ursula-第53部分

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Mademoiselle　Ursula　Mirouet；　and　her　best　interests　demand　a

compromise。〃



〃Ah！〃　exclaimed　Zelie。



〃Write　to　your　husband　in　the　following　words；〃　he　continued；　placing

Zelie　at　his　desk　and　proceeding　to　dictate　the　letter：



　　〃My　Friend；I　am　arrested；　and　I　have　told　all。　Return　the

　　certificates　which　uncle　left　to　Monsieur　de　Portenduere　in　the

　　will　which　you　burned；　for　the　procureur　du　roi　has　stopped

　　payment　at　the　Treasury。〃



〃You　will　thus　save　him　from　the　denials　he　would　otherwise　attempt　to

make；〃　said　the　magistrate；　smiling　at　Zelie's　orthography。　〃We　will

see　that　the　restitution　is　properly　made。　My　wife　will　make　your　stay

in　our　house　as　agreeable　as　possible。　I　advise　you　to　say　nothing　of

the　matter　and　not　to　appear　anxious　or　unhappy。〃



Now　that　Zelie　had　confessed　and　was　safely　immured；　the　magistrate

sent　for　Desire；　told　him　all　the　particulars　of　his　father's　theft；

which　was　really　to　Ursula's　injury；　but；　as　matters　stood；　legally　to

that　of　his　co…heirs；　and　showed　him　the　letter　written　by　his　mother。

Desire　at　once　asked　to　be　allowed　to　go　to　Nemours　and　see　that　his

father　made　immediate　restitution。



〃It　is　a　very　serious　matter；〃　said　the　magistrate。　〃The　will　having

been　destroyed；　if　the　matter　gets　wind；　the　co…heirs；　Massin　and

Cremiere　may　put　in　a　claim。　I　have　proof　enough　against　your　father。

I　will　release　your　mother；　for　I　think　the　little　ceremony　that　has

already　taken　place　has　been　sufficient　warning　as　to　her　duty。　To

her；　I　will　seem　to　have　yielded　to　your　entreaties　in　releasing　her。

Take　her　with　you　to　Nemours；　and　manage　the　whole　matter　as　best　you

can。　Don't　fear　any　one。　Monsieur　Bongrand　loves　Ursula　Mirouet　too

well　to　let　the　matter　become　known。〃



Zelie　and　Desire　started　soon　after　for　Nemours。　Three　hours　later　the

procureur　du　roi　received　by　a　mounted　messenger　the　following　letter；

the　orthography　of　which　has　been　corrected　so　as　not　to　bring

ridicule　on　a　man　crushed　by　affliction。





To　Monsieur　le　procureur　du　roi　at　Fontainebleau：



Monsieur；God　is　less　kind　to　us　than　you；　we　have　met　with　an

irreparable　misfortune。　When　my　wife　and　son　reached　the　bridge　at

Nemours　a　trace　became　unhooked。　There　was　no　servant　behind　the

carriage；　the　horses　smelt　the　stable；　my　son；　fearing　their

impatience；　jumped　down　to　hook　the　trace　rather　than　have　the

coachman　leave　the　box。　As　he　turned　to　resume　his　place　in　the

carriage　beside　his　mother　the　horses　started；　Desire　did　not　step

back　against　the　parapet　in　time；　the　step　of　the　carriage　cut

through　both　legs　and　he　fell；　the　hind　wheel　passing　over　his

body。　The　messenger　who　goes　to　Paris　for　the　best　surgeon　will

bring　you　this　letter；　which　my　son　in　the　midst　of　his　sufferings

desires　me　to　write　so　as　to　let　you　know　our　entire　submission　to

your　decisions　in　the　matter　about　which　he　was　coming　to　speak　to　me。



I　shall　be　grateful　to　you　to　my　dying　day　for　the　manner　in　which

you　have　acted；　and　I　will　deserve　your　goodness。



Francois　Minoret。





This　cruel　event　convulsed　the　whole　town　of　Nemours。　The　crowds

standing　about　the　gate　of　the　Minoret　house　were　the　first　to　tell

Savinien　that　his　vengeance　had　been　taken　by　a　hand　more　powerful

than　his　own。　He　went　at　once　to　Ursula's　house；　where　he　found　both

the　abbe　and　the　young　girl　more　distressed　than　surprised。



The　next　day；　after　the　wounds　were　dressed；　and　the　doctors　and

surgeons　from　Paris　had　given　their　opinion　that　both　legs　must　be

amputated；　Minoret　went；　pale；　humbled；　and　broken　down；　accompanied

by　the　abbe；　to　Ursula's　house；　where　he　found　also　Monsieur　Bongrand

and　Savinien。



〃Mademoiselle；〃　he　said；　〃I　am　very　guilty　towards　you；　but　if　all　the

wrongs　I　have　done　you　are　not　wholly　reparable；　there　are　some　that　I

can　expiate。　My　wife　and　I　have　made　a　vow　to　make　over　to　you　in

absolute　possession　our　estate　at　Rouvre　in　case　our　son　recovers；　and

also　in　case　we　have　the　dreadful　sorrow　of　losing　him。〃



He　burst　into　tears　as　he　said　the　last　words。



〃I　can　assure　you；　my　dear　Ursula；〃　said　the　abbe；　〃that　you　can　and

that　you　ought　to　accept　a　part　of　this　gift。〃



〃Will　you　forgive　me？〃　said　Minoret；　humbly　kneeling　before　the

astonished　girl。　〃The　operation　is　about　to　be　performed　by　the　first

surgeon　of　the　Hotel…Dieu；　but　I　do　not　trust　to　human　science；　I　rely

