“Yes；thepoorladyisterriblydistressed。Itispossibleshemaycometoseeyouthisevening，MonsieurMinoret。“
Ursulapressedhergodfather’shandunderthetable。
“Herson，“saidBongrand，“wasrathertoosimple-mindedtoliveinPariswithoutamentor。WhenIheardthatinquirieswerebeingmadehereaboutthepropertyoftheoldladyIfearedhewasdiscountingherdeath。“
“Isitpossibleyouthinkhimcapableofit？“saidUrsula，withsuchaterribleglanceatMonsieurBongrandthathesaidtohimselfrathersadly，“Alas！yes，sheloveshim。“
“Yesandno，“saidtheNemoursdoctor，replyingtoUrsula’squestion。
“ThereisagreatdealofgoodinSavinien，andthatiswhyheisnowinprison；ascampwouldn’thavegotthere。“
“Don’tletustalkaboutitanymore，“saidoldMinoret。“Thepoormothermustnotbeallowedtoweepifthere’sawaytodryhertears。“
Thefourfriendsroseandwentout；Ursulaaccompaniedthemtothegate，sawhergodfatherandtheabbeknockattheoppositedoor，andassoonasTiennetteadmittedthemshesatdownontheouterwallwithLaBougivalbesideher。
“Madamelavicomtesse，“saidtheabbe，whoenteredfirstintothelittlesalon，“MonsieurledocteurMinoretwasnotwillingthatyoushouldhavethetroubleofcomingtohim——“
“Iamtoomuchoftheoldschool，madame，“interruptedthedoctor，“nottoknowwhatamanowestoawomanofyourrank，andIamverygladtobeable，asMonsieurl’abbetellsme，tobeofservicetoyou。“
MadamedePortenduere，whodislikedthesteptheabbehadadvisedsomuchthatshehadalmostdecided，afterhelefther，toapplytothenotaryinstead，wassurprisedbyMinoret’sattentiontosuchadegreethatsherosetoreceivehimandsignedtohimtotakeachair。
“Beseated，monsieur，“shesaidwitharegalair。“Ourdearabbehastoldyouthattheviscountisinprisononaccountofsomeyouthfuldebts，——ahundredthousandfrancsorso。IfyoucouldlendthemtohimIwouldsecureyouonmyfarmatBordieres。“
“Wewilltalkofthat，madame，whenIhavebroughtyoursonbacktoyou——ifyouwillallowmetobeyouremissaryinthematter。“
“Verygood，monsieur，“shesaid，bowingherheadandlookingattheabbeasiftosay，“Youwereright；hereallyisamanofgoodsociety。“
“Yousee，madame，“saidtheabbe，“thatmyfriendthedoctorisfullofdevotiontoyourfamily。“
“Weshallbegrateful，monsieur，“saidMadamedePortenduere，makingavisibleeffort；“ajourneytoParis，atyourage，inquestofaprodigal，is——“
“Madame，Ihadthehonortomeet，in’65，theillustriousAdmiraldePortenduereinthehouseofthatexcellentMonsieurdeMalesherbes，andalsointhatofMonsieurleComtedeBuffon，whowasanxioustoquestionhimonsomecuriousresultsofhisvoyages。PossiblyMonsieurdePortenduere，yourlatehusband，waspresent。ThosewerethegloriousdaysoftheFrenchnavy；itborecomparisonwiththatofGreatBritain，anditsofficershadtheirfullquotaofcourage。Withwhatimpatienceweawaitedin’83and’84thenewsfromSt。Roch。
cameverynearservingassurgeonintheking’sservice。Yourgreat-
uncle，whoisstillliving，AdmiralKergarouet，foughthissplendidbattleatthattimeinthe’Belle-Poule。’“
“Ah！ifhedidbutknowhisgreat-nephewisinprison！“
“Hewouldnotleavehimthereaday，“saidoldMinoret，rising。
Heheldouthishandtotakethatoftheoldlady，whichsheallowedhimtodo；thenhekisseditrespectfully，bowedprofoundly，andlefttheroom；butreturnedimmediatelytosay:——
“Mydearabbe，mayIaskyoutoengageaplaceinthediligenceformeto-morrow？“
Theabbestayedbehindforhalfanhourtosingthepraisesofhisfriend，whomeanttowinandhadsucceededinwinningthegoodgracesoftheoldlady。
“Heisanastonishingmanforhisage，“shesaid。“HetalksofgoingtoParisandattendingtomyson’saffairsasifhewereonlytwenty-
five。Hehascertainlyseengoodsociety。“
“Theverybest，madame；andto-daymorethanonesonofapeerofFrancewouldbegladtomarryhisgoddaughterwithamillion。Ah！ifthatideashouldcomeintoSavinien’shead！——timesaresochangedthattheobjectionswouldnotcomefromyourside，especiallyafterhislateconduct——“
Theamazementintowhichthespeechthrewtheoldladyaloneenabledhimtofinishit。
“Youhavelostyoursenses，“shesaidatlast。
“Thinkitover，madame；Godgrantthatyoursonmayconducthimselfinfutureinamannertowinthatoldman’srespect。“
