第4章
ThoughthenameofMinoretobtainedduringthelivelydebatestowhichmesmerismgaveriseacertaincelebritywhichoccasionallyrecalledhimtothemindsofhisrelatives，stilltheRevolutionwassogreatadestroyeroffamilyrelationsthatin1813NemoursknewlittleofDoctorMinoret，whowasinducedtothinkofreturningtheretodie，liketheharetoitsform，byacircumstancethatwaswhollyaccidental。
WhohasnotfeltintravelingthroughFrance，wheretheeyeisoftenweariedbythemonotonyofplains，thecharmingsensationofcomingsuddenly，whentheeyeispreparedforabarrenlandscape，uponafreshcoolvalley，wateredbyariver，withalittletownshelteringbeneathaclifflikeaswarmofbeesinthehollowofanoldwillow？
Wakenedbythe“hu！hu！“ofthepostilionashewalksbesidehishorses，weshakeoffsleepandadmire，likeadreamwithinadream，thebeautifulscenewhichistothetravelerwhatanoblepassageinabookistoareader，——abrilliantthoughtofNature。SuchisthesensationcausedbyafirstsightofNemoursasweapproachitfromBurgundy。Weseeitencircledwithbarerocks，gray，black，white，fantasticinshapelikethosewefindintheforestofFontainebleau；
fromthemspringscatteredtrees，clearlydefinedagainstthesky，whichgivetothisparticularrockformationthedilapidatedlookofacrumblingwall。HereendsthelongwoodedhillwhichcreepsfromNemourstoBouron，skirtingtheroad。Atthebottomofthisirregularampitheaterliemeadow-landsthroughwhichflowstheLoing，formingsheetsofwaterwithmanyfalls。Thisdelightfullandscape，whichcontinuesthewholewaytoMontargis，islikeanoperascene，foritseffectsreallyseemtohavebeenstudied。
OnemorningDoctorMinoret，whohadbeensummonedintoBurgundybyarichpatient，wasreturninginallhastetoParis。Nothavingmentionedatthelastrelaytherouteheintendedtotake，hewasbroughtwithouthisknowledgethroughNemours，andbeheldoncemore，onwakingfromanap，thesceneryinwhichhischildhoodhadbeenpassed。Hehadlatelylostmanyofhisoldfriends。ThevotaryoftheEncyclopedistshadwitnessedtheconversionofLaHarpe；hehadburiedLebrun-PindareandMarie-JosephdeChenier，andMorellet，andMadameHelvetius。Heassistedatthequasi-fallofVoltairewhenassailedbyGeoffroy，thecontinuatorofFreton。Forsometimepasthehadthoughtofretiring，andso，whenhispostchaisestoppedattheheadoftheGrand’RueofNemours，hisheartpromptedhimtoinquireforhisfamily。Minoret-Levrault，thepostmaster，cameforwardhimselftoseethedoctor，whodiscoveredhimtobethesonofhiseldestbrother。
Thenephewpresentedthedoctortohiswife，theonlydaughterofthelateLevrault-Cremiere，whohaddiedtwelveyearsearlier，leavinghimthepostbusinessandthefinestinninNemours。
“Well，nephew，“saidthedoctor，“haveIanyotherrelatives？“
“MyauntMinoret，yoursister，marriedaMassin-Massin——“
“Yes，Iknow，thebailiffofSaint-Lange。“
“Shediedawidowleavinganonlydaughter，whohaslatelymarriedaCremiere-Cremiere，afineyoungfellow，stillwithoutaplace。“
“Ah！sheismyownniece。Now，asmybrother，thesailor，diedabachelor，andCaptainMinoretwaskilledatMonte-Legino，andhereI
am，thatendsthepaternalline。HaveIanyrelationsonthematernalside？MymotherwasaJean-Massin-Levrault。“
“OftheJean-Massin-Levrault’sthere’sonlyoneleft，“answeredMinoret-Levrault，“namely，Jean-Massin，whomarriedMonsieurCremiere-
Levrault-Dionis，apurveyorofforage，whoperishedonthescaffold。
