ursula-第41章

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mass；　but　he　was　not　surprised　at　Ursula's　revelation。　He　believed　the

robbery　had　been　committed；　and　no　longer　tried　to　explain　to　himself

the　abnormal　condition　of　his　〃little　dreamer。〃　He　left　Ursula　at　once

and　went　directly　to　Minoret's。



〃Monsieur　l'abbe；〃　said　Zelie；　〃my　husband's　temper　is　so　soured　I

don't　know　what　he　mightn't　do。　Until　now　he's　been　a　child；　but　for

the　last　two　months　he's　not　the　same　man。　To　get　angry　enough　to

strike　meme；　so　gentle！　There　must　be　something　dreadful　the　matter

to　change　him　like　that。　You'll　find　him　among　the　rocks；　he　spends

all　his　time　there；doing　what；　I'd　like　to　know？〃



In　spite　of　the　heat　（it　was　then　September；　1836）；　the　abbe　crossed

the　canal　and　took　a　path　which　led　to　the　base　of　one　of　the　rocks；

where　he　saw　Minoret。



〃You　are　greatly　troubled；　Monsieur　Minoret；〃　said　the　priest　going　up

to　him。　〃You　belong　to　me　because　you　suffer。　Unhappily；　I　come　to

increase　your　pain。　Ursula　had　a　terrible　dream　last　night。　Your　uncle

lifted　the　stone　from　his　grave　and　came　forth　to　prophecy　a　great

disaster　in　your　family。　I　certainly　am　not　here　to　frighten　you；　but

you　ought　to　know　what　he　said〃



〃I　can't　be　easy　anywhere；　Monsieur　Chaperon；　not　even　among　these

rocks；　and　I'm　sure　I　don't　want　to　know　anything　that　is　going　on　in

another　world。〃



〃Then　I　will　leave　you；　monsieur；　I　did　not　take　this　hot　walk　for

pleasure；〃　said　the　abbe；　mopping　his　forehead。



〃Well；　what　do　you　want　to　say？〃　demanded　Minoret。



〃You　are　threatened　with　the　loss　of　your　son。　If　the　dead　man　told

things　that　you　alone　know；　one　must　needs　tremble　when　he　tells

things　that　no　one　can　know　till　they　happen。　Make　restitution；　I　say；

make　restitution。　Don't　damn　your　soul　for　a　little　money。〃



〃Restitution　of　what？〃



〃The　fortune　the　doctor　intended　for　Ursula。　You　took　those　three

certificatesI　know　it　now。　You　began　by　persecuting　that　poor　girl；

and　you　end　by　offering　her　a　fortune；　you　have　stumbled　into　lies；

you　have　tangled　yourself　up　in　this　net；　and　you　are　taking　false

steps　every　day。　You　are　very　clumsy　and　unskilful；　your　accomplice

Goupil　has　served　you　ill；　he　simply　laughs　at　you。　Make　haste　and

clear　your　mind；　for　you　are　watched　by　intelligent　and　penetrating

eyes；those　of　Ursula's　friends。　Make　restitution！　and　if　you　do　not

save　your　son　（who　may　not　really　be　threatened）；　you　will　save　your

soul；　and　you　will　save　your　honor。　Do　you　believe　that　in　a　society

like　ours；　in　a　little　town　like　this；　where　everybody's　eyes　are

everywhere；　and　all　things　are　guessed　and　all　things　are　known；　you

can　long　hide　a　stolen　fortune？　Come；　my　son；　an　innocent　man　wouldn't

have　let　me　talk　so　long。〃



〃Go　to　the　devil！〃　cried　Minoret。　〃I　don't　know　what　you　ALL　mean　by

persecuting　me。　I　prefer　these　stonesthey　leave　me　in　peace。〃



〃Farewell；　then；　I　have　warned　you。　Neither　the　poor　girl　nor　I　have

said　a　single　word　about　this　to　any　living　person。　But　take　care

there　is　a　man　who　has　his　eye　upon　you。　May　God　have　pity　upon　you！〃



The　abbe　departed；　presently　he　turned　back　to　look　at　Minoret。　The

man　was　holding　his　head　in　his　hands　as　if　it　troubled　him；　he　was；

in　fact；　partly　crazy。　In　the　first　place；　he　had　kept　the　three

certificates　because　he　did　not　know　what　to　do　with　them。　He　dared

not　draw　the　money　himself　for　fear　it　should　be　noticed；　he　did　not

wish　to　sell　them；　and　was　still　trying　to　find　some　way　of

transferring　the　certificates。　In　this　horrible　state　of　uncertainty

he　bethought　him　of　acknowledging　all　to　his　wife　and　getting　her

