ursula-第37部分

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

returned　at　full　speed　to　his　uncle's　house；　spurred　by　the　only　idea；

a　clear…cut；　simple　idea；　which　was　able　to　piece　and　penetrate　his

dull　brain。　Finding　the　house　invaded　by　the　three　families；　now

masters　of　the　place；　he　trembled　lest　he　should　be　unable　to

accomplish　a　project　to　which　he　gave　no　reflection　whatever；　except

so　far　as　to　fear　the　obstacles。



〃What　are　you　doing　here？〃　he　said　to　Massin　and　Cremiere。　〃We　can't

leave　the　house　and　the　property　to　be　pillaged。　We　are　the　heirs；　but

we　can't　camp　here。　You；　Cremiere；　go　to　Dionis　at　once　and　tell　him

to　come　and　certify　to　the　death；　I　can't　draw　up　the　mortuary

certificate　for　an　uncle；　though　I　am　assistant…mayor。　You；　Massin；　go

and　ask　old　Bongrand　to　attach　the　seals。　As　for　you；　ladies；〃　he

added；　turning　to　his　wife　and　Mesdames　Cremiere　and　Massin；　〃go　and

look　after　Ursula；　then　nothing　can　be　stolen。　Above　all；　close　the

iron　gate　and　don't　let　any　one　leave　the　house。〃



The　women；　who　felt　the　justice　of　this　remark；　ran　to　Ursula's

bedroom；　where　they　found　the　noble　girl；　so　cruelly　suspected；　on　her

knees　before　God；　her　face　covered　with　tears。　Minoret；　suspecting

that　the　women　would　not　long　remain　with　Ursula；　went　at　once　to　the

library；　found　the　volume；　opened　it；　took　the　three　certificates；　and

found　in　the　other　volume　about　thirty　bank　notes。　In　spite　of　his

brutal　nature　the　colossus　felt　as　though　a　peal　of　bells　were　ringing

in　each　ear。　The　blood　whistled　in　his　temples　as　he　committed　the

theft；　cold　as　the　weather　was；　his　shirt　was　wet　on　his　back；　his

legs　gave　way　under　him　and　he　fell　into　a　chair　in　the　salon　as　if　an

axe　had　fallen　on　his　head。



〃How　the　inheritance　of　money　loosens　a　man's　tongue！　Did　you　hear

Minoret？〃　said　Massin　to　Cremiere　as　they　hurried　through　the　town。

〃'Go　here；　go　there；'　just　as　if　he　knew　everything。〃



〃Yes；　for　a　dull　beast　like　him　he　had　a　certain　air　of〃



〃Stop！〃　said　Massin；　alarmed　at　a　sudden　thought。　〃His　wife　is　there；

they've　got　some　plan！　Do　you　do　both　errands；　I'll　go　back。〃



Just　as　the　post　master　fell　into　the　chair　he　saw　at　the　gate　the

heated　face　of　the　clerk　of　the　court　who　returned　to　the　house　of

death　with　the　celerity　of　a　weasel。



〃Well；　what　is　it　now？〃　asked　the　post　master；　unlocking　the　gate　for

his　co…heir。



〃Nothing；　I　have　come　back　to　be　present　at　the　sealing；〃　answered

Massin；　giving　him　a　savage　look。



〃I　wish　those　seals　were　already　on；　so　that　we　could　go　home；〃　said

Minoret。



〃We　shall　have　to　put　a　watcher　over　them；〃　said　Massin。　〃La　Bougival

is　capable　of　anything　in　the　interests　of　that　minx。　We'll　put　Goupil

there。〃



〃Goupil！〃　said　the　post　master；　〃put　a　rat　in　the　meal！〃



〃Well；　let's　consider；〃　returned　Massin。　〃To…night　they'll　watch　the

body；　the　seals　can　be　affixed　in　an　hour；　our　wives　could　look　after

them。　To…morrow　we'll　have　the　funeral　at　twelve　o'clock。　But　the

inventory　can't　be　made　under　a　week。〃



〃Let's　get　rid　of　that　girl　at　once；〃　said　the　colossus；　〃then　we　can

safely　leave　the　watchman　of　the　town…hall　to　look　after　the　house　and

the　seals。〃



〃Good；〃　cried　Massin。　〃You　are　the　head　of　the　Minoret　family。〃



〃Ladies；〃　said　Minoret；　〃be　good　enough　to　stay　in　the　salon；　we　can't

think　of　our　dinner　to…day；　the　seals　must　be　put　on　at　once　for　the

security　of　all　interests。〃



He　took　his　wife　apart　and　told　her　Massin's　proposition　about　Ursula。

The　women；　whose　hearts　were　full　of　vengeance　against　the　minx；　as

they　called　her；　hailed　the　idea　of　turning　her　out。　Bongrand　arrived

with　his　assistants　to　apply　the　seals；　and　was　indignant　when　the

request　was　made　to　him；　by　Zelie　and　Madame　Massin；　as　a　near　friend

of　the　deceased；　to　tell　Ursula　to　leave　the　house。



〃Go　and　turn　her　out　of　her　father's　house；　her　benefactor's　house

yourselves；〃　he　cried。　〃Go！　you　who　owe　your　inheritance　to　the

generosity　of　her　soul；　take　her　by　the　shoulders　and　fling　her　into

the　street　before　the　eyes　of　the　whole　town！　You　think　her　capable　of

robbing　you？　Well；　appoint　a　watcher　of　the　seals；　you　have　a　right　to

do　that。　But　I　tell　you　at　once　I　shall　put　no　seals　on　Ursula's　room；

she　has　a　right　to　that　room；　and　everything　in　it　is　her　own

property。　I　shall　tell　her　what　her　rights　are；　and　tell　her　too　to

