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Ursula



by Honore de Balzac



Translated by Katharine Prescott Wormeley






DEDICATION



To Mademoiselle Sophie Surville;



It is a true pleasure; my dear niece; to dedicate to you this

book; the subject and details of which have won the

approbation; so difficult to win; of a young girl to whom the

world is still unknown; and who has compromised with none of

the lofty principles of a saintly education。 Young girls are

indeed a formidable public; for they ought not to be allowed

to read books less pure than the purity of their souls; they

are forbidden certain reading; just as they are carefully

prevented from seeing social life as it is。 Must it not

therefore be a source of pride to a writer to find that he has

pleased you?



God grant that your affection for me has not misled you。 Who can tell?

the future; which you; I hope; will see; though not; perhaps。





Your uncle;

De Balzac。











URSULA







CHAPTER I



THE FRIGHTENED HEIRS



Entering Nemours by the road to Paris; we cross the canal du Loing;

the steep banks of which serve the double purpose of ramparts to the

fields and of picturesque promenades for the inhabitants of that

pretty little town。 Since 1830 several houses had unfortunately been

built on the farther side of the bridge。 If this sort of suburb

increases; the place will lose its present aspect of graceful

originality。



In 1829; however; both sides of the road were clear; and the master of

the post route; a tall; stout man about sixty years of age; sitting

one fine autumn morning at the highest part of the bridge; could take

in at a glance the whole of what is called in his business a 〃ruban de

queue。〃 The month of September was displaying its treasures; the

atmosphere glowed above the grass and the pebbles; no cloud dimmed the

blue of the sky; the purity of which in all parts; even close to the

horizon; showed the extreme rarefaction of the air。 So Minoret…

Levrault (for that was the post master's name) was obliged to shade

his eyes with one hand to keep them from being dazzled。 With the air

of a man who was tired of waiting; he looked first to the charming

meadows which lay to the right of the road where the aftermath was

springing up; then to the hill…slopes covered with copses which

extend; on the left; from Nemours to Bouron。 He could hear in the

valley of the Loing; where the sounds on the road were echoed back

from the hills; the trot of his own horses and the crack of his

postilion's whip。



None but a post master could feel impatient within sight of such

meadows; filled with cattle worthy of Paul Potter and glowing beneath

a Raffaelle sky; and beside a canal shaded with trees after Hobbema。

Whoever knows Nemours knows that nature is there as beautiful as art;

whose mission is to spiritualize it; there; the landscape has ideas

and creates thought。 But; on catching sight of Minoret…Levrault an

artist would very likely have left the view to sketch the man; so

original was his in his native commonness。 Unite in a human being all

the conditions of the brute and you have a Caliban; who is certainly a

great thing。 Wherever form rules; sentiment disappears。 The post

master; a living proof of that axiom; presented a physiognomy in which

an observer could with difficulty trace; beneath the vivid carnation

of its coarsely developed flesh; the semblance of a soul。 His cap of

blue cloth; with a small peak; and sides fluted like a melon; outlined

a head of vast dimensions; showing that Gall's science has not yet

produced its chapter of exceptions。 The gray and rather shiny hair

which appeared below the cap showed that other causes than mental toil

or grief had whitened it。 Large ears stood out from the head; their

edges scarred with the eruptions of his over…abundant blood; which

seemed ready to gush at the least exertion。 His skin was crimson under

an outside layer of brown; due to the habit of standing in the sun。

The roving gray eyes; deep…sunken; and hidden by bushy black brows;

were like those of the Kalmucks who entered France in 1815; if they

ever sparkled it was only under the influence of a covetous thought。

His broad pug nose was flattened at the base。 Thick lips; in keeping

with a repulsive double chin; the beard of which; rarely cleaned more

than once a week; was encircled with a dirty silk handkerchief twisted

to a cord; a short neck; rolling in fat; and heavy cheeks completed

the characteristics of brute force which sculptors give to their

caryatids。 Minoret…Levrault was like those statues; with this

difference; that whereas they supported an edifice; he had more than

he could well do to support himself。 You will meet many such Atlases

in the world。 The man's torso was a block; it was like that of a bull

standing on his hind…legs。 His vigorous arms ended in a pair of thick;

