ursula-第36部分

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The　noise　reached　the　doctor's　ears；　he　heard　the　words；　〃The　house

the　house　is　worth　thirty　thousand　francs。　I'll　take　it　at　that；〃

said；　or　rather　bellowed　by　Cremiere。



〃Well；　we'll　take　what　it's　worth；〃　said　Zelie；　sharply。



〃Monsieur　l'abbe；〃　said　the　old　man　to　the　priest；　who　remained　beside

his　friend　after　administering　the　communion；　〃help　me　to　die　in

peace。　My　heirs；　like　those　of　Cardinal　Ximenes；　are　capable　of

pillaging　the　house　before　my　death；　and　I　have　no　monkey　to　revive

me。　Go　and　tell　them　I　will　have　none　of　them　in　my　house。〃



The　priest　and　the　doctor　of　the　town　went　downstairs　and　repeated　the

message　of　the　dying　man；　adding；　in　their　indignation；　strong　words

of　their　own。



〃Madame　Bougival；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃close　the　iron　gate　and　allow　no

one　to　enter；　even　the　dying；　it　seems；　can　have　no　peace。　Prepare

mustard　poultices　and　apply　them　to　the　soles　of　Monsieur's　feet。〃



〃Your　uncle　is　not　dead；〃　said　the　abbe；　〃and　he　may　live　some　time

longer。　He　wishes　for　absolute　silence；　and　no　one　beside　him　but　his

niece。　What　a　difference　between　the　conduct　of　that　young　girl　and

yours！〃



〃Old　hypocrite！〃　exclaimed　Cremiere。　〃I　shall　keep　watch　of　him。　It　is

possible　he's　plotting　something　against　our　interests。〃



The　post　master　had　already　disappeared　into　the　garden；　intending　to

watch　there　and　wait　his　chance　to　be　admitted　to　the　house　as　an

assistant。　He　now　returned　to　it　very　softly；　his　boots　making　no

noise；　for　there　were　carpets　on　the　stairs　and　corridors。　He　was　able

to　reach　the　door　of　his　uncle's　room　without　being　heard。　The　abbe

and　the　doctor　had　left　the　house；　La　Bougival　was　making　the

poultices。



〃Are　we　quite　alone？〃　said　the　old　man　to　his　godchild。



Ursula　stood　on　tiptoe　and　looked　into　the　courtyard。



〃Yes；〃　she　said；　〃the　abbe　has　just　closed　the　gate　after　him。〃



〃My　darling　child；〃　said　the　dying　man；　〃my　hours；　my　minutes　even；

are　counted。　I　have　not　been　a　doctor　for　nothing；　I　shall　not　last

till　evening。　Do　not　cry；　my　Ursula；〃　he　said；　fearing　to　be

interrupted　by　the　child's　weeping；　〃but　listen　to　me　carefully；　it

concerns　your　marriage　to　Savinien。　As　soon　as　La　Bougival　comes　back

go　down　to　the　pagoda；here　is　the　key；lift　the　marble　top　of　the

Boule　buffet　and　you　will　find　a　letter　beneath　it；　sealed　and

addressed　to　you；　take　it　and　come　back　here；　for　I　cannot　die　easy

unless　I　see　it　in　your　hands。　When　I　am　dead　do　not　let　any　one　know

of　it　immediately；　but　send　for　Monsieur　de　Portenduere；　read　the

letter　together；　swear　to　me　now；　in　his　name　and　your　own；　that　you

will　carry　out　my　last　wishes。　When　Savinien　has　obeyed　me；　then

announce　my　death；　but　not　till　then。　The　comedy　of　the　heirs　will

begin。　God　grant　those　monsters　may　not　ill…treat　you。〃



〃Yes　godfather。〃



The　post　master　did　not　listen　to　the　end　of　this　scene；　he　slipped

away　on　tip…toe；　remembering　that　the　lock　of　the　study　was　on　the

library　side　of　the　door。　He　had　been　present　in　former　days　at　an

argument　between　the　architect　and　a　locksmith；　the　latter　declaring

that　if　the　pagoda　were　entered　by　the　window　on　the　river　it　would　be

much　safer　to　put　the　lock　of　the　door　opening　into　the　library　on　the

library　side。　Dazzled　by　his　hopes；　and　his　ears　flushed　with　blood；

Minoret　sprang　the　lock　with　the　point　of　his　knife　as　rapidly　as　a

burglar　could　have　done　it。　He　entered　the　study；　followed　the

doctor's　directions；　took　the　package　of　papers　without　opening　it；

relocked　the　door；　put　everything　in　order；　and　went　into　the　dining…

room　and　sat　down；　waiting　till　La　Bougival　had　gone　upstairs　with　the

poultice　before　he　ventured　to　leave　the　house。　He　then　made　his

escape；all　the　more　easily　because　poor　Ursula　lingered　to　see　that

La　Bougival　applied　the　poultice　properly。



〃The　letter！　the　letter！〃　cried　the　old　man；　in　a　dying　voice。　〃Obey

me；　take　the　key。　I　must　see　you　with　that　letter　in　your　hand。〃



The　words　were　said　with　so　wild　a　look　that　La　Bougival　exclaimed　to

Ursula：



〃Do　what　he　asks　at　once　or　you　will　kill　him。〃



She　kissed　his　forehead；　took　the　key　and　went　down。　A　moment　later；

recalled　by　a　cry　from　La　Bougival；　she　ran　back。　The　old　man　looked

at　her　eagerly。　Seeing　her　hands　empty；　he　rose　in　his　bed；　tried　to

speak；　and　died　with　a　horrible　gasp；　his　eyes　haggard　with　fear。　The