put　everything　that　belongs　to　her　in　this　house　in　that　room　Oh！　in

your　presence；〃　he　said；　hearing　a　growl　of　dissatisfaction　among　the

heirs。



〃What　do　you　think　of　that？〃　said　the　collector　to　the　post　master　and

the　women；　who　seemed　stupefied　by　the　angry　address　of　Bongrand。



〃Call　HIM　a　magistrate！〃　cried　the　post　master。



Ursula　meanwhile　was　sitting　on　her　little　sofa　in　a　half…fainting

condition；　her　head　thrown　back；　her　braids　unfastened；　while　every

now　and　then　her　sobs　broke　forth。　Her　eyes　were　dim　and　their　lids

swollen；　she　was；　in　fact；　in　a　state　of　moral　and　physical

prostration　which　might　have　softened　the　hardest　heartsexcept　those

of　the　heirs。



〃Ah！　Monsieur　Bongrand；　after　my　happy　birthday　comes　death　and

mourning；〃　she　said；　with　the　poetry　natural　to　her。　〃You　know；　YOU；

what　he　was。　In　twenty　years　he　never　said　an　impatient　word　to　me。　I

believed　he　would　live　a　hundred　years。　He　has　been　my　mother；〃　she

cried；　〃my　good；　kind　mother。〃



These　simple　thoughts　brought　torrents　of　tears　from　her　eyes；

interrupted　by　sobs；　then　she　fell　back　exhausted。



〃My　child；〃　said　the　justice　of　peace；　hearing　the　heirs　on　the

staircase。　〃You　have　a　lifetime　before　you　in　which　to　weep；　but　you

have　now　only　a　moment　to　attend　to　your　interests。　Gather　everything

that　belongs　to　you　in　this　house　and　put　it　into　your　own　room　at

once。　The　heirs　insist　on　my　affixing　the　seals。〃



〃Ah！　his　heirs　may　take　everything　if　they　choose；〃　cried　Ursula；

sitting　upright　under　an　impulse　of　savage　indignation。　〃I　have

something　here；〃　she　added；　striking　her　breast；　〃which　is　far　more

precious〃



〃What　is　it？〃　said　the　post　master；　who　with　Massin　at　his　heels　now

showed　his　brutal　face。



〃The　remembrances　of　his　virtues；　of　his　life；　of　his　wordsan　image

of　his　celestial　soul；〃　she　said；　her　eyes　and　face　glowing　as　she

raised　her　hand　with　a　glorious　gesture。



〃And　a　key！〃　cried　Massin；　creeping　up　to　her　like　a　cat　and　seizing　a

key　which　fell　from　the　bosom　of　her　dress　in　her　sudden　movement。



〃Yes；〃　she　said；　blushing；　〃that　is　the　key　of　his　study；　he　sent　me

there　at　the　moment　he　was　dying。〃



The　two　men　glanced　at　each　other　with　horrid　smiles；　and　then　at

Monsieur　Bongrand；　with　a　meaning　look　of　degrading　suspicion。　Ursula

who　intercepted　it；　rose　to　her　feet；　pale　as　if　the　blood　had　left

her　body。　Her　eyes　sent　forth　the　lightnings　that　perhaps　can　issue

only　at　some　cost　of　life；　as　she　said　in　a　choking　voice：



〃Monsieur　Bongrand；　everything　in　this　room　is　mine　through　the

kindness　of　my　godfather；　they　may　have　it　all；　I　have　nothing　on　me

but　the　clothes　I　wear。　I　shall　leave　the　house　and　never　return　to

it。〃



She　went　to　her　godfather's　room；　and　no　entreaties　could　make　her

leave　it；the　heirs；　who　now　began　to　be　slightly　ashamed　of　their

conduct；　endeavoring　to　persuade　her。　She　requested　Monsieur　Bongrand

to　engage　two　rooms　for　her　at　the　〃Vieille　Poste〃　inn　until　she　could

find　some　lodging　in　town　where　she　could　live　with　La　Bougival。　She

returned　to　her　own　room　for　her　prayer…book；　and　spent　the　night；

with　the　abbe；　his　assistant；　and　Savinien；　in　weeping　and　praying

beside　her　uncle's　body。　Savinien　came；　after　his　mother　had　gone　to

bed；　and　knelt；　without　a　word；　beside　his　Ursula。　She　smiled　at　him

sadly；　and　thanked　him　for　coming　faithfully　to　share　her　troubles。



〃My　child；〃　said　Monsieur　Bongrand；　bring　her　a　large　package；　〃one　of

your　uncle's　heirs　has　taken　these　necessary　articles　from　your

drawers；　for　the　seals　cannot　be　opened　for　several　days；　after　that

you　will　recover　everything　that　belongs　to　you。　I　have；　for　your　own

sake；　placed　the　seals　on　your　room。〃



〃Thank　you；〃　she　replied；　pressing　his　hand。　〃Look　at　him　again；he

seems　to　sleep；　does　he　not？〃



The　old　man's　face　wore　that　flower　of　fleeting　beauty　which　rests

upon　the　features　of　the　dead　who　die　a　painless　death；　light　appeared

to　radiate　from　it。



〃Did　he　give　you　anything　secretly　before　he　died？〃　whispered　M。

Bongrand。



〃Nothing；〃　she　said；　〃he　spoke　only　of　a　letter。〃



〃Good！　it　will　certainly　be　found；〃　said　Bongrand。　〃How　fortunate　for

you　that　the　heirs　demanded　the　sealing。〃



At　daybreak　Ursula　bade　adieu　to　the　house　where　her　happy　youth　was

passed；　more　particularly；　to　the　modest　chamber　in　which　her　love

began。　So　dear　to　her　was　it　that　even　in　this　hour　of　darkest　grief

tears　of　regret　rolled　down　her