ursula-第9章

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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