“Godwillrewardyou，Ihope，“repliedtheabbe，gentlyjoininghishandsandraisingthemtowardsheavenasifheweremakingabriefmentalprayer。
So，fromthetimeshewassixyearsoldthelittleorphanlivedunderthereligiousinfluenceoftheabbe，justasshehadalreadycomeundertheeducationaltrainingofherfriendJordy。
Thecaptain，formerlyaprofessorinamilitaryacademy，havingatasteforgrammarandforthedifferencesamongEuropeanlanguages，hadstudiedtheproblemofauniversaltongue。Thislearnedman，patientasmostoldscholarsare，delightedinteachingUrsulatoreadandwrite。HetaughtheralsotheFrenchlanguageandallsheneededtoknowofarithmetic。Thedoctor’slibraryaffordedachoiceofbookswhichcouldbereadbyachildforamusementaswellasinstruction。
Theabbeandthesoldierallowedtheyoungmindtoenrichitselfwiththefreedomandcomfortwhichthedoctorgavetothebody。Ursulalearnedassheplayed。Religionwasgivenwithduereflection。Lefttofollowthedivinetrainingofanaturethatwasledintoregionsofpuritybythesejudiciouseducators，Ursulainclinedmoretosentimentthantoduty；shetookasherruleofconductthevoiceofherownconscienceratherthanthedemandsofsociallaw。Inher，nobilityoffeelingandactionwouldeverbespontaneous；herjudgmentwouldconfirmtheimpulseofherheart。Shewasdestinedtodorightasapleasurebeforedoingitasanobligation。ThisdistinctionisthepeculiarsignofChristianeducation。Theseprinciples，altogetherdifferentfromthosethataretaughttomen，weresuitableforawoman，——thespiritandtheconscienceofthehome，thebeautifierofdomesticlife，thequeenofherhousehold。AllthreeoftheseoldpreceptorsfollowedthesamemethodwithUrsula。Insteadofrecoilingbeforetheboldquestionsofinnocence，theyexplainedtoherthereasonsofthingsandthebestmeansofaction，takingcaretogivehernonebutcorrectideas。When，aproposofaflower，astar，abladeofgrass，herthoughtswentstraighttoGod，thedoctorandtheprofessortoldherthatthepriestalonecouldanswerher。Noneofthemintrudedontheterritoryoftheothers；thedoctortookchargeofhermaterialwell-beingandthethingsoflife；Jordy’sdepartmentwasinstruction；moralandspiritualquestionsandtheideasappertainingtothehigherlifebelongedtotheabbe。Thisnobleeducationwasnot，asitoftenis，counteractedbyinjudiciousservants。LaBougival，havingbeenlecturedonthesubject，andbeing，moreover，toosimpleinmindandcharactertointerfere，didnothingtoinjuretheworkofthesegreatminds。Ursula，aprivilegedbeing，grewupwithgoodgeniusesroundher；andhernaturallyfinedispositionmadethetaskofeachasweetandeasyone。Suchmanlytenderness，suchgravitylightedbysmiles，suchlibertywithoutdanger，suchperpetualcareofsoulandbodymadelittleUrsula，whennineyearsofage，awell-trainedchildanddelightfultobehold。
Unhappily，thispaternaltrinitywasbrokenup。Theoldcaptaindiedthefollowingyear，leavingtheabbeandthedoctortofinishhiswork，ofwhich，however，hehadaccomplishedthemostdifficultpart。
Flowerswillbloomofthemselvesifgrowninasoilthusprepared。Theoldgentlemanhadlaidbyfortenyearspastonethousandfrancsayear，thathemightleavetenthousandtohislittleUrsula，andkeepaplaceinhermemoryduringherwholelife。Inhiswill，thewordingofwhichwasverytouching，hebeggedhislegateetospendthefourorfivehundredfrancsthatcameofherlittlecapitalexclusivelyonherdress。Whenthejusticeofthepeaceappliedthesealstotheeffectsofhisoldfriend，theyfoundinasmallroom，whichthecaptainhadallowednoonetoenter，aquantityoftoys，manyofthembroken，whileallhadbeenused，——toysofapastgeneration，reverentlypreserved，whichMonsieurBongrandwas，accordingtothecaptain’slastwishes，toburnwithhisownhands。
