第17章
“Letustameher，“saidMadameMassin。“Andbesides，uncle，“addedthegoodhousewife，tryingtohideherrealmotiveunderamaskofeconomy，“theytellusthedeargirlhassuchtalentforthefortethatweareveryanxioustohearher。MadameCremiereandIareinclinedtotakehermusic-masterforourchildren。Ifthereweresixoreightscholarsinaclassitwouldbringthepriceofhislessonswithinourmeans。“
“Certainly，“saidtheoldman，“anditwillbeallthebetterformebecauseIwanttogiveUrsulaasinging-master。“
“Well，to-nightthen，uncle。Wewillbringyourgreat-nephewDesiretoseeyou；heisnowalawyer。“
“Yes，to-night，“echoedMinoret，meaningtofathomthemotivesofthesepettysouls。
ThetwoniecespressedUrsula’shand，saying，withaffectedeagerness，“Aurevoir。“
“Oh，godfather，youhavereadmyheart！“criedUrsula，givinghimagratefullook。
“Youaregoingtohaveavoice，“hesaid；“andIshallgiveyoumastersofdrawingandItalianalso。Awoman，“addedthedoctor，lookingatUrsulaasheunfastenedthegateofhishouse，“oughttobeeducatedtotheheightofeverypositioninwhichhermarriagemayplaceher。“
Ursulagrewredasacherry；hergodfather’sthoughtsevidentlyturnedinthesamedirectionasherown。FeelingthatshewastoonearconfessingtothedoctortheinvoluntaryattractionwhichledhertothinkaboutSavinienandtocenterallherideasofaffectionuponhim，sheturnedasideandsatdowninfrontofagreatclusterofclimbingplants，onthedarkbackgroundofwhichshelookedatadistancelikeablueandwhiteflower。
“Nowyousee，godfather，thatyournieceswereverykindtome；yes，theywereverykind，“sherepeatedasheapproachedher，tochangethethoughtsthatmadehimpensive。
“Poorlittlegirl！“criedtheoldman。
HelaidUrsula’shanduponhisarm，tappingitgently，andtookhertotheterracesbesidetheriver，wherenoonecouldhearthem。
“Whydoyousay，’Poorlittlegirl’？“
“Don’tyouseehowtheyfearyou？“
“Fearme，——why？“
“Mynextofkinareveryuneasyaboutmyconversion。Theynodoubtattributeittoyourinfluenceoverme；theyfancyIdeprivethemoftheirinheritancetoenrichyou。“
“Butyouwon’tdothat？“saidUrsulanaively，lookingupathim。
“Oh，divineconsolationofmyoldage！“saidthedoctor，takinghisgodchildinhisarmsandkissingheronbothcheeks。“Itwasforherandnotformyself，ohGod！thatIbesoughttheejustnowtoletmeliveuntilthedayIgivehertosomegoodbeingwhoisworthyofher！——
Youwillseecomedies，mylittleangel，comedieswhichtheMinoretsandCremieresandMassinswillcomeandplayhere。Youwanttobrightenandprolongmylife；theyarelongingformydeath。“
“Godforbidsustohateanyone，butifthatis——Ah！Idespisethem！“
exclaimedUrsula。
“Dinnerisready！“calledLaBougivalfromtheportico，which，onthegardenside，wasattheendofthecorridor。
Ursulaandhergodfatherweresittingatdessertintheprettydining-
roomdecoratedwithChinesedesignsinblackandgoldlacquer(thefollyofLevrault-Levrault)whenthejusticeofpeacearrived。Thedoctorofferedhim(andthiswasagreatmarkofintimacy)acupofhiscoffee，amixtureofMochawithBourbonandMartinique，roasted，ground，andmadebyhimselfinasilverapparatuscalledaChaptal。
“Well，“saidBongrand，pushinguphisglassesandlookingslylyattheoldman，“thetownisincommotion；yourappearanceinchurchhasputyourrelativesbesidethemselves。Youhaveleftyourfortunetothepriests，tothepoor。Youhaverousedthefamilies，andtheyarebestirringthemselves。Ha！ha！Isawtheirfirstirruptionintothesquare；theywereasbusyasantswhohavelosttheireggs。“
“WhatdidItellyou，Ursula？“criedthedoctor。“Attheriskofgrievingyou，mychild，Imustteachyoutoknowtheworldandputyouonyourguardagainstundeservedenmity。“
“Ishouldliketosayawordtoyouonthissubject，“saidBongrand，seizingtheoccasiontospeaktohisoldfriendofUrsula’sfuture。
Thedoctorputablackvelvetcaponhiswhitehead，thejusticeofpeaceworehishattoprotecthimfromthenightair，andtheywalkedupanddowntheterracediscussingthemeansofsecuringtoUrsulawhathergodfatherintendedtobequeathher。BongrandknewDionis’sopinionastotheinvalidityofawillmadebythedoctorinfavorofUrsula；forNemourswassopreoccupiedwiththeMinoretaffairsthatthematterhadbeenmuchdiscussedamongthelawyersofthelittletown。BongrandconsideredthatUrsulawasnotarelativeofDoctorMinoret，buthefeltthatthewholespiritoflegislationwasagainstthefoistingintofamiliesofillegitimateoff-shoots。ThemakersoftheCodehadforeseenonlytheweaknessoffathersandmothersfortheirnaturalchildren，withoutconsideringthatunclesandauntsmighthavealiketendernessandadesiretoprovideforsuchchildren。Evidentlytherewasagapinthelaw。
