ursula-第44部分

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〃Whoever　it　is　will　know　I　am　dying；〃　said　Ursula；　〃and　will　cease　to

trouble　me。〃



The　abbe；　Bongrand；　and　Savinien　were　lost　in　conjectures　and

suspicions。　Together　with　Tiennette；　La　Bougival；　and　two　persons　on

whom　the　abbe　could　rely；　they　kept　the　closest　watch　and　were　on

their　guard　night　and　day　for　a　week；　but　no　indiscretion　could　betray

Goupil；　whose　machinations　were　known　to　himself　only。　There　were　no

more　serenades　and　no　more　letters；　and　little　by　little　the　watch

relaxed。　Bongrand　thought　the　author　of　the　wrong　was　frightened；

Savinien　believed　that　the　procureur　du　roi　to　whom　he　had　sent　the

letters　received　by　Ursula　and　himself　and　his　mother；　had　taken　steps

to　put　an　end　to　the　persecution。



The　armistice　was　not　of　long　duration；　however。　When　the　doctor　had

checked　the　nervous　fever　from　which　poor　Ursula　was　suffering；　and

just　as　she　was　recovering　her　courage；　a　rope…ladder　was　found；　early

one　morning　in　July；　attached　to　her　window。　The　postilion　of　the

mail…post　declared　that　as　he　drove　past　the　house　in　the　middle　of

the　night　a　small　man　was　in　the　act　of　coming　down　the　ladder；　and

though　he　tried　to　pull　up；　his　horses；　being　startled；　carried　him

down　the　hill　so　fast　that　he　was　out　of　Nemours　before　he　stopped

them。　Some　of　the　persons　who　frequented　Dionis's　salon　attributed

these　manoeuvres　to　the　Marquis　du　Rouvre；　then　much　hampered　in

means；　for　Massin　held　his　notes　to　a　large　amount。　It　was　said　that　a

prompt　marriage　of　his　daughter　to　Savinien　would　save　Chateau　du

Rouvre　from　his　creditors；　and　Madame　de　Portenduere；　the　gossips

added；　would　approve　of　anything　that　would　discredit　and　degrade

Ursula　and　lead　to　this　marriage　of　her　son。



So　far　from　this　being　true；　the　old　lady　was　well…nigh　vanquished　by

the　sufferings　of　the　innocent　girl。　The　abbe　was　so　painfully

overcome　by　this　act　of　infernal　wickedness　that　he　fell　ill　himself

and　was　kept　to　the　house　for　several　days。　Poor　Ursula；　to　whom　this

last　insult　had　caused　a　relapse；　received　by　post　a　letter　from　the

abbe；　which　was　taken　in　by　La　Bougival　on　recognizing　the

handwriting。　It　was　as　follows：





My　child；Leave　Nemours；　and　thus　evade　the　malice　of　your

enemies。　Perhaps　they　are　seeking　to　endanger　Savinien's　life。　I

will　tell　you　more　when　I　am　able　to　go　to　you。



Your　devoted　friend；



Chaperon。





When　Savinien；　who　was　almost　maddened　by　these　proceedings；　carried

this　letter　to　the　abbe；　the　poor　priest　read　it　and　re…read　it；　so

amazed　and　horror…stricken　was　he　to　see　the　perfection　with　which　his

own　handwriting　and　signature　were　imitated。　The　dangerous　condition

into　which　this　last　atrocity　threw　poor　Ursula　sent　Savinien　once

more　to　the　procureur　du　roi　with　the　forged　letter。



〃A　murder　is　being　committed　by　means　that　the　law　cannot　touch；〃　he

said；　〃upon　an　orphan　whom　the　Code　places　in　your　care　as　legal

guardian。　What　is　to　be　done？〃



〃If　you　can　find　any　means　of　repression；〃　said　the　official；　〃I　will

adopt　them；　but　I　know　of　none。　That　infamous　wretch　gives　the　best

advice。　Mademoiselle　Mirouet　must　be　sent　to　the　sisters　of　the

Adoration　of　the　Sacred　Heart。　Meanwhile　the　commissary　of　police　at

Fontainebleau　shall　at　my　request　authorize　you　to　carry　arms　in　your

own　defence。　I　have　been　myself　to　Rouvre；　and　I　found　Monsieur　du

Rouvre　justly　indignant　at　the　suspicions　some　of　the　Nemours　people

have　put　upon　him。　Minoret；　the　father　of　my　assistant；　is　in　treaty

for　the　purchase　of　the　estate。　Mademoiselle　is　to　marry　a　rich　Polish

count；　and　Monsieur　du　Rouvre　himself　left　the　neighbourhood　the　day　I

saw　him；　to　avoid　arrest　for　debt。〃



Desire　Minoret；　when　questioned　by　his　chief；　dared　not　tell　his

thought。　He　recognized　Goupil。　Goupil；　he　fully　believed；　was　the　only

man　capable　of　carrying　a　persecution　to　the　very　verge　of　the　penal

code　without　infringing　a　hair's…breadth　upon　it。







CHAPTER　XVIII



A　TWO…FOLD　VENGEANCE



Impunity；　secrecy；　and　success　increased　Goupil's　audacity。　He　made

Massin；　who　was　completely　his　dupe；　sue　the　Marquis　du　Rouvre　for　his

notes；　so　as　to　force　him　to　sell　the　remainder　of　his　property　to

Minoret。　Thus　prepared；　he　opened　negotiations　for　a　practice　at　Sens；

and　then　resolved　to　strike　a　last　blow　to　obtain　Ursula。　He　meant　to

imitate　certain　young　men　in　Paris　who　owed　their　wives　and　their

