SeeingthatUrsulawashalf-hiddenbythecreepers，theyoungmancouldnotdenyhimselfthehappinessofpressinghertohisheartandkissingherforehead；butshegaveafeeblecryanddroppeduponthebench，andwhenSaviniensatbesideher，entreatingpardon，hesawthedoctorstandingbeforethem。
“Myfriend，“saidtheoldman，“Ursulaisabornsensitive；tooroughawordmightkillher。Forhersakeyoumustmoderatetheenthusiasmofyourlove——Ah！ifyouhadlovedherforsixteenyearsasIhave，youwouldhavebeensatisfiedwithherwordofpromise，“headded，torevengehimselfforthelastsentenceinSavinien’ssecondletter。
Twodayslatertheyoungmandeparted。InspiteoftheletterswhichhewroteregularlytoUrsula，shefellapreytoanillnesswithoutapparentcause。Likeafinefruitwithawormatthecore，asinglethoughtgnawedherheart。Shelostbothappetiteandcolor。Thefirsttimehergodfatheraskedherwhatshefelt，shereplied:——
“Iwanttoseetheocean。“
“Itisdifficulttotakeyoutoasea-portinthedepthofwinter，“
answeredtheoldman。
“ShallIreallygo？“shesaid。
Ifthewindwashigh，Ursulawasinwardlyconvulsed，certain，inspiteofthelearnedassurancesofthedoctorandtheabbe，thatSavinienwasbeingtossedaboutinawhirlwind。MonsieurBongrandmadeherhappyfordayswiththegiftofanengravingrepresentingamidshipmaninuniform。Shereadthenewspapers，imaginingthattheywouldgivenewsofthecruiseronwhichherloversailed。ShedevouredCooper’ssea-talesandlearnedtousesea-terms。Suchproofsofconcentrationoffeeling，oftenassumedbyotherwomen，weresogenuineinUrsulathatshesawindreamsthecomingofSavinien’sletters，andneverfailedtoannouncethem，relatingthedreamasaforerunner。
“Now，“shesaidtothedoctorthefourthtimethatthishappened，“I
ameasy；whereverSavinienmaybe，ifheiswoundedIshallknowitinstantly。“
TheolddoctorthoughtoverthisremarksoanxiouslythattheabbeandMonsieurBongrandweretroubledbythesorrowfulexpressionofhisface。
“Whatpainsyou？“theysaid，whenUrsulahadleftthem。
“Willshelive？“repliedthedoctor。“Cansotenderanddelicateaflowerendurethetrialsoftheheart？“
Nevertheless，the“littledreamer，“astheabbecalledher，wasworkinghard。Sheunderstoodtheimportanceofafineeducationtoawomanoftheworld，andallthetimeshedidnotgivetohersingingandtothestudyofharmonyandcompositionshespentinreadingthebookschosenforherbytheabbefromhergodfather’srichlibrary。
Andyetwhileleadingthisbusylifeshesuffered，thoughwithoutcomplaint。SometimesshewouldsitforhourslookingatSavinien’swindow。OnSundaysshewouldleavethechurchbehindMadamedePortenduereandwatchhertenderly；for，inspiteoftheoldlady’sharshness，shelovedherasSavinien’smother。Herpietyincreased；
shewenttomasseverymorning，forshefirmlybelievedthatherdreamswerethegiftofGod。
Atlasthergodfather，frightenedbytheeffectsproducedbythisnostalgiaoflove，promisedonherbirthdaytotakehertoToulontoseethedepartureofthefleetforAlgiers。Savinien’sshipformedpartofit，buthewasnottobeinformedbeforehandoftheirintention。TheabbeandMonsieurBongrandkeptsecrettheobjectofthisjourney，saidtobeforUrsula’shealth，whichdisturbedandgreatlypuzzledtherelations。AfterbeholdingSavinieninhisnavaluniform，andgoingonboardthefineflag-shipoftheadmiral，towhomtheministerhadgivenyoungPortenduereaspecialrecommendation，Ursula，atherlover’sentreaty，wentwithhergodfathertoNice，andalongtheshoresoftheMediterraneantoGenoa，wheresheheardofthesafearrivalofthefleetatAlgiersandthelandingofthetroops。
ThedoctorwouldhavelikedtocontinuethejourneythroughItaly，asmuchtodistractUrsula’smindastofinish，insomesense，hereducation，byenlargingherideasthroughcomparisonwithothermannersandcustomsandcountries，andbythefascinationofalandwherethemasterpiecesofartcanstillbeseen，andwheresomanycivilizationshavelefttheirbrillianttraces。ButthetidingsoftheoppositionbythethronetothenewlyelectedChamberof1830obligedthedoctortoreturntoFrance，bringingbackhistreasureinaflourishingstateofhealthandpossessedofacharminglittlemodeloftheshiponwhichSavinienwasserving。
