“Jesuit！“exclaimedoldMinoret，laughing，“Ididnotaskyouforproofs；Iaskedyouifyoubelievedinapparitions。“
“Ithinkanapparitiondependsagooddealonwhoseesit，“saidtheabbe，stillfencingwithhissceptic。
“Myfriend，“saidthedoctor，seriously，“Iamnotsettingatrapforyou。Whatdoyoureallybelieveaboutit？“
“IbelievethatthepowerofGodisinfinite，“repliedtheabbe。
“WhenIamdead，ifIamreconciledtoGod，IwillaskHimtoletmeappeartoyou，“saidthedoctor，smiling。
“That’sexactlytheagreementCardanmadewithhisfriend，“answeredthepriest。
“Ursula，“saidMinoret，“ifdangereverthreatensyou，callme，andI
willcome。“
“Youhaveputintoonesentencethatbeautifulelegyof’Neere’byAndreChenier，“saidtheabbe。“Poetsaresublimebecausetheyclothebothfactsandfeelingswithever-livingimages。“
“Whydoyouspeakofyourdeath，deargodfather？“saidUrsulainagrievedtone。“WeChristiansdonotdie；thegraveisthecradleofoursouls。“
“Well，“saidthedoctor，smiling，“wemustgooutoftheworld，andwhenIamnolongerhereyouwillbeastonishedatyourfortune。“
“Whenyouareherenolonger，mykindfriend，myonlyconsolationwillbetoconsecratemylifetoyou。“
“Tome，dead？“
“Yes。AllthegoodworksthatIcandowillbedoneinyournametoredeemyoursins。IwillprayGodeverydayforhisinfinitemercy，thathemaynotpunisheternallytheerrorsofaday。Iknowhewillsummonamongtherighteousasoulsopure，sobeautiful，asyours。“
Thatanswer，saidwithangeliccandor，inatoneofabsolutecertainty，confoundederrorandconvertedDenisMinoretasGodconvertedSaul。Arayofinwardlightoverawedhim；theknowledgeofthistenderness，coveringhisyearstocome，broughttearstohiseyes。Thissuddeneffectofgracehadsomethingthatseemedelectricalaboutit。Theabbeclaspedhishandsandrose，troubled，fromhisseat。Thegirl，astonishedathertriumph，wept。Theoldmanstoodupasifavoicehadcalledhim，lookingintospaceasthoughhiseyesbeheldthedawn；thenhebenthiskneeuponhischair，claspedhishands，andloweredhiseyestothegroundasonehumiliated。
“MyGod，“hesaidinatremblingvoice，raisinghishead，“ifanyonecanobtainmypardonandleadmetothee，surelyitisthisspotlesscreature。Havemercyontherepentantoldagethatthispurechildpresentstothee！“
HeliftedhissoultoGod；mentallyprayingforthelightofdivineknowledgeafterthegiftofdivinegrace；thenheturnedtotheabbeandheldouthishand。
“Mydearpastor，“hesaid，“Iambecomeasalittlechild。Ibelongtoyou；Igivemysoultoyourcare。“
Ursulakissedhishandsandbathedthemwithhertears。Theoldmantookheronhiskneeandcalledhergaylyhisgodmother。Theabbe，deeplymoved，recitedthe“VeniCreator“inaspeciesofreligiousecstasy。ThehymnservedastheeveningprayerofthethreeChristianskneelingtogetherforthefirsttime。
“Whathashappened？“askedLaBougival，amazedatthesight。
“MygodfatherbelievesinGodatlast！“repliedUrsula。
“Ah！somuchthebetter；heonlyneededthattomakehimperfect，“
criedtheoldwoman，crossingherselfwithartlessgravity。
“Deardoctor，“saidthegoodpriest，“youwillsooncomprehendthegrandeurofreligionandthevalueofitspractices；youwillfinditsphilosophyinhumanaspectsfarhigherthanthatoftheboldestsceptics。“
