ursula-第10章

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composer；　having　made　his　debut　at　the　Italian　opera　under　a　feigned

name；　ran　away　with　a　young　lady　in　Germany。　The　dying　father

commended　the　young　man；　who　was　really　full　of　talent；　to　his　son…in…

law；　proving　to　him；　at　the　same　time；　that　he　had　refused　to　marry

the　mother　that　he　might　not　injure　Madame　Minoret。　The　doctor

promised　to　give　the　unfortunate　Joseph　half　of　whatever　his　wife

inherited　from　her　father；　whose　business　was　purchased　by　the　Erards。

He　made　due　search　for　his　illegitimate　brother…in…law；　but　Grimm

informed　him　one　day　that　after　enlisting　in　a　Prussian　regiment

Joseph　had　deserted　and　taken　a　false　name　and　that　all　efforts　to

find　him　would　be　frustrated。



Joseph　Mirouet；　gifted　by　nature　with　a　delightful　voice；　a　fine

figure；　a　handsome　face；　and　being　moreover　a　composer　of　great　taste

and　much　brilliancy；　led　for　over　fifteen　years　the　Bohemian　life

which　Hoffman　has　so　well　described。　So；　by　the　time　he　was　forty；　he

was　reduced　to　such　depths　of　poverty　that　he　took　advantage　of　the

events　of　1806　to　make　himself　once　more　a　Frenchman。　He　settled　in

Hamburg；　where　he　married　the　daughter　of　a　bourgeois；　a　girl　devoted

to　music；　who　fell　in　love　with　the　singer　（whose　fame　was　ever

prospective）　and　chose　to　devote　her　life　to　him。　But　after　fifteen

years　of　Bohemia；　Joseph　Mirouet　was　unable　to　bear　prosperity；　he　was

naturally　a　spendthrift；　and　though　kind　to　his　wife；　he　wasted　her

fortune　in　a　very　few　years。　The　household　must　have　dragged　on　a

wretched　existence　before　Joseph　Mirouet　reached　the　point　of

enlisting　as　a　musician　in　a　French　regiment。　In　1813　the　surgeon…

major　of　the　regiment；　by　the　merest　chance；　heard　the　name　of

Mirouet；　was　struck　by　it；　and　wrote　to　Doctor　Minoret；　to　whom　he　was

under　obligations。



The　answer　was　not　long　in　coming。　As　a　result；　in　1814；　before　the

allied　occupation；　Joseph　Mirouet　had　a　home　in　Paris；　where　his　wife

died　giving　birth　to　a　little　girl；　whom　the　doctor　desired　should　be

called　Ursula　after　his　wife。　The　father　did　not　long　survive　the

mother；　worn　out；　as　she　was；　by　hardship　and　poverty。　When　dying　the

unfortunate　musician　bequeathed　his　daughter　to　the　doctor；　who　was

already　her　godfather；　in　spite　of　his　repugnance　for　what　he　called

the　mummeries　of　the　Church。　Having　seen　his　own　children　die　in

succession　either　in　dangerous　confinements　or　during　the　first　year

of　their　lives；　the　doctor　had　awaited　with　anxiety　the　result　of　a

last　hope。　When　a　nervous；　delicate；　and　sickly　woman　begins　with　a

miscarriage　it　is　not　unusual　to　see　her　go　through　a　series　of　such

pregnancies　as　Ursula　Minoret　did；　in　spite　of　the　care　and

watchfulness　and　science　of　her　husband。　The　poor　man　often　blamed

himself　for　their　mutual　persistence　in　desiring　children。　The　last

child；　born　after　a　rest　of　nearly　two　years；　died　in　1792；　a　victim

of　its　mother's　nervous　conditionif　we　listen　to　physiologists；　who

tell　us　that　in　the　inexplicable　phenomenon　of　generation　the　child

derives　from　the　father　by　blood　and　from　the　mother　in　its　nervous

system。



Compelled　to　renounce　the　joys　of　a　feeling　all　powerful　within　him；

the　doctor　turned　to　benevolence　as　a　substitute　for　his　denied

paternity。　During　his　married　life；　thus　cruelly　disappointed；　he　had

longed　more　especially　for　a　fair　little　daughter；　a　flower　to　bring

joy　to　the　house；　he　therefore　gladly　accepted　Joseph　Mirouet's

legacy；　and　gave　to　the　orphan　all　the　hopes　of　his　vanished　dreams。

For　two　years　he　took　part；　as　Cato　for　Pompey；　in　the　most　minute

