ursula-第3章

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him　than　it　was　to　others；　and　knowing　himself　superior　in　mind　to　the

whole　bourgeoisie　of　Nemours；　was　now　counting　on　his　intimacy　with

Minoret's　son　Desire　to　obtain　the　means　of　buying　one　or　the　other　of

three　town　offices；that　of　clerk　of　the　court；　or　the　legal　practice

of　one　of　the　sheriffs；　or　that　of　Dionis　himself。　For　this　reason　he

put　up　with　the　affronts　of　the　post　master　and　the　contempt　of　Madame

Minoret…Levrault；　and　played　a　contemptible　part　towards　Desire；

consoling　the　fair　victims　whom　that　youth　left　behind　him　after　each

vacation；devouring　the　crumbs　of　the　loaves　he　had　kneaded。



〃If　I　were　the　nephew　of　a　rich　old　fellow；　he　never　would　have　given

God　to　ME　for　a　co…heir；〃　retorted　Goupil；　with　a　hideous　grin　which

exhibited　his　teethfew；　black；　and　menacing。



Just　then　Massin…Levrault；　junior；　the　clerk　of　the　court；　joined　his

wife；　bringing　with　him　Madame　Cremiere；　the　wife　of　the　tax…collector

of　Nemours。　This　man；　one　of　the　hardest　natures　of　the　little　town；

had　the　physical　characteristics　of　a　Tartar：　eyes　small　and　round　as

sloes　beneath　a　retreating　brow；　crimped　hair；　an　oily　skin；　huge　ears

without　any　rim；　a　mouth　almost　without　lips；　and　a　scanty　beard。　He

spoke　like　a　man　who　was　losing　his　voice。　To　exhibit　him　thoroughly

it　is　enough　to　say　that　he　employed　his　wife　and　eldest　daughter　to

serve　his　legal　notices。



Madame　Cremiere　was　a　stout　woman；　with　a　fair　complexion　injured　by

red　blotches；　always　too　tightly　laced；　intimate　with　Madame　Dionis；

and　supposed　to　be　educated　because　she　read　novels。　Full　of

pretensions　to　wit　and　elegance；　she　was　awaiting　her　uncle's　money　to

〃take　a　certain　stand；〃　decorate　her　salon；　and　receive　the

bourgeoisie。　At　present　her　husband　denied　her　Carcel　lamps；

lithographs；　and　all　the　other　trifles　the　notary's　wife　possessed。

She　was　excessively　afraid　of　Goupil；　who　caught　up　and　retailed　her

〃slapsus…linquies〃　as　she　called　them。　One　day　Madame　Dionis　chanced

to　ask　what　〃Eau〃　she　thought　best　for　the　teeth。



〃Try　opium；〃　she　replied。



Nearly　all　the　collateral　heirs　of　old　Doctor　Minoret　were　now

assembled　in　the　square；　the　importance　of　the　event　which　brought

them　was　so　generally　felt　that　even　groups　of　peasants；　armed　with

their　scarlet　umbrellas　and　dressed　in　those　brilliant　colors　which

make　them　so　picturesque　on　Sundays　and　fete…days；　stood　by；　with

their　eyes　fixed　on　the　frightened　heirs。　In　all　little　towns　which

are　midway　between　large　villages　and　cities　those　who　do　not　go　to

mass　stand　about　in　the　square　or　market…place。　Business　is　talked

over。　In　Nemours　the　hour　of　church　service　was　a　weekly　exchange；　to

which　the　owners　of　property　scattered　over　a　radius　of　some　miles

resorted。



〃Well；　how　would　you　have　prevented　it？〃　said　the　post　master　to

Goupil　in　reply　to　his　remark。



〃I　should　have　made　myself　as　important　to　him　as　the　air　he　breathes。

But　from　the　very　first　you　failed　to　get　hold　of　him。　The　inheritance

of　a　rich　uncle　should　be　watched　as　carefully　as　a　pretty　womanfor

want　of　proper　care　they'll　both　escape　you。　If　Madame　Dionis　were

here　she　could　tell　you　how　true　that　comparison　is。〃



〃But　Monsieur　Bongrand　has　just　told　me　there　is　nothing　to　worry

about；〃　said　Massin。



〃Oh！　there　are　plenty　of　ways　of　saying　that！〃　cried　Goupil；

laughing。　〃I　would　like　to　have　heard　your　sly　justice　of　the　peace

say　it。　If　there　is　nothing　to　be　done；　if　he；　being　intimate　with

your　uncle；　knows　that　all　is　lost；　the　proper　thing　for　him　to　say　to

you　is；　'Don't　be　worried。'〃