Theabbe，whoshowedajoythatwasalmostinfantine，agreedtocatechizetheoldmanandconferwithhimtwiceaweek。ThustheconversionattributedtoUrsulaandtoaspiritofsordidcalculation，wasthespontaneousactofthedoctorhimself。Theabbe，whoforfourteenyearshadabstainedfromtouchingthewoundsofthatheart，thoughallthewhiledeploringthem，wasnowaskedforhelp，asasurgeoniscalledtoaninjuredman。EversincethissceneUrsula’seveningprayershadbeensaidincommonwithhergodfather。Dayafterdaytheoldmangrewmoreconsciousofthepeacewithinhimthatsucceededallhisconflicts。Having，ashesaid，Godastheresponsibleeditorofthingsinexplicable，hismindwasatease。HisdearchildtoldhimthathemightknowbyhowfarhehadadvancedalreadyinGod’skingdom。Duringthemasswhichwehaveseenhimattend，hehadreadtheprayersandappliedhisownintelligencetothem；fromthefirst，hehadrisentothedivineideaofthecommunionofthefaithful。Theoldneophyteunderstoodtheeternalsymbolattachedtothatsacrednourishment，whichfaithrendersneedfultothesoulafterconveyingtoitherownprofoundandradiantessence。
Whenonleavingthechurchhehadseemedinahurrytogethome，itwasmerelythathemightoncemorethankhisdearchildforhavingledhimto“enterreligion，“——thebeautifulexpressionofformerdays。Hewasholdingheronhiskneeinthesalonandkissingherforeheadsacredlyattheverymomentwhenhisrelativesweredegradingthatsaintlyinfluencewiththeirshamelessfears，andcastingtheirvulgarinsultsuponUrsula。Hishastetoreturnhome，hisassumeddisdainfortheircompany，hissharprepliesasheleftthechurchwerenaturallyattributedbyalltheheirstothehatredUrsulahadexcitedagainstthemintheoldman’smind。
WhileUrsulawasplayingvariationsonWeber’s“LastThought“tohergodfather，aplotwashatchingintheMinoret-Levraults’dining-roomwhichwasdestinedtohavealastingeffectontheeventsofthisdrama。Thebreakfast，noisyasallprovincialbreakfastsare，andenlivenedbyexcellentwinesbroughttoNemoursbythecanaleitherfromBurgundyorTouraine，lastedmorethantwohours。Zeliehadsentforoysters，salt-waterfish，andothergastronomicaldelicaciestodohonortoDesire’sreturn。Thedining-room，inthecenterofwhicharoundtableofferedamostappetizingsight，waslikethehallofaninn。Contentwiththesizeofherkitchensandoffices，Zeliehadbuiltapavilionforthefamilybetweenthevastcourtyardandagardenplantedwithvegetablesandfulloffruit-trees。Everythingaboutthepremiseswassolidandplain。TheexampleofLevrault-
Levraulthadbeenawarningtothetown。Zelieforbadeherbuildertoleadherintosuchfollies。Thedining-roomwas，therefore，hungwithvarnishedpaperandfurnishedwithwalnutchairsandsideboards，aporcelainstove，atallclock，andabarometer。Thoughtheplatesanddisheswereofcommonwhitechina，thetableshonewithhandsomelinenandabundantsilverware。AfterZeliehadservedthecoffee，comingandgoingherselflikeshotinadecanter，——forshekeptbutoneservant，——andwhenDesire，thebuddinglawyer，hadbeentoldoftheeventofthemorninganditsprobablyconsequences，thedoorwasclosed，andthenotaryDioniswascalledupontospeak。Bythesilenceintheroomandthelooksthatwerecastonthatauthoritativeface，itwaseasytoseethepowerthatsuchmenexerciseoverfamilies。
