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ursula-第9部分

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descending upon the group in the middle of which stood the post

master; as tall and round as a tower。 〃You don't know where Desire is

and there you are; planted on your two legs; gossiping about nothing;

when I thought you on horseback!Oh; good morning; Messieurs and

Mesdames。〃



This little woman; thin; pale; and fair; dressed in a gown of white

cotton with pattern of large; chocolate…colored flowers; a cap trimmed

with ribbon and frilled with lace; and wearing a small green shawl on

her flat shoulders; was Minoret's wife; the terror of postilions;

servants; and carters; who kept the accounts and managed the

establishment 〃with finger and eye〃 as they say in those parts。 Like

the true housekeeper that she was; she wore no ornaments。 She did not

give in (to use her own expression) to gew…gaws and trumpery; she held

to the solid and the substantial; and wore; even on Sundays; a black

apron; in the pocket of which she jingled her household keys。 Her

screeching voice was agony to the drums of all ears。 Her rigid glance;

conflicting with the soft blue of her eyes; was in visible harmony

with the thin lips of a pinched mouth and a high; projecting; and very

imperious forehead。 Sharp was the glance; sharper still both gesture

and speech。 〃Zelie being obliged to have a will for two; had it for

three;〃 said Goupil; who pointed out the successive reigns of three

young postilions; of neat appearance; who had been set up in life by

Zelie; each after seven years' service。 The malicious clerk named them

Postilion I。; Postilion II。; Postilion III。 But the little influence

these young men had in the establishment; and their perfect obedience

proved that Zelie was merely interested in worthy helpers。



This attempt at scandal was against probabilities。 Since the birth of

her son (nursed by her without any evidence of how it was possible for

her to do so) Madame Minoret had thought only of increasing the family

fortune and was wholly given up to the management of their immense

establishment。 To steal a bale of hay or a bushel of oats or get the

better of Zelie in even the most complicated accounts was a thing

impossible; though she scribbled hardly better than a cat; and knew

nothing of arithmetic but addition and subtraction。 She never took a

walk except to look at the hay; the oats; or the second crops。 She

sent 〃her man〃 to the mowing; and the postilions to tie the bales;

telling them the quantity; within a hundred pounds; each field should

bear。 Though she was the soul of that great body called Minoret…

Levrault and led him about by his pug nose; she was made to feel the

fears which occasionally (we are told) assail all tamers of wild

beasts。 She therefore made it a rule to get into a rage before he did;

the postilions knew very well when his wife had been quarreling with

him; for his anger ricocheted on them。 Madame Minoret was as clever as

she was grasping; and it was a favorite remark in the whole town;

〃Where would Minoret…Levrault be without his wife?〃



〃When you know what has happened;〃 replied the post master; 〃you'll be

over the traces yourself。〃



〃What is it?〃



〃Ursula has taken the doctor to mass。〃



Zelie's pupils dilated; she stood for a moment yellow with anger;

then; crying out; 〃I'll see it before I believe it!〃 she rushed into

the church。 The service had reached the Elevation。 The stillness of

the worshippers enabled her to look along each row of chairs and

benches as she went up the aisle beside the chapels to Ursula's place;

where she saw old Minoret standing with bared head。



If you recall the heads of Barbe…Marbois; Boissy d'Anglas; Morellet;

Helvetius; or Frederick the Great; you will see the exact image of

Doctor Minoret; whose green old age resembled that of those celebrated

personages。 Their heads coined in the same mint (for each had the

characteristics of a medal) showed a stern and quasi…puritan profile;

cold tones; a mathematical brain; a certain narrowness about the

features; shrewd eyes; grave lips; and a something that was surely

aristocraticless perhaps in sentiment than in habit; more in the

ideas than in the character。 All men of this stamp have high brows

retreating at the summit; the sigh of a tendency to materialism。 You

will find these leading characteristics of the head and these points

of the face in all the Encyclopedists; in the orators of the Gironde;

in the men of a period when religious ideas were almost dead; men who

called themselves deists and were atheists。 The deist is an atheist

lucky in classification。



Minoret had a forehead of this description; furrowed with wrinkles;

which recovered in his old age a sort of artless candor from the

manner in which the silvery hair; brushed back like that of a woman

when making her toilet; curled in light flakes upon the blackness of

his coat。 He persisted in dressing; as in his youth; in black silk

stockings; shoes with gold buckles; breeches of black poult…de…soie;

