ursula-第28节

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Savinien　at　last；　somewhat　piqued。



〃I　am　glad　to　return　to　Nemours；〃　she　answered　in　a　trembling　voice

raising　her　veil。



Notwithstanding　the　dim　light　Savinien　then　recognized　her　by　the

heavy　braids　of　her　hair　and　the　brilliancy　of　her　blue　eyes。



〃I；　too；　leave　Paris　to　bury　myself　in　Nemours　without　regret　now　that

I　meet　my　charming　neighbour　again；〃　he　said；　〃I　hope；　Monsieur　le

docteur　that　you　will　receive　me　in　your　house；　I　love　music；　and　I

remember　to　have　listened　to　Mademoiselle　Ursula's　piano。〃



〃I　do　not　know；〃　replied　the　doctor　gravely；　〃whether　your　mother

would　approve　of　your　visits　to　an　old　man　whose　duty　it　is　to　care

for　this　dear　child　with　all　the　solicitude　of　a　mother。〃



This　reserved　answer　made　Savinien　reflect；　and　he　then　remembered　the

kisses　so　thoughtlessly　wafted。　Night　came；　the　heat　was　great。

Savinien　and　the　doctor　went　to　sleep　first。　Ursula；　whose　head　was

full　of　projects；　did　not　succumb　till　midnight。　She　had　taken　off　her

straw…bonnet；　and　her　head；　covered　with　a　little　embroidered　cap；

dropped　upon　her　uncle's　shoulder。　When　they　reached　Bouron　at　dawn；

Savinien　awoke。　He　then　saw　Ursula　in　the　slight　disarray　naturally

caused　by　the　jolting　of　the　vehicle；　her　cap　was　rumpled　and　half

off；　the　hair；　unbound；　had　fallen　each　side　of　her　face；　which　glowed

from　the　heat　of　the　night；　in　this　situation；　dreadful　for　women　to

whom　dress　is　a　necessary　auxiliary；　youth　and　beauty　triumphed。　The

sleep　of　innocence　is　always　lovely。　The　half…opened　lips　showed　the

pretty　teeth；　the　shawl；　unfastened；　gave　to　view；　beneath　the　folds

of　her　muslin　gown　and　without　offence　to　her　modesty；　the

gracefulness　of　her　figure。　The　purity　of　the　virgin　spirit　shone　on

the　sleeping　countenance　all　the　more　plainly　because　no　other

expression　was　there　to　interfere　with　it。　Old　Minoret；　who　presently

woke　up；　placed　his　child's　head　in　the　corner　of　the　carriage　that

she　might　be　more　at　ease；　and　she　let　him　do　it　unconsciously；　so

deep　was　her　sleep　after　the　many　wakeful　nights　she　had　spent　in

thinking　of　Savinien's　trouble。



〃Poor　little　girl！〃　said　the　doctor　to　his　neighbour；　〃she　sleeps　like

the　child　she　is。〃



〃You　must　be　proud　of　her；〃　replied　Savinien；　〃for　she　seems　as　good

as　she　is　beautiful。〃



〃Ah！　she　is　the　joy　of　the　house。　I　could　not　love　her　better　if　she

were　my　own　daughter。　She　will　be　sixteen　on　the　5th　February。　God

grant　that　I　may　live　long　enough　to　marry　her　to　a　man　who　will　make

her　happy。　I　wanted　to　take　her　to　the　theater　in　Paris；　where　she　was

for　the　first　time；　but　she　refused；　the　Abbe　Chaperon　had　forbidden

it。　'But；'　I　said；　'when　you　are　married　your　husband　will　want　you　to

go　there。'　'I　shall　do　what　my　husband　wants；'　she　answered。　'If　he

asks　me　to　do　evil　and　I　am　weak　enough　to　yield；　he　will　be

responsible　before　Godand　so　I　shall　have　strength　to　refuse　him；

for　his　own　sake。'〃



As　the　coach　entered　Nemours；　at　five　in　the　morning；　Ursula　woke　up；

ashamed　at　her　rumpled　condition；　and　confused　by　the　look　of

admiration　which　she　encountered　from　Savinien。　During　the　hour　it　had

taken　the　diligence　to　come　from　Bouron　to　Nemours　the　young　man　had

fallen　in　love　with　Ursula；　he　had　studied　the　pure　candor　of　her

soul；　the　beauty　of　that　body；　the　whiteness　of　the　skin；　the　delicacy

of　the　features；　he　recalled　the　charm　of　the　voice　which　had　uttered

but　one　expressive　sentence；　in　which　the　poor　child　said　all；

intending　to　say　nothing。　A　presentiment　suddenly　seemed　to　take　hold

of　him；　he　saw　in　Ursula　the　woman　the　doctor　had　pictured　to　him；

framed　in　gold　by　the　magic　words；　〃Seven　or　eight　hundred　thousand

francs。〃



〃In　three　of　four　years　she　will　be　twenty；　and　I　shall　be　twenty…

seven；〃　he　thought。　〃The　good　doctor　talked　of　probation；　work；　good

conduct！　Sly　as　he　is　I　shall　make　him　tell　me　the　truth。〃



The　three　neighbours　parted　in　the　street　in　front　of　their　respective

homes；　and　Savinien　put　a　little　courting　into　his　eyes　as　he　gave

Ursula　a　parting　glance。



Madame　de　Portenduere　let　her　son　sleep　till　midday；　but　the　doctor

and　Ursula；　in　spite　of　their　fatiguing　journey；　went　to　high　mass。

Savinien's　release　and　his　return　in　company　with　the　doctor　had

explained　the　reason　of　the　latter's　absence　to　the　newsmongers　of　the

town　and　to　the　heirs；　who　were　once　more　assembled　in　conventicle　on

