Minorethadaforeheadofthisdescription，furrowedwithwrinkles，whichrecoveredinhisoldageasortofartlesscandorfromthemannerinwhichthesilveryhair，brushedbacklikethatofawomanwhenmakinghertoilet，curledinlightflakesupontheblacknessofhiscoat。Hepersistedindressing，asinhisyouth，inblacksilkstockings，shoeswithgoldbuckles，breechesofblackpoult-de-soie，andablackcoat，adornedwiththeredrosette。Thishead，sofirmlycharacterized，thecoldwhitenessofwhichwassoftenedbytheyellowingtonesofoldage，happenedtobe，justthen，inthefulllightofawindow。AsMadameMinoretcameinsightofhimthedoctor’sblueeyeswiththeirreddenedlidswereraisedtoheaven；anewconvictionhadgiventhemanewexpression。Hisspectacleslayinhisprayer-bookandmarkedtheplacewherehehadceasedtopray。Thetallandspareoldman，hisarmscrossedonhisbreast，stooderectinanattitudewhichbespokethefullstrengthofhisfacultiesandtheunshakableassuranceofhisfaith。Hegazedatthealtarhumblywithalookofrenewedhope，andtooknonoticeofhisnephew’swife，whoplantedherselfalmostinfrontofhimasiftoreproachhimforcomingbacktoGod。
Zelie，seeingalleyesturneduponher，madehastetoleavethechurchandreturnedtothesquarelesshurriedlythanshehadleftit。Shehadreckonedonthedoctor’smoney，andpossessionwasbecomingproblematical。Shefoundtheclerkofthecourt，thecollector，andtheirwivesingreaterconsternationthanever。Goupilwastakingpleasureintormentingthem。
“Itisnotinthepublicsquareandbeforethewholetownthatweoughttotalkofouraffairs，“saidZelie；“comehomewithme。Youtoo，MonsieurDionis，“sheaddedtothenotary；“you’llnotbeintheway。“
ThustheprobabledisinheritanceofMassin，Cremiere，andthepostmasterwasthenewsoftheday。
Justastheheirsandthenotarywerecrossingthesquaretogototheposthousethenoiseofthediligencerattlinguptotheoffice，whichwasonlyafewstepsfromthechurch，atthetopoftheGrand’Rue，madeitsusualracket。
“Goodness！I’mlikeyou，Minoret；IforgotallaboutDesire，“saidZelie。“Letusgoandseehimgetdown。Heisalmostalawyer；andhisinterestsaremixedupinthismatter。“
Thearrivalofthediligenceisalwaysanamusement，butwhenitcomesinlatesomeunusualeventisexpected。Thecrowdnowmovedtowardsthe“Ducler。“
“Here’sDesire！“wasthegeneralcry。
Thetyrant，andyetthelifeandsoulofNemours，Desirealwaysputthetowninafermentwhenhecame。Lovedbytheyoungmen，withwhomhewasinvariablygenerous，hestimulatedthembyhisverypresence。
ButhismethodsofamusementweresodreadedbyolderpersonsthatmorethanonefamilywasverythankfultohavehimcompletehisstudiesandstudylawinParis。DesireMinoret，aslightyouth，slenderandfairlikehismother，fromwhomheobtainedhisblueeyesandpaleskin，smiledfromthewindowonthecrowd，andjumpedlightlydowntokisshismother。AshortsketchoftheyoungfellowwillshowhowproudZeliefeltwhenshesawhim。
Heworeveryelegantboots，trousersofwhiteEnglishdrillingheldunderhisfeetbystrapsofvarnishedleather，arichcravat，admirablyputonandstillmoreadmirablyfastened，aprettyfancywaistcoat，inthepocketofsaidwaistcoataflatwatch，thechainofwhichhungdown；and，finally，ashortfrock-coatofbluecloth，andagrayhat，——buthislackofthemanner-bornwasshowninthegiltbuttonsofthewaistcoatandtheringwornoutsideofhispurplekidglove。Hecarriedacanewithachasedgoldhead。
“Youarelosingyourwatch，“saidhismother，kissinghim。
“No，itiswornthatway，“hereplied，lettinghisfatherhughim。
“Well，cousin，soweshallsoonseeyoualawyer？“saidMassin。
“Ishalltaketheoathsatthebeginningofnextterm，“saidDesire，returningthefriendlynodshewasreceivingonallsides。
“Nowweshallhavesomefun，“saidGoupil，shakinghimbythehand。
“Ha！myoldwag，sohereyouare！“repliedDesire。
“Youtakeyourlawlicenseforalllicense，“saidGoupil，affrontedbybeingtreatedsocavalierlyinpresenceofothers。
“Youknowmyluggage，“criedDesiretothered-facedoldconductorofthediligence；“haveittakentothehouse。“
“Thesweatisrollingoffyourhorses，“saidZeliesharplytotheconductor；“youhaven’tcommon-sensetodrivetheminthatway。Youarestupiderthanyourownbeasts。“
“ButMonsieurDesirewasinahurrytogetheretosaveyoufromanxiety，“explainedCabirolle。
“Butiftherewasnoaccidentwhyriskkillingthehorses？“sheretorted。
Thegreetingsoffriendsandacquaintances，thecrowdingoftheyoungmenaroundDesire，andtherelatingoftheincidentsofthejourneytookenoughtimeforthemasstobeconcludedandtheworshipperstoissuefromthechurch。Bymerechance(whichmanagesmanythings)
DesiresawUrsulaontheporchashepassedalong，andhestoppedshortamazedatherbeauty。Hisactionalsostoppedtheadvanceoftherelationswhoaccompaniedhim。
