ursula-第6章

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am；　that　ends　the　paternal　line。　Have　I　any　relations　on　the　maternal

side？　My　mother　was　a　Jean…Massin…Levrault。〃



〃Of　the　Jean…Massin…Levrault's　there's　only　one　left；〃　answered

Minoret…Levrault；　〃namely；　Jean…Massin；　who　married　Monsieur　Cremiere…

Levrault…Dionis；　a　purveyor　of　forage；　who　perished　on　the　scaffold。

His　wife　died　of　despair　and　without　a　penny；　leaving　one　daughter；

married　to　a　Levrault…Minoret；　a　farmer　at　Montereau；　who　is　doing

well；　their　daughter　has　just　married　a　Massin…Levrault；　notary's

clerk　at　Montargis；　where　his　father　is　a　locksmith。〃



〃So　I've　plenty　of　heirs；〃　said　the　doctor　gayly；　immediately

proposing　to　take　a　walk　through　Nemours　accompanied　by　his　nephew。



The　Loing　runs　through　the　town　in　a　waving　line；　banked　by　terraced

gardens　and　neat　houses；　the　aspect　of　which　makes　one　fancy　that

happiness　must　abide　there　sooner　than　elsewhere。　When　the　doctor

turned　into　the　Rue　des　Bourgeois；　Minoret…Levrault　pointed　out　the

property　of　Levrault…Levrault；　a　rich　iron　merchant　in　Paris　who；　he

said；　had　just　died。



〃The　place　is　for　sale；　uncle；　and　a　very　pretty　house　it　is；　there's

a　charming　garden　running　down　to　the　river。〃



〃Let　us　go　in；〃　said　the　doctor；　seeing；　at　the　farther　end　of　a　small

paved　courtyard；　a　house　standing　between　the　walls　of　the　two

neighbouring　houses　which　were　masked　by　clumps　of　trees　and　climbing…

plants。



〃It　is　built　over　a　cellar；〃　said　the　doctor；　going　up　the　steps　of　a

high　portico　adorned　with　vases　of　blue　and　white　pottery　in　which

geraniums　were　growing。



Cut　in　two；　like　the　majority　of　provincial　houses；　by　a　long　passage

which　led　from　the　courtyard　to　the　garden；　the　house　had　only　one

room　to　the　right；　a　salon　lighted　by　four　windows；　two　on　the

courtyard　and　two　on　the　garden；　but　Levrault…Levrault　had　used　one　of

these　windows　to　make　an　entrance　to　a　long　greenhouse　built　of　brick

which　extended　from　the　salon　towards　the　river；　ending　in　a　horrible

Chinese　pagoda。



〃Good！　by　building　a　roof　to　that　greenhouse　and　laying　a　floor；〃　said

old　Minoret；　〃I　could　put　my　book　there　and　make　a　very　comfortable

study　of　that　extraordinary　bit　of　architecture　at　the　end。〃



On　the　other　side　of　the　passage；　toward　the　garden；　was　the　dining…

room；　decorated　in　imitation　of　black　lacquer　with　green　and　gold

flowers；　this　was　separated　from　the　kitchen　by　the　well　of　the

staircase。　Communication　with　the　kitchen　was　had　through　a　little

pantry　built　behind　the　staircase；　the　kitchen　itself　looking　into　the

courtyard　through　windows　with　iron　railings。　There　were　two　chambers

on　the　next　floor；　and　above　them；　attic　rooms　sheathed　in　wood；　which

were　fairly　habitable。　After　examining　the　house　rapidly；　and

observing　that　it　was　covered　with　trellises　from　top　to　bottom；　on

the　side　of　the　courtyard　as　well　as　on　that　to　the　garden；which

ended　in　a　terrace　overlooking　the　river　and　adorned　with　pottery

vases；the　doctor　remarked：



〃Levrault…Levrault　must　have　spend　a　good　deal　of　money　here。〃



〃Ho！　I　should　think　so；〃　answered　Minoret…Levrault。　〃He　liked　flowers

nonsense！　'What　do　they　bring　in？'　says　my　wife。　You　saw　inside

there　how　an　artist　came　from　Paris　to　paint　flowers　in　fresco　in　the

corridor。　He　put　those　enormous　mirrors　everywhere。　The　ceilings　were

all　re…made　with　cornices　which　cost　six　francs　a　foot。　The　dining…

room　floor　is　in　marquetryperfect　folly！　The　house　won't　sell　for　a

penny　the　more。〃



〃Well；　nephew；　buy　it　for　me：　let　me　know　what　you　do　about　it；　here's

my　address。　The　rest　I　leave　to　my　notary。　Who　lives　opposite？〃　he

asked；　as　they　left　the　house。



〃Emigres；〃　answered　the　post　master；　〃named　Portenduere。〃



The　house　once　bought；　the　illustrious　doctor；　instead　of　leaving

there；　wrote　to　his　nephew　to　let　it。　The　Folie…Levraught　was

therefore　occupied　by　the　notary　of　Nemours；　who　about　that　time　sold

