第18章
“Myheirswouldbedelightedtoseemeinvestmypropertyinrealestateormortgages；theyimagineitwouldbesaferthere。Iknowexactlywhattheyaresaying；perhapsyoucomefromthem。Letmetellyou，mygoodsir，thatmydispositionofmypropertyisirrevocablymade。MyheirswillhavethecapitalIbroughtherewithme；Iwishthemtoknowthat，andtoletmealone。IfanyoneofthemattemptstointerferewithwhatIthinkpropertodoforthatyounggirl(pointingtoUrsula)Ishallcomebackfromtheotherworldandtormenthim。So，MonsieurSaviniendePortenduerewillstayinprisoniftheycountonmetogethimout。IshallnotsellmypropertyintheFunds。“
HearingthislastfragmentofthesentenceUrsulaexperiencedthefirstandonlypainwhichsofarhadevertouchedher。Shelaidherheadagainsttheblindtosteadyherself。
“GoodGod，whatisthematterwithher？“thoughttheolddoctor。“Shehasnocolor；suchanemotionafterdinnermightkillher。“
Hewenttoherwithopenarms，andshefellintothemalmostfainting。
“Adieu，Monsieur，“hesaidtothenotary，“pleaseleaveus。“
HecarriedhischildtoanimmenseLouisXV。sofawhichwasinhisstudy，lookedforaphialofhartshornamonghisremedies，andmadeherinhaleit。
“Takemyplace，“saidthedoctortoBongrand，whowasterrified；“I
mustbealonewithher。“
Thejusticeofpeaceaccompaniedthenotarytothegate，askinghim，butwithoutshowinganyeagerness，whatwasthematterwithUrsula。
“Idon’tknow，“repliedDionis。“Shewasstandingbythepagoda，listeningtous，andjustasheruncle(so-called)refusedtolendsomemoneyatmyrequesttoyoungdePortenduerewhoisinprisonfordebt，——forhehasnothad，likeMonsieurduRouvre，aMonsieurBongrandtodefendhim，——sheturnedpaleandstaggered。Canshelovehim？Isthereanythingbetweenthem？“
“Atfifteenyearsofage？pooh！“repliedBongrand。
“ShewasborninFebruary，1813；she’llbesixteeninfourmonths。“
“Idon’tbelievesheeversawhim，“saidthejudge。“No，itisonlyanervousattack。“
“Attackoftheheart，morelikely，“saidthenotary。
Dioniswasdelightedwiththisdiscovery，whichwouldpreventthemarriage“inextremis“whichtheydreaded，——theonlysuremeansbywhichthedoctorcoulddefraudhisrelatives。Bongrand，ontheotherhand，sawaprivatecastleofhisowndemolished；hehadlongthoughtofmarryinghissontoUrsula。
“Ifthepoorgirllovesthatyouthitwillbeamisfortuneforher，“
repliedBongrandafterapause。“MadamedePortenduereisaBretonandinfatuatedwithhernobleblood。“
“Luckily——ImeanforthehonorofthePortendueres，“repliedthenotary，onthepointofbetrayinghimself。
LetusdothefaithfulanduprightBongrandthejusticetosaythatbeforehere-enteredthesalonhehadabandoned，notwithoutdeepregretforhisson，thehopehehadcherishedofsomedaycallingUrsulahisdaughter。Hemeanttogivehissonsixthousandfrancsayearthedayhewasappointedsubstitute，andifthedoctorwouldgiveUrsulaahundredthousandfrancswhatapearlofahomethepairwouldmake！HisEugenewassoloyalandcharmingafellow！PerhapshehadpraisedhisEugenetoooften，andthathadmadethedoctordistrustful。
“Ishallhavetocomedowntothemayor’sdaughter，“hethought。“ButUrsulawithoutanymoneyisworthmorethanMademoiselleLevrault-
Cremierewithamillion。However，thethingtobedoneistomanoeuvrethemarriagewiththislittlePortenduere——ifshereallyloveshim。“
Thedoctor，afterclosingthedoortothelibraryandthattothegarden，tookhisgoddaughtertothewindowwhichopenedupontheriver。
“Whatailsyou，mychild？“hesaid。“Yourlifeismylife。Withoutyoursmileswhatwouldbecomeofme？“
“Savinieninprison！“shesaid。
Withthesewordsashoweroftearsfellfromhereyesandshebegantosob。
“Saved！“thoughtthedoctor，whowasholdingherpulsewithgreatanxiety。“Alas！shehasallthesensitivenessofmypoorwife，“hethought，fetchingastethoscopewhichheputtoUrsula’sheart，applyinghiseartoit。“Ah，that’sallright，“hesaidtohimself。“I
didnotknow，mydarling，thatyoulovedanyoneasyet，“headded，lookingather；“butthinkoutloudtomeasyouthinktoyourself；
tellmeallthathaspassedbetweenyou。“
“Idonotlovehim，godfather；wehaveneverspokentoeachother，“
sheanswered，sobbing。“Buttohearthatheisinprison，andtoknowthatyou——harshly——refusedtogethimout——you，sogood！“
“Ursula，mydearlittlegoodangel，ifyoudonotlovehimwhydidyouputthatlittlereddotagainstSaintSavinien’sdayjustasyouputonebeforethatofSaintDenis？Come，tellmeeverythingaboutyourlittlelove-affair。“
