ursula-第7章

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

more　literally；　tingling　in　the　ears）。



The　doctor　received　his　great…niece　on　the　mother's　side　somewhat

coldly；　her　husband　had　just　bought　the　place　of　clerk　of　the　court；

and　the　pair　began　at　once　to　tell　him　of　their　difficulties。　Neither

Massin　nor　his　wife　were　rich。　Massin's　father；　a　locksmith　at

Montargis；　had　been　obliged　to　compromise　with　his　creditors；　and　was

now；　at　sixty…seven　years　of　age；　working　like　a　young　man；　and　had

nothing　to　leave　behind　him。　Madame　Massin's　father；　Levrault…Minoret；

had　just　died　at　Montereau　after　the　battle；　in　despair　at　seeing　his

farm　burned；　his　fields　ruined；　his　cattle　slaughtered。



〃We'll　get　nothing　out　of　your　great…uncle；〃　said　Massin　to　his　wife；

now　pregnant　with　her　second　child；　after　the　interview。



The　doctor；　however；　gave　them　privately　ten　thousand　francs；　with

which　Massin；　who　was　a　great　friend　of　the　notary　and　of　the　sheriff；

began　the　business　of　money…lending；　and　carried　matters　so　briskly

with　the　peasantry　that　by　the　time　of　which　we　are　now　writing　Goupil

knew　him　to　hold　at　least　eighty　thousand　francs　on　their　property。



As　to　his　other　niece；　the　doctor　obtained　for　her　husband；　through

his　influence　in　Paris；　the　collectorship　of　Nemours；　and　became　his

bondsman。　Though　Minoret…Levrault　needed　no　assistance；　Zelie；　his

wife；　being　jealous　of　the　uncle's　liberality　to　his　two　nieces；　took

her　ten…year　old　son　to　see　him；　and　talked　of　the　expense　he　would　be

to　them　at　a　school　in　Paris；　where；　she　said；　education　costs　so

much。　The　doctor　obtained　a　half…scholarship　for　his　great…nephew　at

the　school　of　Louis…le…Grand；　where　Desire　was　put　into　the　fourth

class。



Cremiere；　Massin；　and　Minoret…Levrault；　extremely　common　persons；　were

〃rated　without　appeal〃　by　the　doctor　within　two　months　of　his　arrival

in　Nemours；　during　which　time　they　courted；　less　their　uncle　than　his

property。　Persons　who　are　led　by　instinct　have　one　great　disadvantage

against　others　with　ideas。　They　are　quickly　found　out；　the　suggestions

of　instinct　are　too　natural；　too　open　to　the　eye　not　to　be　seen　at　a

glance；　whereas；　the　conceptions　of　the　mind　require　an　equal　amount

of　intellect　to　discover　them。　After　buying　the　gratitude　of　his

heirs；　and　thus；　as　it　were；　shutting　their　mouths；　the　wily　doctor

made　a　pretext　of　his　occupations；　his　habits；　and　the　care　of　the

little　Ursula　to　avoid　receiving　his　relatives　without　exactly　closing

his　doors　to　them。　He　liked　to　dine　alone；　he　went　to　bed　late　and　he

got　up　late；　he　had　returned　to　his　native　place　for　the　very　purpose

of　finding　rest　in　solitude。　These　whims　of　an　old　man　seemed　to　be

natural；　and　his　relatives　contented　themselves　with　paying　him　weekly

visits　on　Sundays　from　one　to　four　o'clock；　to　which；　however；　he

tried　to　put　a　stop　by　saying：　〃Don't　come　and　see　me　unless　you　want

something。〃



The　doctor；　while　not　refusing　to　be　called　in　consultation　over

serious　cases；　especially　if　the　patients　were　indigent；　would　not

serve　as　a　physician　in　the　little　hospital　of　Nemours；　and　declared

that　he　no　longer　practiced　his　profession。



〃I've　killed　enough　people；〃　he　said；　laughing；　to　the　Abbe　Chaperon；

who；　knowing　his　benevolence；　would　often　get　him　to　attend　the　poor。



〃He's　an　original！〃　These　words；　said　of　Doctor　Minoret；　were　the

harmless　revenge　of　various　wounded　vanities；　for　a　doctor　collects

about　him　a　society　of　persons　who　have　many　of　the　characteristics　of

a　set　of　heirs。　Those　of　the　bourgeoisie　who　thought　themselves

entitled　to　visit　this　distinguished　physician　kept　up　a　ferment　of

jealousy　against　the　few　privileged　friends　whom　he　did　admit　to　his

intimacy；　which　had　in　the　long　run　some　unfortunate　results。







CHAPTER　III



THE　DOCTOR'S　FRIENDS



Curiously　enough；　though　it　explains　the　old　proverb　that　〃extremes

meet；〃　the　materialistic　doctor　and　the　cure　of　Nemours　were　soon

