“Yourmotherborrowedahundredthousandfrancsofme，butIhavepaidoutonlyeightythousand。Hereistherest；becarefulhowyouspendit，monsieur；considerwhatyouhaveleftofitasyourstakeonthegreenclothoffortune。“
DuringthelasteightdaysSavinienhadmademanyreflectionsonthepresentconditionsoflife。Competitionineverythingnecessitatedhardworkonthepartofwhoeversoughtafortune。Illegalmethodsandunderhanddealingdemandedmoretalentthanopeneffortsinfaceofday。Successinsociety，farfromgivingamanposition，wastedhistimeandrequiredanimmensedealofmoney。ThenameofPortenduere，whichhismotherconsideredall-powerful，hadnopoweratallinParis。Hiscousinthedeputy，ComtedePortenduere，cutaverypoorfigureintheElectiveChamberinpresenceofthepeerageandthecourt；andhadnonetoomuchcreditpersonally。AdmiralKergarouetexistedonlyasthehusbandofhiswife。Savinienadmittedtohimselfthathehadseenorators，menfromthemiddleclasses，orlessernoblemen，becomeinfluentialpersonages。Moneywasthepivot，thesolemeans，theonlymechanismofasocietywhichLouisXVIII。hadtriedtocreateinthelikenessofthatofEngland。
OnhiswayfromtheRuedelaCleftotheRueCroixdesPetits-Champstheyounggentlemandivulgedtheupshotofthesemeditations(whichwerecertainlyinkeepingwithdeMarsay’sadvice)totheolddoctor。
“Iought，“hesaid，“togointooblivionforthreeorfouryearsandseekacareer。PerhapsIcouldmakemyselfanamebywritingabookonstatesmanshipormorals，oratreatiseonsomeofthegreatquestionsoftheday。WhileIamlookingoutforamarriagewithsomeyoungladywhocouldmakemeeligibletotheChamber，Iwillworkhardinsilenceandinobscurity。“
Studyingtheyoungfellow’sfacewithakeeneye，thedoctorsawtheseriouspurposeofawoundedmanwhowasanxioustovindicatehimself。
Hethereforecordiallyapprovedofthescheme。
“Myfriend，“hesaid，“ifyoustripofftheskinoftheoldnobility(whichisnolongerwornthesedays)Iwillundertake，afteryouhavelivedforthreeorfouryearsinasteadyandindustriousmanner，tofindyouasuperioryounggirl，beautiful，amiable，pious，andpossessingfromseventoeighthundredthousandfrancs，whowillmakeyouhappyandofwhomyouwillhaveeveryreasontobeproud，——onewhoseonlynobilityisthatoftheheart！“
“Ah，doctor！“criedtheyoungman，“thereisnolongeranobilityinthesedays，——nothingbutanaristocracy。“
“Goandpayyourdebtsofhonorandcomebackhere。Ishallengagethecoupeofthediligence，formynieceiswithme，“saidtheoldman。
Thatevening，atsixo’clock，thethreetravelersstartedfromtheRueDauphine。Ursulahadputonaveilanddidnotsayaword。Savinien，whoonce，inamomentofsuperficialgallantry，hadsentherthatkisswhichinvadedandconqueredhersoullikealove-poem，hadcompletelyforgottentheyounggirlinthehellofhisParisiandebts；moreover，hishopelessloveforEmiliedeKergarouethinderedhimfrombestowingathoughtonafewglancesexchangedwithalittlecountrygirl。Hedidnotrecognizeherwhenthedoctorhandedherintothecoachandthensatdownbesidehertoseparateherfromtheyoungviscount。
“Ihavesomebillstogiveyou，“saidthedoctortotheyoungman。“I
havebroughtallyourpapersanddocuments。“
“Icameverynearnotgettingoff，“saidSavinien，“forIhadtoorderlinenandclothes；thePhilistinestookall；Ireturnlikeatrueprodigal。“
Howeverinterestingwerethesubjectsofconversationbetweentheyoungmanandtheoldone，andhoweverwittyandcleverwerecertainremarksoftheviscount，theyounggirlcontinuedsilenttillafterdusk，hergreenveillowered，andherhandscrossedonhershawl。
“MademoiselledoesnotseemtohaveenjoyedParisverymuch，“saidSavinienatlast，somewhatpiqued。
“IamgladtoreturntoNemours，“sheansweredinatremblingvoiceraisingherveil。
NotwithstandingthedimlightSavinienthenrecognizedherbytheheavybraidsofherhairandthebrilliancyofherblueeyes。
“I，too，leaveParistoburymyselfinNemourswithoutregretnowthatImeetmycharmingneighbouragain，“hesaid；“Ihope，Monsieurledocteurthatyouwillreceivemeinyourhouse；Ilovemusic，andI
remembertohavelistenedtoMademoiselleUrsula’spiano。“
“Idonotknow，“repliedthedoctorgravely，“whetheryourmotherwouldapproveofyourvisitstoanoldmanwhosedutyitistocareforthisdearchildwithallthesolicitudeofamother。“
ThisreservedanswermadeSavinienreflect，andhethenrememberedthekissessothoughtlesslywafted。Nightcame；theheatwasgreat。
