ursula-第17部分

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〃Come　and　dine；　Bouvard；　stay　with　me　till　nine　o'clock。　I　must　find

some　decisive；　undeniable　test！〃



〃So　be　it；　old　comrade；〃　answered　the　other。



The　reconciled　enemies　dined　in　the　Palais…Royal。　After　a　lively

conversation；　which　helped　Minoret　to　evade　the　fever　of　the　ideas

which　were　ravaging　his　brain；　Bouvard　said　to　him：



〃If　you　admit　in　that　woman　the　faculty　of　annihilating　or　of

traversing　space；　if　you　obtain　a　certainty　that　here；　in　Paris；　she

sees　and　hears　what　is　said　and　done　in　Nemours；　you　must　admit　all

other　magnetic　facts；　they　are　not　more　incredible　than　these。　Ask　her

for　some　one　proof　which　you　know　will　satisfy　youfor　you　might

suppose　that　we　obtained　information　to　deceive　you；　but　we　cannot

know；　for　instance；　what　will　happen　at　nine　o'clock　in　your

goddaughter's　bedroom。　Remember；　or　write　down；　what　the　sleeper　will

see　and　hear；　and　then　go　home。　Your　little　Ursula；　whom　I　do　not

know；　is　not　our　accomplice；　and　if　she　tells　you　that　she　has　said

and　done　what　you　have　written　downlower　thy　head；　proud　Hun！〃



The　two　friends　returned　to　the　house　opposite　to　the　Assumption　and

found　the　somnambulist；　who　in　her　waking　state　did　not　recognize

Doctor　Minoret。　The　eyes　of　this　woman　closed　gently　before　the　hand

of　the　Swedenborgian；　which　was　stretched　towards　her　at　a　little

distance；　and　she　took　the　attitude　in　which　Minoret　had　first　seen

her。　When　her　hand　and　that　of　the　doctor　were　again　joined；　he　asked

her　to　tell　him　what　was　happening　in　his　house　at　Nemours　at　that

instant。　〃What　is　Ursula　doing？〃　he　said。



〃She　is　undressed；　she　has　just　curled　her　hair；　she　is　kneeling　on

her　prie…Dieu；　before　an　ivory　crucifix　fastened　to　a　red　velvet

background。〃



〃What　is　she　saying？〃



〃Her　evening　prayers；　she　is　commending　herself　to　God；　she　implores

him　to　save　her　soul　from　evil　thoughts；　she　examines　her　conscience

and　recalls　what　she　has　done　during　the　day；　that　she　may　know　if　she

has　failed　to　obey　his　commands　and　those　of　the　churchpoor　dear

little　soul；　she　lays　bare　her　breast！〃　Tears　were　in　the　sleeper's

eyes。　〃She　has　done　no　sin；　but　she　blames　herself　for　thinking　too

much　of　Savinien。　She　stops　to　wonder　what　he　is　doing　in　Paris；　she

prays　to　God　to　make　him　happy。　She　speaks　of　you；　she　is　praying

aloud。〃



〃Tell　me　her　words。〃　Minoret　took　his　pencil　and　wrote；　as　the　sleeper

uttered　it；　the　following　prayer；　evidently　composed　by　the　Abbe

Chaperon。



　　〃My　God；　if　thou　art　content　with　thine　handmaid；　who　worships

　　thee　and　prays　to　thee　with　a　love　that　is　equal　to　her　devotion；

　　who　strives　not　to　wander　from　thy　sacred　paths；　who　would　gladly

　　die　as　thy　Son　died　to　glorify　thy　name；　who　desires　to　live　in

　　the　shadow　of　thy　willO　God；　who　knoweth　the　heart；　open　the

　　eyes　of　my　godfather；　lead　him　in　the　way　of　salvation；　grant　him

　　thy　Divine　grace；　that　he　may　live　for　thee　in　his　last　days；　save

　　him　from　evil；　and　let　me　suffer　in　his　stead。　Kind　Saint　Ursula；

　　dear　protectress；　and　you；　Mother　of　God；　queen　of　heaven；

　　archangels；　and　saints　in　Paradise；　hear　me！　join　your

　　intercessions　to　mine　and　have　mercy　upon　us。〃



The　sleeper　imitated　so　perfectly　the　artless　gestures　and　the

inspired　manner　of　his　child　that　Doctor　Minoret's　eyes　were　filled

with　tears。



〃Does　she　say　more？〃　he　asked。



〃Yes。〃



〃Repeat　it。〃



〃'My　dear　godfather；　I　wonder　who　plays　backgammon　with　him　in　Paris。'

