ursula-第20部分

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which　Goupil　speaks　of；though　I　don't　think　him　capable　of　that；　it

is　a　dangerous　thing。　As　for　marriage；　that　is　easy　to　prevent。　Desire

there　has　only　got　to　hold　out　a　finger　to　the　girl；　she's　sure　to

prefer　a　handsome　young　man；　cock　of　the　walk　in　Nemours；　to　an　old

one。〃



〃Mother；〃　said　Desire　to　Zelie's　ear；　as　much　allured　by　the　millions

as　by　Ursula's　beauty；　〃If　I　married　her　we　should　get　the　whole

property。〃



〃Are　you　crazy？you；　who'll　some　day　have　fifty　thousand　francs　a

year　and　be　made　a　deputy！　As　long　as　I　live　you　never　shall　cut　your

throat　by　a　foolish　marriage。　Seven　hundred　thousand　francs；　indeed！

Why；　the　mayor's　only　daughter　will　have　fifty　thousand　a　year；　and

they　have　already　proposed　her　to　me〃



This　reply；　the　first　rough　speech　his　mother　had　ever　made　to　him；

extinguished　in　Desire's　breast　all　desire　for　a　marriage　with　the

beautiful　Ursula；　for　his　father　and　he　never　got　the　better　of　any

decision　once　written　in　the　terrible　blue　eyes　of　Zelie　Minoret。



〃Yes；　but　see　here；　Monsieur　Dionis；〃　cried　Cremiere；　whose　wife　had

been　nudging　him；　〃if　the　good　man　took　the　thing　seriously　and

married　his　goddaughter　to　Desire；　giving　her　the　reversion　of　all　the

property；　good…by　to　our　share　in　it；　if　he　lives　five　years　longer

uncle　may　be　worth　a　million。〃



〃Never！〃　cried　Zelie；　〃never　in　my　life　shall　Desire　marry　the

daughter　of　a　bastard；　a　girl　picked　up　in　the　streets　out　of　charity。

My　son　will　represent　the　Minorets　after　the　death　of　his　uncle；　and

the　Minorets　have　five　hundred　years　of　good　bourgeoisie　behind　them。

That's　equal　to　the　nobility。　Don't　be　uneasy；　any　of　you；　Desire　will

marry　when　we　find　a　chance　to　put　him　in　the　Chamber　of　deputies。〃



This　lofty　declaration　was　backed　by　Goupil；　who　said：



〃Desire；　with　an　allowance　of　twenty…four　thousand　francs　a　year；　will

be　president　of　a　royal　court　or　solicitor…general；　either　office

leads　to　the　peerage。　A　foolish　marriage　would　ruin　him。〃



The　heirs　were　now　all　talking　at　once；　but　they　suddenly　held　their

tongues　when　Minoret　rapped　on　the　table　with　his　fist　to　keep　silence

for　the　notary。



〃Your　uncle　is　a　worthy　man；〃　continued　Dionis。　〃He　believes　he's

immortal；　and；　like　most　clever　men；　he'll　let　death　overtake　him

before　he　has　made　a　will。　My　advice　therefore　is　to　induce　him　to

invest　his　capital　in　a　way　that　will　make　it　difficult　for　him　to

disinherit　you；　and　I　know　of　an　opportunity；　made　to　hand。　That

little　Portenduere　is　in　Saint…Pelagie；　locked…up　for　one　hundred　and

some　odd　thousand　francs'　worth　of　debt。　His　old　mother　knows　he　is　in

prison；　she　is　crying　like　a　Magdalen。　The　abbe　is　to　dine　with　her；

no　doubt　she　wants　to　talk　to　him　about　her　troubles。　Well；　I'll　go

and　see　your　uncle　to…night　and　persuade　him　to　sell　his　five　per　cent

consols；　which　are　now　at　118；　and　lend　Madame　de　Portenduere；　on　the