AboutthistimeitwasthatUrsulamadeherfirstcommunion。Theabbeemployedonewholeyearindulyinstructingtheyounggirl，whosemindandheart，eachwelldeveloped，yetjudiciouslybalancingoneanother，neededaspecialspiritualnourishment。TheinitiationintoaknowledgeofdivinethingswhichhegaveherwassuchthatUrsulagrewintothepiousandmysticalyounggirlwhosecharacterroseaboveallvicissitudes，andwhoseheartwasenabledtoconqueradversity。Thenbeganasecretstrugglebetweentheoldmanweddedtounbeliefandtheyounggirlfulloffaith，——longunsuspectedbyherwhoincitedit，——
theresultofwhichhadnowstirredthewholetown，andwasdestinedtohavegreatinfluenceonUrsula’sfuturebyrousingagainsthertheantagonismofthedoctor’sheirs。
Duringthefirstsixmonthsoftheyear1824Ursulaspentallhermorningsattheparsonage。Theolddoctorguessedtheabbe’ssecrethope。HemeanttomakeUrsulaanunanswerableargumentagainsthim。
Theoldunbeliever，lovedbyhisgodchildasthoughshewerehisowndaughter，wouldsurelybelieveinsuchartlesscandor；hecouldnotfailtobepersuadedbythebeautifuleffectsofreligiononthesoulofachild，wherelovewaslikethosetreesofEasternclimes，bearingbothflowersandfruit，alwaysfragrant，alwaysfertile。Abeautifullifeismorepowerfulthanthestrongestargument。Itisimpossibletoresistthecharmsofcertainsights。Thedoctor’seyeswerewet，heknewnothoworwhy，whenhesawthechildofhisheartstartingforthechurch，wearingafrockofwhitecrape，andshoesofwhitesatin；
herhairboundwithafilletfastenedatthesidewithaknotofwhiteribbon，andripplinguponhershoulders；hereyeslightedbythestarofafirsthope；hurrying，tallandbeautiful，toafirstunion，andlovinghergodfatherbettersincehersoulhadrisentowardsGod。Whenthedoctorperceivedthatthethoughtofimmortalitywasnourishingthatspirit(untilthenwithintheconfinesofchildhood)asthesungiveslifetotheearthwithoutknowingwhy，hefeltsorrythatheremainedathomealone。
Sittingonthestepsofhisporticohekepthiseyesfixedontheironrailingofthegatethroughwhichthechildhaddisappeared，sayingasshelefthim:“Whywon’tyoucome，godfather？howcanIbehappywithoutyou？“Thoughshakentohisverycenter，theprideoftheEncyclopedistdidnotasyetgiveway。Hewalkedslowlyinadirectionfromwhichhecouldseetheprocessionofcommunicants，anddistinguishhislittleUrsulabrilliantwithexaltationbeneathherveil。Shegavehimaninspiredlook，whichknocked，inthestonyregionsofhisheart，onthecornerclosedtoGod。Butstilltheolddeistheldfirm。Hesaidtohimself:“Mummeries！iftherebeamakerofworlds，imaginetheorganizerofinfinitudeconcerninghimselfwithsuchtrifles！“HelaughedashecontinuedhiswalkalongtheheightswhichlookdownupontheroadtotheGatinais，wherethebellswereringingajoyouspealthattoldofthejoyoffamilies。
Thenoiseofbackgammonisintolerabletopersonswhodonotknowthegame，whichisreallyoneofthemostdifficultthatwaseverinvented。Nottoannoyhisgodchild，theextremedelicacyofwhoseorgansandnervescouldnotbear，hethought，withoutinjurythenoiseandtheexclamationsshedidnotknowthemeaningof，theabbe，oldJordywhileliving，andthedoctoralwayswaitedtilltheirchildwasinbedbeforetheybegantheirfavoritegame。Sometimesthevisitorscameearlywhenshewasoutforawalk，andthegamewouldbegoingonwhenshereturned；thensheresignedherselfwithinfinitegraceandtookherseatatthewindowwithherwork。Shehadarepugnancetothegame，whichisreallyinthebeginningveryhardandunconquerabletosomeminds，sothatunlessitbelearnedinyouthitisalmostimpossibletotakeitupinafterlife。
