ursula-第58章

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excited？　The　man　has　felt　his　heart！　I　am　a　judge　of　remorse；　just　as

you　are　a　judge　of　repentance；　my　dear　abbe。　That　which　I　have

hitherto　observed　has　developed　in　men　who　were　awaiting　punishment；

or　enduring　it　to　get　quits　with　the　world；　they　were　either　resigned；

or　breathing　vengeance；　but　here　is　remorse　without　expiation；　remorse

pure　and　simple；　fastening　on　its　prey　and　rending　him。〃



The　judge　stopped　Minoret　and　said：　〃Do　you　know　that　Mademoiselle

Mirouet　has　refused　your　son's　hand？〃



〃But；〃　interposed　the　abbe；　〃do　not　be　uneasy；　she　will　prevent　the

duel。〃



〃Ah；　then　my　wife　succeeded？〃　said　Minoret。　〃I　am　very　glad；　for　it

nearly　killed　me。〃



〃You　are；　indeed；　so　changed　that　you　are　no　longer　like　yourself；〃

remarked　Bongrand。



Minoret　looked　alternately　at　the　two　men　to　see　if　the　priest　had

betrayed　the　dreams；　but　the　abbe's　face　was　unmoved；　expressing　only

a　calm　sadness　which　reassured　the　guilty　man。



〃And　it　is　the　more　surprising；〃　went　on　Monsieur　Bongrand；　〃because

you　ought　to　be　filled　with　satisfaction。　You　are　lord　of　Rouvre　and

all　those　farms　and　mills　and　meadows　andwith　your　investments　in

the　Funds；　you　have　an　income　of　one　hundred　thousand　francs〃



〃I　haven't　anything　in　the　Funds；〃　cried　Minoret；　hastily。



〃Pooh；〃　said　Bongrand；　〃this　is　just　as　it　was　about　your　son's　love

for　Ursula；first　he　denied　it；　and　now　he　asks　her　in　marriage。

After　trying　to　kill　Ursula　with　sorrow　you　now　want　her　for　a

daughter…in…law。　My　good　friend；　you　have　got　some　secret　in　your

pouch。〃



Minoret　tried　to　answer；　he　searched　for　words　and　could　find　nothing

better　than：



〃You're　very　queer；　monsieur。　Good…day；　gentlemen〃；　and　he　turned　with

a　slow　step　into　the　Rue　des　Bourgeois。



〃He　has　stolen　the　fortune　of　our　poor　Ursula；〃　said　Bongrand；　〃but

how　can　we　ever　find　the　proof？〃



〃God　may〃



〃God　has　put　into　us　the　sentiment　that　is　now　appealing　to　that　man；

but　all　that　is　merely　what　is　called　'presumptive；'　and　human　justice

requires　something　more。〃



The　abbe　maintained　the　silence　of　a　priest。　As　often　happens　in

similar　circumstances；　he　thought　much　oftener　than　he　wished　to　think

of　the　robbery；　now　almost　admitted　by　Minoret；　and　of　Savinien's

happiness；　delayed　only　by　Ursula's　loss　of　fortunefor　the　old　lady

had　privately　owned　to　him　that　she　knew　she　had　done　wrong　in　not

consenting　to　the　marriage　in　the　doctor's　lifetime。







CHAPTER　XXI



SHOWING　HOW　DIFFICULT　IT　IS　TO　STEAL　THAT

WHICH　SEEMS　VERY　EASILY　STOLEN



The　following　day；　as　the　abbe　was　leaving　the　altar　after　saying

mass；　a　thought　struck　him　with　such　force　that　it　seemed　to　him　the

utterance　of　a　voice。　He　made　a　sign　to　Ursula　to　wait　for　him；　and

accompanied　her　home　without　having　breakfasted。



〃My　child；〃　he　said；　〃I　want　to　see　the　two　volumes　your　godfather

showed　you　in　your　dreamswhere　he　said　that　he　placed　those

certificates　and　banknotes。〃



Ursula　and　the　abbe　went　up　to　the　library　and　took　down　the　third

volume　of　the　Pandects。　When　the　old　man　opened　it　he　noticed；　not

without　surprise；　a　mark　left　by　some　enclosure　upon　the　pages；　which

still　kept　the　outline　of　the　certificate。　In　the　other　volume　he

found　a　sort　of　hollow　made　by　the　long…continued　presence　of　a

package；　which　had　left　its　traces　on　the　two　pages　next　to　it。



〃Yes；　go　up；　Monsieur　Bongrand；〃　La　Bougival　was　heard　to　say；　and　the

justice　of　the　peace　came　into　the　library　just　as　the　abbe　was

putting　on　his　spectacles　to　read　three　numbers　in　Doctor　Minoret's

hand…writing　on　the　fly…leaf　of　colored　paper　with　which　the　binder

had　lined　the　cover　of　the　volume；figures　which　Ursula　had　just

discovered。



〃What's　the　meaning　of　those　figures？〃　said　the　abbe；　〃our　dear　doctor

was　too　much　of　a　bibliophile　to　spoil　the　fly…leaf　of　a　valuable

volume。　Here　are　three　numbers　written　between　a　first　number　preceded

