第16章
Asifhehadpulledthestringofapuppet-show，startingthelittlepeopleinjerksbymeansofmachinery，Dionisbeheldalleyesturnedonhimandallfacesrigidinoneandthesamepose。
“BUTnolawpreventsyourunclefromadoptingormarryingUrsula，“hecontinued。“Asforadoption，thatcouldbecontested，andyouwould，I
think，haveequityonyourside。Theroyalcourtswouldnevertriflewithquestionsofadoptions；youwouldgetahearingthere。ItistruethedoctorisanofficeroftheLegionofhonor，andwasformerlysurgeontotheex-emperor；but，nevertheless，hewouldgettheworstofit。Moreover，youwouldhaveduewarningincaseofadoption——buthowaboutmarriage？OldMinoretisshrewdenoughtogotoParisandmarryherafterayear’sdomicile，andgiveheramillionbythemarriagecontract。Theonlything，therefore，thatreallyputsyourpropertyindangerisyouruncle’smarriagewiththegirl。“
Herethenotarypaused。
“There’sanotherdanger，“saidGoupil，withaknowingair，——“thatofawillmadeinfavorofathirdperson，oldBongrandforinstance，whowillholdthepropertyintrustforMademoiselleUrsula——“
“Ifyouteaseyouruncle，“continuedDionis，cuttingshorthishead-
clerk，“ifyouarenotallofyouverypolitetoUrsula，youwilldrivehimintoeitheramarriageorintomakingthatprivatetrustwhichGoupilspeaksof，——thoughIdon’tthinkhimcapableofthat；itisadangerousthing。Asformarriage，thatiseasytoprevent。Desiretherehasonlygottoholdoutafingertothegirl；she’ssuretopreferahandsomeyoungman，cockofthewalkinNemours，toanoldone。“
“Mother，“saidDesiretoZelie’sear，asmuchalluredbythemillionsasbyUrsula’sbeauty，“IfImarriedherweshouldgetthewholeproperty。“
“Areyoucrazy？——you，who’llsomedayhavefiftythousandfrancsayearandbemadeadeputy！AslongasIliveyounevershallcutyourthroatbyafoolishmarriage。Sevenhundredthousandfrancs，indeed！
Why，themayor’sonlydaughterwillhavefiftythousandayear，andtheyhavealreadyproposedhertome——“
Thisreply，thefirstroughspeechhismotherhadevermadetohim，extinguishedinDesire’sbreastalldesireforamarriagewiththebeautifulUrsula；forhisfatherandhenevergotthebetterofanydecisiononcewrittenintheterribleblueeyesofZelieMinoret。
“Yes，butseehere，MonsieurDionis，“criedCremiere，whosewifehadbeennudginghim，“ifthegoodmantookthethingseriouslyandmarriedhisgoddaughtertoDesire，givingherthereversionofalltheproperty，good-bytoourshareinit；ifhelivesfiveyearslongerunclemaybeworthamillion。“
“Never！“criedZelie，“neverinmylifeshallDesiremarrythedaughterofabastard，agirlpickedupinthestreetsoutofcharity。
MysonwillrepresenttheMinoretsafterthedeathofhisuncle，andtheMinoretshavefivehundredyearsofgoodbourgeoisiebehindthem。
That’sequaltothenobility。Don’tbeuneasy，anyofyou；DesirewillmarrywhenwefindachancetoputhimintheChamberofdeputies。“
ThisloftydeclarationwasbackedbyGoupil，whosaid:——
“Desire，withanallowanceoftwenty-fourthousandfrancsayear，willbepresidentofaroyalcourtorsolicitor-general；eitherofficeleadstothepeerage。Afoolishmarriagewouldruinhim。“
Theheirswerenowalltalkingatonce；buttheysuddenlyheldtheirtongueswhenMinoretrappedonthetablewithhisfisttokeepsilenceforthenotary。
“Youruncleisaworthyman，“continuedDionis。“Hebelieveshe’simmortal；and，likemostclevermen，he’llletdeathovertakehimbeforehehasmadeawill。Myadvicethereforeistoinducehimtoinvesthiscapitalinawaythatwillmakeitdifficultforhimtodisinherityou，andIknowofanopportunity，madetohand。ThatlittlePortenduereisinSaint-Pelagie，locked-upforonehundredandsomeoddthousandfrancs’worthofdebt。Hisoldmotherknowsheisinprison；sheiscryinglikeaMagdalen。Theabbeistodinewithher；
nodoubtshewantstotalktohimabouthertroubles。Well，I’llgoandseeyouruncleto-nightandpersuadehimtosellhisfivepercentconsols，whicharenowat118，andlendMadamedePortenduere，onthesecurityofherfarmatBordieresandherhousehere，enoughtopaythedebtsoftheprodigalson。IhavearightasnotarytospeaktohiminbehalfofyoungPortenduere；anditisquitenaturalthatI