security　of　her　farm　at　Bordieres　and　her　house　here；　enough　to　pay

the　debts　of　the　prodigal　son。　I　have　a　right　as　notary　to　speak　to

him　in　behalf　of　young　Portenduere；　and　it　is　quite　natural　that　I

should　wish　to　make　him　change　his　investments；　I　get　deeds　and

commissions　out　of　the　business。　If　I　become　his　adviser　I'll　propose

to　him　other　land　investments　for　his　surplus　capital；　I　have　some

excellent　ones　now　in　my　office。　If　his　fortune　were　once　invested　in

landed　estate　or　in　mortgage　notes　in　this　neighbourhood；　it　could　not

take　wings　to　itself　very　easily。　It　is　easy　to　make　difficulties

between　the　wish　to　realize　and　the　realization。〃



The　heirs；　struck　with　the　truth　of　this　argument　（much　cleverer　than

that　of　Monsieur　Josse）；　murmured　approval。



〃You　must　be　careful；〃　said　the　notary　in　conclusion；　〃to　keep　your

uncle　in　Nemours；　where　his　habits　are　known；　and　where　you　can　watch

him。　Find　him　a　lover　for　the　girl　and　you'll　prevent　his　marrying　her

himself。〃



〃Suppose　she　married　the　lover？〃　said　Goupil；　seized　by　an　ambitious

desire。



〃That　wouldn't　be　a　bad　thing；　then　you　could　figure　up　the　loss；　the

old　man　would　have　to　say　how　much　he　gives　her；〃　replied　the　notary。

〃But　if　you　set　Desire　at　her　he　could　keep　the　girl　dangling　on　till

the　old　man　died。　Marriages　are　made　and　unmade。〃



〃The　shortest　way；〃　said　Goupil；　〃if　the　doctor　is　likely　to　live　much

longer；　is　to　marry　her　to　some　worthy　young　man　who　will　get　her　out

of　your　way　by　settling　at　Sens；　or　Montargis；　or　Orleans　with　a

hundred　thousand　francs　in　hand。〃



Dionis；　Massin；　Zelie；　and　Goupil；　the　only　intelligent　heads　in　the

company；　exchanged　four　thoughtful　smiles。



〃He'd　be　a　worm　at　the　core；〃　whispered　Zelie　to　Massin。



〃How　did　he　get　here？〃　returned　the　clerk。



〃That　will　just　suit　you！〃　cried　Desire　to　Goupil。　〃But　do　you　think

you　can　behave　decently　enough　to　satisfy　the　old　man　and　the　girl？〃



〃In　these　days；〃　whispered　Zelie　again　in　Massin's　year；　〃notaries

look　out　for　no　interests　but　their　own。　Suppose　Dionis　went　over　to

Ursula　just　to　get　the　old　man's　business？〃



〃I　am　sure　of　him；〃　said　the　clerk　of　the　court；　giving　her　a　sly　look

out　of　his　spiteful　little　eyes。　He　was　just　going　to　add；　〃because　I

hold　something　over　him；〃　but　he　withheld　the　words。



〃I　am　quite　of　Dionis's　opinion；〃　he　said　aloud。



〃So　am　I；〃　cried　Zelie；　who　now　suspected　the　notary　of　collusion　with

the　clerk。



〃My　wife　has　voted！〃　said　the　post　master；　sipping　his　brandy；　though

his　face　was　already　purple　from　digesting　his　meal　and　absorbing　a

notable　quantity　of　liquids。



〃And　very　properly；〃　remarked　the　collector。



〃I　shall　go　and　see　the　doctor　after　dinner；〃　said　Dionis。



〃If　Monsieur　Dionis's　advice　is　good；〃　said　Madame　Cremiere　to　Madame

Massin；　〃we　had　better　go　and　call　on　our　uncle；　as　we　used　to　do；

every　Sunday　evening；　and　behave　exactly　as　Monsieur　Dionis　has　told

us。〃



