第9章

Theyswathetheirheadsinoldlacewhichdeclinestodrapegracefullyabouttheircheeks。Theirwanandelongatedfaces，theirhaggardeyesandfadedbrows，arenotwithoutacertainmelancholygrace，inspiteofthefalsefrontswithflattenedcurlstowhichtheycling，——andyettheseruinsareallsubordinatetoanunspeakabledignityoflookandmanner。

Theredandwrinkledeyesofthisoldladyshowedplainlythatshehadbeencryingduringtheservice。Shewalkedlikeapersonintrouble，seemedtobeexpectingsomeone，andlookedbehindherfromtimetotime。Now，thefactofMadamedePortenduerelookingbehindherwasreallyasremarkableinitswayastheconversionofDoctorMinoret。

“WhocanMadamedePortenduerebelookingfor？“saidMadameMassin，rejoiningtheotherheirs，whowereforthemomentstruckdumbbythedoctor’sanswer。

“Forthecure，“saidDionis，thenotary，suddenlystrikinghisforeheadasifsomeforgottenthoughtormemoryhadoccurredtohim。

“Ihaveanidea！I’llsaveyourinheritance！LetusgoandbreakfastgaylywithMadameMinoret。“

Wecanwellimaginethealacritywithwhichtheheirsfollowedthenotarytotheposthouse。Goupil，whoaccompaniedhisfriendDesire，lockedarminarmwithhim，whisperedsomethingintheyouth’searwithanodioussmile。

“WhatdoIcare？“answeredthesonofthehouse，shrugginghisshoulders。“IammadlyinlovewithFlorine，themostcelestialcreatureintheworld。“

“Florine！andwhomayshebe？“demandedGoupil。“I’mtoofondofyoutoletyoumakeagooseofyourselfwishsuchcreatures。“

“FlorineistheidolofthefamousNathan；mypassioniswasted，I

knowthat。Shehaspositivelyrefusedtomarryme。“

“Sometimesthosegirlswhoarefoolswiththeirbodiesarewisewiththeirheads，“respondedGoupil。

“Ifyoucouldbutseeher——onlyonce，“saidDesire，lackadaisically，“youwouldn’tsaysuchthings。“

“IfIsawyouthrowingawayyourwholefuturefornothingbetterthanafancy，“saidGoupil，withawarmthwhichmightevenhavedeceivedhismaster，“IwouldbreakyourdollasVarneyservedAmyRobsartin’Kenilworth。’Yourwifemustbead’AiglementoraMademoiselleduRouvre，andgetyoumadeadeputy。Myfuturedependsonyours，andI

sha’n’tletyoucommitanyfollies。“

“Iamrichenoughtocareonlyforhappiness，“repliedDesire。

“Whatareyoutwoplottingtogether？“criedZelie，beckoningtothetwofriends，whowerestandinginthemiddleofthecourtyard，tocomeintothehouse。

ThedoctordisappearedintotheRuedesBourgeoiswiththeactivityofayoungman，andsoonreachedhisownhouse，wherestrangeeventshadlatelytakenplace，thevisibleresultsofwhichnowfilledthemindsofthewholecommunityofNemours。Afewexplanationsareneededtomakethishistoryandthenotary’sremarktotheheirsperfectlyintelligibletothereader。

Thefather-in-lawofDoctorMinoret，thefamousharpsichordistandmakerofinstruments，ValentinMirouet，alsooneofourmostcelebratedorganists，diedin1785leavinganaturalson，thechildofhisoldage，whomheacknowledgedandcalledbyhisownname，butwhoturnedoutaworthlessfellow。Hewasdeprivedonhisdeathbedofthecomfortofseeingthispettedson。JosephMirouet，asingerandcomposer，havingmadehisdebutattheItalianoperaunderafeignedname，ranawaywithayoungladyinGermany。Thedyingfathercommendedtheyoungman，whowasreallyfulloftalent，tohisson-in-

law，provingtohim，atthesametime，thathehadrefusedtomarrythemotherthathemightnotinjureMadameMinoret。ThedoctorpromisedtogivetheunfortunateJosephhalfofwhateverhiswifeinheritedfromherfather，whosebusinesswaspurchasedbytheErards。