his　practice　to　Dionis；　his　head…clerk；　and　died　two　years　later；

leaving　the　house　on　the　doctor's　hands；　just　at　the　time　when　the

fate　of　Napoleon　was　being　decided　in　the　neighbourhood。　The　doctor's

heirs；　at　first　misled；　had　by　this　time　decided　that　his　thought　of

returning　to　his　native　place　was　merely　a　rich　man's　fancy；　and　that

probably　he　had　some　tie　in　Paris　which　would　keep　him　there　and　cheat

them　of　their　hoped…for　inheritance。　However；　Minoret…Levrault's　wife

seized　the　occasion　to　write　him　a　letter。　The　old　man　replied　that　as

soon　as　peace　was　signed；　the　roads　cleared　of　soldiers；　and　safe

communications　established；　he　meant　to　go　and　live　at　Nemours。　He

did；　in　fact；　put　in　an　appearance　with　two　of　his　clients；　the

architect　of　his　hospital　and　an　upholsterer；　who　took　charge　of　the

repairs；　the　indoor　arrangements；　and　the　transportation　of　the

furniture。　Madame　Minoret…Levrault　proposed　the　cook　of　the　late

notary　as　caretaker；　and　the　woman　was　accepted。



When　the　heirs　heard　that　their　uncle　and　great…uncle　Minoret　was

really　coming　to　live　in　Nemours；　they　were　seized　（in　spite　of　the

political　events　which　were　just　then　weighing　so　heavily　on　Brie　and

on　the　Gatinais）　with　a　devouring　curiosity；　which　was　not　surprising。

Was　he　rich？　Economical　or　spendthrift？　Would　he　leave　a　fine　fortune

or　nothing？　Was　his　property　in　annuities？　In　the　end　they　found　out

what　follows；　but　only　by　taking　infinite　pains　and　employing　much

subterraneous　spying。



After　the　death　of　his　wife；　Ursula　Mirouet；　and　between　the　years

1789　and　1813；　the　doctor　（who　had　been　appointed　consulting　physician

to　the　Emperor　in　1805）　must　have　made　a　good　deal　of　money；　but　no

one　knew　how　much。　He　lived　simply；　without　other　extravagancies　than

a　carriage　by　the　year　and　a　sumptuous　apartment。　He　received　no

guests；　and　dined　out　almost　every　day。　His　housekeeper；　furious　at

not　being　allowed　to　go　with　him　to　Nemours；　told　Zelie　Levrault；　the

post　master's　wife；　that　she　knew　the　doctor　had　fourteen　thousand

francs　a　year　on　the　〃grand…livre。〃　Now；　after　twenty　years'　exercise

of　a　profession　which　his　position　as　head　of　a　hospital；　physician　to

the　Emperor；　and　member　of　the　Institute；　rendered　lucrative；　these

fourteen　thousand　francs　a　year　showed　only　one　hundred　and　sixty

thousand　francs　laid　by。　To　have　saved　only　eight　thousand　francs　a

year　the　doctor　must　have　had　either　many　vices　or　many　virtues　to

gratify。　But　neither　his　housekeeper　nor　Zelie　nor　any　one　else　could

discover　the　reason　for　such　moderate　means。　Minoret；　who　when　he　left

it　was　much　regretted　in　the　quarter　of　Paris　where　he　had　lived；　was

one　of　the　most　benevolent　of　men；　and；　like　Larrey；　kept　his　kind

deeds　a　profound　secret。



The　heirs　watched　the　arrival　of　their　uncle's　fine　furniture　and

large　library　with　complacency；　and　looked　forward　to　his　own　coming；

he　being　now　an　officer　of　the　Legion　of　honor；　and　lately　appointed

by　the　king　a　chevalier　of　the　order　of　Saint…Michelperhaps　on

account　of　his　retirement；　which　left　a　vacancy　for　some　favorite。　But

when　the　architect　and　painter　and　upholsterer　had　arranged　everything

in　the　most　comfortable　manner；　the　doctor　did　not　come。　Madame

Minoret…Levrault；　who　kept　an　eye　on　the　upholsterer　and　architect　as

if　her　own　property　was　concerned；　found　out；　through　the　indiscretion

of　a　young　man　sent　to　arrange　the　books；　that　the　doctor　was　taking

care　of　a　little　orphan　named　Ursula。　The　news　flew　like　wild…fire

through　the　town。　At　last；　however；　towards　the　middle　of　the　month　of

January；　1815；　the　old　man　actually　arrived；　installing　himself

quietly；　almost　slyly；　with　a　little　girl　about　ten　months　old；　and　a

nurse。



〃The　child　can't　be　his　daughter；〃　said　the　terrified　heirs；　〃he　is

seventy…one　years　old。〃



〃Whoever　she　is；〃　remarked　Madame　Massin；　〃she'll　give　us　plenty　of

tintouin〃　（a　word　peculiar　to　Nemours；　meaning　uneasiness；　anxiety；　or

more　literally；　tingling　in