Ursulablushed，swallowedafewtears，andforamomenttherewassilencebetweenthem。
“Surelyyouarenotafraidofyourfather，yourfriend，mother，doctor，andgodfather，whoseheartisnowmoretenderthaniteverhasbeen。“
“No，no，deargodfather，“shesaid。“Iwillopenmyhearttoyou。LastMay，MonsieurSaviniencametoseehismother。UntilthenIhadnevertakennoticeofhim。WhenhelefthometoliveinParisIwasachild，andIdidnotseeanydifferencebetweenhimand——allofyou——exceptperhapsthatIlovedyou，andneverthoughtoflovinganyoneelse。
MonsieurSaviniencamebythemail-postthenightbeforehismother’sfete-day；butwedidnotknowit。Atseventhenextmorning，afterI
hadsaidmyprayers，IopenedthewindowtoairmyroomandIsawthewindowsinMonsieurSavinien’sroomopen；andMonsieurSavinienwasthere，inadressinggown，arranginghisbeard；inallhismovementstherewassuchgrace——Imean，heseemedtomesocharming。Hecombedhisblackmoustacheandthelittletuftonhischin，andIsawhiswhitethroat——soround！——mustItellyouall？InoticedthathisthroatandfaceandthatbeautifulblackhairwereallsodifferentfromyourswhenIwatchyouarrangingyourbeard。Therecame——Idon’tknowhow——asortofglowintomyheart，andupintomythroat，myhead；itcamesoviolentlythatIsatdown——Icouldn’tstand，I
trembledso。ButIlongedtoseehimagain，andpresentlyIgotup；hesawmethen，and，justforplay，hesentmeakissfromthetipsofhisfingersand——“
“And？“
“Andthen，“shecontinued，“Ihidmyself——Iwasashamed，buthappy——
whyshouldIbeashamedofbeinghappy？Thatfeeling——itdazzledmysoulandgaveitsomepower，butIdon’tknowwhat——itcameagaineachtimeIsawwithinmethesameyoungface。Ilovedthisfeeling，violentasitwas。Goingtomass，someunconquerablepowermademelookatMonsieurSavinienwithhismotheronhisarm；hiswalk，hisclothes，eventhetapofhisbootsonthepavement，seemedtomesocharming。Theleastlittlethingabouthim——hishandwiththedelicateglove——actedlikeaspelluponme；andyetIhadstrengthenoughnottothinkofhimduringmass。WhentheservicewasoverIstayedinthechurchtoletMadamedePortendueregofirst，andthenIwalkedbehindhim。Icouldn’ttellyouhowtheselittlethingsexcitedme。WhenI
reachedhome，Iturnedroundtofastentheirongate——“
“WherewasLaBougival？“askedthedoctor。
“Oh，Ilethergotothekitchen，“saidUrsulasimply。“ThenIsawMonsieurSavinienstandingquitestillandlookingatme。Oh！
godfather，Iwassoproud，forIthoughtIsawalookinhiseyesofsurpriseandadmiration——Idon’tknowwhatIwouldnotdotomakehimlookatmeagainlikethat。ItseemedtomeIoughttothinkofnothingforevermorebutpleasinghim。ThatglanceisnowthebestrewardIhaveforanygoodIdo。FromthatmomentIhavethoughtofhimincessantly，inspiteofmyself。MonsieurSavinienwentbacktoParisthatevening，andIhavenotseenhimsince。Thestreetseemsempty；hetookmyheartawaywithhim——buthedoesnotknowit。“
“Isthatall？“askedtheoldman。
“All，deargodfather，“shesaid，withasighofregretthattherewasnotmoretotell。
“Mylittlegirl，“saidthedoctor，puttingheronhisknee；“youarenearlysixteenandyourwomanhoodisbeginning。Youarenowbetweenyourblessedchildhood，whichisending，andtheemotionsoflove，whichwillmakeyourlifeatumultuousone；foryouhaveanervoussystemofexquisitesensibility。Whathashappenedtoyou，mychild，islove，“saidtheoldmanwithanexpressionofdeepestsadness，——
“loveinitsholysimplicity；loveasitoughttobe；involuntary，sudden，cominglikeathiefwhotakesall——yes，all！Iexpectedit。I
havestudiedwomen；manyneedproofsandmiraclesofaffectionbeforeloveconquersthem；butothersthereare，undertheinfluenceofsympathiesexplainableto-daybymagneticfluids，whoarepossessedbyitinaninstant。ToyouIcannowtellall——assoonasIsawthecharmingwomanwhosenameyoubear，IfeltthatIshouldloveherforever，solelyandfaithfully，withoutknowingwhetherourcharactersorpersonssuitedeachother。Isthereasecond-sightinlove？WhatanswercanIgivetothat，Iwhohaveseensomanyunionsformedundercelestialauspicesonlytoberupturedlater，givingrisetohatredsthatarewell-nigheternal，torepugnancesthatareunconquerable。Thesensessometimesharmonizewhileideasareatvariance；andsomepersonslivemorebytheirmindsthanbytheirbodies。Thecontraryisalsotrue；oftenmindsagreeandpersonsdisplease。Thesephenomena，thevaryingandsecretcauseofmanysorrows，showthewisdomoflawswhichgiveparentssupremepoweroverthemarriagesoftheirchildren；