ursula-第57章

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letter　to　Ursula；　whom　she　found　alone；　as　it　was　about　midday。　In

spite　of　her　assurance　Zelie　was　discomfited　by　the　cold　look　which

the　young　girl　gave　her。　But　she　took　herself　to　task　for　her

cowardice　and　assumed　an　easy　air。



〃Here；　Mademoiselle　Mirouet；　do　me　the　kindness　to　read　that　and　tell

me　what　you　think　of　it；〃　she　cried；　giving　Ursula　her　son's　letter。



Ursula　went　through　various　conflicting　emotions　as　she　read　the

letter；　which　showed　her　how　truly　she　was　loved　and　what　care

Savinien　took　of　the　honor　of　the　woman　who　was　to　be　his　wife；　but

she　had　too　much　charity　and　true　religion　to　be　willing　to　be　the

cause　of　death　or　suffering　to　her　most　cruel　enemy。



〃I　promise；　madame；　to　prevent　the　duel；　you　may　feel　perfectly　easy；

but　I　must　request　you　to　leave　me　this　letter。〃



〃My　dear　little　angel；　can　we　not　come　to　some　better　arrangement。

Monsieur　Minoret　and　I　have　acquired　property　about　Rouvre；a　really

regal　castle；　which　gives　us　forty…eight　thousand　francs　a　year；　we

shall　give　Desire　twenty…four　thousand　a　year　which　we　have　in　the

Funds；　in　all；　seventy　thousand　francs　a　year。　You　will　admit　that

there　are　not　many　better　matches　than　he。　You　are　an　ambitious　girl；

and　quite　right　too；〃　added　Zelie；　seeing　Ursula's　quick　gesture　of

denial；　〃I　have　therefore　come　to　ask　your　hand　for　Desire。　You　will

bear　your　godfather's　name；　and　that　will　honor　it。　Desire；　as　you

must　have　seen；　is　a　handsome　fellow；　he　is　very　much　thought　of　at

Fontainebleau；　and　he　will　soon　be　procureur　du　roi　himself。　You　are　a

coaxing　girl　and　can　easily　persuade　him　to　live　in　Paris。　We　will

give　you　a　fine　house　there；　you　will　shine；　you　will　play　a

distinguished　part；　for；　with　seventy　thousand　francs　a　year　and　the

salary　of　an　office；　you　and　Desire　can　enter　the　highest　society。

Consult　your　friends；　you'll　see　what　they　tell　you。〃



〃I　need　only　consult　my　heart；　madame。〃



〃Ta；　ta；　ta！　now　don't　talk　to　me　about　that　little　lady…killer

Savinien。　You'd　pay　too　high　a　price　for　his　name；　and　for　that　little

moustache　curled　up　at　the　points　like　two　hooks；　and　his　black　hair。

How　do　you　expect　to　manage　on　seven　thousand　francs　a　year；　with　a

man　who　made　two　hundred　thousand　francs　of　debt　in　two　years？　Besides

though　this　is　a　thing　you　don't　know　yetall　men　are　alike；　and

without　flattering　myself　too　much；　I　may　say　that　my　Desire　is　the

equal　of　a　king's　son。〃



〃You　forget；　madame；　the　danger　your　son　is　in　at　this　moment；　which

can；　perhaps；　be　averted　only　by　Monsieur　de　Portenduere's　desire　to

please　me。　If　he　knew　that　you　had　made　me　these　unworthy　proposals

that　danger　might　not　be　escaped。　Besides；　let　me　tell　you；　madame；

that　I　shall　be　far　happier　in　the　moderate　circumstances　to　which　you

allude　than　I　should　be　in　the　opulence　with　which　you　are　trying　to

dazzle　me。　For　reasons　hitherto　unknown；　but　which　will　yet　be　made

known；　Monsieur　Minoret；　by　persecuting　me　in　an　odious　manner；

strengthened　the　affection　that　exists　between　Monsieur　de　Portenduere

and　myselfwhich　I　can　now　admit　because　his　mother　has　blessed　it。　I

will　also　tell　you　that　this　affection；　sanctioned　and　legitimate；　is

life　itself　to　me。　No　destiny；　however　brilliant；　however　lofty；　could

make　me　change。　I　love　without　the　possibility　of　changing。　It　would

therefore　be　a　crime　if　I　married　a　man　to　whom　I　could　take　nothing

but　a　soul　that　is　Savinien's。　But；　madame；　since　you　force　me　to　be

explicit；　I　must　tell　you　that　even　if　I　did　not　love　Monsieur　de

Portenduere　I　could　not　bring　myself　to　bear　the　troubles　and　joys　of

life　in　the　company　of　your　son。　If　Monsieur　Savinien　made　debts；　you

have　often　paid　those　of　your　son。　Our　characters　have　neither　the

similarities　nor　the　differences　which　enable　two　persons　to　live

together　without　bitterness。　Perhaps　I　should　not　have　towards　him　the

