ursula-第7部分

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Jordy；　a　spare　little　man　much　troubled　by　his　blood；　though　his　face

was　very　pale；　attracted　attention　by　the　resemblance　of　his　handsome

brow　to　that　of　Charles　XII。；　above　it　he　kept　his　hair　cropped　short；

like　that　of　the　soldier…king。　His　blue　eyes　seemed　to　say　that　〃Love

had　passed　that　way；〃　so　mournful　were　they；　revealing　memories　about

which　he　kept　such　utter　silence　that　his　old　friends　never　detected

even　an　allusion　to　his　past　life；　nor　a　single　exclamation　drawn

forth　by　similarity　of　circumstances。　He　hid　the　painful　mystery　of

his　past　beneath　a　philosophic　gayety；　but　when　he　thought　himself

alone　his　motions；　stiffened　by　a　slowness　which　was　more　a　matter　of

choice　than　the　result　of　old　age；　betrayed　the　constant　presence　of

distressful　thoughts。　The　Abbe　Chaperon　called　him　a　Christian

ignorant　of　his　Christianity。　Dressed　always　in　blue　cloth；　his　rather

rigid　demeanor　and　his　clothes　bespoke　the　old　habits　of　military

discipline。　His　sweet　and　harmonious　voice　stirred　the　soul。　His

beautiful　hands　and　the　general　cut　of　his　figure；　recalling　that　of

the　Comte　d'Artois；　showed　how　charming　he　must　have　been　in　his

youth；　and　made　the　mystery　of　his　life　still　more　mysterious。　An

observer　asked　involuntarily　what　misfortune　had　blighted　such　beauty；

courage；　grace；　accomplishment；　and　all　the　precious　qualities　of　the

heart　once　united　in　his　person。　Monsieur　de　Jordy　shuddered　if

Robespierre's　name　were　uttered　before　him。　He　took　much　snuff；　but；

strange　to　say；　he　gave　up　the　habit　to　please　little　Ursula；　who　at

first　showed　a　dislike　to　him　on　that　account。　As　soon　as　he　saw　the

little　girl　the　captain　fastened　his　eyes　upon　her　with　a　look　that

was　almost　passionate。　He　loved　her　play　so　extravagantly　and　took

such　interest　in　all　she　did　that　the　tie　between　himself　and　the

doctor　grew　closer　every　day；　though　the　latter　never　dared　to　say　to

him；　〃You；　too；　have　you　lost　children？〃　There　are　beings；　kind　and

patient　as　old　Jordy；　who　pass　through　life　with　a　bitter　thought　in

their　heart　and　a　tender　but　sorrowful　smile　on　their　lips；　carrying

with　them　to　the　grave　the　secret　of　their　lives；　letting　no　one　guess

it；through　pride；　through　disdain；　possibly　through　revenge；

confiding　in　none　but　God；　without　other　consolation　than　his。



Monsieur　de　Jordy；　like　the　doctor；　had　come　to　die　in　Nemours；　but　he

knew　no　one　except　the　abbe；　who　was　always　at　the　beck　and　call　of

his　parishioners；　and　Madame　de　Portenduere；　who　went　to　bed　at　nine

o'clock。　So；　much　against　his　will；　he　too　had　taken　to　going　to　bed

early；　in　spite　of　the　thorns　that　beset　his　pillow。　It　was　therefore

a　great　piece　of　good　fortune　for　him　（as　well　as　for　the　doctor）　when

he　encountered　a　man　who　had　known　the　same　world　and　spoken　the　same

language　as　himself；　with　whom　he　could　exchange　ideas；　and　who　went

to　bed　late。　After　Monsieur　de　Jordy；　the　Abbe　Chaperon；　and　Minoret

had　passed　one　evening　together　they　found　so　much　pleasure　in　it　that

the　priest　and　soldier　returned　every　night　regularly　at　nine　o'clock；

the　hour　at　which；　little　Ursula　having　gone　to　bed；　the　doctor　was

free。　All　three　would　then　sit　up　till　midnight　or　one　o'clock。



After　a　time　this　trio　became　a　quartette。　Another　man　to　whom　life

