ursula-第26部分

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CHAPTER　XI



SAVINIEN　SAVED



The　clock　was　striking　nine　when　the　little　door　made　in　the　large

door　of　Madame　de　Portenduere's　house　closed　on　the　abbe；　who

immediately　crossed　the　road　and　hastily　rang　the　bell　at　the　doctor's

gate。　He　fell　from　Tiennette　to　La　Bougival；　the　one　said　to　him；　〃Why

do　you　come　so　late；　Monsieur　l'abbe？〃　as　the　other　had　said；　〃Why　do

you　leave　Madame　so　early　when　she　is　in　trouble？〃



The　abbe　found　a　numerous　company　assembled　in　the　green　and　brown

salon；　for　Dionis　had　stopped　at　Massin's　on　his　way　home　to　re…assure

the　heirs　by　repeating　their　uncle's　words。



〃I　believe　Ursula　has　a　love…affair；〃　said　he；　〃which　will　be　nothing

but　pain　and　trouble　to　her；　she　seems　romantic〃　（extreme　sensibility

is　so　called　by　notaries）；　〃and；　you'll　see；　she　won't　marry　soon。

Therefore；　don't　show　her　any　distrust；　be　very　attentive　to　her　and

very　respectful　to　your　uncle；　for　he　is　slyer　than　fifty　Goupils；〃

added　the　notarywithout　being　aware　that　Goupil　is　a　corruption　of

the　word　vulpes；　a　fox。



So　Mesdames　Massin　and　Cremiere　with　their　husbands；　the　post　master

and　Desire；　together　with　the　Nemours　doctor　and　Bongrand；　made　an

unusual　and　noisy　party　in　the　doctor's　salon。　As　the　abbe　entered　he

heard　the　sound　of　the　piano。　Poor　Ursula　was　just　finishing　a　sonata

of　Beethoven's。　With　girlish　mischief　she　had　chosen　that　grand　music；

which　must　be　studied　to　be　understood；　for　the　purpose　of　disgusting

these　women　with　the　thing　they　coveted。　The　finer　the　music　the　less

ignorant　persons　like　it。　So；　when　the　door　opened　and　the　abbe's

venerable　head　appeared　they　all　cried　out：　〃Ah！　here's　Monsieur

l'abbe！〃　in　a　tone　of　relief；　delighted　to　jump　up　and　put　an　end　to

their　torture。



The　exclamation　was　echoed　at　the　card…table；　where　Bongrand；　the

Nemours　doctor；　and　old　Minoret　were　victims　to　the　presumption　with

which　the　collector；　in　order　to　propitiate　his　great…uncle；　had

proposed　to　take　the　fourth　hand　at　whist。　Ursula　left　the　piano。　The

doctor　rose　as　if　to　receive　the　abbe；　but　really　to　put　an　end　to　the

game。　After　many　compliments　to　their　uncle　on　the　wonderful

proficiency　of　his　goddaughter；　the　heirs　made　their　bow　and　retired。



〃Good…night；　my　friends；〃　cried　the　doctor　as　the　iron　gate　clanged。



〃Ah！　that's　where　the　money　goes；〃　said　Madame　Cremiere　to　Madame

Massin；　as　they　walked　on。



〃God　forbid　that　I　should　spend　money　to　teach　my　little　Aline　to　make

such　a　din　as　that！〃　cried　Madame　Massin。



〃She　said　it　was　Beethoven；　who　is　thought　to　be　fine　musician；〃　said

the　collector；　〃he　has　quite　a　reputation。〃



〃Not　in　Nemours；　I'm　sure　of　that；〃　said　Madame　Cremiere。



〃I　believe　uncle　made　her　play　it　expressly　to　drive　us　away；〃　said

Massin；　〃for　I　saw　him　give　that　little　minx　a　wink　as　she　opened　the

music…book。〃



〃If　that's　the　sort　of　charivari　they　like；〃　said　the　post　master；

〃they　are　quite　right　to　keep　it　to　themselves。〃



〃Monsieur　Bongrand　must　be　fond　of　whist　to　stand　such　a　dreadful

racket；〃　said　Madame　Cremiere。



〃I　shall　never　be　able　to　play　before　persons　who　don't　understand

music；〃　Ursula　was　saying　as　she　sat　down　beside　the　whist…table。



〃In　natures　richly　organized；〃　said　the　abbe；　〃sentiments　can　be

developed　only　in　a　congenial　atmosphere。　Just　as　a　priest　is　unable

to　give　the　blessing　in　presence　of　an　evil　spirit；　or　as　a　chestnut…

tree　dies　in　a　clay　soil；　so　a　musician's　genius　has　a　mental　eclipse

when　he　is　surrounded　by　ignorant　persons。　In　all　the　arts　we　must

receive　from　the　souls　who　make　the　environment　of　our　souls　as　much

intensity　as　we　convey　to　them。　This　axiom；　which　rules　the　human

mind；　has　been　made　into　proverbs：　'Howl　with　the　wolves'；　'Like　meets

like。'　But　the　suffering　you　felt；　Ursula；　affects　delicate　and　tender

natures　only。〃



〃And　so；　friends；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃a　thing　which　would　merely　give

