privately；　she　considers　them　so　devoid　of　reason　that　she　will

never　speak　of　them。　You　may　make　yourself　easy　on　that　point。〃



〃I　am　easy　on　all　points；　Monsieur　Chaperon。〃



〃I　hope　you　are；〃　said　the　old　priest。　〃Even　if　I　considered　these

warnings　absurd；　I　should　still　feel　bound　to　inform　you　of　them；

considering　the　singular　nature　of　the　details。　You　are　an　honest　man；

and　you　have　obtained　your　handsome　fortune　in　too　legal　a　way　to　wish

to　add　to　it　by　theft。　Besides；　you　are　an　almost　primitive　man；　and

you　would　be　tortured　by　remorse。　We　have　within　us；　be　we　savage　or

civilized；　the　sense　of　what　is　right；　and　this　will　not　permit　us　to

enjoy　in　peace　ill…gotten　gains　acquired　against　the　laws　of　the

society　in　which　we　live；for　well…constituted　societies　are　modeled

on　the　system　God　has　ordained　for　the　universe。　In　this　respect

societies　have　a　divine　origin。　Man　does　not　originate　ideas；　he

invents　no　form；　he　answers　to　the　eternal　relations　that　surround　him

on　all　sides。　Therefore；　see　what　happens！　Criminals　going　to　the

scaffold；　and　having　it　in　their　power　to　carry　their　secret　with

them；　are　compelled　by　the　force　of　some　mysterious　power　to　make

confessions　before　their　heads　are　taken　off。　Therefore；　Monsieur

Minoret；　if　your　mind　is　at　ease；　I　go　my　way　satisfied。〃



Minoret　was　so　stupefied　that　he　allowed　the　abbe　to　find　his　own　way

out。　When　he　thought　himself　alone　he　flew　into　the　fury　of　a　choleric

man；　the　strangest　blasphemies　escaped　his　lips；　in　which　Ursula's

name　was　mingled　with　odious　language。



〃Why；　what　has　she　done　to　you？〃　cried　Zelie；　who　had　slipped　in　on

tiptoe　after　seeing　the　abbe　out　of　the　house。



For　the　first　and　only　time　in　his　life；　Minoret；　drunk　with　anger　and

driven　to　extremities　by　his　wife's　reiterated　questions；　turned　upon

her　and　beat　her　so　violently　that　he　was　obliged；　when　she　fell　half…

dead　on　the　floor；　to　take　her　in　his　arms　and　put　her　to　bed　himself；

ashamed　of　his　act。　He　was　taken　ill　and　the　doctor　bled　him　twice；

when　he　appeared　again　in　the　streets　everybody　noticed　a　great　change

in　him。　He　walked　alone；　and　often　roamed　the　town　as　though　uneasy。

When　any　one　addressed　him　he　seemed　preoccupied　in　his　mind；　he　who

had　never　before　had　two　ideas　in　his　head。　At　last；　one　evening；　he

went　up　to　Monsieur　Bongrand　in　the　Grand'Rue；　the　latter　being　on　his

way　to　take　Ursula　to　Madame　de　Portenduere's；　where　the　whist　parties

had　begun　again。



〃Monsieur　Bongrand；　I　have　something　important　to　say　to　my　cousin；〃

he　said；　taking　the　justice　by　the　arm；　〃and　I　am　very　glad　you　should

be　present；　for　you　can　advise　her。〃



They　found　Ursula　studying；　she　rose；　with　a　cold　and　dignified　air；

as　soon　as　she　saw　Minoret。



〃My　child；　Monsieur　Minoret　wants　to　speak　to　you　on　a　matter　of

business；〃　said　Bongrand。　〃By　the　bye；　don't　forget　to　give　me　your

certificates；　I　shall　go　to　Paris　in　the　morning　and　will　draw　your

dividend　and　La　Bougival's。〃



〃Cousin；〃　said　Minoret；　〃our　uncle　accustomed　you　to　more　luxury　than

you　have　now。〃



〃We　can　be　very　happy　with　very　little　money；〃　she　replied。



〃I　thought　money　might　help　your　happiness；〃　continued　Minoret；　〃and　I

have　come　to　offer　you　some；　out　of　respect　for　the　memory　of　my

uncle。〃



〃You　had　a　natural　way　of　showing　respect　for　him；〃　said　Ursula；

sternly；　〃you　could　have　left　his　house　as　it　was；　and　allowed　me　to

buy　it；　instead　of　that　you　put　it　at　a　high　price；　hoping　to　find

some　hidden　treasure　in　it。〃



〃But；〃　said　Minoret；　evidently　troubled；　〃if　you　had　twelve　thousand

francs　a　year　you　would　be　in　a　position　to　marry　well。〃



〃I　have　not　got　them。〃



〃But　suppose　I　give　them　to　you；　on　condition　of　your　buying　an　estate

in　Brittany　near　Madame　de　Portenduere；you　could　then　marry　her

son。〃



〃Monsieur　Minoret；〃　said　Ursula；　〃I　have　no