ursula-第17部分

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that　he　may　not　punish　eternally　the　errors　of　a　day。　I　know　he　will

summon　among　the　righteous　a　soul　so　pure；　so　beautiful；　as　yours。〃



That　answer；　said　with　angelic　candor；　in　a　tone　of　absolute

certainty；　confounded　error　and　converted　Denis　Minoret　as　God

converted　Saul。　A　ray　of　inward　light　overawed　him；　the　knowledge　of

this　tenderness；　covering　his　years　to　come；　brought　tears　to　his

eyes。　This　sudden　effect　of　grace　had　something　that　seemed　electrical

about　it。　The　abbe　clasped　his　hands　and　rose；　troubled；　from　his

seat。　The　girl；　astonished　at　her　triumph；　wept。　The　old　man　stood　up

as　if　a　voice　had　called　him；　looking　into　space　as　though　his　eyes

beheld　the　dawn；　then　he　bent　his　knee　upon　his　chair；　clasped　his

hands；　and　lowered　his　eyes　to　the　ground　as　one　humiliated。



〃My　God；〃　he　said　in　a　trembling　voice；　raising　his　head；　〃if　any　one

can　obtain　my　pardon　and　lead　me　to　thee；　surely　it　is　this　spotless

creature。　Have　mercy　on　the　repentant　old　age　that　this　pure　child

presents　to　thee！〃



He　lifted　his　soul　to　God；　mentally　praying　for　the　light　of　divine

knowledge　after　the　gift　of　divine　grace；　then　he　turned　to　the　abbe

and　held　out　his　hand。



〃My　dear　pastor；〃　he　said；　〃I　am　become　as　a　little　child。　I　belong　to

you；　I　give　my　soul　to　your　care。〃



Ursula　kissed　his　hands　and　bathed　them　with　her　tears。　The　old　man

took　her　on　his　knee　and　called　her　gayly　his　godmother。　The　abbe；

deeply　moved；　recited　the　〃Veni　Creator〃　in　a　species　of　religious

ecstasy。　The　hymn　served　as　the　evening　prayer　of　the　three　Christians

kneeling　together　for　the　first　time。



〃What　has　happened？〃　asked　La　Bougival；　amazed　at　the　sight。



〃My　godfather　believes　in　God　at　last！〃　replied　Ursula。



〃Ah！　so　much　the　better；　he　only　needed　that　to　make　him　perfect；〃

cried　the　old　woman；　crossing　herself　with　artless　gravity。



〃Dear　doctor；〃　said　the　good　priest；　〃you　will　soon　comprehend　the

grandeur　of　religion　and　the　value　of　its　practices；　you　will　find　its

philosophy　in　human　aspects　far　higher　than　that　of　the　boldest

sceptics。〃



The　abbe；　who　showed　a　joy　that　was　almost　infantine；　agreed　to

catechize　the　old　man　and　confer　with　him　twice　a　week。　Thus　the

conversion　attributed　to　Ursula　and　to　a　spirit　of　sordid　calculation；

was　the　spontaneous　act　of　the　doctor　himself。　The　abbe；　who　for

fourteen　years　had　abstained　from　touching　the　wounds　of　that　heart；

though　all　the　while　deploring　them；　was　now　asked　for　help；　as　a

surgeon　is　called　to　an　injured　man。　Ever　since　this　scene　Ursula's

evening　prayers　had　been　said　in　common　with　her　godfather。　Day　after

day　the　old　man　grew　more　conscious　of　the　peace　within　him　that

succeeded　all　his　conflicts。　Having；　as　he　said；　God　as　the

responsible　editor　of　things　inexplicable；　his　mind　was　at　ease。　His

dear　child　told　him　that　he　might　know　by　how　far　he　had　advanced

already　in　God's　kingdom。　During　the　mass　which　we　have　seen　him

attend；　he　had　read　the　prayers　and　applied　his　own　intelligence　to

them；　from　the　first；　he　had　risen　to　the　divine　idea　of　the　communion

of　the　faithful。　The　old　neophyte　understood　the　eternal　symbol

attached　to　that　sacred　nourishment；　which　faith　renders　needful　to