advice。　Zelie；　who　always　managed　affairs　for　him　so　well；　she　could

get　him　out　of　his　troubles。　The　three…per…cent　Funds　were　now　selling

at　eighty。　Restitution！　why；　that　meant；　with　arrearages；　giving　up　a

million！　Give　up　a　million；　when　there　was　no　one　who　could　know　that

he　had　taken　it！



So　Minoret　continued　through　September　and　a　part　of　October

irresolute　and　a　prey　to　his　torturing　thoughts。　To　the　great　surprise

of　the　little　town　he　grew　thin　and　haggard。







CHAPTER　XX



REMORSE



An　alarming　circumstance　hastened　the　confession　which　Minoret　was

inclined　to　make　to　Zelie；　the　sword　of　Damocles　began　to　move　above

their　heads。　Towards　the　middle　of　October　Monsieur　and　Madame　Minoret

received　from　their　son　Desire　the　following　letter：



　　My　dear　Mother；If　I　have　not　been　to　see　you　since　vacation；　it

　　is　partly　because　I　have　been　on　duty　during　the　absence　of　my

　　chief；　but　also　because　I　knew　that　Monsieur　de　Portenduere　was

　　waiting　my　arrival　at　Nemours；　to　pick　a　quarrel　with　me。　Tired；

　　perhaps；　of　seeing　his　vengeance　on　our　family　delayed；　the

　　viscount　came　to　Fontainebleau；　where　he　had　appointed　one　of　his

　　Parisian　friends　to　meet　him；　having　already　obtained　the　help　of

　　the　Vicomte　de　Soulanges　commanding　the　troop　of　cavalry　here　in

　　garrison。



　　He　called　upon　me；　very　politely；　accompanied　by　the　two

　　gentlemen；　and　told　me　that　my　father　was　undoubtedly　the

　　instigator　of　the　malignant　persecutions　against　Ursula　Mirouet；

　　his　future　wife；　he　gave　me　proofs；　and　told　me　of　Goupil's

　　confession　before　witnesses。　He　also　told　me　of　my　father's

　　conduct；　first　in　refusing　to　pay　Goupil　the　price　agreed　on　for

　　his　wicked　invention；　and　next；　out　of　fear　of　Goupil's　malignity；

　　going　security　to　Monsieur　Dionis　for　the　price　of　his　practice

　　which　Goupil　is　to　have。



　　The　viscount；　not　being　able　to　fight　a　man　sixty…seven　years　of

　　age；　and　being　determined　to　have　satisfaction　for　the　insults

　　offered　to　Ursula；　demanded　it　formally　of　me。　His　determination；

　　having　been　well…weighed　and　considered；　could　not　be　shaken。　If　I

　　refused；　he　was　resolved　to　meet　me　in　society　before　persons

　　whose　esteem　I　value；　and　insult　me　openly。　In　France；　a　coward　is

　　unanimously　scorned。　Besides；　the　motives　for　demanding　reparation

　　should　be　explained　by　honorable　men。　He　said　he　was　sorry　to

　　resort　to　such　extremities。　His　seconds　declared　it　would　be　wiser

　　in　me　to　arrange　a　meeting　in　the　usual　manner　among　men　of　honor；

　　so　that　Ursula　Mirouet　might　not　be　known　as　the　cause　of　the

　　quarrel；　to　avoid　all　scandal　it　was　better　to　make　a　journey　to

　　the　nearest　frontier。　In　short；　my　seconds　met　his　yesterday；　and

　　they　unanimously　agreed　that　I　owed　him　reparation。　A　week　from

　　to…day　I　leave　for　Geneva　with　my　two　friends。　Monsieur　de

　　Portenduere；　Monsieur　de　Soulanges；　and　Monsieur　de　Trailles　will

　　meet　me　there。



　　The　preliminaries　of　the　duel　are　settled；　we　shall　fight　with

　　pistols；　each　fires　three　times；　and　after　that；　no　matter　what

　　happens；　the　affair　terminates。　To　keep　this　degrading　matter　from

　　public　knowledge　（for　I　find　it　impossible　to　justify　my　father's

　　conduct）　I　do　not　go　to　see　you　now；　because　I　dread　the　violence

　　of　the　emotion　to　which　you　would　yield　and　which　would　not　be

　　seemly。　If　I　am　to　make　my　way　in　the　world　I　must　conform　to　the

　　rules　of　society。　If　the　son　of　a　viscount　has　a　dozen　reasons　for

　　fighting　a　duel　the　son　of　a　post　master　has　a　hundred。　I　shall

　　pass　the　night　in　Nemours　on　my　way　to　Geneva；　and　I　will　bid　you