As　Goupil　spoke；　a　satirical　smile　overspread　his　face；　and　gave　such

meaning　to　his　words　that　the　other　heirs　began　to　feel　that　Massin

had　let　Bongrand　deceive　him。　The　tax…collector；　a　fat　little　man；　as

insignificant　as　a　tax…collector　should　be；　and　as　much　of　a　cipher　as

a　clever　woman　could　wish；　hereupon　annihilated　his　co…heir；　Massin；

with　the　words：〃Didn't　I　tell　you　so？〃



Tricky　people　always　attribute　trickiness　to　others。　Massin　therefore

looked　askance　at　Monsieur　Bongrand；　the　justice　of　the　peace；　who　was

at　that　moment　talking　near　the　door　of　the　church　with　the　Marquis　du

Rouvre；　a　former　client。



〃If　I　were　sure　of　it！〃　he　said。



〃You　could　neutralize　the　protection　he　is　now　giving　to　the　Marquis

du　Rouvre；　who　is　threatened　with　arrest。　Don't　you　see　how　Bongrand

is　sprinkling　him　with　advice？〃　said　Goupil；　slipping　an　idea　of

retaliation　into　Massin's　mind。　〃But　you　had　better　go　easy　with　your

chief；　he's　a　clever　old　fellow；　he　might　use　his　influence　with　your

uncle　and　persuade　him　not　to　leave　everything　to　the　church。〃



〃Pooh！　we　sha'n't　die　of　it；〃　said　Minoret…Levrault；　opening　his

enormous　snuff…box。



〃You　won't　live　of　it；　either；〃　said　Goupil；　making　the　two　women

tremble。　More　quick…witted　than　their　husbands；　they　saw　the

privations　this　loss　of　inheritance　（so　long　counted　on　for　many

comforts）　would　be　to　them。　〃However；〃　added　Goupil；　〃we'll　drown　this

little　grief　in　floods　of　champagne　in　honor　of　Desire！sha'n't　we；

old　fellow？〃　he　cried；　tapping　the　stomach　of　the　giant；　and　inviting

himself　to　the　feast　for　fear　he　should　be　left　out。







CHAPTER　II



THE　RICH　UNCLE



Before　proceeding　further；　persons　of　an　exact　turn　of　mind　may　like

to　read　a　species　of　family　inventory；　so　as　to　understand　the　degrees

of　relationship　which　connected　the　old　man　thus　suddenly　converted　to

religion　with　these　three　heads　of　families　or　their　wives。　This

cross…breeding　of　families　in　the　remote　provinces　might　be　made　the

subject　of　many　instructive　reflections。



There　are　but　three　or　four　houses　of　the　lesser　nobility　in　Nemours；

among　them；　at　the　period　of　which　we　write；　that　of　the　family　of

Portenduere　was　the　most　important。　These　exclusives　visited　none　but

nobles　who　possessed　lands　or　chateaus　in　the　neighbourhood；　of　the

latter　we　may　mention　the　d'Aiglemonts；　owners　of　the　beautiful　estate

of　Saint…Lange；　and　the　Marquis　du　Rouvre；　whose　property；　crippled　by

mortgages；　was　closely　watched　by　the　bourgeoisie。　The　nobles　of　the

town　had　no　money。　Madame　de　Portenduere's　sole　possessions　were　a

farm　which　brought　a　rental　of　forty…seven　hundred　francs；　and　her

town　house。



In　opposition　to　this　very　insignificant　Faubourg　St。　Germain　was　a

group　of　a　dozen　rich　families；　those　of　retired　millers；　or　former

merchants；　in　short　a　miniature　bourgeoisie；　below　which；　again；　lived

and　moved　the　retail　shopkeepers；　the　proletaries　and　the　peasantry。

The　bourgeoisie　presented　（like　that　of　the　Swiss　cantons　and　of　other

small　countries）　the　curious　spectacle　of　the　ramifications　of　certain

autochthonous　families；　old…fashioned　and　unpolished　perhaps；　but　who

rule　a　whole　region　and　pervade　it；　until　nearly　all　its　inhabitants

are　cousins。　Under　Louis　XI。；　an　epoch　at　which　the　commons　first　made

real　names　of　their　surnames　（some　of　which　are　united　with　those　of

feudalism）　the　bourgeoisie　of　Nemours　was　made　up　of　Minorets；

Massins；　Levraults　and　Cremieres。　Under　Louis　XIII。　these　four

families　had　already　produced　the　Massin…Cremieres；　the　Levrault…

Massins；　the　Massin…Minorets；　the　Minoret…Minorets；　the　Cremiere…