Hemadeduesearchforhisillegitimatebrother-in-law；butGrimminformedhimonedaythatafterenlistinginaPrussianregimentJosephhaddesertedandtakenafalsenameandthatalleffortstofindhimwouldbefrustrated。

JosephMirouet，giftedbynaturewithadelightfulvoice，afinefigure，ahandsomeface，andbeingmoreoveracomposerofgreattasteandmuchbrilliancy，ledforoverfifteenyearstheBohemianlifewhichHoffmanhassowelldescribed。So，bythetimehewasforty，hewasreducedtosuchdepthsofpovertythathetookadvantageoftheeventsof1806tomakehimselfoncemoreaFrenchman。HesettledinHamburg，wherehemarriedthedaughterofabourgeois，agirldevotedtomusic，whofellinlovewiththesinger(whosefamewaseverprospective)andchosetodevoteherlifetohim。ButafterfifteenyearsofBohemia，JosephMirouetwasunabletobearprosperity；hewasnaturallyaspendthrift，andthoughkindtohiswife，hewastedherfortuneinaveryfewyears。ThehouseholdmusthavedraggedonawretchedexistencebeforeJosephMirouetreachedthepointofenlistingasamusicianinaFrenchregiment。In1813thesurgeon-

majoroftheregiment，bythemerestchance，heardthenameofMirouet，wasstruckbyit，andwrotetoDoctorMinoret，towhomhewasunderobligations。

Theanswerwasnotlongincoming。Asaresult，in1814，beforethealliedoccupation，JosephMirouethadahomeinParis，wherehiswifediedgivingbirthtoalittlegirl，whomthedoctordesiredshouldbecalledUrsulaafterhiswife。Thefatherdidnotlongsurvivethemother，wornout，asshewas，byhardshipandpoverty。Whendyingtheunfortunatemusicianbequeathedhisdaughtertothedoctor，whowasalreadyhergodfather，inspiteofhisrepugnanceforwhathecalledthemummeriesoftheChurch。Havingseenhisownchildrendieinsuccessioneitherindangerousconfinementsorduringthefirstyearoftheirlives，thedoctorhadawaitedwithanxietytheresultofalasthope。Whenanervous，delicate，andsicklywomanbeginswithamiscarriageitisnotunusualtoseehergothroughaseriesofsuchpregnanciesasUrsulaMinoretdid，inspiteofthecareandwatchfulnessandscienceofherhusband。Thepoormanoftenblamedhimselffortheirmutualpersistenceindesiringchildren。Thelastchild，bornafterarestofnearlytwoyears，diedin1792，avictimofitsmother’snervouscondition——ifwelistentophysiologists，whotellusthatintheinexplicablephenomenonofgenerationthechildderivesfromthefatherbybloodandfromthemotherinitsnervoussystem。

Compelledtorenouncethejoysofafeelingallpowerfulwithinhim，thedoctorturnedtobenevolenceasasubstituteforhisdeniedpaternity。Duringhismarriedlife，thuscruellydisappointed，hehadlongedmoreespeciallyforafairlittledaughter，aflowertobringjoytothehouse；hethereforegladlyacceptedJosephMirouet’slegacy，andgavetotheorphanallthehopesofhisvanisheddreams。

Fortwoyearshetookpart，asCatoforPompey，inthemostminuteparticularsofUrsula’slife；hewouldnotallowthenursetosuckleherortotakeheruporputhertobedwithouthim。Hismedicalscienceandhisexperiencewereallputtouseinherservice。Aftergoingthroughmanytrials，alternationsofhopeandfear，andthejoysandlaborsofamother，hehadthehappinessofseeingthischildofthefairGermanwomanandtheFrenchsingeracreatureofvigoroushealthandprofoundsensibility。

