首页 >出版文学> Ursula>第28章

第28章

  SeeingthatUrsulawashalf-hiddenbythecreepers,theyoungmancouldnotdenyhimselfthehappinessofpressinghertohisheartandkissingherforehead;butshegaveafeeblecryanddroppeduponthebench,andwhenSaviniensatbesideher,entreatingpardon,hesawthedoctorstandingbeforethem。
  “Myfriend,“saidtheoldman,“Ursulaisabornsensitive;tooroughawordmightkillher。Forhersakeyoumustmoderatetheenthusiasmofyourlove——Ah!ifyouhadlovedherforsixteenyearsasIhave,youwouldhavebeensatisfiedwithherwordofpromise,“headded,torevengehimselfforthelastsentenceinSavinien’ssecondletter。
  Twodayslatertheyoungmandeparted。InspiteoftheletterswhichhewroteregularlytoUrsula,shefellapreytoanillnesswithoutapparentcause。Likeafinefruitwithawormatthecore,asinglethoughtgnawedherheart。Shelostbothappetiteandcolor。Thefirsttimehergodfatheraskedherwhatshefelt,shereplied:——
  “Iwanttoseetheocean。“
  “Itisdifficulttotakeyoutoasea-portinthedepthofwinter,“
  answeredtheoldman。
  “ShallIreallygo?“shesaid。
  Ifthewindwashigh,Ursulawasinwardlyconvulsed,certain,inspiteofthelearnedassurancesofthedoctorandtheabbe,thatSavinienwasbeingtossedaboutinawhirlwind。MonsieurBongrandmadeherhappyfordayswiththegiftofanengravingrepresentingamidshipmaninuniform。Shereadthenewspapers,imaginingthattheywouldgivenewsofthecruiseronwhichherloversailed。ShedevouredCooper’ssea-talesandlearnedtousesea-terms。Suchproofsofconcentrationoffeeling,oftenassumedbyotherwomen,weresogenuineinUrsulathatshesawindreamsthecomingofSavinien’sletters,andneverfailedtoannouncethem,relatingthedreamasaforerunner。
  “Now,“shesaidtothedoctorthefourthtimethatthishappened,“I
  ameasy;whereverSavinienmaybe,ifheiswoundedIshallknowitinstantly。“
  TheolddoctorthoughtoverthisremarksoanxiouslythattheabbeandMonsieurBongrandweretroubledbythesorrowfulexpressionofhisface。
  “Whatpainsyou?“theysaid,whenUrsulahadleftthem。
  “Willshelive?“repliedthedoctor。“Cansotenderanddelicateaflowerendurethetrialsoftheheart?“
  Nevertheless,the“littledreamer,“astheabbecalledher,wasworkinghard。Sheunderstoodtheimportanceofafineeducationtoawomanoftheworld,andallthetimeshedidnotgivetohersingingandtothestudyofharmonyandcompositionshespentinreadingthebookschosenforherbytheabbefromhergodfather’srichlibrary。
  Andyetwhileleadingthisbusylifeshesuffered,thoughwithoutcomplaint。SometimesshewouldsitforhourslookingatSavinien’swindow。OnSundaysshewouldleavethechurchbehindMadamedePortenduereandwatchhertenderly;for,inspiteoftheoldlady’sharshness,shelovedherasSavinien’smother。Herpietyincreased;
  shewenttomasseverymorning,forshefirmlybelievedthatherdreamswerethegiftofGod。
  Atlasthergodfather,frightenedbytheeffectsproducedbythisnostalgiaoflove,promisedonherbirthdaytotakehertoToulontoseethedepartureofthefleetforAlgiers。Savinien’sshipformedpartofit,buthewasnottobeinformedbeforehandoftheirintention。TheabbeandMonsieurBongrandkeptsecrettheobjectofthisjourney,saidtobeforUrsula’shealth,whichdisturbedandgreatlypuzzledtherelations。AfterbeholdingSavinieninhisnavaluniform,andgoingonboardthefineflag-shipoftheadmiral,towhomtheministerhadgivenyoungPortenduereaspecialrecommendation,Ursula,atherlover’sentreaty,wentwithhergodfathertoNice,andalongtheshoresoftheMediterraneantoGenoa,wheresheheardofthesafearrivalofthefleetatAlgiersandthelandingofthetroops。