forbearance　a　wife　owes　to　her　husband；　I　should　then　be　a　trial　to

him。　Pray　cease　to　think　of　an　alliance　of　which　I　count　myself　quite

unworthy；　and　which　I　fell　I　can　decline　without　pain　to　you；　for　with

the　great　advantages　you　name　to　me；　you　cannot　fail　to　find　some　girl

of　better　station；　more　wealth；　and　more　beauty　than　mine。〃



〃Will　you　swear　to　me；〃　said　Zelie；　〃to　prevent　these　young　men　from

taking　that　journey　and　fighting　that　duel？〃



〃It　will　be；　I　foresee；　the　greatest　sacrifice　that　Monsieur　de

Portenduere　can　make　to　me；　but　I　shall　tell　him　that　my　bridal　crown

must　have　no　blood　upon　it。〃



〃Well；　I　thank　you；　cousin；　and　I　can　only　hope　you　will　be　happy。〃



〃And　I；　madame；　sincerely　wish　that　you　may　realize　all　your

expectations　for　the　future　of　your　son。〃



These　words　struck　a　chill　to　the　heart　of　the　mother；　who　suddenly

remembered　the　predictions　of　Ursula's　last　dream；　she　stood　still；

her　small　eyes　fixed　on　Ursula's　face；　so　white；　so　pure；　so　beautiful

in　her　mourning　dress；　for　Ursula　had　risen　too　to　hasten　her　so…

called　cousin's　departure。



〃Do　you　believe　in　dreams？〃　said　Zelie。



〃I　suffer　from　them　too　much　not　to　do　so。〃



〃But　if　you　do〃　began　Zelie。



〃Adieu；　madame；〃　exclaimed　Ursula；　bowing　to　Madame　Minoret　as　she

heard　the　abbe's　entering　step。



The　priest　was　surprised　to　find　Madame　Minoret　with　Ursula。　The

uneasiness　depicted　on　the　thin　and　wrinkled　face　of　the　former　post

mistress　induced　him　to　take　note　of　the　two　women。



〃Do　you　believe　in　spirits？〃　Zelie　asked　him。



〃What　do　you　believe　in？〃　he　answered；　smiling。



〃They　are　all　sly；〃　thought　Zelie；〃every　one　of　them！　They　want　to

deceive　us。　That　old　priest　and　the　old　justice　and　that　young　scamp

Savinien　have　got　some　plan　in　their　heads。　Dreams！　no　more　dreams

than　there　are　hairs　on　the　palm　of　my　hand。〃



With　two　stiff；　curt　bows　she　left　the　room。



〃I　know　why　Savinien　went　to　Fontainebleau；〃　said　Ursula　to　the　abbe；

telling　him　about　the　duel　and　begging　him　to　use　his　influence　to

prevent　it。



〃Did　Madame　Minoret　offer　you　her　son's　hand？〃　asked　the　abbe。



〃Yes。〃



〃Minoret　has　no　doubt　confessed　his　crime　to　her；〃　added　the　priest。



Monsieur　Bongrand；　who　came　in　at　this　moment；　was　told　of　the　step

taken　by　Zelie；　whose　hatred　to　Ursula　was　well　known　to　him。　He

looked　at　the　abbe　as　if　to　say：　〃Come　out；　I　want　to　speak　to　you　of

Ursula　without　her　hearing　me。〃



〃Savinien　must　be　told　that　you　refused　eighty　thousand　francs　a　year

and　the　dandy　of　Nemours；〃　he　said　aloud。



〃Is　it；　then；　a　sacrifice？〃　she　answered；　laughing。　〃Are　there

sacrifices　when　one　truly　loves？　Is　it　any　merit　to　refuse　the　son　of

a　man　we　all　despise？　Others　may　make　virtues　of　their　dislikes；　but

that　ought　not　to　be　the　morality　of　a　girl　brought　up　by　a　de　Jordy；

and　the　abbe；　and　my　dear　godfather；〃　she　said；　looking　up　at　his

portrait。



Bongrand　took　Ursula's　hand　and　kissed　it。



〃Do　you　know　what　Madame　Minoret　came　about？〃　said　the　justice　as　soon

as　they　were　in　the　street。



〃What？〃　asked　the　priest；　looking　at　Bongrand　with　an　air　that　seemed

merely　curious。



〃She　had　some　plan　for　restitution。〃



〃Then　you　think〃　began　the　abbe。



〃I　don't　think；　I　know；　I　have　the　certaintyand　see　there！〃



So　saying；　Bongrand　pointed　to　Minoret；　who　was　coming　towards　them　on

his　way　home。



〃When　I　was　a　lawyer　in　the　criminal　courts；〃　continued　Bongrand；　〃I

naturally　had　many　opportunities　to　study　remorse；　but　I　have　never

seen　any　to　equal　that　of　this　man。　What　gives　him　that　flaccidity；

that　pallor　of　the　cheeks　where　the　skin　was　once　as　tight　as　a　drum

and　bursting　with　the　good　sound　health　of　a　man　without　a　care？　What

has　put　those　black　circles　round　his　eyes　and　dulled　their　rustic

vivacity？　Did　you　ever　expect　to　see　lines　of　care　on　that　forehead？

Who　would　have　supposed　that　the　brain　of　that　colossus　could　be

excited？　The　man　has　felt　his　heart！　I　am　a　judge　of　remors