only　on　the　power　of　God。　If　you　will　forgive　us；　if　you　ask　God　to

restore　our　son　to　us；　he　will　have　strength　to　bear　the　agony　and　we

shall　have　the　joy　of　saving　him。〃



〃Let　us　go　to　the　church！〃　cried　Ursula；　rising。



But　as　she　gained　her　feet；　a　piercing　cry　came　from　her　lips；　and　she

fell　backward　fainting。　When　her　senses　returned；　she　saw　her　friends

but　not　Minoret　who　had　rushed　for　a　doctorlooking　at　her　with

anxious　eyes；　seeking　an　explanation。　As　she　gave　it；　terror　filled

their　hearts。



〃I　saw　my　godfather　standing　in　the　doorway；〃　she　said；　〃and　he　signed

to　me　that　there　was　no　hope。〃



The　day　after　the　operation　Desire　died；carried　off　by　the　fever　and

the　shock　to　the　system　that　succeed　operations　of　this　nature。　Madame

Minoret；　whose　heart　had　no　other　tender　feeling　than　maternity；

became　insane　after　the　burial　of　her　son；　and　was　taken　by　her

husband　to　the　establishment　of　Doctor　Blanche；　where　she　died　in

1841。



Three　months　after　these　events；　in　January；　1837；　Ursula　married

Savinien　with　Madame　de　Portenduere's　consent。　Minoret　took　part　in

the　marriage　contract　and　insisted　on　giving　Mademoiselle　Mirouet　his

estate　at　Rouvre　and　an　income　of　twenty…four　thousand　francs　from　the

Funds；　keeping　for　himself　only　his　uncle's　house　and　ten　thousand

francs　a　year。　He　has　become　the　most　charitable　of　men；　and　the　most

religious；　he　is　churchwarden　of　the　parish；　and　has　made　himself　the

providence　of　the　unfortunate。



〃The　poor　take　the　place　of　my　son；〃　he　said。



If　you　have　ever　noticed　by　the　wayside；　in　countries　where　they　poll

the　oaks；　some　old　tree；　whitened　and　as　if　blasted；　still　throwing

out　its　twigs　though　its　trunk　is　riven　and　seems　to　implore　the　axe；

you　will　have　an　idea　of　the　old　post　master；　with　his　white　hair；

broken；　emaciated；　in　whom　the　elders　of　the　town　can　see　no　trace　of

the　jovial　dullard　whom　you　first　saw　watching　for　his　son　at　the

beginning　of　this　history；　he　does　not　even　take　his　snuff　as　he　once

did；　he　carries　something　more　now　than　the　weight　of　his　body。

Beholding　him；　we　feel　that　the　hand　of　God　was　laid　upon　that　figure

to　make　it　an　awful　warning。　After　hating　so　violently　his　uncle's

godchild　the　old　man　now；　like　Doctor　Minoret　himself；　has

concentrated　all　his　affections　on　her；　and　has　made　himself　the

manager　of　her　property　in　Nemours。



Monsieur　and　Madame　de　Portenduere　pass　five　months　of　the　year　in

Paris；　where　they　have　bought　a　handsome　house　in　the　Faubourg　Saint…

Germain。　Madame　de　Portenduere　the　elder；　after　giving　her　house　in

Nemours　to　the　Sisters　of　Charity　for　a　free　school；　went　to　live　at

Rouvre；　where　La　Bougival　keeps　the　porter's　lodge。　Cabirolle；　the

former　conductor　of　the　〃Ducler；〃　a　man　sixty　years　of　age；　has

married　La　Bougival　and　the　twelve　hundred　francs　a　year　which　she

possesses　besides　the　ample　emoluments　of　her　place。　Young　Cabirolle

is　Monsieur　de　Portenduere's　coachman。



If　you　happen　to　see　in　the　Champs…Elysees　one　of　those　charming

little　low　carriages　called　'escargots；'　lined　with　gray　silk　and

trimmed　with　blue；　and　containing　a　pretty　young　woman　whom　you　admire

because　her　face　is　wreathed　in　innumerable　fair　curls；　her　eyes

luminous　as　forget…me…nots　and　filled　with　love；　if　you　see　her

bending　slightly　towards　a　fine　young　man；　and；　if　you　are；　for　a

moment；　conscious　of　envypause　and　reflect　that　this　handsome

couple；　beloved　of　God；　have　paid　their　quota　to　the　sorrows　of　life

in　times　now　past。　These　married　lovers　are　the　Vicomte　de　Portenduere

and　his　wife。　There　is　not　another　such　home　in　Paris　as　theirs。



〃It　is　the　sweetest　happiness　I　have　ever　seen；〃　said　the　Comtesse　de

l'Estorade；　speaking　of　them　lately。



Bless　them；　therefore；　and　be　not　envious；　seek　an　Ursula　for

yourselves；　a　young　girl　brought　up　by　three　old　men；　and　by　the　best

of　all　mothersadversity。



Goupil；　who　does　service　to　everybody　and　is　justly　considered　the

wittiest　man　in　Nemours；　has　won　the　esteem　of　the　little　town；　but　he

is　punished　in　his　children；　who　are　rickety　and　hydrocephalous。

Dionis；　his　predecessor；　flourishes　in　the　Chamber　of　Deputies；　of

which　he　is　one　of　the　finest　ornaments；　to　the　great　satisfaction　of

the　king　of　the　French；　who　sees　Madame　Dionis　at　all　his　balls。

Madame　Dionis　relates　to　the　whole　town　of　Nemours　the　particulars　of

her　receptions　at　the　Tuileries　and　the　splendor　of　the　court　of　the

king　of　the　French。　She　lor