ursula-第40部分

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〃If　you　can　find　any　means　of　repression；〃　said　the　official；　〃I　will

adopt　them；　but　I　know　of　none。　That　infamous　wretch　gives　the　best

advice。　Mademoiselle　Mirouet　must　be　sent　to　the　sisters　of　the

Adoration　of　the　Sacred　Heart。　Meanwhile　the　commissary　of　police　at

Fontainebleau　shall　at　my　request　authorize　you　to　carry　arms　in　your

own　defence。　I　have　been　myself　to　Rouvre；　and　I　found　Monsieur　du

Rouvre　justly　indignant　at　the　suspicions　some　of　the　Nemours　people

have　put　upon　him。　Minoret；　the　father　of　my　assistant；　is　in　treaty

for　the　purchase　of　the　estate。　Mademoiselle　is　to　marry　a　rich　Polish

count；　and　Monsieur　du　Rouvre　himself　left　the　neighbourhood　the　day　I

saw　him；　to　avoid　arrest　for　debt。〃



Desire　Minoret；　when　questioned　by　his　chief；　dared　not　tell　his

thought。　He　recognized　Goupil。　Goupil；　he　fully　believed；　was　the　only

man　capable　of　carrying　a　persecution　to　the　very　verge　of　the　penal

code　without　infringing　a　hair's…breadth　upon　it。







CHAPTER　XVIII



A　TWO…FOLD　VENGEANCE



Impunity；　secrecy；　and　success　increased　Goupil's　audacity。　He　made

Massin；　who　was　completely　his　dupe；　sue　the　Marquis　du　Rouvre　for　his

notes；　so　as　to　force　him　to　sell　the　remainder　of　his　property　to

Minoret。　Thus　prepared；　he　opened　negotiations　for　a　practice　at　Sens；

and　then　resolved　to　strike　a　last　blow　to　obtain　Ursula。　He　meant　to

imitate　certain　young　men　in　Paris　who　owed　their　wives　and　their

fortunes　to　abduction。　He　knew　that　the　services　he　had　rendered　to

Minoret；　to　Massin；　and　to　Cremiere；　and　the　protection　of　Dionis　and

the　mayor　of　Nemours　would　enable　him　to　hush　up　the　affair。　He

resolved　to　throw　off　the　mask；　believing　Ursula　too　feeble　in　the

condition　to　which　he　had　reduced　her　to　make　any　resistance。　But

before　risking　this　last　throw　in　the　game　he　thought　it　best　to　have

an　explanation　with　Minoret；　and　he　chose　his　opportunity　at　Rouvre；

where　he　went　with　his　patron　for　the　first　time　after　the　deeds　were

signed。



Minoret　had　that　morning　received　a　confidential　letter　from　his　son

asking　him　for　information　as　to　what　was　happening　in　connection　with

Ursula；　information　that　he　desired　to　obtain　before　going　to　Nemours

with　the　procureur　du　roi　to　place　her　under　shelter　from　these

atrocities　in　the　convent　of　the　Adoration。　Desire　exhorted　his

father；　in　case　this　persecution　should　be　the　work　of　any　of　their

friends；　to　give　to　whoever　it　might　be　warning　and　good　advice；　for

even　if　the　law　could　not　punish　this　crime　it　would　certainly

discover　the　truth　and　hold　it　over　the　delinquent's　head。　Minoret　had

now　attained　a　great　object。　Owner　of　the　chateau　du　Rouvre；　one　of

the　finest　estates　in　the　Gatinais；　he　had　also　a　rent…roll　of　some

forty　odd　thousand　francs　a　year　from　the　rich　domains　which

surrounded　the　park。　He　could　well　afford　to　snap　his　fingers　at

Goupil。　Besides；　he　intended　to　live　on　the　estate；　where　the　sight　of

Ursula　would　no　longer　trouble　him。



〃My　boy；〃　he　said　to　Goupil；　as　they　walked　along　the　terrace；　〃let　my

young　cousin　alone；　now。〃



〃Pooh！〃　said　the　clerk；　unable　to　imagine　what　capricious　conduct

meant。



〃Oh！　I'm　not　ungrateful；　you　have　enabled　me　to　get　this　fine　brick

chateau　with　the　stone　copings　（which　couldn't　be　built　now　for　two

hundred　thousand　francs）　and　those　farms　and　preserves　and　the　park

and　gardens　and　woods；　all　for　two　hundred　and　eighty　thousand　francs。

No；　I'm　not　ungrateful；　I'll　give　you　ten　per　cent；　twenty　thousand

francs；　for　your　services；　and　you　can　buy　a　sheriff's　practice　in

Nemours。　I'll　guarantee　you　a　marriage　with　one　of　Cremiere's

daughters；　the　eldest。〃



〃The　one　who　talks　piston！〃　cried　Goupil。



〃She'll　have　thirty　thousand　francs；〃　replied　Minoret。　〃Don't　you　see；

my　dear　boy；　that　you　are　cut　out　for　a　sheriff；　just　as　I　was　to　be　a

post　master？　People　should　keep　to　their　vocation。〃



〃Very　well；　then；〃　said　Goupil；　falling　from　the　pinnacle　of　his

hopes；　〃here's　a　stamped　cheque；　write　me　an　order　for　twenty　thousand

francs；　I　want　the　money　in　hand　at　once。〃



Minoret　had　eighteen　thousand　francs　by　him　at　that　moment　of　which

his　wife　knew　nothing。　He　thought　the　best　way　to　get　rid　of　Goupil

was　to　sign　the　draft。　The　clerk；　seeing　the　flush　of　seigniorial

fever　on　the　face　of　the　imbecile　and　colossal　Machiavelli；　threw　him

an　〃au　revoir；〃　by　way　of　farewell；　accompanied　with　a　glance　which

would　have　made　any　one　but　an　idiotic　parvenu；　lost　in　contemplation

of　the　magnificent　chateau　built　in　the　style　in　vogue　under　Louis

XIII。；　tremble　in　his　shoes。



〃Are　you　not　going　to　wait　for　me？〃　he　cried；　observing　that　Goupil

was　going　away　on　foot。



〃You'll　find　me　on　our　path；　never　fear；　papa　Minoret；〃　replied

Goupil；　athirst　for　vengeance　and　resolved　to　know　the　meaning　of　the

zigzags　of　Minoret's　strange　conduct。



Since　the　day　when　the　last　vile　calumny　had　sullied　her　life　Ursula；


a　prey　to　one　of　those　inexplicable　maladies　the　seat　of　which　is　in

the　soul；　seemed　to　be　rapidly　nearing　death。　She　was　deathly　pale；

speaking　only　at　rare　intervals　and　then　in　slow　and　feeble　words；

everything　about　her；　her　glance　of　gentle　indifference；　even　the

expression　of　her　forehead；　all　revealed　the　presence　of　some

consuming　thought。　She　was　thinking　how　the　ideal　wreath　of　chastity；

with　which　throughout　all　ages　the　Peoples　crowned　their　virgins；　had

fallen　from　her　brow。　She　heard　in　the　void　and　in　the　silence　the

dishonoring　words；　the　malicious　comments；　the　laughter　of　the　little

town。　The　trial　was　too　heavy；　her　innocence　was　too　delicate　to　allow

her　to　survive　the　murderous　blow。　She　complained　no　more；　a　sorrowful

smile　was　on　her　lips；　her　eyes　appealed　to　heaven；　to　the　Sovereign

of　angels；　against　man's　injustice。



When　Goupil　reached　Nemours；　Ursula　had　just　been　carried　down　from

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