“Yes；thepoorladyisterriblydistressed。Itispossibleshemaycometoseeyouthisevening，MonsieurMinoret。“
　　Ursulapressedhergodfather’shandunderthetable。
　　“Herson，“saidBongrand，“wasrathertoosimple-mindedtoliveinPariswithoutamentor。WhenIheardthatinquirieswerebeingmadehereaboutthepropertyoftheoldladyIfearedhewasdiscountingherdeath。“
　　“Isitpossibleyouthinkhimcapableofit？“saidUrsula，withsuchaterribleglanceatMonsieurBongrandthathesaidtohimselfrathersadly，“Alas！yes，sheloveshim。“
　　“Yesandno，“saidtheNemoursdoctor，replyingtoUrsula’squestion。
　　“ThereisagreatdealofgoodinSavinien，andthatiswhyheisnowinprison；ascampwouldn’thavegotthere。“
　　“Don’tletustalkaboutitanymore，“saidoldMinoret。“Thepoormothermustnotbeallowedtoweepifthere’sawaytodryhertears。“
　　Thefourfriendsroseandwentout；Ursulaaccompaniedthemtothegate，sawhergodfatherandtheabbeknockattheoppositedoor，andassoonasTiennetteadmittedthemshesatdownontheouterwallwithLaBougivalbesideher。
　　“Madamelavicomtesse，“saidtheabbe，whoenteredfirstintothelittlesalon，“MonsieurledocteurMinoretwasnotwillingthatyoushouldhavethetroubleofcomingtohim——“
　　“Iamtoomuchoftheoldschool，madame，“interruptedthedoctor，“nottoknowwhatamanowestoawomanofyourrank，andIamverygladtobeable，asMonsieurl’abbetellsme，tobeofservicetoyou。“
　　MadamedePortenduere，whodislikedthesteptheabbehadadvisedsomuchthatshehadalmostdecided，afterhelefther，toapplytothenotaryinstead，wassurprisedbyMinoret’sattentiontosuchadegreethatsherosetoreceivehimandsignedtohimtotakeachair。
　　“Beseated，monsieur，“shesaidwitharegalair。“Ourdearabbehastoldyouthattheviscountisinprisononaccountofsomeyouthfuldebts，——ahundredthousandfrancsorso。IfyoucouldlendthemtohimIwouldsecureyouonmyfarmatBordieres。“
　　“Wewilltalkofthat，madame，whenIhavebroughtyoursonbacktoyou——ifyouwillallowmetobeyouremissaryinthematter。“
　　“Verygood，monsieur，“shesaid，bowingherheadandlookingattheabbeasiftosay，“Youwereright；hereallyisamanofgoodsociety。“
　　“Yousee，madame，“saidtheabbe，“thatmyfriendthedoctorisfullofdevotiontoyourfamily。“
　　“Weshallbegrateful，monsieur，“saidMadamedePortenduere，makingavisibleeffort；“ajourneytoParis，atyourage，inquestofaprodigal，is——“
　　“Madame，Ihadthehonortomeet，in’65，theillustriousAdmiraldePortenduereinthehouseofthatexcellentMonsieurdeMalesherbes，andalsointhatofMonsieurleComtedeBuffon，whowasanxioustoquestionhimonsomecuriousresultsofhisvoyages。PossiblyMonsieurdePortenduere，yourlatehusband，waspresent。ThosewerethegloriousdaysoftheFrenchnavy；itborecomparisonwiththatofGreatBritain，anditsofficershadtheirfullquotaofcourage。Withwhatimpatienceweawaitedin’83and’84thenewsfromSt。Roch。
　　cameverynearservingassurgeonintheking’sservice。Yourgreat-
　　uncle，whoisstillliving，AdmiralKergarouet，foughthissplendidbattleatthattimeinthe’Belle-Poule。’“
　　“Ah！ifhedidbutknowhisgreat-nephewisinprison！“
　　“Hewouldnotleavehimthereaday，“saidoldMinoret，rising。
　　Heheldouthishandtotakethatoftheoldlady，whichsheallowedhimtodo；thenhekisseditrespectfully，bowedprofoundly，andlefttheroom；butreturnedimmediatelytosay:——
　　“Mydearabbe，mayIaskyoutoengageaplaceinthediligenceformeto-morrow？“
　　Theabbestayedbehindforhalfanhourtosingthepraisesofhisfriend，whomeanttowinandhadsucceededinwinningthegoodgracesoftheoldlady。
　　“Heisanastonishingmanforhisage，“shesaid。“HetalksofgoingtoParisandattendingtomyson’saffairsasifhewereonlytwenty-
　　five。Hehascertainlyseengoodsociety。“
　　“Theverybest，madame；andto-daymorethanonesonofapeerofFrancewouldbegladtomarryhisgoddaughterwithamillion。Ah！ifthatideashouldcomeintoSavinien’shead！——timesaresochangedthattheobjectionswouldnotcomefromyourside，especiallyafterhislateconduct——“
　　Theamazementintowhichthespeechthrewtheoldladyaloneenabledhimtofinishit。
　　“Youhavelostyoursenses，“shesaidatlast。
　　“Thinkitover，madame；Godgrantthatyoursonmayconducthimselfinfutureinamannertowinthatoldman’srespect。“
