ursula-第8部分

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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　furniture；　in　short　she　was　indefatigable。　Not　only　did　the　doctor

wish　to　keep　his　private　life　within　four　walls；　as　the　saying　is；　but

he　also　had　certain　reasons　for　hiding　a　knowledge　of　his　business

affairs　from　his　relatives。　At　the　end　of　the　second　year　after　his

arrival　La　Bougival　was　the　only　servant　in　the　house；　on　her

discretion　he　knew　he　could　count；　and　he　disguised　his　real　purposes

by　the　all…powerful　open　reason　of　a　necessary　economy。　To　the　great

satisfaction　of　his　heirs　he　became　a　miser。　Without　fawning　or

wheedling；　solely　by　the　influence　of　her　devotion　and　solicitude；　La

Bougival；　who　was　forty…three　years　old　at　the　time　this　tale　begins；

was　the　housekeeper　of　the　doctor　and　his　protegee；　the　pivot　on　which

the　whole　house　turned；　in　short；　the　confidential　servant。　She　was

called　La　Bougival　from　the　admitted　impossibility　of　applying　to　her

person　the　name　that　actually　belonged　to　her；　Antoinettefor　names

and　forms　do　obey　the　laws　of　harmony。



The　doctor's　miserliness　was　not　mere　talk；　it　was　real；　and　it　had　an

object。　From　the　year　1817　he　cut　off　two　of　his　newspapers　and　ceased

subscribing　to　periodicals。　His　annual　expenses；　which　all　Nemours

could　estimate；　did　not　exceed　eighteen　hundred　francs　a　year。　Like

most　old　men　his　wants　in　linen；　boots；　and　clothing；　were　very　few。

Every　six　months　he　went　to　Paris；　no　doubt　to　draw　and　reinvest　his

income。　In　fifteen　years　he　never　said　a　single　word　to　any　one　in

relation　to　his　affairs。　His　confidence　in　Bongrand　was　of　slow

growth；　it　was　not　until　after　the　revolution　of　1830　that　he　told　him

of　his　projects。　Nothing　further　was　known　of　the　doctor's　life　either

by　the　bourgeoisie　at　large　or　by　his　heirs。　As　for　his　political

opinions；　he　did　not　meddle　in　public　matters　seeing　that　he　paid　less

than　a　hundred　francs　a　year　in　taxes；　and　refused；　impartially；　to

subscribe　to　either　royalist　or　liberal　demands。　His　known　horror　for

the　priesthood；　and　his　deism　were　so　little　obtrusive　that　he　turned

out　of　his　house　a　commercial　runner　sent　by　his　great…nephew　Desire

to　ask　a　subscription　to　the　〃Cure　Meslier〃　and　the　〃Discours　du

General　Foy。〃　Such　tolerance　seemed　inexplicable　to　the　liberals　of

Nemours。



The　doctor's　three　collateral　heirs；　Minoret…Levrault　and　his　wife；

Monsieur　and　Madame　Massin…Levrault；　junior；　Monsieur　and　Madame

Cremiere…Cremierewhom　we　shall　in　future　call　simply　Cremiere；

Massin；　and　Minoret；　because　these　distinctions　among　homonyms　is

quite　unnecessary　out　of　the　Gatinaismet　together　as　people　do　in

little　towns。　The　post　master　gave　a　grand　dinner　on　his　son's

birthday；　a　ball　during　the　carnival；　another　on　the　anniversary　of

his　marriage；　to　all　of　which　he　invited　the　whole　bourgeoisie　of

Nemours。　The　collector　received　his　relations　and　friends　twice　a

year。　The　clerk　of　the　court；　too　poor；　he　said；　to　fling　himself　into

such　extravagance；　lived　in　a　small　way　in　a　house　standing　half…way

down　the　Grand'Rue；　the　ground…floor　of　which　was　let　to　his　sister；

the　letter…postmistress　of　Nemours；　a　situation　she　owed　to　the

doctor's　kind　offices。　Nevertheless；　in　the　course　of　the　year　these