〃Yes；　and　be　received　as　he　received　us！〃　cried　Zelie。　〃Minoret　and　I

have　more　than　forty　thousand　francs　a　year；　and　yet　he　refused　our

invitations！　We　are　quite　his　equals。　If　I　don't　know　how　to　write

prescriptions　I　know　how　to　paddle　my　boat　as　well　as　heI　can　tell

him　that！〃



〃As　I　am　far　from　having　forty　thousand　francs　a　year；〃　said　Madame

Massin；　rather　piqued；　〃I　don't　want　to　lose　ten　thousand。〃



〃We　are　his　nieces；　we　ought　to　take　care　of　him；　and　then　besides　we

shall　see　how　things　are　going；〃　said　Madame　Cremiere；　〃you'll　thank

us　some　day；　cousin。〃



〃Treat　Ursula　kindly；〃　said　the　notary；　lifting　his　right　forefinger

to　the　level　of　his　lips；　〃remember　old　Jordy　left　her　his　savings。〃



〃You　have　managed　those　fools　as　well　as　Desroches；　the　best　lawyer　in

Paris；　could　have　done；〃　said　Goupil　to　his　patron　as　they　left　the

post…house。



〃And　now　they　are　quarreling　over　my　fee；〃　replied　the　notary；　smiling

bitterly。



The　heirs；　after　parting　with　Dionis　and　his　clerk；　met　again　in　the

square；　with　face　rather　flushed　from　their　breakfast；　just　as　vespers

were　over。　As　the　notary　predicted；　the　Abbe　Chaperon　had　Madame　de

Portenduere　on　his　arm。



〃She　dragged　him　to　vespers；　see！〃　cried　Madame　Massin　to　Madame

Cremiere；　pointing　to　Ursula　and　the　doctor；　who　were　leaving　the

church。



〃Let　us　go　and　speak　to　him；〃　said　Madame　Cremiere；　approaching　the

old　man。



The　change　in　the　faces　of　his　relatives　（produced　by　the　conference）

did　not　escape　Doctor　Minoret。　He　tried　to　guess　the　reason　of　this

sudden　amiability；　and　out　of　sheer　curiosity　encouraged　Ursula　to

stop　and　speak　to　the　two　women；　who　were　eager　to　greet　her　with

exaggerated　affection　and　forced　smiles。



〃Uncle；　will　you　permit　me　to　come　and　see　you　to…night？〃　said　Madame

Cremiere。　〃We　feared　sometimes　we　were　in　your　waybut　it　is　such　a

long　time　since　our　children　have　paid　you　their　respects；　our　girls

are　old　enough　now　to　make　dear　Ursula's　acquaintance。〃



〃Ursula　is　a　little　bear；　like　her　name；〃　replied　the　doctor。



〃Let　us　tame　her；〃　said　Madame　Massin。　〃And　besides；　uncle；〃　added　the

good　housewife；　trying　to　hide　her　real　motive　under　a　mask　of

economy；　〃they　tell　us　the　dear　girl　has　such　talent　for　the　forte

that　we　are　very　anxious　to　hear　her。　Madame　Cremiere　and　I　are

inclined　to　take　her　music…master　for　our　children。　If　there　were　six

or　eight　scholars　in　a　class　it　would　bring　the　price　of　his　lessons

within　our　means。〃



〃Certainly；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃and　it　will　be　all　the　better　for　me

because　I　want　to　give　Ursula　a　singing…master。〃



〃Well；　to…night　then；　uncle。　We　will　bring　your　great…nephew　Desire　to

see　you；　he　is　now　a　lawyer。〃



〃Yes；　to…night；〃　echoed　Minoret；　meaning　to　fathom　the　motives　of

these　petty　souls。



The　two　nieces　pressed　Ursula's　hand；　saying；　with　affected　eagerness；

〃Au　revoir。〃



〃Oh；　godfather；　you　have　read　my　heart！〃　cried　Ursula；　giving　him　a

grate