Ingivingherarmtohergodfather，Ursulawasobligedtoholdherprayer-bookinonehandandherparasolintheother；andthisshedidwiththeinnategracewhichgracefulwomenputintotheawkwardordifficultthingsoftheircharmingcraftofwomanhood。Ifminddoestrulyrevealitselfinallthings，wemaybepermittedtosaythatUrsula’sattitudeandbearingsuggesteddivinesimplicity。Shewasdressedinawhitecambricgownmadelikeawrapper，trimmedhereandtherewithknotsofblueribbon。Thepelerine，edgedwiththesameribbonrunthroughabroadhemandtiedwithbowslikethoseonthedress，showedthegreatbeautyofhershape。Herthroat，ofapurewhite，wascharmingintoneagainsttheblue，——therightcolorforafairskin。Alongbluesashwithfloatingendsdefinedaslenderwaistwhichseemedflexible，——amostseductivecharminwomen。Sheworearice-strawbonnet，modestlytrimmedwithribbonslikethoseofthegown，thestringsofwhichweretiedunderherchin，settingoffthewhitenessofthestrawanddoingnodespitetothatofherbeautifulcomplexion。Ursuladressedherownhairnaturally(alaBerthe，asitwasthencalled)inheavybraidsoffine，fairhair，laidflatoneithersideofthehead，eachlittlestrandreflectingthelightasshewalked。Hergrayeyes，softandproudatthesametime，wereinharmonywithafinelymodeledbrow。Arosytinge，suffusinghercheekslikeacloud，brightenedafacewhichwasregularwithoutbeinginsipid；fornaturehadgivenher，bysomerareprivilege，extremepurityofformcombinedwithstrengthofcountenance。Thenobilityofherlifewasmanifestinthegeneralexpressionofherperson，whichmighthaveservedasamodelforatypeoftrustfulness，orofmodesty。Herhealth，thoughbrilliant，wasnotcoarselyapparent；infact，herwholeairwasdistinguished。Beneaththelittleglovesofalightcoloritwaseasytoimagineherprettyhands。Thearchedandslenderfeetweredelicatelyshodinbronzedkidbootstrimmedwithabrownsilkfringe。Herbluesashholdingatthewaistasmallflatwatchandabluepursewithgilttasselsattractedtheeyesofeverywomanshemet。
“Hehasgivenheranewwatch！“saidMadameCremiere，pinchingherhusband’sarm。
“Heavens！isthatUrsula？“criedDesire；“Ididn’trecognizeher。“
“Well，mydearuncle，“saidthepostmaster，addressingthedoctorandpointingtothewholepopulationdrawnupinparallelhedgestoletthedoctorpass，“everybodywantstoseeyou。“
“WasittheAbbeChaperonorMademoiselleUrsulawhoconvertedyou，uncle，“saidMassin，bowingtothedoctorandhisprotegee，withJesuiticalhumility。
“Ursula，“repliedthedoctor，laconically，continuingtowalkonasifannoyed。
Thenightbefore，astheoldmanfinishedhisgameofwhistwithUrsula，theNemoursdoctor，andBongrand，heremarked，“Iintendtogotochurchto-morrow。“
“Then，“saidBongrand，“yourheirswon’tgetanothernight’srest。“
Thespeechwassuperfluous，however，forasingleglancesufficedthesagaciousandclear-sighteddoctortoreadthemindsofhisheirsbytheexpressionoftheirfaces。Zelie’sirruptionintothechurch，herglance，whichthedoctorintercepted，thismeetingofalltheexpectantonesinthepublicsquare，andtheexpressionintheireyesastheyturnedthemonUrsula，allprovedtohimtheirhatred，nowfreshlyawakened，andtheirsordidfears。
“Itisafeatherinyourcap，Mademoiselle，“saidMadameCremiere，puttinginherwordwithahumblebow，——“amiraclewhichwillnotcostyoumuch。“
“ItisGod’sdoing，madame，“repliedUrsula。
“God！“exclaimedMinoret-Levrault；“myfather-in-lawusedtosayheservedtoblanketmanyhorses。“
“Yourfather-in-lawhadthemindofajockey，“saidthedoctorseverely。
“Come，“saidMinorettohiswifeandson，“whydon’tyoubowtomyuncle？“
“Ishouldn’tbemistressofmyselfbeforethatlittlehypocrite，“
criedZelie，carryingoffherson。
“Iadviseyou，uncle，nottogotomasswithoutavelvetcap，“saidMadameMassin；“thechurchisverydamp。“
“Pooh，niece，“saidthedoctor，lookingroundontheassembly，“thesoonerI’mputtobedthesooneryou’llflourish。“
Hewalkedonquickly，drawingUrsulawithhim，andseemedinsuchahurrythattheothersdroppedbehind。
“Whydoyousaysuchharshthingstothem？itisn’tright，“saidUrsula，shakinghisarminacoaxingway。
“Ishallalwayshatehypocrites，asmuchafterasbeforeIbecamereligious。Ihavedonegoodtothemall，andIaskednogratitude；butnotoneofmyrelativessentyouafloweronyourbirthday，whichtheyknowistheonlydayIcelebrate。“
AtsomedistancebehindthedoctorandUrsulacameMadamedePortenduere，draggingherselfalongasifovercomewithtrouble。Shebelongedtotheclassofoldwomenwhosedressrecallsthestyleofthelastcentury。Theywearpuce-coloredgownswithflatsleeves，thecutofwhichcanbeseenintheportraitsofMadameLebrun；theyallhaveblacklacemantlesandbonnetsofashapegoneby，inkeepingwiththeirslowanddignifieddeportment；onemightalmostfancythattheystillworepaniersundertheirpetticoatsorfeltthemthere，aspersonswhohavelostalegaresaidtofancythatthefootismoving。
