第13章
“Hisname？“
“Ah！totellyouthatImustreadit，orhearit。HeisnamedSavinien；shehasjustspokenhisname；shethinksitsweettosay；
shehaslookedinthealmanacforhisfete-dayandmarkedareddotagainstit，——child’splay，that。Ah！shewilllovewell，withasmuchstrengthaspurity；sheisnotagirltolovetwice；lovewillsodyehersoulandfillitthatshewillrejectallothersentiments。“
“Wheredoyouseethat？“
“Inher。Shewillknowhowtosuffer；sheinheritsthat；herfatherandhermothersufferedmuch。“
Thelastwordsovercamethedoctor，whofeltlessshakenthansurprised。Itispropertostatethatbetweenhersentencesthewomanpausedforseveralminutes，duringwhichtimeherattentionbecamemoreandmoreconcentrated。Shewasseentosee；herforeheadhadasingularaspect；aninwardeffortappearedthere；itseemedtoclearorcloudbysomemysteriouspower，theeffectsofwhichMinorethadseenindyingpersonsatmomentswhentheyappearedtohavethegiftofprophecy。SeveraltimesshemadegestureswhichresembledthoseofUrsula。
“Questionher，“saidthemysteriousstranger，toMinoret，“shewilltellyousecretsyoualonecanknow。“
“DoesUrsulaloveme？“askedMinoret。
“AlmostasmuchasshelovesGod，“wastheanswer。“Butsheisveryunhappyatyourunbelief。YoudonotbelieveinGod；asifyoucouldpreventhisexistence！Hiswordfillstheuniverse。Youarethecauseofheronlysorrow——Hear！sheisplayingscales；shelongstobeabettermusicianthansheis；sheisprovokedwithherself。Sheisthinking，’IfIcouldsing，ifmyvoicewerefine，itwouldreachhisearwhenheiswithhismother。’“
DoctorMinorettookouthispocket-bookandnotedthehour。
“Tellmewhatseedssheplanted？“
“Mignonette，sweet-peas，balsams——“
“Andwhatelse？“
“Larkspur。“
“Whereismymoney？“
“Withyournotary；butyouinvestitsoasnottolosetheinterestofasingleday。“
“Yes，butwhereisthemoneythatIkeepformymonthlyexpenses？“
“Youputitinalargebookboundinred，entitled’PandectsofJustinian，Vol。II。’betweenthelasttwoleaves；thebookisontheshelfoffoliosabovetheglassbuffet。Youhaveawholerowofthem。
Yourmoneyisinthelastvolumenexttothesalon——See！Vol。III。isbeforeVol。II——butyouhavenomoney，itisallin——“
“——thousand-francnotes，“saidthedoctor。
“Icannotsee，theyarefolded。No，therearetwonotesoffivehundredfrancs。“
“Youseethem？“
“Yes。“
“Howdotheylook？“
“Oneisoldandyellow，theotherwhiteandnew。“
Thislastphaseoftheinquirypetrifiedthedoctor。HelookedatBouvardwithabewilderedair；butBouvardandtheSwedenborgian，whowereaccustomedtotheamazementofsceptics，werespeakingtogetherinalowvoiceandappearednottonoticehim。Minoretbeggedthemtoallowhimtoreturnafterdinner。Theoldphilosopherwishedtocomposehismindandshakeoffthisterror，soastoputthisvastpowertosomenewtest，tosubjectittomoredecisiveexperimentsandobtainanswerstocertainquestions，thetruthofwhichshoulddoawaywitheverysortofdoubt。
“Behereatnineo’clockthisevening，“saidthestranger。“Iwillreturntomeetyou。“
DoctorMinoretwasinsoconvulsedastatethathelefttheroomwithoutbowing，followedbyBouvard，whocalledtohimfrombehind。
“Well，whatdoyousay？whatdoyousay？“
“IthinkIammad，Bouvard，“answeredMinoretfromthestepsoftheporte-cochere。“IfthatwomantellsthetruthaboutUrsula，——andnonebutUrsulacanknowthethingsthatsorceresshastoldme，——IshallsaythatYOUARERIGHT。IwishIhadwingstoflytoNemoursthisminuteandverifyherwords。ButIshallhireacarriageandstartatteno’clockto-night。Ah！amIlosingmysenses？“
“Whatwouldyousayifyouknewofalife-longincurablediseasehealedinamoment；ifyousawthatgreatmagnetizerbringsweatintorrentsfromanherpeticpatient，ormakeaparalyzedwomanwalk？“
“Comeanddine，Bouvard；staywithmetillnineo’clock。Imustfindsomedecisive，undeniabletest！“
“Sobeit，oldcomrade，“answeredtheother。