and a black coat; adorned with the red rosette。 This head; so firmly

characterized; the cold whiteness of which was softened by the

yellowing tones of old age; happened to be; just then; in the full

light of a window。 As Madame Minoret came in sight of him the doctor's

blue eyes with their reddened lids were raised to heaven; a new

conviction had given them a new expression。 His spectacles lay in his

prayer…book and marked the place where he had ceased to pray。 The tall

and spare old man; his arms crossed on his breast; stood erect in an

attitude which bespoke the full strength of his faculties and the

unshakable assurance of his faith。 He gazed at the altar humbly with a

look of renewed hope; and took no notice of his nephew's wife; who

planted herself almost in front of him as if to reproach him for

coming back to God。



Zelie; seeing all eyes turned upon her; made haste to leave the church

and returned to the square less hurriedly than she had left it。 She

had reckoned on the doctor's money; and possession was becoming

problematical。 She found the clerk of the court; the collector; and

their wives in greater consternation than ever。 Goupil was taking

pleasure in tormenting them。



〃It is not in the public square and before the whole town that we

ought to talk of our affairs;〃 said Zelie; 〃come home with me。 You

too; Monsieur Dionis;〃 she added to the notary; 〃you'll not be in the

way。〃



Thus the probable disinheritance of Massin; Cremiere; and the post

master was the news of the day。



Just as the heirs and the notary were crossing the square to go to the

post house the noise of the diligence rattling up to the office; which

was only a few steps from the church; at the top of the Grand'Rue;

made its usual racket。



〃Goodness! I'm like you; Minoret; I forgot all about Desire;〃 said

Zelie。 〃Let us go and see him get down。 He is almost a lawyer; and his

interests are mixed up in this matter。〃



The arrival of the diligence is always an amusement; but when it comes

in late some unusual event is expected。 The crowd now moved towards

the 〃Ducler。〃



〃Here's Desire!〃 was the general cry。



The tyrant; and yet the life and soul of Nemours; Desire always put

the town in a ferment when he came。 Loved by the young men; with whom

he was invariably generous; he stimulated them by his very presence。

But his methods of amusement were so dreaded by older persons that

more than one family was very thankful to have him complete his

studies and study law in Paris。 Desire Minoret; a slight youth;

slender and fair like his mother; from whom he obtained his blue eyes

and pale skin; smiled from the window on the crowd; and jumped lightly

down to kiss his mother。 A short sketch of the young fellow will show

how proud Zelie felt when she saw him。



He wore very elegant boots; trousers of white English drilling held

under his feet by straps of varnished leather; a rich cravat;

admirably put on and still more admirably fastened; a pretty fancy

waistcoat; in the pocket of said waistcoat a flat watch; the chain of

which hung down; and; finally; a short frock…coat of blue cloth; and a

gray hat;but his lack of the manner…born was shown in the gilt

buttons of the waistcoat and the ring worn outside of his purple kid

glove。 He carried a cane with a chased gold head。



〃You are losing your watch;〃 said his mother; kissing him。



〃No; it is worn that way;〃 he replied; letting his father hug him。



〃Well; cousin; so we shall soon see you a lawyer?〃 said Massin。



〃I shall take the oaths at the beginning of next term;〃 said Desire;

returning the friendly nods he was receiving on all sides。



〃Now we shall have some fun;〃 said Goupil; shaking him by the hand。



〃Ha! my old wag; so here you are!〃 replied Desire。



〃You take your law license for all license;〃 said Goupil; affronted by

being treated so cavalierly in presence of others。



〃You know my luggage;〃 cried Desire to the red…faced old conductor of

the diligence; 〃have it taken to the house。〃



〃The sweat is rolling off your horses;〃 said Zelie sharply to the

conductor; 〃you haven't common…sense to drive them in that way。 You

are stupider than your own beasts。〃



〃But Monsieur Desire was in a hurry to get here to save you from

anxiety;〃 explained Cabirolle。



〃But if there was no accident why risk killing the horses?〃 she

retorted。



The greetings of friends and acquaintances; the crowding of the young

men around Desire; and the relating of the incidents of the journey

took enough time for the mass to be concluded and the worshippers to

issue from the church。 By mere chance (which manages many things)

Desire saw Ursula on the porch as he passed along; and he stopped

short amazed at her beauty。 His action also stopped the advance of the

relations who accompanied him。



In giving her arm to her godfather; Ursula was obliged to hold her

prayer…book in one hand and
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