“Ifitwerenotyou，Monsieurl’abbe，“saidMadamedePortenduere，“ifitwereanyoneelsewhospoketomeinthatway——“
“Youwouldnotseehimagain，“saidtheabbe，smiling。“LetushopethatyourdearsonwillenlightenyouastowhatoccursinParisinthesedaysastomarriages。YouwillthinkonlyofSavinien’sgood；asyoureallyhavehelpedtocompromisehisfutureyouwillnotstandinthewayofhismakinghimselfanotherposition。“
“Anditisyouwhosaythattome？“
“IfIdidnotsayittoyou，whowould？“criedtheabberisingandmakingahastyretreat。
AsheleftthehousehesawUrsulaandhergodfatherstandingintheircourtyard。TheweakdoctorhadbeensoentreatedbyUrsulathathehadjustyieldedtoher。ShewantedtogowithhimtoParis，andgaveathousandreasons。Hecalledtotheabbeandbeggedhimtoengagethewholecoupeforhimthatveryeveningifthebooking-officewerestillopen。
Thenextdayathalf-pastsixo’clocktheoldmanandtheyounggirlreachedParis，andthedoctorwentatoncetoconsulthisnotary。
Politicaleventswerethenverythreatening。MonsieurBongrandhadremarkedinthecourseoftheprecedingeveningthatamanmustbeafooltokeepapennyinthepublicfundssolongasthequarrelbetweenthepressandthecourtwasnotmadeup。Minoret’snotarynowindirectlyapprovedofthisopinion。ThedoctorthereforetookadvantageofhisjourneytosellouthismanufacturingstocksandhissharesintheFunds，allofwhichwerethenatahighvalue，depositingtheproceedsintheBankofFrance。ThenotaryalsoadvisedhisclienttosellthestockslefttoUrsulabyMonsieurdeJordy。HepromisedtoemployanextremelycleverbrokertotreatwithSavinien’screditors；butsaidthatinordertosucceeditwouldbenecessaryfortheyoungmantostayseveraldayslongerinprison。
“Hasteinsuchmattersalwaysmeansthelossofatleastfifteenpercent，“saidthenotary。“Besides，youcan’tgetyourmoneyundersevenoreightdays。“
WhenUrsulaheardthatSavinienwouldhavetosayatleastaweeklongerinjailshebeggedhergodfathertolethergothere，ifonlyonce。OldMinoretrefused。TheuncleandniecewerestayingatahotelintheRueCroixdesPetits-Champswherethedoctorhadtakenaverysuitableapartment。Knowingthescrupuloushonorandproprietyofhisgoddaughterhemadeherpromisenottogooutwhilehewasaway；atothertimeshetookhertoseethearcades，theshops，theboulevards；
butnothingseemedtoamuseorinteresther。
“Whatdoyouwanttodo？“askedtheoldman。
“SeeSaint-Pelagie，“sheansweredobstinately。
Minoretcalledahackney-coachandtookhertotheRuedelaClef，wherethecarriagedrewupbeforetheshabbyfrontofanoldconventthentransformedintoaprison。Thesightofthosehighgraywalls，witheverywindowbarred，ofthewicketthroughwhichnonecanenterwithoutstooping(horriblelesson！)，ofthewholegloomystructureinaquarterfullofwretchedness，whereitrisesamidsqualidstreetslikeasuprememisery，——thisassemblageofdismalthingssooppressedUrsula’sheartthatsheburstintotears。
“Oh！“shesaid，“toimprisonyoungmeninthisdreadfulplaceformoney！Howcanadebttoamoney-lenderhaveapowerthekinghasnot？
HEthere！“shecried。“Where，godfather？“sheadded，lookingfromwindowtowindow。
“Ursula，“saidtheoldman，“youaremakingmecommitgreatfollies。
Thisisnotforgettinghimasyoupromised。“
“But，“sheargued，“ifImustrenouncehimmustIalsoceasetofeelaninterestinhim？Icanlovehimandnotmarryatall。“
“Ah！“criedthedoctor，“thereissomuchreasoninyourunreasonablenessthatIamsorryIbroughtyou。“
Threedayslatertheworthymanhadallthereceiptssigned，andthelegalpapersreadyforSavinien’srelease。Thepayings，includingthenotaries’fees，amountedtoeightythousandfrancs。ThedoctorwenthimselftoseeSavinienreleasedonSaturdayattwoo’clock。Theyoungviscount，alreadyinformedofwhathadhappenedbyhismother，thankedhisliberatorwithsincerewarmthofheart。
“Youmustreturnatoncetoseeyourmother，“theolddoctorsaidtohim。
Savinienansweredinasortofconfusionthathehadcontractedcertaindebtsofhonorwhileinprison，andrelatedthevisitofhisfriends。
“Isuspectedtherewassomepersonaldebt，“criedthedoctor，smiling。