three　families　did　meet　together　frequently；　in　the　houses　of　friends；

in　the　public　promenades；　at　the　market；　on　their　doorsteps；　or；　of　a

Sunday　in　the　square；　as　on　this　occasion；　so　that　one　way　and　another

they　met　nearly　every　day。　For　the　last　three　years　the　doctor's　age；

his　economies；　and　his　probable　wealth　had　led　to　allusions；　or　frank

remarks；　among　the　townspeople　as　to　the　disposition　of　his　property；

a　topic　which　made　the　doctor　and　his　heirs　of　deep　interest　to　the

little　town。　For　the　last　six　months　not　a　day　passed　that　friends　and

neighbours　did　not　speak　to　the　heirs；　with　secret　envy；　of　the　day

the　good　man's　eyes　would　shut　and　the　coffers　open。



〃Doctor　Minoret　may　be　an　able　physician；　on　good　terms　with　death；

but　none　but　God　is　eternal；〃　said　one。



〃Pooh；　he'll　bury　us　all；　his　health　is　better　than　ours；〃　replied　an

heir；　hypocritically。



〃Well；　if　you　don't　get　the　money　yourselves；　your　children　will；

unless　that　little　Ursula〃



〃He　won't　leave　it　all　to　her。〃



Ursula；　as　Madame　Massin　had　predicted；　was　the　bete　noire　of　the

relations；　their　sword　of　Damocles；　and　Madame　Cremiere's　favorite

saying；　〃Well；　whoever　lives　will　know；〃　shows　that　they　wished　at　any

rate　more　harm　to　her　than　good。



The　collector　and　the　clerk　of　the　court；　poor　in　comparison　with　the

post　master；　had　often　estimated；　by　way　of　conversation；　the　doctor's

property。　If　they　met　their　uncle　walking　on　the　banks　of　the　canal　or

along　the　road　they　would　look　at　each　other　piteously。



〃He　must　have　got　hold　of　some　elixir　of　life；〃　said　one。



〃He　has　made　a　bargain　with　the　devil；〃　replied　the　other。



〃He　ought　to　give　us　the　bulk　of　it；　that　fat　Minoret　doesn't　need

anything；〃　said　Massin。



〃Ah！　but　Minoret　has　a　son　who'll　waste　his　substance；〃　answered

Cremiere。



〃How　much　do　you　really　think　the　doctor　has？〃



〃At　the　end　of　twelve　years；　say　twelve　thousand　francs　saved　each

year；　that　would　give　one　hundred　and　forty…four　thousand　francs；　and

the　interest　brings　in　at　least　one　hundred　thousand　more。　But　as　he

must；　if　he　consults　a　notary　in　Paris；　have　made　some　good　strokes　of

business；　and　we　know　that　up　to　1822　he　could　get　seven　or　eight　per

cent　from　the　State；　he　must　now　have　at　least　four　hundred　thousand

francs；　without　counting　the　capital　of　his　fourteen　thousand　a　year

from　the　five　per　cents。　If　he　were　to　die　to…morrow　without　leaving

anything　to　Ursula　we　should　get　at　least　seven　or　eight　hundred

thousand　francs；　besides　the　house　and　furniture。〃



〃Well；　a　hundred　thousand　to　Minoret；　and　three　hundred　thousand

apiece　to　you　and　me；　that　would　be　fair。〃



〃Ha；　that　would　make　us　comfortable！〃



〃If　he　did　that；〃　said　Massin；　〃I　should　sell　my　situation　in　court

and　buy　an　estate；　I'd　try　to　be　judge　at　Fontainebleau；　and　get

myself　elected　deputy。〃



〃As　for　me　I　should　buy　a　brokerage　business；〃　said　the　collector。



〃Unluckily；　that　girl　he　has　on　his　arm　and　the　abbe　have　got　round

him。　I　don't　believe　we　can　do　anything　with　him。〃



〃Still；　we　know　very　well　he　will　never　leave　anything　to　the　Church。〃







CHAPTER　IV



ZELIE



The　fright　of　the　heirs　at　beholding　their　uncle　on　his　way　to　mass