hard hands; broad and strong and well able to handle whip; reins; and

pitchfork; hands which his postilions never attempted to trifle with。

The enormous stomach of this giant rested on thighs which were as

large as the body of an ordinary adult; and feet like those of an

elephant。 Anger was a rare thing with him; but it was terrible;

apoplectic; when it did burst forth。 Though violent and quite

incapable of reflection; the man had never done anything that

justified the sinister suggestions of his bodily presence。 To all

those who felt afraid of him his postilions would reply; 〃Oh! he's not

bad。〃



The master of Nemours; to use the common abbreviation of the country;

wore a velveteen shooting…jacket of bottle…green; trousers of green

linen with great stripes; and an ample yellow waistcoat of goat's

skin; in the pocket of which might be discerned the round outline of a

monstrous snuff…box。 A snuff…box to a pug nose is a law without

exception。



A son of the Revolution and a spectator of the Empire; Minoret…

Levrault did not meddle with politics; as to his religious opinions;

he had never set foot in a church except to be married; as to his

private principles; he kept them within the civil code; all that the

law did not forbid or could not prevent he considered right。 He never

read anything but the journal of the department of the Seine…et…Oise;

and a few printed instructions relating to his business。 He was

considered a clever agriculturist; but his knowledge was only

practical。 In him the moral being did not belie the physical。 He

seldom spoke; and before speaking he always took a pinch of snuff to

give himself time; not to find ideas; but words。 If he had been a

talker you would have felt that he was out of keeping with himself。

Reflecting that this elephant minus a trumpet and without a mind was

called Minoret…Levrault; we are compelled to agree with Sterne as to

the occult power of names; which sometimes ridicule and sometimes

foretell characters。



In spite of his visible incapacity he had acquired during the last

thirty…six years (the Revolution helping him) an income of thirty

thousand francs; derived from farm lands; woods and meadows。 If

Minoret; being master of the coach…lines of Nemours and those of the

Gatinais to Paris; still worked at his business; it was less from

habit than for the sake of an only son; to whom he was anxious to give

a fine career。 This son; who was now (to use an expression of the

peasantry) a 〃monsieur;〃 had just completed his legal studies and was

about to take his degree as licentiate; preparatory to being called to

the Bar。 Monsieur and Madame Minoret…Levraultfor behind our colossus

every one will perceive a woman without whom this signal good…fortune

would have been impossibleleft their son free to choose his own

career; he might be a notary in Paris; king's…attorney in some

district; collector of customs no matter where; broker; or post

master; as he pleased。 What fancy of his could they ever refuse him?

to what position of life might he not aspire as the son of a man about

whom the whole countryside; from Montargis to Essonne; was in the

habit of saying; 〃Pere Minoret doesn't even know how rich he is〃?



This saying had obtained fresh force about four years before this

history begins; when Minoret; after selling his inn; built stables and

a splendid dwelling; and removed the post…house from the Grand'Rue to

the wharf。 The new establishment cost two hundred thousand francs;

which the gossip of thirty miles in circumference more than doubled。

The Nemours mail…coach service requires a large number of horses。 It

goes to Fontainebleau on the road to Paris; and from there diverges to

Montargis and also to Montereau。 The relays are long; and the sandy

soil of the Montargis road calls for the mythical third horse; always

paid for but never seen。 A man of Minoret's build; and Minoret's

wealth; at the head of such an establishment might well be called;

without contradiction; the master of Nemours。 Though he never thought

of God or devil; being a practical materialist; just as he was a

practical agriculturist; a practical egoist; and a practical miser;

Minoret had enjoyed up to this time a life of unmixed happiness;if

we can call pure materialism happiness。 A physiologist; observing the

rolls of flesh which covered the last vertebrae and pressed upon the

giant's cerebellum; and; above all; hearing the shrill; sharp voice

which contrasted so absurdly with his huge body; would have understood

why this ponderous; coarse being adored his only son; and why he had

so long expected him;a fact proved by the name; Desire; which was

given to the child。



The mother; whom the boy fortunately resembled; rivaled the father in

spoiling him。 No child could long have resisted the effects of such

idolatry。 As soon as Desire knew the extent of his power he milked his

mother's coffer and dipped into his father's purse; making each author

of his being believe that he; or she; alone was petitioned。 Desire;

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