ursula-第45部分

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her　chamber　to　the　ground…floor　in　the　arms　of　La　Bougival　and　the

doctor。　A　great　event　was　about　to　take　place。　When　Madame　de

Portenduere　became　really　aware　that　the　girl　was　dying　like　an

ermine；　though　less　injured　in　her　honor　than　Clarissa　Harlowe；　she

resolved　to　go　to　her　and　comfort　her。　The　sight　of　her　son's　anguish；

who　during　the　whole　preceding　night　had　seemed　beside　himself；　made

the　Breton　soul　of　the　old　woman　yield。　Moreover；　it　seemed　worthy　of

her　own　dignity　to　revive　the　courage　of　a　girl　so　pure；　and　she　saw

in　her　visit　a　counterpoise　to　all　the　evil　done　by　the　little　town。

Her　opinion；　surely　more　powerful　than　that　of　the　crowd；　ought　to

carry　with　it；　she　thought；　the　influence　of　race。　This　step；　which

the　abbe　came　to　announce；　made　so　great　a　change　in　Ursula　that　the

doctor；　who　was　about　to　ask　for　a　consultation　of　Parisian　doctors；

recovered　hope。　They　placed　her　on　her　uncle's　sofa；　and　such　was　the

character　of　her　beauty　that　she　lay　there　in　her　mourning　garments；

pale　from　suffering；　she　was　more　exquisitely　lovely　than　in　the

happiest　hours　of　her　life。　When　Savinien；　with　his　mother　on　his　arm；

entered　the　room　she　colored　vividly。



〃Do　not　rise；　my　child；〃　said　the　old　lady　imperatively；　〃weak　and　ill

as　I　am　myself；　I　wished　to　come　and　tell　you　my　feelings　about　what

is　happening。　I　respect　you　as　the　purest；　the　most　religious　and

excellent　girl　in　the　Gatinais；　and　I　think　you　worthy　to　make　the

happiness　of　a　gentleman。〃



At　first　poor　Ursula　was　unable　to　answer；　she　took　the　withered　hands

of　Savinien's　mother　and　kissed　them。



〃Ah；　madame；〃　she　said　in　a　faltering　voice；　〃I　should　never　have　had

the　boldness　to　think　of　rising　above　my　condition　if　I　had　not　been

encouraged　by　promises；　my　only　claim　was　that　of　an　affection　without

bounds；　but　now　they　have　found　the　means　to　separate　me　from　him　I

love；they　have　made　me　unworthy　of　him。　Never！〃　she　cried；　with　a

ring　in　her　voice　which　painfully　affected　those　about　her；　〃never

will　I　consent　to　give　to　any　man　a　degraded　hand；　a　stained

reputation。　I　loved　too　well；yes；　I　can　admit　it　in　my　present

condition；I　love　a　creature　almost　as　I　love　God；　and　God〃



〃Hush；　my　child！　do　not　calumniate　God。　Come；　my　daughter；〃　said　the

old　lady；　making　an　effort；　〃do　not　exaggerate　the　harm　done　by　an

infamous　joke　in　which　no　one　believes。　I　give　you　my　word；　you　will

live　and　you　shall　be　happy。〃



〃We　shall　be　happy！〃　cried　Savinien；　kneeling　beside　Ursula　and

kissing　her　hand；　〃my　mother　has　called　you　her　daughter。〃



〃Enough；　enough；〃　said　the　doctor　feeling　his　patient's　pulse；　〃do　not

kill　her　with　joy。〃



At　that　moment　Goupil；　who　found　the　street　door　ajar；　opened　that　of

the　little　salon；　and　showed　his　hideous　face　blazing　with　thoughts　of

vengeance　which　had　crowded　into　his　mind　as　he　hurried　along。



〃Monsieur　de　Portenduere；〃　he　said；　in　a　voice　like　the　hissing　of　a

viper　forced　from　its　hole。



〃What　do　you　want？〃　said　Savinien；　rising　from　his　knees。



〃I　have　a　word　to　say　to　you。〃



Savinien　left　the　room；　and　Goupil　took　him　into　the　little　courtyard。



〃Swear　to　me　by　Ursula's　life；　by　your　honor　as　a　gentleman；　to　do　by

me　as　if　I　had　never　told　you　what　I　am　about　to　tell。　Do　this；　and　I

will　reveal　to　you　the　cause　of　the　persecutions　directed　against

Mademoiselle　Mirouet。〃



〃Can　I　put　a　stop　to　them？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Can　I　avenge　them？〃