by　the　letter　M　and　a　last　number　preceded　by　a　U。〃



〃What　are　you　talking　of？〃　said　Bongrand。　〃Let　me　see　that。　Good　God！〃

he　cried；　after　a　moment's　examination；　〃it　would　open　the　eyes　of　an

atheist　as　an　actual　demonstration　of　Providence！　Human　justice　is；　I

believe；　the　development　of　the　divine　thought　which　hovers　over　the

worlds。〃　He　seized　Ursula　and　kissed　her　forehead。　〃Oh！　my　child；　you

will　be　rich　and　happy；　and　all　through　me！〃



〃What　is　it？〃　exclaimed　the　abbe。



〃Oh；　monsieur；〃　cried　La　Bougival；　catching　Bongrand's　blue　overcoat；

〃let　me　kiss　you　for　what　you've　just　said。〃



〃Explain；　explain！　don't　give　us　false　hopes；〃　said　the　abbe。



〃If　I　bring　trouble　on　others　by　becoming　rich；〃　said　Ursula；

forseeing　a　criminal　trial；　〃I〃



〃Remember；〃　said　the　justice；　interrupting　her；　〃the　happiness　you

will　give　to　Savinien。〃



〃Are　you　mad？〃　said　the　abbe。



〃No；　my　dear　friend；〃　said　Bongrand。　〃Listen；　the　certificates　in　the

Funds　are　issued　in　series；as　many　series　as　there　are　letters　in

the　alphabet；　and　each　number　bears　the　letter　of　its　series。　But　the

certificates　which　are　made　out　'to　bearer'　cannot　have　a　letter；　they

are　not　in　any　person's　name。　What　you　see　there　shows　that　the　day

the　doctor　placed　his　money　in　the　Funds；　he　noted　down；　first；　the

number　of　his　own　certificate　for　fifteen　thousand　francs　interest

which　bears　his　initial　M；　next；　the　numbers　of　three　inscriptions　to

bearer；　these　are　without　a　letter；　and　thirdly；　the　certificate　of

Ursula's　share　in　the　Funds；　the　number　of　which　is　23；534；　and　which

follows；　as　you　see；　that　of　the　fifteen…thousand…franc　certificate

with　lettering。　This　goes　far　to　prove　that　those　numbers　are　those　of

five　certificates　of　investments　made　on　the　same　day　and　noted　down

by　the　doctor　in　case　of　loss。　I　advised　him　to　take　certificates　to

bearer　for　Ursula's　fortune；　and　he　must　have　made　his　own　investment

and　that　of　Ursula's　little　property　the　same　day。　I'll　go　to　Dionis's

office　and　look　at　the　inventory。　If　the　number　of　the　certificate　for

his　own　investment　is　23；533；　letter　M；　we　may　be　sure　that　he

invested；　through　the　same　broker　on　the　same　day；　first　his　own

property　on　a　single　certificate；　secondly　his　savings　in　three

certificates　to　bearer　（numbered；　but　without　the　series　letter）；

thirdly；　Ursula's　own　property；　the　transfer　books　will　show；　of

course；　undeniable　proofs　of　this。　Ha！　Minoret；　you　deceiver；　I　have

you　Motus；　my　children！〃



Whereupon　he　left　them　abruptly　to　reflect　with　admiration　on　the　ways

by　which　Providence　had　brought　the　innocent　to　victory。



〃The　finger　of　God　is　in　all　this；〃　cried　the　abbe。



〃Will　they　punish　him？〃　asked　Ursula。



〃Ah；　mademoiselle；〃　cried　La　Bougival。　〃I'd　give　the　rope　to　hang

him。〃



Bongrand　was　already　at　Goupil's；　now　the　appointed　successor　of

Dionis；　but　he　entered　the　office　with　a　careless　air。　〃I　have　a

little　matter　to　verify　about　the　Minoret　property；〃　he　said　to

Goupil。



〃What　is　it？〃　asked　the　latter。



〃The　doctor　left　one　or　more　certificates　in　the　three…per…cent

Funds？〃



〃He　left　one　for　fifteen　thousand　francs　a　year；〃　said　Goupil；　〃I

recorded　it　myself。〃



〃Then　just　look　on　the　inventory；〃　said　Bongrand。



Goupil　took　down　a　box；　hunted　through　it；　drew　out　a　paper；　found　the

place；　and　read：



〃'Item；　one　certificate'　Here；　read　for　yourselfunder　the　number

23；533；　letter　M。〃



〃Do　me　the　kindness　to　let　me　have　a　copy　of　that　clause　within　an

hour；〃　said　Bongrand。



〃What　good　is　it　to　you？〃　asked　Goupil。



〃Do　you　want　to　be　a　notary？〃　answered　the　justice　of　peace；　looking

sternly　at　Dionis's　proposed　successor。



〃Of　course　I　do；〃　cried　Goupil。　〃I've　swallowed　too　many　affronts　not

to　succeed　now。　I　beg　you　to　believe；　monsieur；　that　the　miserable

creature　once　called　Goupil　has　nothing　in　common　with　Maitre　Jean…

Sebastien…Marie　Goupil；　notary　of　Nemours