Onwhich，notbeingabletorestrainhisfearsastothetruthofthiswarning，hesentaservanttothemarquis’squarters，whichweredistantfromhim。Butbeforethemancouldgetback，thekingsenttoinformtheduke，bypersonsfittedtoconsolehim，ofthegreatlosshehadsustained。
　　“Ileavelearnedmentodiscussthecauseofthisevent，whichI
　　havefrequentlyheardtheDucdeMontmorencyrelate:Ithinkthatthetruthandsingularityofthefactitselfoughttoberecordedandpreserved。“
　　“Ifallthisisso，“saidUrsula，“whatoughtIdodo？“
　　“Mychild，“saidtheabbe，“itconcernsmatterssoimportant，andwhichmayprovesoprofitabletoyou，thatyououghttokeepabsolutelysilentaboutit。Nowthatyouhaveconfidedtomethesecretoftheseapparitionsperhapstheymaynotreturn。Besides，youarenowstrongenoughtocometochurch；well，then，cometo-morrowandthankGodandpraytohimforthereposeofyourgodfather’ssoul。
　　Feelquitesurethatyouhaveentrustedyoursecrettoprudenthands。“
　　“IfyouknewhowafraidIamtogotosleep，——whatglancesmygodfathergivesme！Thelasttimehecaughtholdofmydress——Iawokewithmyfaceallcoveredwithtears。“
　　“Beatpeace；hewillnotcomeagain，“saidthepriest。
　　WithoutlosingamomenttheAbbeChaperonwentstraighttoMinoretandaskedforafewmomentsinterviewintheChinesepagoda，requestingthattheymightbeentirelyalone。
　　“Cananyonehearus？“heasked。
　　“Noone，“repliedMinoret。
　　“Monsieur，mycharactermustbeknowntoyou，“saidtheabbe，fasteningagentlebutattentivelookonMinoret’sface。“Ihavetospeaktoyouofseriousandextraordinarymatters，whichconcernyou，andaboutwhichyoumaybesurethatIshallkeeptheprofoundestsecrecy；butitisimpossibleformetodootherwisethangiveyouthisinformation。Whileyourunclelived，therestoodthere，“saidthepriest，pointingtoacertainspotintheroom，“asmallbuffetmadebyBoule，withamarbletop“Minoretturnedlivid，“andbeneaththemarbleyouruncleplacedaletterforUrsula——“Theabbethenwentontorelate，withoutomittingthesmallestcircumstance，Minoret’sconducttoMinorethimself。Whenthelastpostmasterheardthedetailofthetwomatchesrefusingtolighthefelthishairbegintowritheonhisskull。
　　“Whoinventedsuchnonsense？“hesaid，inastrangledvoice，whenthetaleended。
　　“Thedeadmanhimself。“
　　ThisanswermadeMinorettremble，forhehimselfhaddreamedofthedoctor。
　　“Godisverygood，Monsieurl’abbe，todomiraclesforme，“hesaid，dangerinspiringhimtomakethesolejestofhislife。
　　“AllthatGoddoesisnatural，“repliedthepriest。
　　“Yourphantomsdon’tfrightenme，“saidthecolossus，recoveringhiscoolness。
　　“Ididnotcometofrightenyou，forIshallneverspeakofthistoanyoneintheworld，“saidtheabbe。“Youaloneknowthetruth。ThematterisbetweenyouandGod。“
　　“Comenow，Monsieurl’abbe，doyoureallythinkmecapableofsuchahorribleabuseofconfidence？“
　　“Ibelieveonlyincrimeswhichareconfessedtome，andofwhichthesinnerrepents，“saidthepriest，inanapostolictone。
　　“Crime？“criedMinoret。
　　“Acrimefrightfulinitsconsequences。“
　　“Whatconsequences？“
　　“Inthefactthatitescapeshumanjustice。Thecrimeswhicharenotexpiatedherebelowwillbepunishedinanotherworld。Godhimselfavengesinnocence。“
　　“DoyouthinkGodconcernshimselfwithsuchtrifles？“
　　“Ifhedidnotseetheworldsinalltheirdetailsataglance，asyoutakealandscapeintoyoureye，hewouldnotbeGod。“
　　“Monsieurl’abbe，willyougivemeyourwordofhonorthatyouhavehadthesefactsfrommyuncle？“
　　“YourunclehasappearedthreetimestoUrsulaandhastoldthemandrepeatedthemtoher。Exhaustedbysuchvisionssherevealedthemtomeprivately；sheconsidersthemsodevoidofreasonthatshewillneverspeakofthem。Youmaymakeyourselfeasyonthatpoint。“
　　“Iameasyonallpoints，MonsieurChaperon。“