“Mydearchildren，“saidhe，“yourunclehavingbeenbornin1746，iseighty-threeyearsoldatthepresenttime；now，oldmenaregiventofolly，andthatlittle——“
“Viper！“criedMadameMassin。
“Hussy！“saidZelie。
“Letuscallherbyherownname，“saidDionis。
“Well，she’sathief，“saidMadameCremiere。
“Aprettythief，“remarkedDesire。
“ThatlittleUrsula，“wentonDionis，“hasmanagedtogetholdofhisheart。Ihavebeenthinkingofyourinterests，andIdidnotwaituntilnowbeforemakingcertaininquiries；nowthisiswhatIhavediscoveredaboutthatyoung——“
“Marauder，“saidthecollector。
“Inveigler，“saidtheclerkofthecourt。
“Holdyourtongue，friends，“saidthenotary，“orI’lltakemyhatandbeoff。“
“Come，come，papa，“criedMinoret，pouringoutalittleglassofrumandofferingittothenotary；“here，drinkthis，itcomesfromRomeitself；andnowgoon。“
“Ursulais，itistrue，thelegitimatedaughterofJosephMirouet；butherfatherwasthenaturalsonofValentinMirouet，youruncle’sfather-in-law。Beingthereforeanillegitimateniece，anywillthedoctormightmakeinherfavorcouldprobablybecontested；andifheleavesherhisfortuneinthatwayyoucouldbringasuitagainstUrsula。This，however，mightturnoutillforyou，incasethecourttooktheviewthattherewasnorelationshipbetweenUrsulaandthedoctor。Still，thesuitwouldfrightenanunprotectedgirl，andbringaboutacompromise——“
“Thelawissorigidastotherightsofnaturalchildren，“saidthenewlyfledgedlicentiate，eagertoparadehisknowledge，“thatbythejudgmentofthecourtofappealsdatedJuly7，1817，anaturalchildcanclaimnothingfromhisnaturalgrandfather，notevenamaintenance。Soyouseetheillegitimateparentageismaderetrospective。Thelawpursuesthenaturalchildeventoitslegitimatedescent，onthegroundthatbenefactionsdonetograndchildrenreachthenaturalsonthroughthatmedium。Thisisshownbyarticles757，908，and911ofthecivilCode。TheroyalcourtofParis，byadecisionofthe26thofJanuaryoflastyear，cutoffalegacymadetothelegitimatechildofanaturalsonbyhisgrandfather，who，asgrandfather，wasasdistanttoanaturalgrandsonasthedoctor，beinganuncle，istoUrsula。“
“Allthat，“saidGoupil，“seemstometorelateonlytothebequestsmadebygrandfatherstonaturaldescendants。UrsulaisnotabloodrelationofDoctorMinoret。IrememberadecisionoftheroyalcourtatColmar，renderedin1825，justbeforeItookmydegree，whichdeclaredthatafterthedeceaseofanaturalchildhisdescendantscouldnolongerbeprohibitedfrominheriting。Now，Ursula’sfatherisdead。“
Goupil’sargumentproducedwhatjournalistswhoreportthesittingsoflegislativeassembliesarewonttocall“profoundsensation。“
“Whatdoesthatsignify？“criedDionis。“Theactualcaseofthebequestofanuncletoanillegitimatechildmaynotyethavebeenpresentedfortrial；butwhenitis，thesternnessofFrenchlawagainstsuchchildrenwillbeallthemorefirmlyappliedbecauseweliveintimeswhenreligionishonored。I’llanswerforitthatoutofsuchasuitasIproposeyoucouldgetacompromise，——especiallyiftheyseeyouaredeterminedtocarryUrsulatoacourtofappeals。“
Herethejoyoftheheirsalreadyfingeringtheirgoldwasmademanifestinsmiles，shrugs，andgesturesroundthetable，andpreventedallnoticeofGoupil’sdissent。Thiselation，however，wassucceededbydeepsilenceanduneasinesswhenthenotaryutteredhisnextword，aterrible“But！“