　　“Ifitwerenotyou，Monsieurl’abbe，“saidMadamedePortenduere，“ifitwereanyoneelsewhospoketomeinthatway——“
　　“Youwouldnotseehimagain，“saidtheabbe，smiling。“LetushopethatyourdearsonwillenlightenyouastowhatoccursinParisinthesedaysastomarriages。YouwillthinkonlyofSavinien’sgood；asyoureallyhavehelpedtocompromisehisfutureyouwillnotstandinthewayofhismakinghimselfanotherposition。“
　　“Anditisyouwhosaythattome？“
　　“IfIdidnotsayittoyou，whowould？“criedtheabberisingandmakingahastyretreat。
　　AsheleftthehousehesawUrsulaandhergodfatherstandingintheircourtyard。TheweakdoctorhadbeensoentreatedbyUrsulathathehadjustyieldedtoher。ShewantedtogowithhimtoParis，andgaveathousandreasons。Hecalledtotheabbeandbeggedhimtoengagethewholecoupeforhimthatveryeveningifthebooking-officewerestillopen。
　　Thenextdayathalf-pastsixo’clocktheoldmanandtheyounggirlreachedParis，andthedoctorwentatoncetoconsulthisnotary。
　　Politicaleventswerethenverythreatening。MonsieurBongrandhadremarkedinthecourseoftheprecedingeveningthatamanmustbeafooltokeepapennyinthepublicfundssolongasthequarrelbetweenthepressandthecourtwasnotmadeup。Minoret’snotarynowindirectlyapprovedofthisopinion。ThedoctorthereforetookadvantageofhisjourneytosellouthismanufacturingstocksandhissharesintheFunds，allofwhichwerethenatahighvalue，depositingtheproceedsintheBankofFrance。ThenotaryalsoadvisedhisclienttosellthestockslefttoUrsulabyMonsieurdeJordy。HepromisedtoemployanextremelycleverbrokertotreatwithSavinien’screditors；butsaidthatinordertosucceeditwouldbenecessaryfortheyoungmantostayseveraldayslongerinprison。
　　“Hasteinsuchmattersalwaysmeansthelossofatleastfifteenpercent，“saidthenotary。“Besides，youcan’tgetyourmoneyundersevenoreightdays。“
　　WhenUrsulaheardthatSavinienwouldhavetosayatleastaweeklongerinjailshebeggedhergodfathertolethergothere，ifonlyonce。OldMinoretrefused。TheuncleandniecewerestayingatahotelintheRueCroixdesPetits-Champswherethedoctorhadtakenaverysuitableapartment。Knowingthescrupuloushonorandproprietyofhisgoddaughterhemadeherpromisenottogooutwhilehewasaway；atothertimeshetookhertoseethearcades，theshops，theboulevards；
　　butnothingseemedtoamuseorinteresther。
　　“Whatdoyouwanttodo？“askedtheoldman。
　　“SeeSaint-Pelagie，“sheansweredobstinately。
　　Minoretcalledahackney-coachandtookhertotheRuedelaClef，wherethecarriagedrewupbeforetheshabbyfrontofanoldconventthentransformedintoaprison。Thesightofthosehighgraywalls，witheverywindowbarred，ofthewicketthroughwhichnonecanenterwithoutstoopinghorriblelesson！，ofthewholegloomystructureinaquarterfullofwretchedness，whereitrisesamidsqualidstreetslikeasuprememisery，——thisassemblageofdismalthingssooppressedUrsula’sheartthatsheburstintotears。
　　“Oh！“shesaid，“toimprisonyoungmeninthisdreadfulplaceformoney！Howcanadebttoamoney-lenderhaveapowerthekinghasnot？
　　HEthere！“shecried。“Where，godfather？“sheadded，lookingfromwindowtowindow。
　　“Ursula，“saidtheoldman，“youaremakingmecommitgreatfollies。
　　Thisisnotforgettinghimasyoupromised。“
　　“But，“sheargued，“ifImustrenouncehimmustIalsoceasetofeelaninterestinhim？Icanlovehimandnotmarryatall。“
　　“Ah！“criedthedoctor，“thereissomuchreasoninyourunreasonablenessthatIamsorryIbroughtyou。“
　　Threedayslatertheworthymanhadallthereceiptssigned，andthelegalpapersreadyforSavinien’srelease。Thepayings，includingthenotaries’fees，amountedtoeightythousandfrancs。ThedoctorwenthimselftoseeSavinienreleasedonSaturdayattwoo’clock。Theyoungviscount，alreadyinformedofwhathadhappenedbyhismother，thankedhisliberatorwithsincerewarmthofheart。
　　“Youmustreturnatoncetoseeyourmother，“theolddoctorsaidtohim。
　　Savinienansweredinasortofconfusionthathehadcontractedcertaindebtsofhonorwhileinprison，andrelatedthevisitofhisfriends。
　　“Isuspectedtherewassomepersonaldebt，“criedthedoctor，smiling。