was　known；　and　who　owed　to　his　practical　training　as　a　lawyer；　the

indulgence；　knowledge；　observation；　shrewdness；　and　talent　for

conversation　which　the　soldier；　doctor；　and　priest　owed　to　their

practical　dealings　with　the　souls；　diseases；　and　education　of　men；　was

added　to　the　number。　Monsieur　Bongrand；　the　justice　of　peace；　heard　of

the　pleasure　of　these　evenings　and　sought　admittance　to　the　doctor's

society。　Before　becoming　justice　of　peace　at　Nemours　he　had　been　for

ten　years　a　solicitor　at　Melun；　where　he　conducted　his　own　cases；

according　to　the　custom　of　small　towns；　where　there　are　no　barristers。

He　became　a　widower　at　forty…five　years　of　age；　but　felt　himself　still

too　active　to　lead　an　idle　life；　he　therefore　sought　and　obtained　the

position　of　justice　of　peace　at　Nemours；　which　became　vacant　a　few

months　before　the　arrival　of　Doctor　Minoret。　Monsieur　Bongrand　lived

modestly　on　his　salary　of　fifteen　hundred　francs；　in　order　that　he

might　devote　his　private　income　to　his　son；　who　was　studying　law　in

Paris　under　the　famous　Derville。　He　bore　some　resemblance　to　a　retired

chief　of　a　civil　service　office；　he　had　the　peculiar　face　of　a

bureaucrat；　less　sallow　than　pallid；　on　which　public　business；

vexations；　and　disgust　leave　their　imprint；a　face　lined　by　thought；

and　also　by　the　continual　restraints　familiar　to　those　who　are　trained

not　to　speak　their　minds　freely。　It　was　often　illumined　by　smiles

characteristic　of　men　who　alternately　believe　all　and　believe　nothing；

who　are　accustomed　to　see　and　hear　all　without　being　startled；　and　to

fathom　the　abysses　which　self…interest　hollows　in　the　depths　of　the

human　heart。



Below　the　hair；　which　was　less　white　than　discolored；　and　worn

flattened　to　the　head；　was　a　fine；　sagacious　forehead；　the　yellow

tones　of　which　harmonized　well　with　the　scanty　tufts　of　thin　hair。　His

face；　with　the　features　set　close　together；　bore　some　likeness　to　that

of　a　fox；　all　the　more　because　his　nose　was　short　and　pointed。　In

speaking；　he　spluttered　at　the　mouth；　which　was　broad　like　that　of

most　great　talkers；a　habit　which　led　Goupil　to　say；　ill…naturedly；

〃An　umbrella　would　be　useful　when　listening　to　him；〃　or；　〃The　justice

rains　verdicts。〃　His　eyes　looked　keen　behind　his　spectacles；　but　if　he

took　the　glasses　off　his　dulled　glance　seemed　almost　vacant。　Though　he

was　naturally　gay；　even　jovial；　he　was　apt　to　give　himself　too

important　and　pompous　an　air。　He　usually　kept　his　hands　in　the　pockets

of　his　trousers；　and　only　took　them　out　to　settle　his　eye…glasses　on

his　nose；　with　a　movement　that　was　half　comic；　and　which　announced　the

coming　of　a　keen　observation　or　some　victorious　argument。　His

gestures；　his　loquacity；　his　innocent　self…assertion；　proclaimed　the

provincial　lawyer。　These　slight　defects　were；　however；　superficial；　he

redeemed　them　by　an　exquisite　kind…heartedness　which　a　rigid　moralist

might　call　the　indulgence　natural　to　superiority。　He　looked　a　little

like　a　fox；　and　he　was　thought　to　be　very　wily；　but　never　false　or

dishonest。　His　wiliness　was　perspicacity；　and　consisted　in　foreseeing

results　and　protecting　himself　and　others　from　the　traps　set　for　them。

He　loved　whist；　a　game　known　to　the　captain　and　the　doctor；　and　which

the　abbe　learned　to　play　in　a　very　short　time。