fortunes　to　abduction。　He　knew　that　the　services　he　had　rendered　to

Minoret；　to　Massin；　and　to　Cremiere；　and　the　protection　of　Dionis　and

the　mayor　of　Nemours　would　enable　him　to　hush　up　the　affair。　He

resolved　to　throw　off　the　mask；　believing　Ursula　too　feeble　in　the

condition　to　which　he　had　reduced　her　to　make　any　resistance。　But

before　risking　this　last　throw　in　the　game　he　thought　it　best　to　have

an　explanation　with　Minoret；　and　he　chose　his　opportunity　at　Rouvre；

where　he　went　with　his　patron　for　the　first　time　after　the　deeds　were

signed。



Minoret　had　that　morning　received　a　confidential　letter　from　his　son

asking　him　for　information　as　to　what　was　happening　in　connection　with

Ursula；　information　that　he　desired　to　obtain　before　going　to　Nemours

with　the　procureur　du　roi　to　place　her　under　shelter　from　these

atrocities　in　the　convent　of　the　Adoration。　Desire　exhorted　his

father；　in　case　this　persecution　should　be　the　work　of　any　of　their

friends；　to　give　to　whoever　it　might　be　warning　and　good　advice；　for

even　if　the　law　could　not　punish　this　crime　it　would　certainly

discover　the　truth　and　hold　it　over　the　delinquent's　head。　Minoret　had

now　attained　a　great　object。　Owner　of　the　chateau　du　Rouvre；　one　of

the　finest　estates　in　the　Gatinais；　he　had　also　a　rent…roll　of　some

forty　odd　thousand　francs　a　year　from　the　rich　domains　which

surrounded　the　park。　He　could　well　afford　to　snap　his　fingers　at

Goupil。　Besides；　he　intended　to　live　on　the　estate；　where　the　sight　of

Ursula　would　no　longer　trouble　him。



〃My　boy；〃　he　said　to　Goupil；　as　they　walked　along　the　terrace；　〃let　my

young　cousin　alone；　now。〃



〃Pooh！〃　said　the　clerk；　unable　to　imagine　what　capricious　conduct

meant。



〃Oh！　I'm　not　ungrateful；　you　have　enabled　me　to　get　this　fine　brick

chateau　with　the　stone　copings　（which　couldn't　be　built　now　for　two

hundred　thousand　francs）　and　those　farms　and　preserves　and　the　park

and　gardens　and　woods；　all　for　two　hundred　and　eighty　thousand　francs。

No；　I'm　not　ungrateful；　I'll　give　you　ten　per　cent；　twenty　thousand

francs；　for　your　services；　and　you　can　buy　a　sheriff's　practice　in

Nemours。　I'll　guarantee　you　a　marriage　with　one　of　Cremiere's

daughters；　the　eldest。〃



〃The　one　who　talks　piston！〃　cried　Goupil。



〃She'll　have　thirty　thousand　francs；〃　replied　Minoret。　〃Don't　you　see；

my　dear　boy；　that　you　are　cut　out　for　a　sheriff；　just　as　I　was　to　be　a

post　master？　People　should　keep　to　their　vocation。〃



〃Very　well；　then；〃　said　Goupil；　falling　from　the　pinnacle　of　his

hopes；　〃here's　a　stamped　cheque；　write　me　an　order　for　twenty　thousand

francs；　I　want　the　money　in　hand　at　once。〃



Minoret　had　eighteen　thousand　francs　by　him　at　that　moment　of　which

his　wife　knew　nothing。　He　thought　the　best　way　to　get　rid　of　Goupil

was　to　sign　the　draft。　The　clerk；　seeing　the　flush　of　seigniorial

fever　on　the　face　of　the　imbecile　and　colossal　Machiavelli；　threw　him

an　〃au　revoir；〃　by　way　of　farewell；　accompanied　with　a　glance　which

would　have　made　any　one　but　an　idiotic　parvenu；　lost　in　contemplation

of　the　magnificent　chateau　built　in　the　style　in　vogue　under　Louis

XIII。；　tremble　in　his　shoes。



〃Are　you　not　going　to　wait　for　me？〃　he　cried；　observing　that　Goupil

was　going　away　on　foot。



〃You'll　find　me　on　our　path；　never　fear；　papa　Minoret；〃　replied

Goupil；　athirst　for　vengeance　and　resolved　to　know　the　meaning　of　the

zigzags　of　Minoret's　strange　conduct。



Since　the　day　when　the　last　vile　calumny　had　sullied　her　life　Ursula；


a　prey　to　one　of　those　inexplicable　maladies　the　seat　of　which　is　in

the　soul；　seemed　to　be　rapidly　nearing　death。　She　was　deathly　pale；

speaking　only　at　rare　intervals　and　then　in　slow　and　feeble　words；

everything　about　her；　her　glance　of　gentle　indifference；　even　the

expression　of　her　forehead；　all　revealed　the　presence　of　some

consuming　thought。　She　was　thinking　how　the　ideal　wreath　of　chastity；

with　which　throughout　all　ages　the　Peoples　crowned　their　virgins；　had

fallen　from　her　brow。　She　heard　in　the　void　and　in　the　silence　the

dishonoring　words；　the　malicious　comments；　the　laughter　of　the　little

town。　The　trial　was　too　heavy；　her　innocence　was　too　delicate　to　allow

her　to　survive　the　murderous　blow。　She　complained　no　more；　a　sorrowful

smile　was　on　her　lips；　her　eyes　appealed　to　heaven；　to　the　Sovereign

of　angels；　against　man's　injustice。



When　Goupil　reached　Nemours；　Ursula　had　just　been　carried　down　from

her　chamber　to　the　ground…floor　in　the　arms　of　La　B