Hiswifediedofdespairandwithoutapenny，leavingonedaughter，marriedtoaLevrault-Minoret，afarmeratMontereau，whoisdoingwell；theirdaughterhasjustmarriedaMassin-Levrault，notary’sclerkatMontargis，wherehisfatherisalocksmith。“
“SoI’veplentyofheirs，“saidthedoctorgayly，immediatelyproposingtotakeawalkthroughNemoursaccompaniedbyhisnephew。
TheLoingrunsthroughthetowninawavingline，bankedbyterracedgardensandneathouses，theaspectofwhichmakesonefancythathappinessmustabidetheresoonerthanelsewhere。WhenthedoctorturnedintotheRuedesBourgeois，Minoret-LevraultpointedoutthepropertyofLevrault-Levrault，arichironmerchantinPariswho，hesaid，hadjustdied。
“Theplaceisforsale，uncle，andaveryprettyhouseitis；there’sacharminggardenrunningdowntotheriver。“
“Letusgoin，“saidthedoctor，seeing，atthefartherendofasmallpavedcourtyard，ahousestandingbetweenthewallsofthetwoneighbouringhouseswhichweremaskedbyclumpsoftreesandclimbing-
plants。
“Itisbuiltoveracellar，“saidthedoctor，goingupthestepsofahighporticoadornedwithvasesofblueandwhitepotteryinwhichgeraniumsweregrowing。
Cutintwo，likethemajorityofprovincialhouses，byalongpassagewhichledfromthecourtyardtothegarden，thehousehadonlyoneroomtotheright，asalonlightedbyfourwindows，twoonthecourtyardandtwoonthegarden；butLevrault-Levraulthadusedoneofthesewindowstomakeanentrancetoalonggreenhousebuiltofbrickwhichextendedfromthesalontowardstheriver，endinginahorribleChinesepagoda。
“Good！bybuildingarooftothatgreenhouseandlayingafloor，“saidoldMinoret，“Icouldputmybookthereandmakeaverycomfortablestudyofthatextraordinarybitofarchitectureattheend。“
Ontheothersideofthepassage，towardthegarden，wasthedining-
room，decoratedinimitationofblacklacquerwithgreenandgoldflowers；thiswasseparatedfromthekitchenbythewellofthestaircase。Communicationwiththekitchenwashadthroughalittlepantrybuiltbehindthestaircase，thekitchenitselflookingintothecourtyardthroughwindowswithironrailings。Thereweretwochambersonthenextfloor，andabovethem，atticroomssheathedinwood，whichwerefairlyhabitable。Afterexaminingthehouserapidly，andobservingthatitwascoveredwithtrellisesfromtoptobottom，onthesideofthecourtyardaswellasonthattothegarden，——whichendedinaterraceoverlookingtheriverandadornedwithpotteryvases，——thedoctorremarked:——
“Levrault-Levraultmusthavespendagooddealofmoneyhere。“
“Ho！Ishouldthinkso，“answeredMinoret-Levrault。“Helikedflowers——nonsense！’Whatdotheybringin？’saysmywife。YousawinsidetherehowanartistcamefromParistopaintflowersinfrescointhecorridor。Heputthoseenormousmirrorseverywhere。Theceilingswereallre-madewithcorniceswhichcostsixfrancsafoot。Thedining-
roomfloorisinmarquetry——perfectfolly！Thehousewon’tsellforapennythemore。“
“Well，nephew，buyitforme:letmeknowwhatyoudoaboutit；here’smyaddress。TherestIleavetomynotary。Wholivesopposite？“heasked，astheyleftthehouse。
“Emigres，“answeredthepostmaster，“namedPortenduere。“