  ThedoctorwouldhavelikedtocontinuethejourneythroughItaly,asmuchtodistractUrsula’smindastofinish,insomesense,hereducation,byenlargingherideasthroughcomparisonwithothermannersandcustomsandcountries,andbythefascinationofalandwherethemasterpiecesofartcanstillbeseen,andwheresomanycivilizationshavelefttheirbrillianttraces。ButthetidingsoftheoppositionbythethronetothenewlyelectedChamberof1830obligedthedoctortoreturntoFrance,bringingbackhistreasureinaflourishingstateofhealthandpossessedofacharminglittlemodeloftheshiponwhichSavinienwasserving。
  Theelectionsof1830unitedintoanactivebodythevariousMinoretrelations,——DesireandGoupilhavingformedacommitteeinNemoursbywhoseeffortsaliberalcandidatewasputinnominationatFontainebleau。Massin,ascollectoroftaxes,exercisedanenormousinfluenceoverthecountryelectors。Fiveofthepostmaster’sfarmerswereelectors。Dionisrepresentedelevenvotes。Afterafewmeetingsatthenotary’s,Cremiere,Massin,thepostmaster,andtheiradherentstookahabitofassemblingthere。Bythetimethedoctorreturned,Dionis’sofficeandsalonwerethecampofhisheirs。Thejusticeofpeaceandthemayor,whohadformedanalliance,backedbythenobilityintheneighbouringcastles,toresisttheliberalsofNemours,nowworstedintheirefforts,weremorecloselyunitedthaneverbytheirdefeat。
  BythetimeBongrandandtheAbbeChaperonwereabletotellthedoctorbywordofmouththeresultoftheantagonism,whichwasdefinedforthefirsttime,betweenthetwoclassesinNemoursgivingincidentallysuchimportancetohisheirsCharlesX。hadleftRambouilletforCherbourg。DesireMinoret,whoseopinionswerethoseoftheParisbar,sentforfifteenofhisfriends,commandedbyGoupilandmountedonhorsesfromhisfather’sstable,whoarrivedinParisonthenightofthe28th。WiththistroopGoupilandDesiretookpartinthecaptureoftheHotel-de-Veille。DesirewasdecoratedwiththeLegionofhonorandappointeddeputyprocureurduroiatFontainebleau。GoupilreceivedtheJulycross。DioniswaselectedmayorofNemours,andthecitycouncilwascomposedofthepostmasternowassistant-mayor,Massin,Cremiere,andalltheadherentsofthefamilyfaction。Bongrandretainedhisplaceonlythroughtheinfluenceofhisson,procureurduroiatMelun,whosemarriagewithMademoiselleLevraultwasthenonthetapis。
  Seeingthethree-per-centsquotedatforty-five,thedoctorstartedbypostforParis,andinvestedfivehundredandfortythousandfrancsinsharestobearer。Therestofhisfortunewhichamountedtoabouttwohundredandseventythousandfrancs,standinginhisownnameinthesamefunds,gavehimostensiblyanincomeoffifteenthousandfrancsayear。HemadethesamedispositionofUrsula’slittlecapitalbequeathedtoherbydeJordy,togetherwiththeaccruedinterestthereon,whichgaveheraboutfourteenhundredfrancsayearinherownright。LaBougival,whohadlaidbysomefivethousandfrancsofhersavings,didthesamebythedoctor’sadvice,receivinginfuturethreehundredandfiftyfrancsayearindividends。Thesejudicioustransactions,agreedonbetweenthedoctorandMonsieurBongrand,werecarriedoutinperfectsecrecy,thankstothepoliticaltroublesofthetime。