particulars　of　Ursula's　life；　he　would　not　allow　the　nurse　to　suckle

her　or　to　take　her　up　or　put　her　to　bed　without　him。　His　medical

science　and　his　experience　were　all　put　to　use　in　her　service。　After

going　through　many　trials；　alternations　of　hope　and　fear；　and　the　joys

and　labors　of　a　mother；　he　had　the　happiness　of　seeing　this　child　of

the　fair　German　woman　and　the　French　singer　a　creature　of　vigorous

health　and　profound　sensibility。



With　all　the　eager　feelings　of　a　mother　the　happy　old　man　watched　the

growth　of　the　pretty　hair；　first　down；　then　silk；　at　last　hair；　fine

and　soft　and　clinging　to　the　fingers　that　caressed　it。　He　often　kissed

the　little　naked　feet　the　toes　of　which；　covered　with　a　pellicle

through　which　the　blood　was　seen；　were　like　rosebuds。　He　was

passionately　fond　of　the　child。　When　she　tried　to　speak；　or　when　she

fixed　her　beautiful　blue　eyes　upon　some　object　with　that　serious；

reflective　look　which　seems　the　dawn　of　thought；　and　which　she　ended

with　a　laugh；　he　would　stay　by　her　side　for　hours；　seeking；　with

Jordy's　help；　to　understand　the　reasons　（which　most　people　call

caprices）　underlying　the　phenomena　of　this　delicious　phase　of　life；

when　childhood　is　both　flower　and　fruit；　a　confused　intelligence；　a

perpetual　movement；　a　powerful　desire。



Ursula's　beauty　and　gentleness　made　her　so　dear　to　the　doctor　that　he

would　have　liked　to　change　the　laws　of　nature　in　her　behalf。　He

declared　to　old　Jordy　that　his　teeth　ached　when　Ursula　was　cutting

hers。　When　old　men　love　children　there　is　no　limit　to　their　passion

they　worship　them。　For　these　little　beings　they　silence　their　own

manias　or　recall　a　whole　past　in　their　service。　Experience；　patience；

sympathy；　the　acquisitions　of　life；　treasures　laboriously　amassed；　all

are　spent　upon　that　young　life　in　which　they　live　again；　their

intelligence　does　actually　take　the　place　of　motherhood。　Their　wisdom；

ever　on　the　alert；　is　equal　to　the　intuition　of　a　mother；　they

remember　the　delicate　perceptions　which　in　their　own　mother　were

divinations；　and　import　them　into　the　exercise　of　a　compassion　which

is　carried　to　an　extreme　in　their　minds　by　a　sense　of　the　child's

unutterable　weakness。　The　slowness　of　their　movements　takes　the　place

of　maternal　gentleness。　In　them；　as　in　children；　life　is　reduced　to

its　simplest　expression；　if　maternal　sentiment　makes　the　mother　a

slave；　the　abandonment　of　self　allows　an　old　man　to　devote　himself

utterly。　For　these　reasons　it　is　not　unusual　to　see　children　in　close

intimacy　with　old　persons。　The　old　soldier；　the　old　abbe；　the　old

doctor；　happy　in　the　kisses　and　cajoleries　of　little　Ursula；　were

never　weary　of　answering　her　talk　and　playing　with　her。　Far　from

making　them　impatient　her　petulances　charmed　them；　and　they　gratified

all　her　wishes；　making　each　the　ground　of　some　little　training。



The　child　grew　up　surrounded　by　old　men；　who　smiled　at　her　and　made

themselves　mothers　for　her　sake；　all　three　equally　attentive　and

provident。　Thanks　to　this　wise　education；　Ursula's　soul　developed　in　a

sphere　that　suited　it。　This　rare　plant　found　its　special　soil；　it

breathed　the　elements　of　its　true　life　and　assimilated　the　sun　rays

that　belonged　to　it。



〃In　what　faith　do　you　intend　to　bring　up　the　little　one？〃　asked　the

abbe　of　the　doctor；　when　Ursula　was　six　years　old。



〃In　yours；〃　answered　Minoret。



An　atheist　after　the　manner　of　Monsieur　Wolmar　in　the　〃Nouvelle

Heloise〃　he　did　not　claim　the　right　to　deprive　Ursula　of　the　benefits

offered　by　the　Catholic　religion。　The　doctor；　sitting　at　the　moment　on

a　bench　outside　the　Chinese　pagoda；　felt　the　pressure　of　the　abbe's