This　little　circle　of　friends　made　for　itself　an　oasis　in　Mironet's

salon。　The　doctor　of　Nemours；　who　was　not　without　education　and

knowledge　of　the　world；　and　who　greatly　respected　Minoret　as　an　honor

to　the　profession；　came　there　sometimes；　but　his　duties　and　also　his

fatigue　（which　obliged　him　to　go　to　bed　early　and　to　be　up　early）

prevented　his　being　as　assiduously　present　as　the　three　other　friends。

This　intercourse　of　five　superior　men；　the　only　ones　in　Nemours　who

had　sufficiently　wide　knowledge　to　understand　each　other；　explains　old

Minoret's　aversion　to　his　relatives；　if　he　were　compelled　to　leave

them　his　money；　at　least　he　need　not　admit　them　to　his　society。

Whether　the　post　master；　the　sheriff；　and　the　collector　understood

this　distinction；　or　whether　they　were　reassured　by　the　evident

loyalty　and　benefactions　of　their　uncle；　certain　it　is　that　they

ceased；　to　his　great　satisfaction；　to　see　much　of　him。　So；　about　eight

months　after　the　arrival　of　the　doctor　these　four　players　of　whist　and

backgammon　made　a　solid　and　exclusive　little　world　which　was　to　each　a

fraternal　aftermath；　an　unlooked　for　fine　season；　the　gentle　pleasures

of　which　were　the　more　enjoyed。　This　little　circle　of　choice　spirits

closed　round　Ursula；　a　child　whom　each　adopted　according　to　his

individual　tendencies；　the　abbe　thought　of　her　soul；　the　judge

imagined　himself　her　guardian；　the　soldier　intended　to　be　her　teacher；

and　as　for　Minoret；　he　was　father；　mother；　and　physician；　all　in　one。



After　he　became　acclimated　old　Minoret　settled　into　certain　habits　of

life；　under　fixed　rules；　after　the　manner　of　the　provinces。　On

Ursula's　account　he　received　no　visitors　in　the　morning；　and　never

gave　dinners；　but　his　friends　were　at　liberty　to　come　to　his　house　at

six　o'clock　and　stay　till　midnight。　The　first…comers　found　the

newspapers　on　the　table　and　read　them　while　awaiting　the　rest；　or　they

sometimes　sallied　forth　to　meet　the　doctor　if　he　were　out　for　a　walk。

This　tranquil　life　was　not　a　mere　necessity　of　old　age；　it　was　the

wise　and　careful　scheme　of　a　man　of　the　world　to　keep　his　happiness

untroubled　by　the　curiosity　of　his　heirs　and　the　gossip　of　a　little

town。　He　yielded　nothing　to　that　capricious　goddess；　public　opinion；

whose　tyranny　（one　of　the　present　great　evils　of　France）　was　just

beginning　to　establish　its　power　and　to　make　the　whole　nation　a　mere

province。　So；　as　soon　as　the　child　was　weaned　and　could　walk　alone；

the　doctor　sent　away　the　housekeeper　whom　his　niece；　Madame　Minoret…

Levrault　had　chosen　for　him；　having　discovered　that　she　told　her

patroness　everything　that　happened　in　his　household。



Ursula's　nurse；　the　widow　of　a　poor　workman　（who　possessed　no　name　but

a　baptismal　one；　and　who　came　from　Bougival）　had　lost　her　last　child；

aged　six　months；　just　as　the　doctor；　who　knew　her　to　be　a　good　and

honest　creature；　engaged　her　as　wetnurse　for　Ursula。　Antoinette　Patris

（her　maiden　name）；　widow　of　Pierre；　called　Le　Bougival；　attached

herself　naturally　to　Ursula；　as　wetmaids　do　to　their　nurslings。　This

blind　maternal　affection　was　accompanied　in　this　instance　by　household

devotion。　Told　of　the　doctor's　intention　to　send　away　his　housekeeper；

La　Bougival　secretly　learned　to　cook；　became　neat　and　handy；　and

discovered　the　old　man's　ways。　She　took　the　utmost　care　of　the　house

and　furn