Theabbedeparted；presentlyheturnedbacktolookatMinoret。Themanwasholdinghisheadinhishandsasifittroubledhim；hewas，infact，partlycrazy。Inthefirstplace，hehadkeptthethreecertificatesbecausehedidnotknowwhattodowiththem。Hedarednotdrawthemoneyhimselfforfearitshouldbenoticed；hedidnotwishtosellthem，andwasstilltryingtofindsomewayoftransferringthecertificates。Inthishorriblestateofuncertaintyhebethoughthimofacknowledgingalltohiswifeandgettingheradvice。Zelie，whoalwaysmanagedaffairsforhimsowell，shecouldgethimoutofhistroubles。Thethree-per-centFundswerenowsellingateighty。Restitution！why，thatmeant，witharrearages，givingupamillion！Giveupamillion，whentherewasnoonewhocouldknowthathehadtakenit！——
　　SoMinoretcontinuedthroughSeptemberandapartofOctoberirresoluteandapreytohistorturingthoughts。Tothegreatsurpriseofthelittletownhegrewthinandhaggard。
　　AnalarmingcircumstancehastenedtheconfessionwhichMinoretwasinclinedtomaketoZelie；theswordofDamoclesbegantomoveabovetheirheads。TowardsthemiddleofOctoberMonsieurandMadameMinoretreceivedfromtheirsonDesirethefollowingletter:——
　　MydearMother，——IfIhavenotbeentoseeyousincevacation，itispartlybecauseIhavebeenondutyduringtheabsenceofmychief，butalsobecauseIknewthatMonsieurdePortenduerewaswaitingmyarrivalatNemours，topickaquarrelwithme。Tired，perhaps，ofseeinghisvengeanceonourfamilydelayed，theviscountcametoFontainebleau，wherehehadappointedoneofhisParisianfriendstomeethim，havingalreadyobtainedthehelpoftheVicomtedeSoulangescommandingthetroopofcavalryhereingarrison。
　　Hecalleduponme，verypolitely，accompaniedbythetwogentlemen，andtoldmethatmyfatherwasundoubtedlytheinstigatorofthemalignantpersecutionsagainstUrsulaMirouet，hisfuturewife；hegavemeproofs，andtoldmeofGoupil’sconfessionbeforewitnesses。Healsotoldmeofmyfather’sconduct，firstinrefusingtopayGoupilthepriceagreedonforhiswickedinvention，andnext，outoffearofGoupil’smalignity，goingsecuritytoMonsieurDionisforthepriceofhispracticewhichGoupilistohave。
　　Theviscount，notbeingabletofightamansixty-sevenyearsofage，andbeingdeterminedtohavesatisfactionfortheinsultsofferedtoUrsula，demandeditformallyofme。Hisdetermination，havingbeenwell-weighedandconsidered，couldnotbeshaken。IfI
　　refused，hewasresolvedtomeetmeinsocietybeforepersonswhoseesteemIvalue，andinsultmeopenly。InFrance，acowardisunanimouslyscorned。Besides，themotivesfordemandingreparationshouldbeexplainedbyhonorablemen。Hesaidhewassorrytoresorttosuchextremities。Hissecondsdeclareditwouldbewiserinmetoarrangeameetingintheusualmanneramongmenofhonor，sothatUrsulaMirouetmightnotbeknownasthecauseofthequarrel；toavoidallscandalitwasbettertomakeajourneytothenearestfrontier。Inshort，mysecondsmethisyesterday，andtheyunanimouslyagreedthatIowedhimreparation。Aweekfromto-dayIleaveforGenevawithmytwofriends。MonsieurdePortenduere，MonsieurdeSoulanges，andMonsieurdeTrailleswillmeetmethere。
　　Thepreliminariesoftheduelaresettled；weshallfightwithpistols；eachfiresthreetimes，andafterthat，nomatterwhathappens，theaffairterminates。TokeepthisdegradingmatterfrompublicknowledgeforIfinditimpossibletojustifymyfather’sconductIdonotgotoseeyounow，becauseIdreadtheviolenceoftheemotiontowhichyouwouldyieldandwhichwouldnotbeseemly。IfIamtomakemywayintheworldImustconformtotherulesofsociety。Ifthesonofaviscounthasadozenreasonsforfightingaduelthesonofapostmasterhasahundred。IshallpassthenightinNemoursonmywaytoGeneva，andIwillbidyougood-bythen。
　　AfterthereadingofthisletterascenetookplacebetweenZelieandMinoretwhichendedinthelatterconfessingthetheftandrelatingallthecircumstancesandthestrangescenesconnectedwithit，evenUrsula’sdreams。ThemillionfascinatedZeliequiteasmuchasitdidMinoret。
　　“Youstayquietlyhere，“Zeliesaidtoherhusband，withouttheslightestremonstranceagainsthisfolly。“I’llmanagethewholething。We’llkeepthemoney，andDesireshallnotfightaduel。“
　　MadameMinoretputonherbonnetandshawlandcarriedherson’slettertoUrsula，whomshefoundalone，asitwasaboutmidday。InspiteofherassuranceZeliewasdiscomfitedbythecoldlookwhichtheyounggirlgaveher。Butshetookherselftotaskforhercowardiceandassumedaneasyair。
　　“Here，MademoiselleMirouet，domethekindnesstoreadthatandtellmewhatyouthinkofit，“shecried，givingUrsulaherson’sletter。