Thenightofherfirstcommunion，whenUrsulacameintothesalonwherehergodfatherwassittingalone，sheputthebackgammon-boardbeforehim。
“Whosethrowshallitbe？“sheasked。
“Ursula，“saidthedoctor，“isn’titasintomakefunofyourgodfatherthedayofyourfirstcommunion？“
“Iamnotmakingfunofyou，“shesaid，sittingdown。“Iwanttogiveyousomepleasure——youwhoarealwaysonthelook-outformine。WhenMonsieurChaperonwaspleasedwithmehegavemealessoninbackgammon，andhehasgivenmesomanythatnowIamquitestrongenoughtobeatyou——youshallnotdepriveyourselfanylongerforme。
Ihaveconqueredalldifficulties，andnowIlikethenoiseofthegame。“
Ursulawon。Theabbehadslippedintoenjoyhistriumph。ThenextdayMinoret，whohadalwaysrefusedtoletUrsulalearnmusic，senttoParisforapiano，madearrangementsatFontainebleauforateacher，andsubmittedtotheannoyancethatherconstantpracticingwastohim。OneofpoorJordy’spredictionswasfulfilled，——thegirlbecameanexcellentmusician。Thedoctor，proudofhertalent，hadlatelysenttoParisforamaster，anoldGermannamedSchmucke，adistinguishedprofessorwhocameonceaweek；thedoctorwillinglypayingforanartwhichhehadformerlydeclaredtobeuselessinahousehold。Unbelieversdonotlikemusic——acelestiallanguage，developedbyCatholicism，whichhastakenthenamesofthesevennotesfromoneofthechurchhymns；everynotebeingthefirstsyllableofthesevenfirstlinesinthehymntoSaintJohn。
TheimpressionproducedonthedoctorbyUrsula’sfirstcommunionthoughkeenwasnotlasting。Thecalmandsweetcontentmentwhichprayerandtheexerciseofresolutionproducedinthatyoungsoulhadnottheirdueinfluenceuponhim。Havingnoreasonsforremorseorrepentancehimself，heenjoyedaserenepeace。Doinghisownbenefactionswithouthopeofacelestialharvest，hethoughthimselfonanoblerplanethanreligiousmenwhomhealwaysaccusedformaking，ashecalledit，termswithGod。
“But，“theabbewouldsaytohim，“ifallmenwouldbeso，youmustadmitthatsocietywouldberegenerated；therewouldbenomoremisery。Tobebenevolentafteryourfashiononemustneedsbeagreatphilosopher；yourisetoyourprinciplesthroughreason，youareasocialexception；whereasitsufficestobeaChristiantomakeusbenevolentinours。Withyou，itisaneffort；withus，itcomesnaturally。“
“Inotherwords，abbe，Ithink，andyoufeel，——that’sthewholeofit。“
However，attwelveyearsofage，Ursula，whosequicknessandnaturalfeminineperceptionsweretrainedbyhersuperioreducation，andwhoseintelligenceinitsdawnwasenlightenedbyareligiousspirit(ofallspiritsthemostrefined)，cametounderstandthathergodfatherdidnotbelieveinafuturelife，norintheimmortalityofthesoul，norinprovidence，norinGod。Pressedwithquestionsbytheinnocentcreature，thedoctorwasunabletohidethefatalsecret。Ursula’sartlessconsternationmadehimsmile，butwhenhesawherdepressedandsadhefelthowdeepanaffectionhersadnessrevealed。Absolutedevotionhasahorrorofeverysortofdisagreement，eveninideaswhichitdoesnotshare。Sometimesthedoctoracceptedhisdarling’sreasoningsashewouldherkisses，saidastheywereinthesweetestofvoiceswiththepurestandmostferventfeeling。Believersandunbelieversspeakdifferentlanguagesandcannotunderstandeachother。TheyounggirlpleadingGod’scausewasunreasonablewiththeoldman，asaspoiltchildsometimesmaltreatsitsmother。Theabberebukedhergently，tellingherthatGodhadpowertohumiliateproudspirits。UrsularepliedthatDavidhadovercomeGoliath。