the　soul　after　conveying　to　it　her　own　profound　and　radiant　essence。

When　on　leaving　the　church　he　had　seemed　in　a　hurry　to　get　home；　it

was　merely　that　he　might　once　more　thank　his　dear　child　for　having　led

him　to　〃enter　religion；〃the　beautiful　expression　of　former　days。　He

was　holding　her　on　his　knee　in　the　salon　and　kissing　her　forehead

sacredly　at　the　very　moment　when　his　relatives　were　degrading　that

saintly　influence　with　their　shameless　fears；　and　casting　their　vulgar

insults　upon　Ursula。　His　haste　to　return　home；　his　assumed　disdain　for

their　company；　his　sharp　replies　as　he　left　the　church　were　naturally

attributed　by　all　the　heirs　to　the　hatred　Ursula　had　excited　against

them　in　the　old　man's　mind。







CHAPTER　VIII



THE　CONFERENCE



While　Ursula　was　playing　variations　on　Weber's　〃Last　Thought〃　to　her

godfather；　a　plot　was　hatching　in　the　Minoret…Levraults'　dining…room

which　was　destined　to　have　a　lasting　effect　on　the　events　of　this

drama。　The　breakfast；　noisy　as　all　provincial　breakfasts　are；　and

enlivened　by　excellent　wines　brought　to　Nemours　by　the　canal　either

from　Burgundy　or　Touraine；　lasted　more　than　two　hours。　Zelie　had　sent

for　oysters；　salt…water　fish；　and　other　gastronomical　delicacies　to　do

honor　to　Desire's　return。　The　dining…room；　in　the　center　of　which　a

round　table　offered　a　most　appetizing　sight；　was　like　the　hall　of　an

inn。　Content　with　the　size　of　her　kitchens　and　offices；　Zelie　had

built　a　pavilion　for　the　family　between　the　vast　courtyard　and　a

garden　planted　with　vegetables　and　full　of　fruit…trees。　Everything

about　the　premises　was　solid　and　plain。　The　example　of　Levrault…

Levrault　had　been　a　warning　to　the　town。　Zelie　forbade　her　builder　to

lead　her　into　such　follies。　The　dining…room　was；　therefore；　hung　with

varnished　paper　and　furnished　with　walnut　chairs　and　sideboards；　a

porcelain　stove；　a　tall　clock；　and　a　barometer。　Though　the　plates　and

dishes　were　of　common　white　china；　the　table　shone　with　handsome　linen

and　abundant　silverware。　After　Zelie　had　served　the　coffee；　coming　and

going　herself　like　shot　in　a　decanter；for　she　kept　but　one　servant；

and　when　Desire；　the　budding　lawyer；　had　been　told　of　the　event　of

the　morning　and　its　probably　consequences；　the　door　was　closed；　and

the　notary　Dionis　was　called　upon　to　speak。　By　the　silence　in　the　room

and　the　looks　that　were　cast　on　that　authoritative　face；　it　was　easy

to　see　the　power　that　such　men　exercise　over　families。



〃My　dear　children；〃　said　he；　〃your　uncle　having　been　born　in　1746；　is

eighty…three　years　old　at　the　present　time；　now；　old　men　are　given　to

folly；　and　that　little〃



〃Viper！〃　cried　Madame　Massin。



〃Hussy！〃　said　Zelie。



〃Let　us　call　her　by　her　own　name；〃　said　Dionis。



〃Well；　she's　a　thief；〃　said　Madame　Cremiere。



〃A　pretty　thief；〃　remarked　Desire。



〃That　little　Ursula；〃　went　on　Dionis；　〃has　managed　to　get　hold　of　his

heart。　I　have　been　thinking　of　your　interests；　and　I　did　not　wait

until　now　before　making　certain　inquiries；　now　this　is　what　I　have

discovered　about　that　young〃



〃Marauder；〃　said　the　collector。



〃Inveigler；〃　said　the　clerk　of　the　court。



〃Hold　your　tongue；　friends；〃　said　the　notary；　〃or　I'll　take　my　hat　and

be　off。〃



〃Come；　come；　papa；〃　cried　Minoret；　pouring　out　a　little　glass　of　rum