pain　to　most　women　might　kill　my　Ursula。　Ah！　when　I　am　no　longer　here；

I　charge　you　to　see　that　the　hedge　of　which　Catullus　spoke；〃Ut

flos；〃　etc。；a　protecting　hedge　is　raised　between　this　cherished

flower　and　the　world。〃



〃And　yet　those　ladies　flattered　you；　Ursula；〃　said　Monsieur　Bongrand；

smiling。



〃Flattered　her　grossly；〃　remarked　the　Nemours　doctor。



〃I　have　always　noticed　how　vulgar　forced　flattery　is；〃　said　old

Minoret。　〃Why　is　that？〃



〃A　true　thought　has　its　own　delicacy；〃　said　the　abbe。



〃Did　you　dine　with　Madame　de　Portenduere？〃　asked　Ursula；　with　a　look

of　anxious　curiosity。



〃Yes；　the　poor　lady　is　terribly　distressed。　It　is　possible　she　may

come　to　see　you　this　evening；　Monsieur　Minoret。〃



Ursula　pressed　her　godfather's　hand　under　the　table。



〃Her　son；〃　said　Bongrand；　〃was　rather　too　simple…minded　to　live　in

Paris　without　a　mentor。　When　I　heard　that　inquiries　were　being　made

here　about　the　property　of　the　old　lady　I　feared　he　was　discounting

her　death。〃



〃Is　it　possible　you　think　him　capable　of　it？〃　said　Ursula；　with　such　a

terrible　glance　at　Monsieur　Bongrand　that　he　said　to　himself　rather

sadly；　〃Alas！　yes；　she　loves　him。〃



〃Yes　and　no；〃　said　the　Nemours　doctor；　replying　to　Ursula's　question。

〃There　is　a　great　deal　of　good　in　Savinien；　and　that　is　why　he　is　now

in　prison；　a　scamp　wouldn't　have　got　there。〃



〃Don't　let　us　talk　about　it　any　more；〃　said　old　Minoret。　〃The　poor

mother　must　not　be　allowed　to　weep　if　there's　a　way　to　dry　her　tears。〃



The　four　friends　rose　and　went　out；　Ursula　accompanied　them　to　the

gate；　saw　her　godfather　and　the　abbe　knock　at　the　opposite　door；　and

as　soon　as　Tiennette　admitted　them　she　sat　down　on　the　outer　wall　with

La　Bougival　beside　her。



〃Madame　la　vicomtesse；〃　said　the　abbe；　who　entered　first　into　the

little　salon；　〃Monsieur　le　docteur　Minoret　was　not　willing　that　you

should　have　the　trouble　of　coming　to　him〃



〃I　am　too　much　of　the　old　school；　madame；〃　interrupted　the　doctor；

〃not　to　know　what　a　man　owes　to　a　woman　of　your　rank；　and　I　am　very

glad　to　be　able；　as　Monsieur　l'abbe　tells　me；　to　be　of　service　to

you。〃



Madame　de　Portenduere；　who　disliked　the　step　the　abbe　had　advised　so

much　that　she　had　almost　decided；　after　he　left　her；　to　apply　to　the

notary　instead；　was　surprised　by　Minoret's　attention　to　such　a　degree

that　she　rose　to　receive　him　and　signed　to　him　to　take　a　chair。



〃Be　seated；　monsieur；〃　she　said　with　a　regal　air。　〃Our　dear　abbe　has