〃On　their　author；　yeson　his　tool；　no。〃



〃Why　not？〃



〃BecauseI　am　the　tool。〃



Savinien　turned　pale。



〃I　have　just　seen　Ursula〃　said　Goupil。



〃Ursula？〃　said　the　lover；　looking　fixedly　at　the　clerk。



〃Mademoiselle　Mirouet；〃　continued　Goupil；　made　respectful　by

Savinien's　tone；　〃and　I　would　undo　with　my　blood　the　wrong　that　has

been　done；　I　repent　of　it。　If　you　were　to　kill　me；　in　a　duel　or

otherwise；　what　good　would　my　blood　do　you？　can　you　drink　it？　At　this

moment　it　would　poison　you。〃



The　cold　reasoning　of　the　man；　together　with　a　feeling　of　eager

curiosity；　calmed　Savinien's　anger。　He　fixed　his　eyes　on　Goupil　with　a

look　which　made　that　moral　deformity　writhe。



〃Who　set　you　at　this　work？〃　said　the　young　man。



〃Will　you　swear？〃



〃What；to　do　you　no　harm？〃



〃I　wish　that　you　and　Mademoiselle　Mirouet　should　not　forgive　me。〃



〃She　will　forgive　you；I；　never！〃



〃But　at　least　you　will　forget？〃



What　terrible　power　the　reason　has　when　it　is　used　to　further　self…

interest。　Here　were　two　men；　longing　to　tear　one　another　in　pieces；

standing　in　that　courtyard　within　two　inches　of　each　other；　compelled

to　talk　together　and　united　by　a　single　sentiment。



〃I　will　forgive　you；　but　I　shall　not　forget。〃



〃The　agreement　is　off；〃　said　Goupil　coldly。　Savinien　lost　patience。　He

applied　a　blow　upon　the　man's　face　which　echoed　through　the　courtyard

and　nearly　knocked　him　down；　making　Savinien　himself　stagger。



〃It　is　only　what　I　deserve；〃　said　Goupil；　〃for　committing　such　a

folly。　I　thought　you　more　noble　than　you　are。　You　have　abused　the

advantage　I　gave　you。　You　are　in　my　power　now；〃　he　added　with　a　look

of　hatred。



〃You　are　a　murderer！〃　said　Savinien。



〃No　more　than　a　dagger　is　a　murderer。〃



〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　said　Savinien。



〃Are　you　revenged　enough？〃　said　Goupil；　with　ferocious　irony；　〃will

you　stop　here？〃



〃Reciprocal　pardon　and　forgetfulness；〃　replied　Savinien。



〃Give　me　your　hand；〃　said　the　clerk；　holding　out　his　own。



〃It　is　yours；〃　said　Savinien；　swallowing　the　shame　for　Ursula's　sake。

〃Now　speak；　who　made　you　do　this　thing？〃



Goupil　looked　into　the　scales　as　it　were；　on　one　side　was　Savinien's

blow；　on　the　other　his　hatred　against　Minoret。　For　a　second　he　was

undecided；　then　a　voice　said　to　him：　〃You　will　be　notary！〃　and　he

answered：



〃Pardon　and　forgetfulness？　Yes；　on　both　sides；　monsieur〃



〃Who　is　persecuting　Ursula？〃　persisted　Savinien。



〃Minoret。　He　would　have　liked　to　see　her　buried。　Why？　I　can't　tell　you

that；　but　we　might　find　out　the　reason。　Don't　mix　me　up　in　all　this；　I

could　do　nothing　to　help　you　if　the　others　distrusted　me。　Instead　of