shouldwishtomakehimchangehisinvestments；Igetdeedsandcommissionsoutofthebusiness。IfIbecomehisadviserI’llproposetohimotherlandinvestmentsforhissurpluscapital；Ihavesomeexcellentonesnowinmyoffice。Ifhisfortunewereonceinvestedinlandedestateorinmortgagenotesinthisneighbourhood，itcouldnottakewingstoitselfveryeasily。Itiseasytomakedifficultiesbetweenthewishtorealizeandtherealization。“
Theheirs，struckwiththetruthofthisargument(muchclevererthanthatofMonsieurJosse)，murmuredapproval。
“Youmustbecareful，“saidthenotaryinconclusion，“tokeepyouruncleinNemours，wherehishabitsareknown，andwhereyoucanwatchhim。Findhimaloverforthegirlandyou’llpreventhismarryingherhimself。“
“Supposeshemarriedthelover？“saidGoupil，seizedbyanambitiousdesire。
“Thatwouldn’tbeabadthing；thenyoucouldfigureuptheloss；theoldmanwouldhavetosayhowmuchhegivesher，“repliedthenotary。
“ButifyousetDesireatherhecouldkeepthegirldanglingontilltheoldmandied。Marriagesaremadeandunmade。“
“Theshortestway，“saidGoupil，“ifthedoctorislikelytolivemuchlonger，istomarryhertosomeworthyyoungmanwhowillgetheroutofyourwaybysettlingatSens，orMontargis，orOrleanswithahundredthousandfrancsinhand。“
Dionis，Massin，Zelie，andGoupil，theonlyintelligentheadsinthecompany，exchangedfourthoughtfulsmiles。
“He’dbeawormatthecore，“whisperedZelietoMassin。
“Howdidhegethere？“returnedtheclerk。
“Thatwilljustsuityou！“criedDesiretoGoupil。“Butdoyouthinkyoucanbehavedecentlyenoughtosatisfytheoldmanandthegirl？“
“Inthesedays，“whisperedZelieagaininMassin’syear，“notarieslookoutfornointerestsbuttheirown。SupposeDioniswentovertoUrsulajusttogettheoldman’sbusiness？“
“Iamsureofhim，“saidtheclerkofthecourt，givingheraslylookoutofhisspitefullittleeyes。Hewasjustgoingtoadd，“becauseI
holdsomethingoverhim，“buthewithheldthewords。
“IamquiteofDionis’sopinion，“hesaidaloud。
“SoamI，“criedZelie，whonowsuspectedthenotaryofcollusionwiththeclerk。
“Mywifehasvoted！“saidthepostmaster，sippinghisbrandy，thoughhisfacewasalreadypurplefromdigestinghismealandabsorbinganotablequantityofliquids。
“Andveryproperly，“remarkedthecollector。
“Ishallgoandseethedoctorafterdinner，“saidDionis。
“IfMonsieurDionis’sadviceisgood，“saidMadameCremieretoMadameMassin，“wehadbettergoandcallonouruncle，asweusedtodo，everySundayevening，andbehaveexactlyasMonsieurDionishastoldus。“
“Yes，andbereceivedashereceivedus！“criedZelie。“MinoretandI
havemorethanfortythousandfrancsayear，andyetherefusedourinvitations！Wearequitehisequals。IfIdon’tknowhowtowriteprescriptionsIknowhowtopaddlemyboataswellashe——Icantellhimthat！“
“AsIamfarfromhavingfortythousandfrancsayear，“saidMadameMassin，ratherpiqued，“Idon’twanttolosetenthousand。“
“Wearehisnieces；weoughttotakecareofhim，andthenbesidesweshallseehowthingsaregoing，“saidMadameCremiere；“you’llthankussomeday，cousin。“
“TreatUrsulakindly，“saidthenotary，liftinghisrightforefingertothelevelofhislips；“rememberoldJordyleftherhissavings。“
“YouhavemanagedthosefoolsaswellasDesroches，thebestlawyerinParis，couldhavedone，“saidGoupiltohispatronastheyleftthepost-house。
“Andnowtheyarequarrelingovermyfee，“repliedthenotary，smilingbitterly。
Theheirs，afterpartingwithDionisandhisclerk，metagaininthesquare，withfaceratherflushedfromtheirbreakfast，justasvesperswereover。Asthenotarypredicted，theAbbeChaperonhadMadamedePortenduereonhisarm。
“Shedraggedhimtovespers，see！“criedMadameMassintoMadameCremiere，pointingtoUrsulaandthedoctor，whowereleavingthechurch。
“Letusgoandspeaktohim，“saidMadameCremiere，approachingtheoldman。
Thechangeinthefacesofhisrelatives(producedbytheconference)
didnotescapeDoctorMinoret。Hetriedtoguessthereasonofthissuddenamiability，andoutofsheercuriosityencouragedUrsulatostopandspeaktothetwowomen，whowereeagertogreetherwithexaggeratedaffectionandforcedsmiles。
“Uncle，willyoupermitmetocomeandseeyouto-night？“saidMadameCremiere。“Wefearedsometimeswewereinyourway——butitissuchalongtimesinceourchildrenhavepaidyoutheirrespects；ourgirlsareoldenoughnowtomakedearUrsula’sacquaintance。“
“Ursulaisalittlebear，likehername，“repliedthedoctor。