poor　girl；　who　saw　death　for　the　first　time；　fell　on　her　knees　and

burst　into　tears。　La　Bougival　closed　the　old　man's　eyes　and

straightened　him　on　the　bed；　then　she　ran　to　call　Savinien；　but　the

heirs；　who　stood　at　the　corner　of　the　street；　like　crows　watching　till

a　horse　is　buried　before　they　scratch　at　the　ground　and　turn　it　over

with　beak　and　claw；　flocked　in　with　the　celerity　of　birds　of　prey。







CHAPTER　XV



THE　DOCTOR'S　WILL



While　these　events　were　taking　place　the　post　master　had　hurried　home

to　open　the　mysterious　package　and　know　its　contents。





To　my　dear　Ursula　Mirouet；　daughter　of　my　natural　half…brother；

Joseph　Mirouet；　and　Dinah　Grollman：



My　dear　Angel；The　fatherly　affection　I　bear　youand　which　you

have　so　fully　justifiedcame　not　only　from　the　promise　I　gave

your　father　to　take　his　place；　but　also　from　your　resemblance　to

my　wife；　Ursula　Mirouet；　whose　grace；　intelligence；　frankness；　and

charm　you　constantly　recall　to　my　mind。　Your　position　as　the

daughter　of　a　natural　son　of　my　father…in…law　might　invalidate　all

testamentary　bequests　made　by　me　in　your　favor



〃The　old　rascal！〃　cried　the　post　master。



Had　I　adopted　you　the　result　might　also　have　been　a　lawsuit；　and　I

shrank　from　the　idea　of　transmitting　my　fortune　to　you　by

marriage；　for　I　might　live　years　and　thus　interfere　with　your

happiness；　which　is　now　delayed　only　by　Madame　de　Portenduere。

Having　weighted　these　difficulties　carefully；　and　wishing　to　leave

you　enough　money　to　secure　to　you　a　prosperous　existence



〃The　scoundrel；　he　has　thought　of　everything！〃



　　without　injuring　my　heirs



〃The　Jesuit！　as　if　he　did　not　owe　us　every　penny　of　his　money！〃



I　intend　you　to　have　the　savings　from　my　income　which　I　have　for

the　last　eighteen　years　steadily　invested；　by　the　help　of　my

notary；　seeking　to　make　you　thereby　as　happy　as　any　one　can　be

made　by　riches。　Without　means；　your　education　and　your　lofty　ideas

would　cause　you　unhappiness。　Besides；　you　ought　to　bring　a　liberal

dowry　to　the　fine　young　man　who　loves　you。　You　will　therefore　find

in　the　middle　of　the　third　volume　of　Pandects；　folio；　bound　in　red

morocco　（the　last　volume　on　the　first　shelf　above　the　little　table

in　the　library；　on　the　side　of　the　room　next　the　salon）；　three

certificates　of　Funds　in　the　three…per…cents；　made　out　to　bearer；

each　amounting　to　twelve　thousand　francs　a　year



〃What　depths　of　wickedness！〃　screamed　the　post　master。　〃Ah！　God　would

not　permit　me　to　be　so　defrauded。〃



Take　these　at　once；　and　also　some　uninvested　savings　made　to　this

date；　which　you　will　find　in　the　preceding　volume。　Remember；　my

darling　child；　that　you　must　obey　a　wish　that　has　made　the

happiness　of　my　whole　life；　a　wish　that　will　force　me　to　ask　the

intervention　of　God　should　you　disobey　me。　But；　to　guard　against

all　scruples　in　your　dear　consciencefor　I　well　know　how　ready　it

is　to　torture　youyou　will　find　herewith　a　will　in　due　form

bequeathing　these　certificates　to　Monsieur　Savinien　de

Portenduere。　So；　whether　you　possess　them　in　your　own　name；　or

whether　they　come　to　you　from　him　you　love；　they　will　be；　in　every

sense；　your　legitimate　property。



Your　godfather；

Denis　Minoret。





To　this　letter　was　annexed　the　following　paper　written　on　a　sheet　of

stamped　paper。





This　is　my　will：　I；　Denis　Minoret；　doctor　of　medicine；　settled　in

Nemours；　being　of　sound　mind　and　body；　as　the　date　of　this

document　will　show；　do　bequeath　my　soul　to　God；　imploring　him　to

pardon　my　errors　in　view　of　my　sincere　repentance。　Next；　having

found　in　Monsieur　le　Vicomte　Savinien　de　Portenduere　a　true　and

honest　affection　for　me；　I　bequeath　to　him　the　sum　of　thirty…six

thousand　francs　a　year　from　the　Funds；　at　three　per　cent；　the　said

bequest　to　take　precedence　of　all　inheritance　accruing　to　my

heirs。



Written　by　my　own　hand；　at　Nemours；　on　the　11th　of　January；　1831。



Denis　Minoret。





Without　an　instant's　hesitation　the　post　master；　who　had　locked

himself　into　his　wife's　bedroom　to　insure　being　alone；　looked　about

for　the　tinder…box；　and　received　two　warnings　from　heaven　by　the

extinction　of　two　matches　which　obstinately　refused　to　light。　The

third　took　fire。　He　burned　the　letter　and　the　will　on　the　hearth　and

buried　the　vestiges　of　paper　and　sealing…wax　in　the　ashes　by　way　of

superfluous　caution。　Then；　allured　by　the　thought　of　possessing

thirty…six　thousand　francs　a　year　of　which　his　wife　knew　nothing；　he

returned　at　full　speed　to　his　u