and　offering　it　to　the　notary；　〃here；　drink　this；　it　comes　from　Rome

itself；　and　now　go　on。〃



〃Ursula　is；　it　is　true；　the　legitimate　daughter　of　Joseph　Mirouet；　but

her　father　was　the　natural　son　of　Valentin　Mirouet；　your　uncle's

father…in…law。　Being　therefore　an　illegitimate　niece；　any　will　the

doctor　might　make　in　her　favor　could　probably　be　contested；　and　if　he

leaves　her　his　fortune　in　that　way　you　could　bring　a　suit　against

Ursula。　This；　however；　might　turn　out　ill　for　you；　in　case　the　court

took　the　view　that　there　was　no　relationship　between　Ursula　and　the

doctor。　Still；　the　suit　would　frighten　an　unprotected　girl；　and　bring

about　a　compromise〃



〃The　law　is　so　rigid　as　to　the　rights　of　natural　children；〃　said　the

newly　fledged　licentiate；　eager　to　parade　his　knowledge；　〃that　by　the

judgment　of　the　court　of　appeals　dated　July　7；　1817；　a　natural　child

can　claim　nothing　from　his　natural　grandfather；　not　even　a

maintenance。　So　you　see　the　illegitimate　parentage　is　made

retrospective。　The　law　pursues　the　natural　child　even　to　its

legitimate　descent；　on　the　ground　that　benefactions　done　to

grandchildren　reach　the　natural　son　through　that　medium。　This　is　shown

by　articles　757；　908；　and　911　of　the　civil　Code。　The　royal　court　of

Paris；　by　a　decision　of　the　26th　of　January　of　last　year；　cut　off　a

legacy　made　to　the　legitimate　child　of　a　natural　son　by　his

grandfather；　who；　as　grandfather；　was　as　distant　to　a　natural　grandson

as　the　doctor；　being　an　uncle；　is　to　Ursula。〃



〃All　that；〃　said　Goupil；　〃seems　to　me　to　relate　only　to　the　bequests

made　by　grandfathers　to　natural　descendants。　Ursula　is　not　a　blood

relation　of　Doctor　Minoret。　I　remember　a　decision　of　the　royal　court

at　Colmar；　rendered　in　1825；　just　before　I　took　my　degree；　which

declared　that　after　the　decease　of　a　natural　child　his　descendants

could　no　longer　be　prohibited　from　inheriting。　Now；　Ursula's　father　is

dead。〃



Goupil's　argument　produced　what　journalists　who　report　the　sittings　of

legislative　assemblies　are　wont　to　call　〃profound　sensation。〃



〃What　does　that　signify？〃　cried　Dionis。　〃The　actual　case　of　the

bequest　of　an　uncle　to　an　illegitimate　child　may　not　yet　have　been

presented　for　trial；　but　when　it　is；　the　sternness　of　French　law

against　such　children　will　be　all　the　more　firmly　applied　because　we

live　in　times　when　religion　is　honored。　I'll　answer　for　it　that　out　of

such　a　suit　as　I　propose　you　could　get　a　compromise；especially　if

they　see　you　are　determined　to　carry　Ursula　to　a　court　of　appeals。〃



Here　the　joy　of　the　heirs　already　fingering　their　gold　was　made

manifest　in　smiles；　shrugs；　and　gestures　round　the　table；　and

prevented　all　notice　of　Goupil's　dissent。　This　elation；　however；　was

succeeded　by　deep　silence　and　uneasiness　when　the　notary　uttered　his

next　word；　a　terrible　〃But！〃



As　if　he　had　pulled　the　string　of　a　puppet…show；　starting　the　little

people　in　jerks　by　means　of　machinery；　Dionis　beheld　all　eyes　turned

on　him　and　all　faces　rigid　in　one　and　the　same　pose。



〃BUT　no　law　prevents　your　uncle　from　adopting　or　marrying　Ursula；〃　he

continued。　〃As　for　adoption；　that　could　be　contested；　and　you　would；　I

think；　have　equity　on　your　side。　The　royal　courts　would　never　trifle

with　questions　of　adoptions；　you　would　get　a　hearing　there。　It　is　true

the　doctor　is　an　office