ursula-第52部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



showed　you　in　your　dreamswhere　he　said　that　he　placed　those

certificates　and　banknotes。〃



Ursula　and　the　abbe　went　up　to　the　library　and　took　down　the　third

volume　of　the　Pandects。　When　the　old　man　opened　it　he　noticed；　not

without　surprise；　a　mark　left　by　some　enclosure　upon　the　pages；　which

still　kept　the　outline　of　the　certificate。　In　the　other　volume　he

found　a　sort　of　hollow　made　by　the　long…continued　presence　of　a

package；　which　had　left　its　traces　on　the　two　pages　next　to　it。



〃Yes；　go　up；　Monsieur　Bongrand；〃　La　Bougival　was　heard　to　say；　and　the

justice　of　the　peace　came　into　the　library　just　as　the　abbe　was

putting　on　his　spectacles　to　read　three　numbers　in　Doctor　Minoret's

hand…writing　on　the　fly…leaf　of　colored　paper　with　which　the　binder

had　lined　the　cover　of　the　volume；figures　which　Ursula　had　just

discovered。



〃What's　the　meaning　of　those　figures？〃　said　the　abbe；　〃our　dear　doctor

was　too　much　of　a　bibliophile　to　spoil　the　fly…leaf　of　a　valuable

volume。　Here　are　three　numbers　written　between　a　first　number　preceded

by　the　letter　M　and　a　last　number　preceded　by　a　U。〃



〃What　are　you　talking　of？〃　said　Bongrand。　〃Let　me　see　that。　Good　God！〃

he　cried；　after　a　moment's　examination；　〃it　would　open　the　eyes　of　an

atheist　as　an　actual　demonstration　of　Providence！　Human　justice　is；　I

believe；　the　development　of　the　divine　thought　which　hovers　over　the

worlds。〃　He　seized　Ursula　and　kissed　her　forehead。　〃Oh！　my　child；　you

will　be　rich　and　happy；　and　all　through　me！〃



〃What　is　it？〃　exclaimed　the　abbe。



〃Oh；　monsieur；〃　cried　La　Bougival；　catching　Bongrand's　blue　overcoat；

〃let　me　kiss　you　for　what　you've　just　said。〃



〃Explain；　explain！　don't　give　us　false　hopes；〃　said　the　abbe。



〃If　I　bring　trouble　on　others　by　becoming　rich；〃　said　Ursula；

forseeing　a　criminal　trial；　〃I〃



〃Remember；〃　said　the　justice；　interrupting　her；　〃the　happiness　you

will　give　to　Savinien。〃



〃Are　you　mad？〃　said　the　abbe。



〃No；　my　dear　friend；〃　said　Bongrand。　〃Listen；　the　certificates　in　the

Funds　are　issued　in　series；as　many　series　as　there　are　letters　in

the　alphabet；　and　each　number　bears　the　letter　of　its　series。　But　the

certificates　which　are　made　out　'to　bearer'　cannot　have　a　letter；　they

are　not　in　any　person's　name。　What　you　see　there　shows　that　the　day

the　doctor　placed　his　money　in　the　Funds；　he　noted　down；　first；　the

number　of　his　own　certificate　for　fifteen　thousand　francs　interest

which　bears　his　initial　M；　next；　the　numbers　of　three　inscriptions　to

bearer；　these　are　without　a　letter；　and　thirdly；　the　certificate　of

Ursula's　share　in　the　Funds；　the　number　of　which　is　23；534；　and　which

follows；　as　you　see；　that　of　the　fifteen…thousand…franc　certificate

with　lettering。　This　goes　far　to　prove　that　those　numbers　are　those　of

five　certificates　of　investments　made　on　the　same　day　and　noted　down

by　the　doctor　in　case　of　loss。　I　advised　him　to　take　certificates　to

bearer　for　Ursula's　fortune；　and　he　must　have　made　his　own　investment

and　that　of　Ursula's　little　property　the　same　day。　I'll　go　to　Dionis's

office　and　look　at　the　inventory。　If　the　number　of　the　certificate　for

his　own　investment　is　23；533；　letter　M；　we　may　be　sure　that　he

invested；　through　the　same　broker　on　the　same　day；　first　his　own

property　on　a　single　certificate；　secondly　his　savings　in　three

certificates　to　bearer　（numbered；　but　without　the　series　letter）；

thirdly；　Ursula's　own　property；　the　transfer　books　will　show；　of

course；　undeniable　proofs　of　this。　Ha！　Minoret；　you　deceiver；　I　have

you　Motus；　my　children！〃



Whereupon　he　left　them　abruptly　to　reflect　with　admiration　on　the　ways

by　which　Providence　had　brought　the　innocent　to　victory。



〃The　finger　of　God　is　in　all　this；〃　cried　the　abbe。



〃Will　they　punish　him？〃　asked　Ursula。



〃Ah；　mademoiselle；〃　cried　La　Bougival。　〃I'd　give　the　rope　to　hang

him。〃



Bongrand　was　already　at　Goupil's；　now　the　appointed　successor　of

Dionis；　but　he　entered　the　office　with　a　careless　air。　〃I　have　a

little　matter　to　verify　about　the　Minoret　property；〃　he　said　to

Goupil。



〃What　is　it？〃　asked　the　latter。



〃The　doctor　left　one　or　more　certificates　in　the　three…per…cent

Funds？〃



〃He　left　one　for　fifteen　thousand　francs　a　year；〃　said　Goupil；　〃I

recorded　it　myself。〃



〃Then　just　look　on　the　inventory；〃　said　Bongrand。



Goupil　took　down　a　box；　hunted　through　it；　drew　out　a　paper；　found　the