friends。　The　old　man　loved　backgammon；　a　favorite　game　of　the

priesthood；　and　the　Abbe　Chaperon　played　it　with　about　as　much　skill

as　he　himself。　The　game　was　the　first　tie　between　them。　Then　Minoret

was　charitable；　and　the　abbe　was　the　Fenelon　of　the　Gatinais。　Both　had

had　a　wide　and　varied　education；　the　man　of　God　was　the　only　person　in

all　Nemours　who　was　fully　capable　of　understanding　the　atheist。　To　be

able　to　argue；　men　must　first　understand　each　other。　What　pleasure　is

there　in　saying　sharp　words　to　one　who　can't　feel　them？　The　doctor　and

the　priest　had　far　too　much　taste　and　had　seen　too　much　of　good

society　not　to　practice　its　precepts；　they　were　thus　well…fitted　for

the　little　warfare　so　essential　to　conversation。　They　hated　each

other's　opinions；　but　they　valued　each　other's　character。　If　such

conflicts　and　such　sympathies　are　not　true　elements　of　intimacy　we

must　surely　despair　of　society；　which；　especially　in　France；　requires

some　form　of　antagonism。　It　is　from　the　shock　of　characters；　and　not

from　the　struggle　of　opinions；　that　antipathies　are　generated。



The　Abbe　Chaperon　became；　therefore；　the　doctor's　chief　friend。　This

excellent　ecclesiastic；　then　sixty　years　of　age；　had　been　curate　of

Nemours　ever　since　the　re…establishment　of　Catholic　worship。　Out　of

attachment　to　his　flock　he　had　refused　the　vicariat　of　the　diocese。　If

those　who　were　indifferent　to　religion　thought　well　of　him　for　so

doing；　the　faithful　loved　him　the　more　for　it。　So；　revered　by　his

sheep；　respected　by　the　inhabitants　at　large；　the　abbe　did　good

without　inquiring　into　the　religious　opinions　of　those　he　benefited。

His　parsonage；　with　scarcely　furniture　enough　for　the　common　needs　of

life；　was　cold　and　shabby；　like　the　lodging　of　a　miser。　Charity　and

avarice　manifest　themselves　in　the　same　way；　charity　lays　up　a

treasure　in　heaven　which　avarice　lays　up　on　earth。　The　Abbe　Chaperon

argued　with　his　servant　over　expenses　even　more　sharply　than　Gobseck

with　hisif　indeed　that　famous　Jew　kept　a　servant　at　all。　The　good

priest　often　sold　the　buckles　off　his　shoes　and　his　breeches　to　give

their　value　to　some　poor　person　who　appealed　to　him　at　a　moment　when

he　had　not　a　penny。　When　he　was　seen　coming　out　of　church　with　the

straps　of　his　breeches　tied　into　the　button…holes；　devout　women　would

redeem　the　buckles　from　the　clock…maker　and　jeweler　of　the　town　and

return　them　to　their　pastor　with　a　lecture。　He　never　bought　himself

any　clothes　or　linen；　and　wore　his　garments　till　they　scarcely　held

together。　His　linen；　thick　with　darns；　rubbed　his　skin　like　a　hair

shirt。　Madame　de　Portenduere；　and　other　good　souls；　had　an　agreement

with　his　housekeeper　to　replace　the　old　clothes　with　new　ones　after　he

went　to　sleep；　and　the　abbe　did　not　always　find　out　the　difference。　He

ate　his　food　off　pewter　with　iron　forks　and　spoons。　When　he　received

his　assistants　and　sub…curates　on　days　of　high　solemnity　（an　expense

obligatory　on　the　heads　of　parishes）　he　borrowed　linen　and　silver　from

his　friend　the　atheist。



〃My　silver　is　his　salvation；〃　the　doctor　would　say。



These　noble　deeds；　always　accompanied　by　spiritual　encouragement；　were

done　with　a　beautiful　naivete。　Such　a　life　was　all　the　more

meritorious　because　the　abbe　was　possessed　of　an　erudition　that　was

vast　and　varied；　and　of　great　and　precious　faculties。　Delicacy　and

grace；　the　inseparable　accompaniments　of　simplicity；　lent　charm　to　an

elocution　that　was　worthy　of　a　prelate。　His　manners；　his　character；

and　his　habits　gave　to　his　intercourse　with　others　the　most　exquisite

savor　of　all　that　is　most　spiritual；　most　sincere　in　the　human　mind。　A

lover　of　gayety；　he　was　never　priest　in　a　salon。　Until　Doctor

Minoret's　arrival；　the　good　man　kept　his　light　under　a　bushel　without

regret。　Owning　a　rather　fine　library　and　an　income　of　two　thousand

francs　when　he　came　to　Nemours；　he　now　possessed；　in　1829；　nothing　at

all；　except　his　stipend　as　pari