hand　on　his。



〃Yes；　abbe；　every　time　she　talks　to　me　of　God　I　shall　send　her　to　her

friend　'Shapron；'〃　he　said；　imitating　Ursula's　infant　speech；　〃I　wish

to　see　whether　religious　sentiment　is　inborn　or　not。　Therefore　I　shall

do　nothing　either　for　or　against　the　tendencies　of　that　young　soul；

but　in　my　heart　I　have　appointed　you　her　spiritual　guardian。〃



〃God　will　reward　you；　I　hope；〃　replied　the　abbe；　gently　joining　his

hands　and　raising　them　towards　heaven　as　if　he　were　making　a　brief

mental　prayer。



So；　from　the　time　she　was　six　years　old　the　little　orphan　lived　under

the　religious　influence　of　the　abbe；　just　as　she　had　already　come

under　the　educational　training　of　her　friend　Jordy。



The　captain；　formerly　a　professor　in　a　military　academy；　having　a

taste　for　grammar　and　for　the　differences　among　European　languages；

had　studied　the　problem　of　a　universal　tongue。　This　learned　man；

patient　as　most　old　scholars　are；　delighted　in　teaching　Ursula　to　read

and　write。　He　taught　her　also　the　French　language　and　all　she　needed

to　know　of　arithmetic。　The　doctor's　library　afforded　a　choice　of　books

which　could　be　read　by　a　child　for　amusement　as　well　as　instruction。



The　abbe　and　the　soldier　allowed　the　young　mind　to　enrich　itself　with

the　freedom　and　comfort　which　the　doctor　gave　to　the　body。　Ursula

learned　as　she　played。　Religion　was　given　with　due　reflection。　Left　to

follow　the　divine　training　of　a　nature　that　was　led　into　regions　of

purity　by　these　judicious　educators；　Ursula　inclined　more　to　sentiment

than　to　duty；　she　took　as　her　rule　of　conduct　the　voice　of　her　own

conscience　rather　than　the　demands　of　social　law。　In　her；　nobility　of

feeling　and　action　would　ever　be　spontaneous；　her　judgment　would

confirm　the　impulse　of　her　heart。　She　was　destined　to　do　right　as　a

pleasure　before　doing　it　as　an　obligation。　This　distinction　is　the

peculiar　sign　of　Christian　education。　These　principles；　altogether

different　from　those　that　are　taught　to　men；　were　suitable　for　a

woman；the　spirit　and　the　conscience　of　the　home；　the　beautifier　of

domestic　life；　the　queen　of　her　household。　All　three　of　these　old

preceptors　followed　the　same　method　with　Ursula。　Instead　of　recoiling

before　the　bold　questions　of　innocence；　they　explained　to　her　the

reasons　of　things　and　the　best　means　of　action；　taking　care　to　give

her　none　but　correct　ideas。　When；　apropos　of　a　flower；　a　star；　a　blade

of　grass；　her　thoughts　went　straight　to　God；　the　doctor　and　the

professor　told　her　that　the　priest　alone　could　answer　her。　None　of

them　intruded　on　the　territory　of　the　others；　the　doctor　took　charge

of　her　material　well…being　and　the　things　of　life；　Jordy's　department

was　instruction；　moral　and　spiritual　questions　and　the　ideas

appertaining　to　the　higher　life　belonged　to　the　abbe。　This　noble

education　was　not；　as　it　often　is；　counteracted　by　injudicious

servants。　La　Bougival；　having　been　lectured　on　the　subject；　and　being；

moreover；　too　simple　in　mind　and　character　to　interfere；　did　nothing

to　injure　the　work　of　these　great　minds。　Ursula；　a　privileged　being；

grew　up　with　good　geniuses　round　her；　and　her　naturally　fine

disposition　made　the　task　of　each　a　sweet　and　easy　one。　Such　manly

tenderness；　such　gravity　lighted　by　smiles；　such　liberty　without

danger；　such　perpetual　care　of　soul　and　body　made　little　Ursula；　when

nine　years　of　age；　a　well…trained　child　and　delightful　to　behold。



Unhappily；　this　paternal　trinity　was　broken　up。　The　old　captain　died

the　following　year；　leaving　the　abbe　and　the　doctor　to　finish　his

work；　of　which；　however；　he　had　accomplished　the　most　difficult　part。

Flowers　will　bloom　of　themselves