told　you　that　the　viscount　is　in　prison　on　account　of　some　youthful

debts；a　hundred　thousand　francs　or　so。　If　you　could　lend　them　to　him

I　would　secure　you　on　my　farm　at　Bordieres。〃



〃We　will　talk　of　that；　madame；　when　I　have　brought　your　son　back　to

youif　you　will　allow　me　to　be　your　emissary　in　the　matter。〃



〃Very　good；　monsieur；〃　she　said；　bowing　her　head　and　looking　at　the

abbe　as　if　to　say；　〃You　were　right；　he　really　is　a　man　of　good

society。〃



〃You　see；　madame；〃　said　the　abbe；　〃that　my　friend　the　doctor　is　full

of　devotion　to　your　family。〃



〃We　shall　be　grateful；　monsieur；〃　said　Madame　de　Portenduere；　making　a

visible　effort；　〃a　journey　to　Paris；　at　your　age；　in　quest　of　a

prodigal；　is〃



〃Madame；　I　had　the　honor　to　meet；　in　'65；　the　illustrious　Admiral　de

Portenduere　in　the　house　of　that　excellent　Monsieur　de　Malesherbes；

and　also　in　that　of　Monsieur　le　Comte　de　Buffon；　who　was　anxious　to

question　him　on　some　curious　results　of　his　voyages。　Possibly　Monsieur

de　Portenduere；　your　late　husband；　was　present。　Those　were　the

glorious　days　of　the　French　navy；　it　bore　comparison　with　that　of

Great　Britain；　and　its　officers　had　their　full　quota　of　courage。　With

what　impatience　we　awaited　in　'83　and　'84　the　news　from　St。　Roch。　I

came　very　near　serving　as　surgeon　in　the　king's　service。　Your　great…

uncle；　who　is　still　living；　Admiral　Kergarouet；　fought　his　splendid

battle　at　that　time　in　the　'Belle…Poule。'〃



〃Ah！　if　he　did　but　know　his　great…nephew　is　in　prison！〃



〃He　would　not　leave　him　there　a　day；〃　said　old　Minoret；　rising。



He　held　out　his　hand　to　take　that　of　the　old　lady；　which　she　allowed

him　to　do；　then　he　kissed　it　respectfully；　bowed　profoundly；　and　left

the　room；　but　returned　immediately　to　say：



〃My　dear　abbe；　may　I　ask　you　to　engage　a　place　in　the　diligence　for　me

to…morrow？〃



The　abbe　stayed　behind　for　half　an　hour　to　sing　the　praises　of　his

friend；　who　meant　to　win　and　had　succeeded　in　winning　the　good　graces

of　the　old　lady。



〃He　is　an　astonishing　man　for　his　age；〃　she　said。　〃He　talks　of　going

to　Paris　and　attending　to　my　son's　affairs　as　if　he　were　only　twenty…

five。　He　has　certainly　seen　good　society。〃



〃The　very　best；　madame；　and　to…day　more　than　one　son　of　a　peer　of

France　would　be　glad　to　marry　his　goddaughter　with　a　million。　Ah！　if

that　idea　should　come　into　Savinien's　head！times　are　so　changed　that

the　objections　would　not　come　from　your　side；　especially　after　his

l