place；　and　read：



〃'Item；　one　certificate'　Here；　read　for　yourselfunder　the　number

23；533；　letter　M。〃



〃Do　me　the　kindness　to　let　me　have　a　copy　of　that　clause　within　an

hour；〃　said　Bongrand。



〃What　good　is　it　to　you？〃　asked　Goupil。



〃Do　you　want　to　be　a　notary？〃　answered　the　justice　of　peace；　looking

sternly　at　Dionis's　proposed　successor。



〃Of　course　I　do；〃　cried　Goupil。　〃I've　swallowed　too　many　affronts　not

to　succeed　now。　I　beg　you　to　believe；　monsieur；　that　the　miserable

creature　once　called　Goupil　has　nothing　in　common　with　Maitre　Jean…

Sebastien…Marie　Goupil；　notary　of　Nemours　and　husband　of　Mademoiselle

Massin。　The　two　beings　do　not　know　each　other。　They　are　no　longer　even

alike。　Look　at　me！〃



Thus　adjured　Monsieur　Bongrand　took　notice　of　Goupil's　clothes。　The

new　notary　wore　a　white　cravat；　a　shirt　of　dazzling　whiteness　adorned

with　ruby　buttons；　a　waistcoat　of　red　velvet；　with　trousers　and　coat

of　handsome　black　broad…cloth；　made　in　Paris。　His　boots　were　neat；　his

hair；　carefully　combed；　was　perfumedin　short　he　was　metamorphosed。



〃The　fact　is　you　are　another　man；〃　said　Bongrand。



〃Morally　as　well　as　physically。　Virtue　comes　with　practicea

practice；　besides；　money　is　the　source　of　cleanliness〃



〃Morally　as　well　as　physically；〃　returned　Bongrand；　settling　his

spectacles。



〃Ha！　monsieur；　is　a　man　worth　a　hundred　thousand　francs　a　year　ever　a

democrat？　Consider　me　in　future　as　an　honest　man　who　knows　what

refinement　is；　and　who　intends　to　love　his　wife；〃　said　Goupil；　〃and

what's　more；　I　shall　prevent　my　clients　from　ever　doing　dirty

actions。〃



〃Well；　make　haste；〃　said　Bongrand。　〃Let　me　have　that　copy　in　an　hour；

and　notary　Goupil　will　have　undone　some　of　the　evil　deeds　of　Goupil

the　clerk。〃



After　asking　the　Nemours　doctor　to　lend　him　his　horse　and　cabriolet；

he　went　back　to　Ursula's　house　for　the　two　important　volumes　and　for

her　own　certificate　of　Funds；　then；　armed　with　the　extract　from　the

inventory；　he　drove　to　Fontainebleau　and　had　an　interview　with　the

procureur　du　roi。　Bongrand　easily　convinced　that　official　of　the　theft

of　the　three　certificates　by　one　or　other　of　the　heirs；presumably　by

Minoret。



〃His　conduct　is　explained；〃　said　the　procureur。



As　a　measure　of　precaution　the　magistrate　at　once　notified　the

Treasury　to　withhold　transfer　of　the　said　certificates；　and　told

Bongrand　to　go　to　Paris　and　ascertain　if　the　shares　had　ever　been

sold。　He　then　wrote　a　polite　note　to　Madame　Minoret　requesting　her

presence。



Zelie；　very　uneasy　about　her　son's　duel；　dressed　herself　at　once；　had

the　horses　put　to　her　carriage　and　hurried　to　Fontainebleau。　The

procureur's　plan　was　simple　enough。　By　separating　the　wife　from　the

husband；　and　bringing　the　terrors　of　the　law　to　bear　upon　her；　he

expected　to　learn　the　truth。　Zelie　found　the　official　in　his　private

office　and　was　utterly　annihilated　when　he　addressed　her　as　follows：



〃Madame；〃　he　said；　〃I　do　not　believe　you　are　an　accomplice　in　a　theft

that　has　been　committed　upon　the　Minoret　property；　on　the　track　of

which　the　law　is　now　proceeding。　But　you　can　spare　your　husband　the

shame　of　appearing　in　the　prisoner's　dock　by　making　a　full　confession

of　what　you　know　about　it。　The　punishment　which　your　husband　has

incurred　is；　moreover；　not　the　only　thing　to　be　dreaded。　Your　son's

career　is　to　be　thought　of；　you　must　avoid　destroying　that。　Half　an

hour　hence　will　be　too　late。　The　police　are　already　under　orders　for

Nemours；　the　warrant　is　made　out。〃



Zelie　nearly　fainted；　when　she　recovered　her　senses　she　confessed

everything。　After　proving　to　her　that　she　was　in　point　of　fact　an

accomplice；　the　magistrate　told　her　that　if　she　did　not　wish　to　injure

either　son　or　husband　she　must　behave　with　the　utmost　prudence。



〃You　have　now　to　do　with　me　as　an　individual；　not　as　a　magistrate；〃　he

said。　〃No　complaint　has　been　lodged　by　the　victim；　nor　has　any

publicity　been　given　to　the　theft。　But　your　husband　has　committed　a

great　crime；　which　may　be　brought　before　a　judge　less　inclined　than

myself　to　be　considerate。　In　the　present　state　of　the　affair　I　am

obliged　to　make　you　a　prisoneroh；　in　my　own　house；　on　parole；〃　he

added；　seeing　that　Zelie　was　about　to　faint。　〃You　must　remember　that

my　official　duty　would　require　me　to　issue　a　warrant　at　once　and　begin

an　examination；　but　I　am　acting　now　individually；　as　guardian　of

Mademoiselle　Ursula　Mirouet；　and　her　best　interests　demand　a

compromise。〃



〃A