ursula-第8章

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

all；　except　his　stipend　as　parish　priest；　nearly　the　whole　of　which　he

gave　away　during　the　year。　The　giver　of　excellent　counsel　in　delicate

matters　or　in　great　misfortunes；　many　persons　who　never　went　to　church

to　obtain　consolation　went　to　the　parsonage　to　get　advice。　One　little

anecdote　will　suffice　to　complete　his　portrait。　Sometimes　the

peasants；rarely；　it　is　true；　but　occasionally；unprincipled　men；

would　tell　him　they　were　sued　for　debt；　or　would　get　themselves

threatened　fictitiously　to　stimulate　the　abbe's　benevolence。　They

would　even　deceive　their　wives；　who；　believing　their　chattels　were

threatened　with　an　execution　and　their　cows　seized；　deceived　in　their

turn　the　poor　priest　with　their　innocent　tears。　He　would　then　manage

with　great　difficulty　to　provide　the　seven　or　eight　hundred　francs

demanded　of　himwith　which　the　peasant　bought　himself　a　morsel　of

land。　When　pious　persons　and　vestrymen　denounced　the　fraud；　begging

the　abbe　to　consult　them　in　future　before　lending　himself　to　such

cupidity；　he　would　say：



〃But　suppose　they　had　done　something　wrong　to　obtain　their　bit　of

land？　Isn't　it　doing　good　when　we　prevent　evil？〃



Some　persons　may　wish　for　a　sketch　of　this　figure；　remarkable　for　the

fact　that　science　and　literature　had　filled　the　heart　and　passed

through　the　strong　head　without　corrupting　either。　At　sixty　years　of

age　the　abbe's　hair　was　white　as　snow；　so　keenly　did　he　feel　the

sorrows　of　others；　and　so　heavily　had　the　events　of　the　Revolution

weighed　upon　him。　Twice　incarcerated　for　refusing　to　take　the　oath　he

had　twice；　as　he　used　to　say；　uttered　in　〃In　manus。〃　He　was　of　medium

height；　neither　stout　nor　thin。　His　face；　much　wrinkled　and　hollowed

and　quite　colorless；　attracted　immediate　attention　by　the　absolute

tranquillity　expressed　in　its　shape；　and　by　the　purity　of　its　outline；

which　seemed　to　be　edged　with　light。　The　face　of　a　chaste　man　has　an

unspeakable　radiance。　Brown　eyes　with　lively　pupils　brightened　the

irregular　features；　which　were　surmounted　by　a　broad　forehead。　His

glance　wielded　a　power　which　came　of　a　gentleness　that　was　not　devoid

of　strength。　The　arches　of　his　brow　formed　caverns　shaded　by　huge　gray

eyebrows　which　alarmed　no　one。　As　most　of　his　teeth　were　gone　his

mouth　had　lost　its　shape　and　his　cheeks　had　fallen　in；　but　this

physical　destruction　was　not　without　charm；　even　the　wrinkles；　full　of

pleasantness；　seemed　to　smile　on　others。　Without　being　gouty　his　feet

were　tender；　and　he　walked　with　so　much　difficulty　that　he　wore　shoes

made　of　calf's　skin　all　the　year　round。　He　thought　the　fashion　of

trousers　unsuitable　for　priests；　and　he　always　appeared　in　stockings

of　coarse　black　yarn；　knit　by　his　housekeeper；　and　cloth　breeches。　He

never　went　out　in　his　cassock；　but　wore　a　brown　overcoat；　and　still

retained　the　three…cornered　hat　he　had　worn　so　courageously　in　times

of　danger。　This　noble　and　beautiful　old　man；　whose　face　was　glorified

by　the　serenity　of　a　soul　above　reproach；　will　be　found　to　have　so

great　an　influence　upon　the　men　and　things　of　this　history；　that　it

was　proper　to　show　the　sources　of　his　authority　and　power。



Minoret　took　three　newspapers；one　liberal；　one　ministerial；　one

ultra；a　few　periodicals；　and　certain　scientific　journals；　the

accumulation　of　which　swelled　his　library。　The　newspapers；

encyclopaedias；　and　books　were　an　attraction　to　a　retired　captain　of

the　Royal…Swedish　regiment；　named　Monsieur　de　Jordy；　a　Voltairean

nobleman　and　an　old　bachelor；　who　lived　on　sixteen　hundred　francs　of

pension　and　annuity　combined。　Having　read　the　gazettes　for　several

days；　by　favor　of　the　abbe；　Monsieur　de　Jordy　thought　it　proper　to

call　and　thank　the　doctor　in　person。　At　this　first　visit　the　old

captain；　formerly　a　professor　at　the　Military　Academy；　won　the

doctor's　heart；　who　returned　the　call　with　alacrity。　Monsieur　de

Jordy；　a　spare　little　man　much　troubled　by　his　blood；　though　his　face