Withalltheeagerfeelingsofamotherthehappyoldmanwatchedthegrowthoftheprettyhair，firstdown，thensilk，atlasthair，fineandsoftandclingingtothefingersthatcaressedit。Heoftenkissedthelittlenakedfeetthetoesofwhich，coveredwithapelliclethroughwhichthebloodwasseen，werelikerosebuds。Hewaspassionatelyfondofthechild。Whenshetriedtospeak，orwhenshefixedherbeautifulblueeyesuponsomeobjectwiththatserious，reflectivelookwhichseemsthedawnofthought，andwhichsheendedwithalaugh，hewouldstaybyhersideforhours，seeking，withJordy’shelp，tounderstandthereasons(whichmostpeoplecallcaprices)underlyingthephenomenaofthisdeliciousphaseoflife，whenchildhoodisbothflowerandfruit，aconfusedintelligence，aperpetualmovement，apowerfuldesire。

Ursula’sbeautyandgentlenessmadehersodeartothedoctorthathewouldhavelikedtochangethelawsofnatureinherbehalf。HedeclaredtooldJordythathisteethachedwhenUrsulawascuttinghers。Whenoldmenlovechildrenthereisnolimittotheirpassion——

theyworshipthem。Fortheselittlebeingstheysilencetheirownmaniasorrecallawholepastintheirservice。Experience，patience，sympathy，theacquisitionsoflife，treasureslaboriouslyamassed，allarespentuponthatyounglifeinwhichtheyliveagain；theirintelligencedoesactuallytaketheplaceofmotherhood。Theirwisdom，everonthealert，isequaltotheintuitionofamother；theyrememberthedelicateperceptionswhichintheirownmotherweredivinations，andimportthemintotheexerciseofacompassionwhichiscarriedtoanextremeintheirmindsbyasenseofthechild’sunutterableweakness。Theslownessoftheirmovementstakestheplaceofmaternalgentleness。Inthem，asinchildren，lifeisreducedtoitssimplestexpression；ifmaternalsentimentmakesthemotheraslave，theabandonmentofselfallowsanoldmantodevotehimselfutterly。Forthesereasonsitisnotunusualtoseechildrenincloseintimacywitholdpersons。Theoldsoldier，theoldabbe，theolddoctor，happyinthekissesandcajoleriesoflittleUrsula，wereneverwearyofansweringhertalkandplayingwithher。Farfrommakingthemimpatientherpetulancescharmedthem；andtheygratifiedallherwishes，makingeachthegroundofsomelittletraining。

Thechildgrewupsurroundedbyoldmen，whosmiledatherandmadethemselvesmothersforhersake，allthreeequallyattentiveandprovident。Thankstothiswiseeducation，Ursula’ssouldevelopedinaspherethatsuitedit。Thisrareplantfounditsspecialsoil；itbreathedtheelementsofitstruelifeandassimilatedthesunraysthatbelongedtoit。

“Inwhatfaithdoyouintendtobringupthelittleone？“askedtheabbeofthedoctor，whenUrsulawassixyearsold。

“Inyours，“answeredMinoret。

AnatheistafterthemannerofMonsieurWolmarinthe“NouvelleHeloise“hedidnotclaimtherighttodepriveUrsulaofthebenefitsofferedbytheCatholicreligion。Thedoctor，sittingatthemomentonabenchoutsidetheChinesepagoda，feltthepressureoftheabbe’shandonhis。

“Yes，abbe，everytimeshetalkstomeofGodIshallsendhertoherfriend’Shapron，’“hesaid，imitatingUrsula’sinfantspeech，“Iwishtoseewhetherreligioussentimentisinbornornot。ThereforeIshalldonothingeitherfororagainstthetendenciesofthatyoungsoul；

butinmyheartIhaveappointedyouherspiritualguardian。“