  Whenquietwasagainrestoredthedoctorboughtthelittlehousewhichadjoinedhisownandpulleditdownsoastobuildacoach-houseandstablesonitsside。ToemployacapitalwhichwouldhavegivenhimathousandfrancsayearonoutbuildingsseemedactualfollytotheMinoretheirs。Thisfolly,ifitwereone,wasthebeginningofanewerainthedoctor’sexistence,forhenowataperiodwhenhorsesandcarriageswerealmostgivenawaybroughtbackfromParisthreefinehorsesandacaleche。
  When,intheearlypartofNovember,1830,theoldmancametochurchonarainydayinthenewcarriage,andgavehishandtoUrsulatohelpherout,alltheinhabitantsflockedtothesquare,——asmuchtoseethecalecheandquestionthecoachman,astocriticizethegoddaughter,towhoseexcessiveprideandambitionMassin,Cremiere,thepostmaster,andtheirwivesattributedthisextravagantfollyoftheoldman。
  “Acaleche!Hey,Massin!“criedGoupil。“Yourinheritancewillgoattopspeednow!“
  “Yououghttobegettinggoodwages,Cabirolle,“saidthepostmastertothesonofoneofhisconductors,whostoodbythehorses;“foritistobesupposedanoldmanofeighty-fourwon’tuseupmanyhorse-
  shoes。Whatdidthosehorsescost?“
  “Fourthousandfrancs。Thecaleche,thoughsecond-hand,wastwothousand;butit’safineone,thewheelsarepatent。“
  “Yes,it’sagoodcarriage,“saidCremiere;“andamanmustberichtobuythatstyleofthing。“
  “Ursulameanstogoatagoodpace,“saidGoupil。“She’sright;she’sshowingyouhowtoenjoylife。Whydon’tyouhavefinecarriagesandhorses,papaMinoret?Iwouldn’tletmyselfbehumiliatedifIwereyou——I’dbuyacarriagefitforaprince。“
  “Come,Cabirolle,tellus,“saidMassin,“isitthegirlwhodrivesouruncleintosuchluxury?“
  “Idon’tknow,“saidCabirolle;“butsheisalmostmistressofthehouse。TherearemastersuponmastersdownfromParis。Theysaynowsheisgoingtostudypainting。“
  “ThenIshallseizetheoccasiontohavemyportraitdrawn,“saidMadameCremiere。
  Intheprovincestheyalwayssayapictureisdrawn,notpainted。
  “TheoldGermanisnotdismissed,ishe?“saidMadameMassin。
  “Hewasthereyesterday,“repliedCabirolle。
  “Now,“saidGoupil,“youmayaswellgiveupcountingonyourinheritance。Ursulaisseventeenyearsold,andsheisprettierthanever。Travelformsyoungpeople,andthelittleminxhasgotyouruncleinthetoils。Fiveorsixparcelscomedownforherbythediligenceeveryweek,andthedressmakersandmillinerscometoo,totryonhergownsandalltherestofit。MadameDionisisfurious。
  WatchforUrsulaasshecomesoutofchurchandlookatthelittlescarfsheiswearingroundherneck,——realcashmere,anditcostsixhundredfrancs!“
  IfathunderbolthadfalleninthemidstoftheheirstheeffectwouldhavebeenlessthanthatofGoupil’slastwords;themischief-makerstoodbyrubbinghishands。
  Thedoctor’soldgreensalonhadbeenrenovatedbyaParisianupholsterer。Judgedbytheluxurydisplayed,hewassometimesaccusedofhoardingimmensewealth,sometimesofspendinghiscapitalonUrsula。Theheirscalledhiminturnamiserandaspendthrift,butthesaying,“He’sanoldfool!“summedupon,onthewhole,theverdictoftheneighbourhood。Thesemistakenjudgmentsofthelittletownhadtheoneadvantageofmisleadingtheheirs,whoneversuspectedthelovebetweenSavinienandUrsula,whichwasthesecretreasonofthedoctor’sexpenditure。Theoldmantookthegreatestdelightsinaccustominghisgodchildtoherfuturestationintheworld。