annoying　Ursula　I　will　defend　her；　instead　of　serving　Minoret　I　will

try　to　defeat　his　schemes。　I　live　only　to　ruin　him；　to　destroy　him

I'll　crush　him　under　foot；　I'll　dance　on　his　carcass；　I'll　make　his

bones　into　dominoes！　To…morrow；　every　wall　in　Nemours　and

Fontainebleau　and　Rouvre　shall　blaze　with　the　letters；　'Minoret　is　a

thief！'　Yes；　I'll　burst　him　like　a　gunThere！　we're　allies　now　by　the

imprudence　of　that　outbreak！　If　you　choose　I'll　beg　Mademoiselle

Mirouet's　pardon　and　tell　her　I　curse　the　madness　which　impelled　me　to

injure　her。　It　may　do　her　good；　the　abbe　and　the　justice　are　both

there；　but　Monsieur　Bongrand　must　promise　on　his　honor　not　to　injure

my　career。　I　have　a　career　now。〃



〃Wait　a　minute；〃　said　Savinien；　bewildered　by　the　revelation。



〃Ursula；　my　child；〃　he　said；　returning　to　the　salon；　〃the　author　of

all　your　troubles　is　ashamed　of　his　work；　he　repents　and　wishes　to　ask

your　pardon　in　presence　of　these　gentlemen；　on　condition　that　all　be

forgotten。〃



〃What！　Goupil？〃　cried　the　abbe；　the　justice；　and　the　doctor；　all

together。



〃Keep　his　secret；〃　said　Ursula；　putting　a　finger　on　her　lips。



Goupil　heard　the　words；　saw　the　gesture；　and　was　touched。



〃Mademoiselle；〃　he　said　in　a　troubled　voice；　〃I　wish　that　all　Nemours

could　hear　me　tell　you　that　a　fatal　passion　has　bewildered　my　brain

and　led　me　to　commit　a　crime　punishable　by　the　blame　of　honest　men。

What　I　say　now　I　would　be　willing　to　say　everywhere；　deploring　the

harm　done　by　such　miserable　trickswhich　may　have　hastened　your

happiness；〃　he　added；　rather　maliciously；　〃for　I　see　that　Madame　de

Portenduere　is　with　you。〃



〃That　is　all　very　well；　Goupil；〃　said　the　abbe；　〃Mademoiselle　forgives

you；　but　you　must　not　forget　that　you　came　near　being　her　murderer。〃



〃Monsieur　Bongrand；〃　said　Goupil；　addressing　the　justice　of　peace。　〃I

shall　negotiate　to…night　for　Lecoeur's　practice；　I　hope　the　reparation

I　have　now　made　will　not　injure　me　with　you；　and　that　you　will　back　my

petition　to　the　bar　and　the　ministry。〃



Bongrand　made　a　thoughtful　inclination　of　his　head；　and　Goupil　left

the　house　to　negotiate　on　the　best　terms　he　could　for　the　sheriff's

practice。　The　others　remained　with　Ursula　and　did　their　best　to

restore　the　peace　and　tranquillity　of　her　mind；　already　much　relieved

by　Goupil's　confession。



〃You　see；　my　child；　that　God　was　not　against　you；〃　said　the　abbe。



Minoret　came　home　late　from　Rouvre。　About　nine　o'clock　he　was　sitting

in　the　Chinese　pagoda　digesting　his　dinner　beside　his　wife；　with　whom

he　was　making　plans　for　Desire's　future。　Desire　had　become　very　sedate

since　entering　the　magistracy；　he　worked　hard；　and　it　was　not　unlikely

that　he　would　succeed　the　present　procureur　du　roi　at