　　“Ihopeyouare，“saidtheoldpriest。“EvenifIconsideredthesewarningsabsurd，Ishouldstillfeelboundtoinformyouofthem，consideringthesingularnatureofthedetails。Youareanhonestman，andyouhaveobtainedyourhandsomefortuneintoolegalawaytowishtoaddtoitbytheft。Besides，youareanalmostprimitiveman，andyouwouldbetorturedbyremorse。Wehavewithinus，bewesavageorcivilized，thesenseofwhatisright，andthiswillnotpermitustoenjoyinpeaceill-gottengainsacquiredagainstthelawsofthesocietyinwhichwelive，——forwell-constitutedsocietiesaremodeledonthesystemGodhasordainedfortheuniverse。Inthisrespectsocietieshaveadivineorigin。Mandoesnotoriginateideas，heinventsnoform；heanswerstotheeternalrelationsthatsurroundhimonallsides。Therefore，seewhathappens！Criminalsgoingtothescaffold，andhavingitintheirpowertocarrytheirsecretwiththem，arecompelledbytheforceofsomemysteriouspowertomakeconfessionsbeforetheirheadsaretakenoff。Therefore，MonsieurMinoret，ifyourmindisatease，Igomywaysatisfied。“
　　Minoretwassostupefiedthatheallowedtheabbetofindhisownwayout。Whenhethoughthimselfaloneheflewintothefuryofacholericman；thestrangestblasphemiesescapedhislips，inwhichUrsula’snamewasmingledwithodiouslanguage。
　　“Why，whathasshedonetoyou？“criedZelie，whohadslippedinontiptoeafterseeingtheabbeoutofthehouse。
　　Forthefirstandonlytimeinhislife，Minoret，drunkwithangeranddriventoextremitiesbyhiswife’sreiteratedquestions，turneduponherandbeathersoviolentlythathewasobliged，whenshefellhalf-
　　deadonthefloor，totakeherinhisarmsandputhertobedhimself，ashamedofhisact。Hewastakenillandthedoctorbledhimtwice；
　　whenheappearedagaininthestreetseverybodynoticedagreatchangeinhim。Hewalkedalone，andoftenroamedthetownasthoughuneasy。
　　Whenanyoneaddressedhimheseemedpreoccupiedinhismind，hewhohadneverbeforehadtwoideasinhishead。Atlast，oneevening，hewentuptoMonsieurBongrandintheGrand’Rue，thelatterbeingonhiswaytotakeUrsulatoMadamedePortenduere’s，wherethewhistpartieshadbegunagain。
　　“MonsieurBongrand，Ihavesomethingimportanttosaytomycousin，“
　　hesaid，takingthejusticebythearm，“andIamverygladyoushouldbepresent，foryoucanadviseher。“
　　TheyfoundUrsulastudying；sherose，withacoldanddignifiedair，assoonasshesawMinoret。
　　“Mychild，MonsieurMinoretwantstospeaktoyouonamatterofbusiness，“saidBongrand。“Bythebye，don’tforgettogivemeyourcertificates；IshallgotoParisinthemorningandwilldrawyourdividendandLaBougival’s。“
　　“Cousin，“saidMinoret，“ouruncleaccustomedyoutomoreluxurythanyouhavenow。“
　　“Wecanbeveryhappywithverylittlemoney，“shereplied。
　　“Ithoughtmoneymighthelpyourhappiness，“continuedMinoret，“andI
　　havecometoofferyousome，outofrespectforthememoryofmyuncle。“
　　“Youhadanaturalwayofshowingrespectforhim，“saidUrsula，sternly；“youcouldhavelefthishouseasitwas，andallowedmetobuyit；insteadofthatyouputitatahighprice，hopingtofindsomehiddentreasureinit。“
　　“But，“saidMinoret，evidentlytroubled，“ifyouhadtwelvethousandfrancsayearyouwouldbeinapositiontomarrywell。“
　　“Ihavenotgotthem。“
　　“ButsupposeIgivethemtoyou，onconditionofyourbuyinganestateinBrittanynearMadamedePortenduere，——youcouldthenmarryherson。“
　　“MonsieurMinoret，“saidUrsula，“Ihavenoclaimtothatmoney，andI
　　cannotacceptitfromyou。Wearescarcelyrelations，stilllessarewefriends。Ihavesufferedtoomuchfromcalumnytogiveahandleforevil-speaking。WhathaveIdonetodeservethatmoney？Whatreasonhaveyoutomakemesuchapresent？Thesequestions，whichIhavearighttoask，personswillanswerastheyseefit；somewouldconsideryourgiftthereparationofawrong，and，assuch，Ichoosenottoacceptit。Youruncledidnotbringmeuptoignoblefeelings。Icanacceptnothingexceptfromfriends，andIhavenofriendshipforyou。“
　　“Thenyourefuse？“criedthecolossus，intowhoseheadtheideahadneverenteredthatafortunecouldberejected。
　　“Irefuse，“saidUrsula。
　　“ButwhatgroundshaveyouforofferingMademoiselleUrsulasuchafortune？“askedBongrand，lookingfixedlyatMinoret。“Youhaveanidea——haveyouanidea？——“
　　“Well，yes，theideaofgettingheroutofNemours，sothatmysonwillleavemeinpeace；heisinlovewithherandwantstomarryher。“
　　“Well，we’llseeaboutit，“saidBongrand，settlinghisspectacles。