“Inallothercountries，“hesaid，endinganexplanationofthelegalpointswhichDionis，Goupil，andDesirehadjustexplainedtotheheirs，“Ursulawouldhavenothingtofear；sheisalegitimatechild，andthedisabilityofherfatheroughtonlytoaffecttheinheritancefromValentineMirouet，hergrandfather。ButinFrancethemagistracyisunfortunatelyoverwiseandveryconsequential；itinquiresintothespiritofthelaw。Somelawyerstalkmorality，andmighttrytoshowthatthishiatusintheCodecamefromthesimple-mindednessofthelegislators，whodidnotforeseethecase，though，nonetheless，theyestablishedaprinciple。Tobringasuitwouldbelongandexpensive。
Zeliewouldcarryittothecourtofappeals，andImightnotbealivewhenthecasewastried。“
“Thebestofcasesisoftenworthless，“criedthedoctor。“Here’sthequestionthelawyerswillput，’Towhatdegreeofrelationshipoughtthedisabilityofnaturalchildreninmattersofinheritancetoextend？’andthecreditofagoodlawyerwilllieingainingabadcause。“
“Faith！“saidBongrand，“Idarenottakeuponmyselftoaffirmthatthejudgeswouldn’tinterpretthemeaningofthelawasincreasingtheprotectiongiventomarriage，theeternalbaseofsociety。“
Withoutexplaininghisintentions，thedoctorrejectedtheideaofatrust。WhenBongrandsuggestedtohimamarriagewithUrsulaasthesurestmeansofsecuringhispropertytoher，heexclaimed，“Poorlittlegirl！Imightlivefifteenyears；whatafateforher！“
“Well，whatwillyoudo，then？“askedBongrand。
“We’llthinkaboutit——I’llsee，“saidtheoldman，evidentlyatalossforareply。
JustthenUrsulacametosaythatMonsieurDioniswishedtospeaktothedoctor。
“Already！“criedMinoret，lookingatBongrand。“Yes，“hesaidtoUrsula，“sendhimhere。“
“I’llbetmyspectaclestoabunchofmatchesthatheistheadvance-
guardofyourheirs，“saidBongrand。“Theybreakfastedtogetherattheposthouse，andsomethingisbeingengineered。“
Thenotary，conductedbyUrsula，cametothelowerendofthegarden。
Aftertheusualgreetingsandafewinsignificantremarks，Dionisaskedforaprivateinterview；UrsulaandBongrandretiredtothesalon。
Thedistrustwhichsuperiormenexciteinmenofbusinessisveryremarkable。Thelatterdenythemthe“lesser“powerswhilerecognizingtheirpossessionofthe“higher。“Itis，perhaps，atributetothem。
Seeingthemalwaysonthehigherplaneofhumanthings，menofbusinessbelievethemincapableofdescendingtotheinfinitelypettydetailswhich(likethedividendsoffinanceandthemicroscopicfactsofscience)gotoequalizecapitalandtoformtheworlds。Theyaremistaken！Themanofhonorandofgeniusseesall。Bongrand，piquedbythedoctor’ssilence，butimpelledbyasenseofUrsula’sinterestswhichhethoughtendangered，resolvedtodefendheragainsttheheirs。
HewaswretchedatnotknowingwhatwastakingplacebetweentheoldmanandDionis。
“NomatterhowpureandinnocentUrsulamaybe，“hethoughtashelookedather，“thereisapointonwhichyounggirlsdomaketheirownlawandtheirownmorality。I’lltesthere。TheMinoret-
Levraults，“hebegan，settlinghisspectacles，“mightpossiblyaskyouinmarriagefortheirson。“
Thepoorchildturnedpale。Shewastoowelltrained，andhadtoomuchdelicacytolistentowhatDioniswassayingtoheruncle；butafteramoment’sinwarddeliberation，shethoughtshemightshowherself，andthen，ifshewasintheway，hergodfatherwouldletherknowit。TheChinesepagodawhichthedoctormadehisstudyhadoutsideblindstotheglassdoors；Ursulainventedtheexcuseofshuttingthem。ShebeggedMonsieurBongrand’spardonforleavinghimaloneinthesalon，buthesmiledatherandsaid，“Go！go！“
Ursulawentdownthestepsoftheporticowhichledtothepagodaatthefootofthegarden。Shestoodforsomeminutesslowlyarrangingtheblindsandwatchingthesunset。Thedoctorandnotarywereattheendoftheterrace，butastheyturnedsheheardthedoctormakeananswerwhichreachedthepagodawhereshewas。