She　has　blown　out　the　lighther　head　is　on　the　pillowshe　turns　to

sleep！　Ah！　she　is　off！　How　pretty　she　looks　in　her　little　night…cap。〃



Minoret　bowed　to　the　great　Unknown；　wrung　Bouvard　by　the　hand；　ran

downstairs　and　hastened　to　a　cab…stand　which　at　that　time　was　near　the

gates　of　a　house　since　pulled　down　to　make　room　for　the　Rue　d'Alger。

There　he　found　a　coachman　who　was　willing　to　start　immediately　for

Fontainebleau。　The　moment　the　price　was　agreed　on；　the　old　man；　who

seemed　to　have　renewed　his　youth；　jumped　into　the　carriage　and

started。　According　to　agreement；　he　stopped　to　rest　the　horse　at

Essonne；　but　arrived　at　Fontainebleau　in　time　for　the　diligence　to

Nemours；　on　which　he　secured　a　seat；　and　dismissed　his　coachman。　He

reached　home　at　five　in　the　morning；　and　went　to　bed；　with　his　life…

long　ideas　of　physiology；　nature；　and　metaphysics　in　ruins　about　him；

and　slept　till　nine　o'clock；　so　wearied　was　he　with　the　events　of　his

journey。







CHAPTER　VII



A　TWO…FOLD　CONVERSION



On　rising；　the　doctor；　sure　that　no　one　had　crossed　the　threshold　of

his　house　since　he　re…entered　it；　proceeded　（but　not　without　extreme

trepidation）　to　verify　his　facts。　He　was　himself　ignorant　of　any

difference　in　the　bank…notes　and　also　of　the　misplacement　of　the

Pandect　volumes。　The　somnambulist　was　right。　The　doctor　rang　for　La

Bougival。



〃Tell　Ursula　to　come　and　speak　to　me；〃　he　said；　seating　himself　in　the

center　of　his　library。



The　girl　came；　she　ran　up　to　him　and　kissed　him。　The　doctor　took　her

on　his　knee；　where　she　sat　contentedly；　mingling　her　soft　fair　curls

with　the　white　hair　of　her　old　friend。



〃Do　you　want　something；　godfather？〃



〃Yes；　but　promise　me；　on　your　salvation；　to　answer　frankly；　without

evasion；　the　questions　that　I　shall　put　to　you。〃



Ursula　colored　to　the　temples。



〃Oh！　I'll　ask　nothing　that　you　cannot　speak　of；〃　he　said；　noticing　how

the　bashfulness　of　young　love　clouded　the　hitherto　childlike　purity　of

the　girl's　blue　eyes。



〃Ask　me；　godfather。〃



〃What　thought　was　in　your　mind　when　you　ended　your　prayers　last

evening；　and　what　time　was　it　when　you　said　them。〃



〃It　was　a　quarter…past　or　half…past　nine。〃



〃Well；　repeat　your　last　prayer。〃



The　girl　fancied　that　her　voice　might　convey　her　faith　to　the　sceptic；

she　slid　from　his　knee　and　knelt　down；　clasping　her　hands　fervently；　a

brilliant　light　illumined　her　face　as　she　turned　it　on　the　old　man　and

said：



〃What　I　asked　of　God　last　night　I　asked　again　this　morning；　and　I

shall　ask　it　till　he　vouchsafes　to　grant　it。〃



Then　she　repeated　her　prayer　with　new　and　still　more　powerful

expression。　To　her　great　astonishment　her　godfather　took　the　last

words　from　her　mouth　and　finished　the　prayer。



〃Good；　Ursula；〃　said　the　doctor；　taking　her　again　on　his　knee。　〃When

you　laid　your　head　on　the　pillow　and　went　to　sleep　did　you　think　to

yourself；　'That　dear　godfather；　I　wonder　who　is　playing　backgammon

with　him　in　Paris'？〃



Ursula　sprang　up　as　if　the　last　trumpet　had　sounded　in　her　ears。　She

gave　a　cry　of　terror；　her　eyes；　wide　open；　gazed　at　the　old　man　with

awful　fixity。



〃Who　are　you；　godfather？　From　whom　do　you　get　such　power？〃　she　asked；

imagining　that　in　his　desire　to　deny　God　he　had　made　some　compact　with

the　devil。



〃What　seeds　did　you　plant　yesterday　in　the　garden？〃



〃Mignonette；　sweet…peas；　balsams〃



〃And　the　last　were　larkspur？〃



She　fell　on　her　knees。



〃Do　not　terrify　me！〃　she　exclaimed。　〃Oh　you　must　have　been　hereyou

were　here；　were　you　not？〃



〃Am　I　not　always　with　you？〃　replied　the　doctor；　evading　her　question；

to　save　the　strain　on　the　young　girl's　mind。　〃Let　us　go　to　your　room。〃



〃Your　legs　are　trembling；〃　she　said。



〃Yes；　I　am　confounded；　as　it　were。〃



〃Can　it　be　that　you　believe　in　God？〃　she　cried；　with　artless　joy；

letting　fall　the　tears　that　gathered　in　her　eyes。



The　old　man　looked　round　the　simple　but　dainty　little　room　he　had

given　to　his　Ursula。　On　the　floor　was　a　plain　green　carpet；　very

inexpensive；　which　she　herself　kept　exquisitely　clean；　the　walls　were

hung　with　a　gray　paper　strewn　with　roses　and　green　leaves；　at　the

windows；　which　looked　to　the　court；　were　calico　curtains　edged　with　a

band　of　some　pink　material；　between　the　windows　and　beneath　a　tall

mirror　was　a　pier…table　topped　with　marble；　on　which　stood　a　Sevres

vase　in　which　she　put　her　nosegays；　opposite　the　chimney　was　a　little

bureau…desk　of　charming　marquetry。　The　bed；　of　chintz；　with　chintz

curtains　lined　with　pink；　was　one　of　those　duchess　beds　so　common　in

the　eighteenth　century；　which　had　a　tuft　of　carved　feathers　at　the　top

of　each　of　the　four　posts；　which　were　fluted　on　the　sides。　An　old

clock；　inclosed　in　a　sort　of　monument　made　of　tortoise…shell　inlaid

with　arabesques　of　ivory；　decorated　the　mantelpiece；　the　marble　shelf

of　which；　with　the　candlesticks　and　the　mirror　in　a　frame　painted　in

cameo　on　a　gray　ground；　presented　a　remarkable　harmony　of　color；　tone；

and　style。　A　large　wardrobe；　the　doors　of　which　were　inlaid　with

landscapes　in　different　woods　（some　having　a　green　tint　which　are　no

longer　to　be　found　for　sale）　contained；　no　doubt；　her　linen　and　her

dresses。　The　air　of　the　room　was　redolent　of　heaven。　The　precise

arrangement　of　everything　showed　a　sense　of　order；　a　feeling　for

harmony；　which　would　certainly　have　influenced　any　one；　even　a

Minore