　　good…by　then。



After　the　reading　of　this　letter　a　scene　took　place　between　Zelie　and

Minoret　which　ended　in　the　latter　confessing　the　theft　and　relating

all　the　circumstances　and　the　strange　scenes　connected　with　it；　even

Ursula's　dreams。　The　million　fascinated　Zelie　quite　as　much　as　it　did

Minoret。



〃You　stay　quietly　here；〃　Zelie　said　to　her　husband；　without　the

slightest　remonstrance　against　his　folly。　〃I'll　manage　the　whole

thing。　We'll　keep　the　money；　and　Desire　shall　not　fight　a　duel。〃



Madame　Minoret　put　on　her　bonnet　and　shawl　and　carried　her　son's

letter　to　Ursula；　whom　she　found　alone；　as　it　was　about　midday。　In

spite　of　her　assurance　Zelie　was　discomfited　by　the　cold　look　which

the　young　girl　gave　her。　But　she　took　herself　to　task　for　her

cowardice　and　assumed　an　easy　air。



〃Here；　Mademoiselle　Mirouet；　do　me　the　kindness　to　read　that　and　tell

me　what　you　think　of　it；〃　she　cried；　giving　Ursula　her　son's　letter。



Ursula　went　through　various　conflicting　emotions　as　she　read　the

letter；　which　showed　her　how　truly　she　was　loved　and　what　care

Savinien　took　of　the　honor　of　the　woman　who　was　to　be　his　wife；　but

she　had　too　much　charity　and　true　religion　to　be　willing　to　be　the

cause　of　death　or　suffering　to　her　most　cruel　enemy。



〃I　promise；　madame；　to　prevent　the　duel；　you　may　feel　perfectly　easy；

but　I　must　request　you　to　leave　me　this　letter。〃



〃My　dear　little　angel；　can　we　not　come　to　some　better　arrangement。

Monsieur　Minoret　and　I　have　acquired　property　about　Rouvre；a　really

regal　castle；　which　gives　us　forty…eight　thousand　francs　a　year；　we

shall　give　Desire　twenty…four　thousand　a　year　which　we　have　in　the

Funds；　in　all；　seventy　thousand　francs　a　year。　You　will　admit　that

there　are　not　many　better　matches　than　he。　You　are　an　ambitious　girl；

and　quite　right　too；〃　added　Zelie；　seeing　Ursula's　quick　gesture　of

denial；　〃I　have　therefore　come　to　ask　your　hand　for　Desire。　You　will

bear　your　godfather's　name；　and　that　will　honor　it。　Desire；　as　you

must　have　seen；　is　a　handsome　fellow；　he　is　very　much　thought　of　at

Fontainebleau；　and　he　will　soon　be　procureur　du　roi　himself。　You　are　a

coaxing　girl　and　can　easily　persuade　him　to　live　in　Paris。　We　will

give　you　a　fine　house　there；　you　will　shine；　you　will　play　a

distinguished　part；　for；　with　seventy　thousand　francs　a　year　and　the

salary　of　an　office；　you　and　Desire　can　enter　the　highest　society。

Consult　your　friends；　you'll　see　what　they　tell　you。〃



〃I　need　only　consult　my　heart；　madame。〃



〃Ta；　ta；　ta！　now　don't　talk　to　me　about　that　little　lady…killer

Savinien。　You'd　pay　too　high　a　price　for　his　name；　and　for　that　little

moustache　curled　up　at　the　points　like　two　hooks；　and　his　black　hair。

How　do　you　expect　to　manage　on　seven　thousand　francs　a　year；　with　a

man　who　made　two　hundred　thousand　francs　of　debt　in　two　years？　Besides

though　this　is　a　thing　you　don't　know　yetall　men　are　alike；　and

without　flattering　myself　too　much；　I　may　say　that　my　Desire　is　the

equal　of　a　king's　son。〃



〃You　forget；　madame；　the　danger　your　son　is　in　at　this　moment；　which

can；　perhaps；　be　averted　only　by　Monsieur　de　Portenduere's　desire　to

please　me。　If　he　knew　that　you　had　made　me　these　unworthy　proposals

that　danger　might　not　be　escaped。　Besides；　let　me　tell　you；　madame；

that　I　shall　be　far　happier　in　the　moderate　circumstances　to　which　you

allude　than　I　should　be　in　the　opulence　with　which　you　are　trying　to

dazzle　me。　For　reasons　hitherto　unknown；　but　which　will　yet　be　made

known；　Monsieur　Minoret；　by　persecuting　me　in　an　odious　manner；

strengthened　the　affection　that　exists　between　Mons