the　square；　just　as　they　were　two　weeks　earlier　when　the　doctor

attended　his　first　mass。　To　the　great　astonishment　of　all　the　groups；

Madame　de　Portenduere；　on　leaving　the　church；　stopped　old　Minoret；　who

offered　her　his　arm　and　took　her　home。　The　old　lady　asked　him　to

dinner　that　evening；　also　asking　his　niece　and　assuring　him　that　the

abbe　would　be　the　only　other　guest。



〃He　must　have　wished　Ursula　to　see　Paris；〃　said　Minoret…Levrault。



〃Pest！〃　cried　Cremiere；　〃he　can't　take　a　step　without　that　girl！〃



〃Something　must　have　happened　to　make　old　Portenduere　accept　his　arm；〃

said　Massin。



〃So　none　of　you　have　guessed　that　your　uncle　has　sold　his　Funds　and

released　that　little　Savinien？〃　cried　Goupil。　〃He　refused　Dionis；　but

he　didn't　refuse　Madame　de　Portenduere　Ha；　ha！　you　are　all　done　for。

The　viscount　will　propose　a　marriage…contract　instead　of　a　mortgage；

and　the　doctor　will　make　the　husband　settle　on　his　jewel　of　a　girl　the

sum　he　has　now　paid　to　secure　the　alliance。〃



〃It　is　not　a　bad　thing　to　marry　Ursula　to　Savinien；〃　said　the　butcher。

〃The　old　lady　gives　a　dinner　to…day　to　Monsieur　Minoret。　Tiennette

came　early　for　a　filet。〃



〃Well；　Dionis；　here's　a　fine　to…do！〃　said　Massin；　rushing　up　to　the

notary；　who　was　entering　the　square。



〃What　is？　It's　all　going　right；〃　returned　the　notary。　〃Your　uncle　has

sold　his　Funds　and　Madame　de　Portenduere　has　sent　for　me　to　witness

the　signing　of　a　mortgage　on　her　property　for　one　hundred　thousand

francs；　lent　to　her　by　your　uncle。〃



〃Yes；　but　suppose　the　young　people　should　marry？〃



〃That's　as　if　you　said　Goupil　was　to　be　my　successor。〃



〃The　two　things　are　not　so　impossible；〃　said　Goupil。



On　returning　from　mass　Madame　de　Portenduere　told　Tiennette　to　inform

her　son　that　she　wished　to　see　him。



The　little　house　had　three　bedrooms　on　the　first　floor。　That　of　Madame

de　Portenduere　and　that　of　her　late　husband　were　separated　by　a　large

dressing…room　lighted　by　a　skylight；　and　connected　by　a　little

antechamber　which　opened　on　the　staircase。　The　window　of　the　other

room；　occupied　by　Savinien；　looked；　like　that　of　his　late　father；　on

the　street。　The　staircase　went　up　at　the　back　of　the　house；　leaving

room　for　a　little　study　lighted　by　a　small　round　window　opening　on　the

court。　Madame　de　Portenduere's　bedroom；　the　gloomiest　in　the　house；

also　looked　into　the　court；　but　the　widow　spent　all　her　time　in　the

salon　on　the　ground　floor；　which　communicated　by　a　passage　with　the

kitchen　built　at　the　end　of　the　court；　so　that　this　salon　was　made　to

answer　the　double　purpose　of　drawing…room　and　dining…room　combined。



The　bedroom　of　the　late　Monsieur　de　Portenduere　remained　as　he　had

left　it　on　the　day　of　his　death；　there　was　no　change　except　that　he

was　absent。　Madame　de　Portenduere　had　made　the　bed　herself；　laying

upon　it　the　uniform　of　a　naval　captain；　his　sword；　cordon；　orders；　and

hat。　The　gold　snuff…box　from　which　her　late　husband　had　taken　snuff

for　the　last　time　was　on　the　table；　with　his　prayer…book；　his　watch；

and　the　cup　from　which　he　drank。　His　white　hair；　arranged　in　one

curled　lock　and　framed；　hung　above　a　crucifix　and　the　holy　water　in

the　alcove。　All　the　little　ornaments　he　had　worn；　his　journals；　his

furniture；　his　Dutch　spittoon；　his　spy…glass　hanging　by　the　mantel；

were　all　there。　The　widow　had　stopped　the　hands　of　the　clock　at　the

hour　of　his　death；　to　which　they　always　pointed。　The　room　still　smelt

of　the　powder　and　the　tobacco　of　the　deceased。　The　hearth　was　as　he

left　it。　To　her；　entering　there；　he　was　again　visible　in　the　many

articles　which　told　of　his　daily　habits。　His　tall　cane　with　its　gold

head　was　where　he　had　last　placed　it；　with　his　buckskin　gloves　close

by。　On　a　table　against　the　wall　stood　a　gold　vase；　of　coarse

workmanship　but　worth　three　thousand　francs；　a　gift　from　Havana；　which

city；　at　the　time　of　the　American　War　of　Independence；　he　had

protected　from　an　attack　by　the　British；　bringing　his　convoy　safe　into

port　after　an　engagement　with　superior　forces。　To　recompense　this

service　the　King　of　Spain　had　made　him　a　knight　of　his　order；　the　same

event　gave　him　a　right　to　the　next　promotion　to　the　rank　of　vice…

admiral；　and　he　also　received　the　red　ribbing。　He　then　married　his

wife；　who　had　a　fortune　of　about　two　hundred　thousand　francs。　But　the

Revolution　hindered　his　promotion；　and　Monsieur　de　Portenduere

emigrated。



〃Where　is　my　mother？〃　said　Savinien　to　Tiennette。



〃She　is　waiting　for　you　in　you