was　very　pale；　attracted　attention　by　the　resemblance　of　his　handsome

brow　to　that　of　Charles　XII。；　above　it　he　kept　his　hair　cropped　short；

like　that　of　the　soldier…king。　His　blue　eyes　seemed　to　say　that　〃Love

had　passed　that　way；〃　so　mournful　were　they；　revealing　memories　about

which　he　kept　such　utter　silence　that　his　old　friends　never　detected

even　an　allusion　to　his　past　life；　nor　a　single　exclamation　drawn

forth　by　similarity　of　circumstances。　He　hid　the　painful　mystery　of

his　past　beneath　a　philosophic　gayety；　but　when　he　thought　himself

alone　his　motions；　stiffened　by　a　slowness　which　was　more　a　matter　of

choice　than　the　result　of　old　age；　betrayed　the　constant　presence　of

distressful　thoughts。　The　Abbe　Chaperon　called　him　a　Christian

ignorant　of　his　Christianity。　Dressed　always　in　blue　cloth；　his　rather

rigid　demeanor　and　his　clothes　bespoke　the　old　habits　of　military

discipline。　His　sweet　and　harmonious　voice　stirred　the　soul。　His

beautiful　hands　and　the　general　cut　of　his　figure；　recalling　that　of

the　Comte　d'Artois；　showed　how　charming　he　must　have　been　in　his

youth；　and　made　the　mystery　of　his　life　still　more　mysterious。　An

observer　asked　involuntarily　what　misfortune　had　blighted　such　beauty；

courage；　grace；　accomplishment；　and　all　the　precious　qualities　of　the

heart　once　united　in　his　person。　Monsieur　de　Jordy　shuddered　if

Robespierre's　name　were　uttered　before　him。　He　took　much　snuff；　but；

strange　to　say；　he　gave　up　the　habit　to　please　little　Ursula；　who　at

first　showed　a　dislike　to　him　on　that　account。　As　soon　as　he　saw　the

little　girl　the　captain　fastened　his　eyes　upon　her　with　a　look　that

was　almost　passionate。　He　loved　her　play　so　extravagantly　and　took

such　interest　in　all　she　did　that　the　tie　between　himself　and　the

doctor　grew　closer　every　day；　though　the　latter　never　dared　to　say　to

him；　〃You；　too；　have　you　lost　children？〃　There　are　beings；　kind　and

patient　as　old　Jordy；　who　pass　through　life　with　a　bitter　thought　in

their　heart　and　a　tender　but　sorrowful　smile　on　their　lips；　carrying

with　them　to　the　grave　the　secret　of　their　lives；　letting　no　one　guess

it；through　pride；　through　disdain；　possibly　through　revenge；

confiding　in　none　but　God；　without　other　consolation　than　his。



Monsieur　de　Jordy；　like　the　doctor；　had　come　to　die　in　Nemours；　but　he

knew　no　one　except　the　abbe；　who　was　always　at　the　beck　and　call　of

his　parishioners；　and　Madame　de　Portenduere；　who　went　to　bed　at　nine

o'clock。　So；　much　against　his　will；　he　too　had　taken　to　going　to　bed

early；　in　spite　of　the　thorns　that　beset　his　pillow。　It　was　therefore

a　great　piece　of　good　fortune　for　him　（as　well　as　for　the　doctor）　when

he　encountered　a　man　who　had　known　the　same　world　and　spoken　the　same

language　as　himself；　with　whom　he　could　exchange　ideas；　and　who　went

to　bed　late。　After　Monsieur　de　Jordy；　the　Abbe　Chaperon；　and　Minoret

had　passed　one　evening　together　they　found　so　much　pleasure　in　it　that

the　priest　and　soldier　returned　every　night　regularly　at　nine　o'clock；

the　hour　at　which；　little　Ursula　having　gone　to　bed；　the　doctor　was

free。　All　three　would　then　sit　up　till　midnight　or　one　o'clock。



After　a　time　this　trio　became　a　quartette。　Another　man　to　whom　life

was　known；　and　who　owed　to　his　practical　training　as　a　lawyer；　the

indulgence；　knowledge；　observation；　shrewdness；　and　talent　for

conversation　which　the　soldier；　doctor；　and　priest　owed　to　their

practical　dealings　with　the　souls；　diseases；　and　education　of　men；　was

added　to　the　number。　Monsieur　Bongrand；　the　justice　of　peace；　heard　of

the　pleasure　of　these　evenings　and　sought　admittance　to　the　doctor's

society。　Before　becoming　justice　of　peace　at　Nemours　he　had　been　for

ten　years　a　solicitor　at　Melun；　where　he　conducted　his　own　cases；

according　to　the　custom　of　small　towns；　where　there　are　no　barristers。

He　became　a　widower　at　forty…five　years　of　age；　but　felt　himself　still

too　active　to　lead　an　idle　life；　he　therefore　soug