Levraults；　the　Levrault…Minoret…Massins；　Massin…Levraults；　Minoret…

Massins；　Massin…Massins；　and　Cremiere…Massins；all　these　varied　with

juniors　and　diversified　with　the　names　of　eldest　sons；　as　for

instance；　Cremiere…Francois；　Levrault…Jacques；　Jean…Minoretenough　to

drive　a　Pere　Anselme　of　the　People　frantic；if　the　people　should　ever

want　a　genealogist。



The　variations　of　this　family　kaleidoscope　of　four　branches　was　now　so

complicated　by　births　and　marriages　that　the　genealogical　tree　of　the

bourgeoisie　of　Nemours　would　have　puzzled　the　Benedictines　of　the

Almanach　of　Gotha；　in　spite　of　the　atomic　science　with　which　they

arrange　those　zigzags　of　German　alliances。　For　a　long　time　the

Minorets　occupied　the　tanneries；　the　Cremieres　kept　the　mills；　the

Massins　were　in　trade；　and　the　Levraults　continued　farmers。

Fortunately　for　the　neighbourhood　these　four　stocks　threw　out　suckers

instead　of　depending　only　on　their　tap…roots；　they　scattered　cuttings

by　the　expatriation　of　sons　who　sought　their　fortune　elsewhere；　for

instance；　there　are　Minorets　who　are　cutlers　at　Melun；　Levraults　at

Montargis；　Massins　at　Orleans；　and　Cremieres　of　some　importance　in

Paris。　Divers　are　the　destinies　of　these　bees　from　the　parent　hive。

Rich　Massins　employ；　of　course；　the　poor　working　Massinsjust　as

Austria　and　Prussia　take　the　German　princes　into　their　service。　It　may

happen　that　a　public　office　is　managed　by　a　Minoret　millionaire　and

guarded　by　a　Minoret　sentinel。　Full　of　the　same　blood　and　called　by

the　same　name　（for　sole　likeness）；　these　four　roots　had　ceaselessly

woven　a　human　network　of　which　each　thread　was　delicate　or　strong；

fine　or　coarse；　as　the　case　might　be。　The　same　blood　was　in　the　head

and　in　the　feet　and　in　the　heart；　in　the　working　hands；　in　the　weakly

lungs；　in　the　forehead　big　with　genius。



The　chiefs　of　the　clan　were　faithful　to　the　little　town；　where　the

ties　of　family　were　relaxed　or　tightened　according　to　the　events　which

happened　under　this　curious　cognomenism。　In　whatever　part　of　France

you　may　be；　you　will　find　the　same　thing　under　changed　names；　but

without　the　poetic　charm　which　feudalism　gave　to　it；　and　which　Walter

Scott's　genius　reproduced　so　faithfully。　Let　us　look　a　little　higher

and　examine　humanity　as　it　appears　in　history。　All　the　noble　families

of　the　eleventh　century；　most　of　them　（except　the　royal　race　of　Capet）

extinct　to…day；　will　be　found　to　have　contributed　to　the　birth　of　the

Rohans；　Montmorencys；　Beauffremonts；　and　Mortemarts　of　our　time；in

fact　they　will　all　be　found　in　the　blood　of　the　last　gentleman　who　is

indeed　a　gentleman。　In　other　words；　every　bourgeois　is　cousin　to　a

bourgeois；　and　every　noble　is　cousin　to　a　noble。　A　splendid　page　of

biblical　genealogy　shows　that　in　one　thousand　years　three　families；

Shem；　Ham；　and　Japhet；　peopled　the　globe。　One　family　may　become　a

nation；　unfortunately；　a　nation　may　become　one　family。　To　prove　this

we　need　only　search　back　through　our　ancestors　and　see　their

accumulation；　which　time　increases　into　a　retrograde　geometric

progression；　which　multiplies　of　itself；　reminding　us　of　the

calculation　of　the　wise　man　who；　being　told　to　choose　a　reward　from

the　king　of　Persia　for　inventing　chess；　asked　for　one　ear　of　wheat　for

the　first　move　on　the　board；　the　reward　to　be　doubled　for　each

succeeding　move；　when　it　was　found　that　the　kingdom　was　not　large

enough　to　pay　it。　The　net…work　of　the　nobility；　hemmed　in　by　the　net…

work　of　the　bourgeoisie；the　antagonism　of　two　protected　races；　one

protected　by　fixed　institutions；　the　other　by　the　active　patience　of

labor　and　the　shrewdness　of　commerce；prod