ThereconciledenemiesdinedinthePalais-Royal。Afteralivelyconversation，whichhelpedMinorettoevadethefeveroftheideaswhichwereravaginghisbrain，Bouvardsaidtohim:——
“Ifyouadmitinthatwomanthefacultyofannihilatingoroftraversingspace，ifyouobtainacertaintythathere，inParis，sheseesandhearswhatissaidanddoneinNemours，youmustadmitallothermagneticfacts；theyarenotmoreincrediblethanthese。Askherforsomeoneproofwhichyouknowwillsatisfyyou——foryoumightsupposethatweobtainedinformationtodeceiveyou；butwecannotknow，forinstance，whatwillhappenatnineo’clockinyourgoddaughter’sbedroom。Remember，orwritedown，whatthesleeperwillseeandhear，andthengohome。YourlittleUrsula，whomIdonotknow，isnotouraccomplice，andifshetellsyouthatshehassaidanddonewhatyouhavewrittendown——lowerthyhead，proudHun！“
ThetwofriendsreturnedtothehouseoppositetotheAssumptionandfoundthesomnambulist，whoinherwakingstatedidnotrecognizeDoctorMinoret。TheeyesofthiswomanclosedgentlybeforethehandoftheSwedenborgian，whichwasstretchedtowardsheratalittledistance，andshetooktheattitudeinwhichMinorethadfirstseenher。Whenherhandandthatofthedoctorwereagainjoined，heaskedhertotellhimwhatwashappeninginhishouseatNemoursatthatinstant。“WhatisUrsuladoing？“hesaid。
“Sheisundressed；shehasjustcurledherhair；sheiskneelingonherprie-Dieu，beforeanivorycrucifixfastenedtoaredvelvetbackground。“
“Whatisshesaying？“
“Hereveningprayers；sheiscommendingherselftoGod；sheimploreshimtosavehersoulfromevilthoughts；sheexaminesherconscienceandrecallswhatshehasdoneduringtheday；thatshemayknowifshehasfailedtoobeyhiscommandsandthoseofthechurch——poordearlittlesoul，shelaysbareherbreast！“Tearswereinthesleeper’seyes。“Shehasdonenosin，butsheblamesherselfforthinkingtoomuchofSavinien。ShestopstowonderwhatheisdoinginParis；shepraystoGodtomakehimhappy。Shespeaksofyou；sheisprayingaloud。“
“Tellmeherwords。“Minorettookhispencilandwrote，asthesleeperutteredit，thefollowingprayer，evidentlycomposedbytheAbbeChaperon。
“MyGod，ifthouartcontentwiththinehandmaid，whoworshipstheeandpraystotheewithalovethatisequaltoherdevotion，whostrivesnottowanderfromthysacredpaths，whowouldgladlydieasthySondiedtoglorifythyname，whodesirestoliveintheshadowofthywill——OGod，whoknoweththeheart，opentheeyesofmygodfather，leadhiminthewayofsalvation，granthimthyDivinegrace，thathemaylivefortheeinhislastdays；savehimfromevil，andletmesufferinhisstead。KindSaintUrsula，dearprotectress，andyou，MotherofGod，queenofheaven，archangels，andsaintsinParadise，hearme！joinyourintercessionstomineandhavemercyuponus。“
ThesleeperimitatedsoperfectlytheartlessgesturesandtheinspiredmannerofhischildthatDoctorMinoret’seyeswerefilledwithtears。
“Doesshesaymore？“heasked。
“Yes。“
“Repeatit。“
“’Mydeargodfather；IwonderwhoplaysbackgammonwithhiminParis。’
Shehasblownoutthelight——herheadisonthepillow——sheturnstosleep！Ah！sheisoff！Howprettyshelooksinherlittlenight-cap。“
MinoretbowedtothegreatUnknown，wrungBouvardbythehand，randownstairsandhastenedtoacab-standwhichatthattimewasnearthegatesofahousesincepulleddowntomakeroomfortheRued’Alger。
TherehefoundacoachmanwhowaswillingtostartimmediatelyforFontainebleau。Themomentthepricewasagreedon，theoldman，whoseemedtohaverenewedhisyouth，jumpedintothecarriageandstarted。Accordingtoagreement，hestoppedtorestthehorseatEssonne，butarrivedatFontainebleauintimeforthediligencetoNemours，onwhichhesecuredaseat，anddismissedhiscoachman。Hereachedhomeatfiveinthemorning，andwenttobed，withhislife-
longideasofphysiology，nature，andmetaphysicsinruinsabouthim，andslepttillnineo’clock，soweariedwashewiththeeventsofhisjourney。