　　Ursulawentthroughvariousconflictingemotionsasshereadtheletter，whichshowedherhowtrulyshewaslovedandwhatcareSavinientookofthehonorofthewomanwhowastobehiswife；butshehadtoomuchcharityandtruereligiontobewillingtobethecauseofdeathorsufferingtohermostcruelenemy。
　　“Ipromise，madame，topreventtheduel；youmayfeelperfectlyeasy，——butImustrequestyoutoleavemethisletter。“
　　“Mydearlittleangel，canwenotcometosomebetterarrangement。
　　MonsieurMinoretandIhaveacquiredpropertyaboutRouvre，——areallyregalcastle，whichgivesusforty-eightthousandfrancsayear；weshallgiveDesiretwenty-fourthousandayearwhichwehaveintheFunds；inall，seventythousandfrancsayear。Youwilladmitthattherearenotmanybettermatchesthanhe。Youareanambitiousgirl，——andquiterighttoo，“addedZelie，seeingUrsula’squickgestureofdenial；“IhavethereforecometoaskyourhandforDesire。Youwillbearyourgodfather’sname，andthatwillhonorit。Desire，asyoumusthaveseen，isahandsomefellow；heisverymuchthoughtofatFontainebleau，andhewillsoonbeprocureurduroihimself。YouareacoaxinggirlandcaneasilypersuadehimtoliveinParis。Wewillgiveyouafinehousethere；youwillshine；youwillplayadistinguishedpart；for，withseventythousandfrancsayearandthesalaryofanoffice，youandDesirecanenterthehighestsociety。
　　Consultyourfriends；you’llseewhattheytellyou。“
　　“Ineedonlyconsultmyheart，madame。“
　　“Ta，ta，ta！nowdon’ttalktomeaboutthatlittlelady-killerSavinien。You’dpaytoohighapriceforhisname，andforthatlittlemoustachecurledupatthepointsliketwohooks，andhisblackhair。
　　Howdoyouexpecttomanageonseventhousandfrancsayear，withamanwhomadetwohundredthousandfrancsofdebtintwoyears？Besides——thoughthisisathingyoudon’tknowyet——allmenarealike；andwithoutflatteringmyselftoomuch，ImaysaythatmyDesireistheequalofaking’sson。“
　　“Youforget，madame，thedangeryoursonisinatthismoment；whichcan，perhaps，beavertedonlybyMonsieurdePortenduere’sdesiretopleaseme。Ifheknewthatyouhadmademetheseunworthyproposalsthatdangermightnotbeescaped。Besides，letmetellyou，madame，thatIshallbefarhappierinthemoderatecircumstancestowhichyoualludethanIshouldbeintheopulencewithwhichyouaretryingtodazzleme。Forreasonshithertounknown，butwhichwillyetbemadeknown，MonsieurMinoret，bypersecutingmeinanodiousmanner，strengthenedtheaffectionthatexistsbetweenMonsieurdePortenduereandmyself——whichIcannowadmitbecausehismotherhasblessedit。I
　　willalsotellyouthatthisaffection，sanctionedandlegitimate，islifeitselftome。Nodestiny，howeverbrilliant，howeverlofty，couldmakemechange。Ilovewithoutthepossibilityofchanging。ItwouldthereforebeacrimeifImarriedamantowhomIcouldtakenothingbutasoulthatisSavinien’s。But，madame，sinceyouforcemetobeexplicit，ImusttellyouthatevenifIdidnotloveMonsieurdePortenduereIcouldnotbringmyselftobearthetroublesandjoysoflifeinthecompanyofyourson。IfMonsieurSavinienmadedebts，youhaveoftenpaidthoseofyourson。Ourcharactershaveneitherthesimilaritiesnorthedifferenceswhichenabletwopersonstolivetogetherwithoutbitterness。PerhapsIshouldnothavetowardshimtheforbearanceawifeowestoherhusband；Ishouldthenbeatrialtohim。PrayceasetothinkofanallianceofwhichIcountmyselfquiteunworthy，andwhichIfellIcandeclinewithoutpaintoyou；forwiththegreatadvantagesyounametome，youcannotfailtofindsomegirlofbetterstation，morewealth，andmorebeautythanmine。“
　　“Willyousweartome，“saidZelie，“topreventtheseyoungmenfromtakingthatjourneyandfightingthatduel？“
　　“Itwillbe，Iforesee，thegreatestsacrificethatMonsieurdePortenduerecanmaketome，butIshalltellhimthatmybridalcrownmusthavenoblooduponit。“
　　“Well，Ithankyou，cousin，andIcanonlyhopeyouwillbehappy。“
　　“AndI，madame，sincerelywishthatyoumayrealizeallyourexpectationsforthefutureofyourson。“
　　Thesewordsstruckachilltotheheartofthemother，whosuddenlyrememberedthepredictionsofUrsula’slastdream；shestoodstill，hersmalleyesfixedonUrsula’sface，sowhite，sopure，sobeautifulinhermourningdress，forUrsulahadrisentootohastenherso-
　　calledcousin’sdeparture。
　　“Doyoubelieveindreams？“saidZelie。
　　“Isufferfromthemtoomuchnottodoso。“
　　“Butifyoudo——“beganZelie。
　　“Adieu，madame，“exclaimedUrsula，bowingtoMadameMinoretassheheardtheabbe’senteringstep。
　　ThepriestwassurprisedtofindMadameMinoretwithUrsula。Theuneasinessdepictedonthethinandwrinkledfaceoftheformerpostmistressinducedhimtotakenoteofthetwowomen。
　　“Doyoubelieveinspirits？“Zelieaskedhim。
　　“Whatdoyoubelievein？“heanswered，smiling。