Thehouseoncebought，theillustriousdoctor，insteadofleavingthere，wrotetohisnephewtoletit。TheFolie-LevraughtwasthereforeoccupiedbythenotaryofNemours，whoaboutthattimesoldhispracticetoDionis，hishead-clerk，anddiedtwoyearslater，leavingthehouseonthedoctor’shands，justatthetimewhenthefateofNapoleonwasbeingdecidedintheneighbourhood。Thedoctor’sheirs，atfirstmisled，hadbythistimedecidedthathisthoughtofreturningtohisnativeplacewasmerelyarichman’sfancy，andthatprobablyhehadsometieinPariswhichwouldkeephimthereandcheatthemoftheirhoped-forinheritance。However，Minoret-Levrault’swifeseizedtheoccasiontowritehimaletter。Theoldmanrepliedthatassoonaspeacewassigned，theroadsclearedofsoldiers，andsafecommunicationsestablished，hemeanttogoandliveatNemours。Hedid，infact，putinanappearancewithtwoofhisclients，thearchitectofhishospitalandanupholsterer，whotookchargeoftherepairs，theindoorarrangements，andthetransportationofthefurniture。MadameMinoret-Levraultproposedthecookofthelatenotaryascaretaker，andthewomanwasaccepted。
Whentheheirsheardthattheiruncleandgreat-uncleMinoretwasreallycomingtoliveinNemours，theywereseized(inspiteofthepoliticaleventswhichwerejustthenweighingsoheavilyonBrieandontheGatinais)withadevouringcuriosity，whichwasnotsurprising。
Washerich？Economicalorspendthrift？Wouldheleaveafinefortuneornothing？Washispropertyinannuities？Intheendtheyfoundoutwhatfollows，butonlybytakinginfinitepainsandemployingmuchsubterraneousspying。
Afterthedeathofhiswife，UrsulaMirouet，andbetweentheyears1789and1813，thedoctor(whohadbeenappointedconsultingphysiciantotheEmperorin1805)musthavemadeagooddealofmoney；butnooneknewhowmuch。Helivedsimply，withoutotherextravaganciesthanacarriagebytheyearandasumptuousapartment。Hereceivednoguests，anddinedoutalmosteveryday。Hishousekeeper，furiousatnotbeingallowedtogowithhimtoNemours，toldZelieLevrault，thepostmaster’swife，thatsheknewthedoctorhadfourteenthousandfrancsayearonthe“grand-livre。“Now，aftertwentyyears’exerciseofaprofessionwhichhispositionasheadofahospital，physiciantotheEmperor，andmemberoftheInstitute，renderedlucrative，thesefourteenthousandfrancsayearshowedonlyonehundredandsixtythousandfrancslaidby。Tohavesavedonlyeightthousandfrancsayearthedoctormusthavehadeithermanyvicesormanyvirtuestogratify。ButneitherhishousekeepernorZelienoranyoneelsecoulddiscoverthereasonforsuchmoderatemeans。Minoret，whowhenheleftitwasmuchregrettedinthequarterofPariswherehehadlived，wasoneofthemostbenevolentofmen，and，likeLarrey，kepthiskinddeedsaprofoundsecret。
Theheirswatchedthearrivaloftheiruncle’sfinefurnitureandlargelibrarywithcomplacency，andlookedforwardtohisowncoming，hebeingnowanofficeroftheLegionofhonor，andlatelyappointedbythekingachevalieroftheorderofSaint-Michel——perhapsonaccountofhisretirement，whichleftavacancyforsomefavorite。Butwhenthearchitectandpainterandupholstererhadarrangedeverythinginthemostcomfortablemanner，thedoctordidnotcome。MadameMinoret-Levrault，whokeptaneyeontheupholstererandarchitectasifherownpropertywasconcerned，foundout，throughtheindiscretionofayoungmansenttoarrangethebooks，thatthedoctorwastakingcareofalittleorphannamedUrsula。Thenewsflewlikewild-firethroughthetown。Atlast，however，towardsthemiddleofthemonthofJanuary，1815，theoldmanactuallyarrived，installinghimselfquietly，almostslyly，withalittlegirlabouttenmonthsold，andanurse。