Savinienandthedoctorwenttosleepfirst。Ursula，whoseheadwasfullofprojects，didnotsuccumbtillmidnight。Shehadtakenoffherstraw-bonnet，andherhead，coveredwithalittleembroideredcap，droppeduponheruncle’sshoulder。WhentheyreachedBouronatdawn，Savinienawoke。HethensawUrsulaintheslightdisarraynaturallycausedbythejoltingofthevehicle；hercapwasrumpledandhalfoff；thehair，unbound，hadfalleneachsideofherface，whichglowedfromtheheatofthenight；inthissituation，dreadfulforwomentowhomdressisanecessaryauxiliary，youthandbeautytriumphed。Thesleepofinnocenceisalwayslovely。Thehalf-openedlipsshowedtheprettyteeth；theshawl，unfastened，gavetoview，beneaththefoldsofhermuslingownandwithoutoffencetohermodesty，thegracefulnessofherfigure。Thepurityofthevirginspiritshoneonthesleepingcountenanceallthemoreplainlybecausenootherexpressionwastheretointerferewithit。OldMinoret，whopresentlywokeup，placedhischild’sheadinthecornerofthecarriagethatshemightbemoreatease；andshelethimdoitunconsciously，sodeepwashersleepafterthemanywakefulnightsshehadspentinthinkingofSavinien’strouble。
“Poorlittlegirl！“saidthedoctortohisneighbour，“shesleepslikethechildsheis。“
“Youmustbeproudofher，“repliedSavinien；“forsheseemsasgoodassheisbeautiful。“
“Ah！sheisthejoyofthehouse。Icouldnotloveherbetterifsheweremyowndaughter。Shewillbesixteenonthe5thFebruary。GodgrantthatImaylivelongenoughtomarryhertoamanwhowillmakeherhappy。IwantedtotakehertothetheaterinParis，whereshewasforthefirsttime，butsherefused，theAbbeChaperonhadforbiddenit。’But，’Isaid，’whenyouaremarriedyourhusbandwillwantyoutogothere。’’Ishalldowhatmyhusbandwants，’sheanswered。’IfheasksmetodoevilandIamweakenoughtoyield，hewillberesponsiblebeforeGod——andsoIshallhavestrengthtorefusehim，forhisownsake。’“
AsthecoachenteredNemours，atfiveinthemorning，Ursulawokeup，ashamedatherrumpledcondition，andconfusedbythelookofadmirationwhichsheencounteredfromSavinien。DuringthehourithadtakenthediligencetocomefromBourontoNemourstheyoungmanhadfalleninlovewithUrsula；hehadstudiedthepurecandorofhersoul，thebeautyofthatbody，thewhitenessoftheskin，thedelicacyofthefeatures；herecalledthecharmofthevoicewhichhadutteredbutoneexpressivesentence，inwhichthepoorchildsaidall，intendingtosaynothing。Apresentimentsuddenlyseemedtotakeholdofhim；hesawinUrsulathewomanthedoctorhadpicturedtohim，framedingoldbythemagicwords，“Sevenoreighthundredthousandfrancs。“
“Inthreeoffouryearsshewillbetwenty，andIshallbetwenty-
seven，“hethought。“Thegooddoctortalkedofprobation，work，goodconduct！SlyasheisIshallmakehimtellmethetruth。“
Thethreeneighbourspartedinthestreetinfrontoftheirrespectivehomes，andSavinienputalittlecourtingintohiseyesashegaveUrsulaapartingglance。
MadamedePortenduerelethersonsleeptillmidday；butthedoctorandUrsula，inspiteoftheirfatiguingjourney，wenttohighmass。
Savinien’sreleaseandhisreturnincompanywiththedoctorhadexplainedthereasonofthelatter’sabsencetothenewsmongersofthetownandtotheheirs，whowereoncemoreassembledinconventicleonthesquare，justastheyweretwoweeksearlierwhenthedoctorattendedhisfirstmass。Tothegreatastonishmentofallthegroups，MadamedePortenduere，onleavingthechurch，stoppedoldMinoret，whoofferedherhisarmandtookherhome。Theoldladyaskedhimtodinnerthatevening，alsoaskinghisnieceandassuringhimthattheabbewouldbetheonlyotherguest。
“HemusthavewishedUrsulatoseeParis，“saidMinoret-Levrault。
“Pest！“criedCremiere；“hecan’ttakeastepwithoutthatgirl！“
“SomethingmusthavehappenedtomakeoldPortenduereaccepthisarm，“
saidMassin。
“SononeofyouhaveguessedthatyourunclehassoldhisFundsandreleasedthatlittleSavinien？“criedGoupil。“HerefusedDionis，buthedidn’trefuseMadamedePortenduere——Ha，ha！youarealldonefor。
Theviscountwillproposeamarriage-contractinsteadofamortgage，andthedoctorwillmakethehusbandsettleonhisjewelofagirlthesumhehasnowpaidtosecurethealliance。“
“ItisnotabadthingtomarryUrsulatoSavinien，“saidthebutcher。
“Theoldladygivesadinnerto-daytoMonsieurMinoret。Tiennettecameearlyforafilet。“
“Well，Dionis，here’safineto-do！“saidMassin，rushinguptothenotary，whowasenteringthesquare。
“Whatis？It’sallgoingright，“returnedthenotary。“YourunclehassoldhisFundsandMadamedePortenduerehassentformetowitnessthesigningofamortgageonherpropertyforonehundredthousandfrancs，lenttoherbyyouruncle。“
“Yes，butsupposetheyoungpeopleshouldmarry？“
“That’sasifyousaidGoupilwastobemysuccessor。“
“Thetwothingsarenotsoimpossible，“saidGoupil。
