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第9章

ursula-第9章

小说: ursula 字数: 每页4000字

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

too active to lead an idle life; he therefore sought and obtained the

position of justice of peace at Nemours; which became vacant a few

months before the arrival of Doctor Minoret。 Monsieur Bongrand lived

modestly on his salary of fifteen hundred francs; in order that he

might devote his private income to his son; who was studying law in

Paris under the famous Derville。 He bore some resemblance to a retired

chief of a civil service office; he had the peculiar face of a

bureaucrat; less sallow than pallid; on which public business;

vexations; and disgust leave their imprint;a face lined by thought;

and also by the continual restraints familiar to those who are trained

not to speak their minds freely。 It was often illumined by smiles

characteristic of men who alternately believe all and believe nothing;

who are accustomed to see and hear all without being startled; and to

fathom the abysses which self…interest hollows in the depths of the

human heart。



Below the hair; which was less white than discolored; and worn

flattened to the head; was a fine; sagacious forehead; the yellow

tones of which harmonized well with the scanty tufts of thin hair。 His

face; with the features set close together; bore some likeness to that

of a fox; all the more because his nose was short and pointed。 In

speaking; he spluttered at the mouth; which was broad like that of

most great talkers;a habit which led Goupil to say; ill…naturedly;

〃An umbrella would be useful when listening to him;〃 or; 〃The justice

rains verdicts。〃 His eyes looked keen behind his spectacles; but if he

took the glasses off his dulled glance seemed almost vacant。 Though he

was naturally gay; even jovial; he was apt to give himself too

important and pompous an air。 He usually kept his hands in the pockets

of his trousers; and only took them out to settle his eye…glasses on

his nose; with a movement that was half comic; and which announced the

coming of a keen observation or some victorious argument。 His

gestures; his loquacity; his innocent self…assertion; proclaimed the

provincial lawyer。 These slight defects were; however; superficial; he

redeemed them by an exquisite kind…heartedness which a rigid moralist

might call the indulgence natural to superiority。 He looked a little

like a fox; and he was thought to be very wily; but never false or

dishonest。 His wiliness was perspicacity; and consisted in foreseeing

results and protecting himself and others from the traps set for them。

He loved whist; a game known to the captain and the doctor; and which

the abbe learned to play in a very short time。



This little circle of friends made for itself an oasis in Mironet's

salon。 The doctor of Nemours; who was not without education and

knowledge of the world; and who greatly respected Minoret as an honor

to the profession; came there sometimes; but his duties and also his

fatigue (which obliged him to go to bed early and to be up early)

prevented his being as assiduously present as the three other friends。

This intercourse of five superior men; the only ones in Nemours who

had sufficiently wide knowledge to understand each other; explains old

Minoret's aversion to his relatives; if he were compelled to leave

them his money; at least he need not admit them to his society。

Whether the post master; the sheriff; and the collector understood

this distinction; or whether they were reassured by the evident

loyalty and benefactions of their uncle; certain it is that they

ceased; to his great satisfaction; to see much of him。 So; about eight

months after the arrival of the doctor these four players of whist and

backgammon made a solid and exclusive little world which was to each a

fraternal aftermath; an unlooked for fine season; the gentle pleasures

of which were the more enjoyed。 This little circle of choice spirits

closed round Ursula; a child whom each adopted according to his

individual tendencies; the abbe thought of her soul; the judge

imagined himself her guardian; the soldier intended to be her teacher;

and as for Minoret; he was father; mother; and physician; all in one。



After he became acclimated old Minoret settled into certain habits of

life; under fixed rules; after the manner of the provinces。 On

Ursula's account he received no visitors in the morning; and never

gave dinners; but his friends were at liberty to come to his house at

six o'clock and stay till midnight。 The first…comers found the

newspapers on the table and read them while awaiting the rest; or they

sometimes sallied forth to meet the doctor if he were out for a walk。

This tranquil life was not a mere necessity of old age; it was the

wise and careful scheme of a man of the world to keep his happiness

untroubled by the curiosity of his heirs and the gossip of a little

town。 He yielded nothing to that capricious goddess; public opinion;

whose tyranny (one of the present great evils of France) was just

beginning to establish its power and to make the whole nation a mere

province。 So; as soon as the child was weaned and could walk alone;

the doctor sent away the housekeeper whom his niece; Madame Minoret…

Levrault had chosen for him; having discovered that she told her

patroness everything that happened in his household。



Ursula's nurse; the widow of a poor workman (who possessed no name but

a baptismal one; and who came from Bougival) had lost her last child;

aged six months; just as the doctor; who knew her to be a good and

honest creature; engaged her as wetnurse for Ursula。 Antoinette Patris

(her maiden name); widow of Pierre; called Le Bougival; attached

herself naturally to Ursula; as wetmaids do to their nurslings。 This

blind maternal affection was accompanied in this instance by household

devotion。 Told of the doctor's intention to send away his housekeeper;

La Bougival secretly learned to cook; became neat and handy; and

discovered the old man's ways。 She took the utmost care of the house

and furniture; in short she was indefatigable。 Not only did the doctor

wish to keep his private life within four walls; as the saying is; but

he also had certain reasons for hiding a knowledge of his business

affairs from his relatives。 At the end of the second year after his

arrival La Bougival was the only servant in the house; on her

discretion he knew he could count; and he disguised his real purposes

by the all…powerful open reason of a necessary economy。 To the great

satisfaction of his heirs he became a miser。 Without fawning or

wheedling; solely by the influence of her devotion and solicitude; La

Bougival; who was forty…three years old at the time this tale begins;

was the housekeeper of the doctor and his protegee; the pivot on which

the whole house turned; in short; the confidential servant。 She was

called La Bougival from the admitted impossibility of applying to her

person the name that actually belonged to her; Antoinettefor names

and forms do obey the laws of harmony。



The doctor's miserliness was not mere talk; it was real; and it had an

object。 From the year 1817 he cut off two of his newspapers and ceased

subscribing to periodicals。 His annual expenses; which all Nemours

could estimate; did not exceed eighteen hundred francs a year。 Like

most old men his wants in linen; boots; and clothing; were very few。

Every six months he went to Paris; no doubt to draw and reinvest his

income。 In fifteen years he never said a single word to any one in

relation to his affairs。 His confidence in Bongrand was of slow

growth; it was not until after the revolution of 1830 that he told him

of his projects。 Nothing further was known of the doctor's life either

by the bourgeoisie at large or by his heirs。 As for his political

opinions; he did not meddle in public matters seeing that he paid less

than a hundred francs a year in taxes; and refused; impartially; to

subscribe to either royalist or liberal demands。 H

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