will　now　be　understood。　The　dullest　persons　have　mind　enough　to

foresee　a　danger　to　self…interests。　Self…interest　constitutes　the　mind

of　the　peasant　as　well　as　that　of　the　diplomatist；　and　on　that　ground

the　stupidest　of　men　is　sometimes　the　most　powerful。　So　the　fatal

reasoning；　〃If　that　little　Ursula　has　influence　enough　to　drag　her

godfather　into　the　pale　of　the　Church　she　will　certainly　have　enough

to　make　him　leave　her　his　property；〃　was　now　stamped　in　letters　of

fire　on　the　brains　of　the　most　obtuse　heir。　The　post　master　had

forgotten　about　his　son　in　his　hurry　to　reach　the　square；　for　if　the

doctor　were　really　in　the　church　hearing　mass　it　was　a　question　of

losing　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs。　It　must　be　admitted　that

the　fears　of　these　relations　came　from　the　strongest　and　most

legitimate　of　social　feelings；　family　interests。



〃Well；　Monsieur　Minoret；〃　said　the　mayor　（formerly　a　miller　who　had

now　become　royalist；　named　Levrault…Cremiere）；　〃when　the　devil　gets

old　the　devil　a　monk　would　be。　Your　uncle；　they　say；　is　one　of　us。〃



〃Better　late　than　never；　cousin；〃　responded　the　post　master；　trying　to

conceal　his　annoyance。



〃How　that　fellow　will　grin　if　we　are　defrauded！　He　is　capable　of

marrying　his　son　to　that　damned　girlmay　the　devil　get　her！〃　cried

Cremiere；　shaking　his　fists　at　the　mayor　as　he　entered　the　porch。



〃What's　Cremiere　grumbling　about？〃　said　the　butcher　of　the　town；　a

Levrault…Levrault　the　elder。　〃Isn't　he　pleased　to　see　his　uncle　on　the

road　to　paradise？〃



〃Who　would　ever　have　believed　it！〃　ejaculated　Massin。



〃Ha！　one　should　never　say；　'Fountain；　I'll　not　drink　of　your　water；'〃

remarked　the　notary；　who；　seeing　the　group　from　afar；　had　left　his

wife　to　go　to　church　without　him。



〃Come；　Monsieur　Dionis；〃　said　Cremiere；　taking　the　notary　by　the　arm；

〃what　do　you　advise　me　to　do　under　the　circumstances？〃



〃I　advise　you；〃　said　the　notary；　addressing　the　heirs　collectively；

〃to　go　to　bed　and　get　up　at　your　usual　hour；　to　eat　your　soup　before

it　gets　cold；　to　put　your　feet　in　your　shoes　and　your　hats　on　your

heads；　in　short；　to　continue　your　ways　of　life　precisely　as　if　nothing

had　happened。〃



〃You　are　not　consoling；〃　said　Massin。



In　spite　of　his　squat；　dumpy　figure　and　heavy　face；　Cremiere…Dionis

was　really　as　keen　as　a　blade。　In　pursuit　of　usurious　fortune　he　did

business　secretly　with　Massin；　to　whom　he　no　doubt　pointed　out　such

peasants　as　were　hampered　in　means；　and　such　pieces　of　land　as　could

be　bought　for　a　song。　The　two　men　were　in　a　position　to　choose　their

opportunities；　none　that　were　good　escaped　them；　and　they　shared　the

profits　of　mortgage…usury；　which　retards；　though　it　does　not　prevent；

the　acquirement　of　the　soil　by　the　peasantry。　So　Dionis　took　a　lively

interest　in　the　doctor's　inheritance；　not　so　much　for　the　post　master

and　the　collector　as　for　his　friend　the　clerk　of　the　court；　sooner　or

later　Massin's　share　in　the　doctor's　money　would　swell　the　capital

with　which　these　secret　associates　worked　the　canton。



〃We　must　try　to　find　out　through　Monsieur　Bongrand　where　the　influence

comes　from；〃　said　the　notary　in　a　low　voice；　with　a　sign　to　Massin　to

keep　quiet。



〃What　are　you　about；　Minoret？〃　cried　a　little　woman；　suddenly

descending　upon　the　group　in　the　middle