Theelectionsof1830unitedintoanactivebodythevariousMinoretrelations，——DesireandGoupilhavingformedacommitteeinNemoursbywhoseeffortsaliberalcandidatewasputinnominationatFontainebleau。Massin，ascollectoroftaxes，exercisedanenormousinfluenceoverthecountryelectors。Fiveofthepostmaster’sfarmerswereelectors。Dionisrepresentedelevenvotes。Afterafewmeetingsatthenotary’s，Cremiere，Massin，thepostmaster，andtheiradherentstookahabitofassemblingthere。Bythetimethedoctorreturned，Dionis’sofficeandsalonwerethecampofhisheirs。Thejusticeofpeaceandthemayor，whohadformedanalliance，backedbythenobilityintheneighbouringcastles，toresisttheliberalsofNemours，nowworstedintheirefforts，weremorecloselyunitedthaneverbytheirdefeat。
BythetimeBongrandandtheAbbeChaperonwereabletotellthedoctorbywordofmouththeresultoftheantagonism，whichwasdefinedforthefirsttime，betweenthetwoclassesinNemours(givingincidentallysuchimportancetohisheirs)CharlesX。hadleftRambouilletforCherbourg。DesireMinoret，whoseopinionswerethoseoftheParisbar，sentforfifteenofhisfriends，commandedbyGoupilandmountedonhorsesfromhisfather’sstable，whoarrivedinParisonthenightofthe28th。WiththistroopGoupilandDesiretookpartinthecaptureoftheHotel-de-Veille。DesirewasdecoratedwiththeLegionofhonorandappointeddeputyprocureurduroiatFontainebleau。GoupilreceivedtheJulycross。DioniswaselectedmayorofNemours，andthecitycouncilwascomposedofthepostmaster(nowassistant-mayor)，Massin，Cremiere，andalltheadherentsofthefamilyfaction。Bongrandretainedhisplaceonlythroughtheinfluenceofhisson，procureurduroiatMelun，whosemarriagewithMademoiselleLevraultwasthenonthetapis。
Seeingthethree-per-centsquotedatforty-five，thedoctorstartedbypostforParis，andinvestedfivehundredandfortythousandfrancsinsharestobearer。Therestofhisfortunewhichamountedtoabouttwohundredandseventythousandfrancs，standinginhisownnameinthesamefunds，gavehimostensiblyanincomeoffifteenthousandfrancsayear。HemadethesamedispositionofUrsula’slittlecapitalbequeathedtoherbydeJordy，togetherwiththeaccruedinterestthereon，whichgaveheraboutfourteenhundredfrancsayearinherownright。LaBougival，whohadlaidbysomefivethousandfrancsofhersavings，didthesamebythedoctor’sadvice，receivinginfuturethreehundredandfiftyfrancsayearindividends。Thesejudicioustransactions，agreedonbetweenthedoctorandMonsieurBongrand，werecarriedoutinperfectsecrecy，thankstothepoliticaltroublesofthetime。
Whenquietwasagainrestoredthedoctorboughtthelittlehousewhichadjoinedhisownandpulleditdownsoastobuildacoach-houseandstablesonitsside。ToemployacapitalwhichwouldhavegivenhimathousandfrancsayearonoutbuildingsseemedactualfollytotheMinoretheirs。Thisfolly，ifitwereone，wasthebeginningofanewerainthedoctor’sexistence，forhenow(ataperiodwhenhorsesandcarriageswerealmostgivenaway)broughtbackfromParisthreefinehorsesandacaleche。
When，intheearlypartofNovember，1830，theoldmancametochurchonarainydayinthenewcarriage，andgavehishandtoUrsulatohelpherout，alltheinhabitantsflockedtothesquare，——asmuchtoseethecalecheandquestionthecoachman，astocriticizethegoddaughter，towhoseexcessiveprideandambitionMassin，Cremiere，thepostmaster，andtheirwivesattributedthisextravagantfollyoftheoldman。
“Acaleche！Hey，Massin！“criedGoupil。“Yourinheritancewillgoattopspeednow！“
“Yououghttobegettinggoodwages，Cabirolle，“saidthepostmastertothesonofoneofhisconductors，whostoodbythehorses；“foritistobesupposedanoldmanofeighty-fourwon’tuseupmanyhorse-
shoes。Whatdidthosehorsescost？“
“Fourthousandfrancs。Thecaleche，thoughsecond-hand，wastwothousand；butit’safineone，thewheelsarepatent。“
“Yes，it’sagoodcarriage，“saidCremiere；“andamanmustberichtobuythatstyleofthing。“
“Ursulameanstogoatagoodpace，“saidGoupil。“She’sright；she’sshowingyouhowtoenjoylife。Whydon’tyouhavefinecarriagesandhorses，papaMinoret？Iwouldn’tletmyselfbehumiliatedifIwereyou——I’dbuyacarriagefitforaprince。“
“Come，Cabirolle，tellus，“saidMassin，“isitthegirlwhodrivesouruncleintosuchluxury？“
“Idon’tknow，“saidCabirolle；“butsheisalmostmistressofthehouse。TherearemastersuponmastersdownfromParis。Theysaynowsheisgoingtostudypainting。“
“ThenIshallseizetheoccasiontohavemyportraitdrawn，“saidMadameCremiere。
Intheprovincestheyalwayssayapictureisdrawn，notpainted。
“TheoldGermanisnotdismissed，ishe？“saidMadameMassin。
“Hewasthereyesterday，“repliedCabirolle。
“Now，“saidGoupil，“youmayaswellgiveupcountingonyourinheritance。Ursulaisseventeenyearsold，andsheisprettierthanever。Travelformsyoungpeople，andthelittleminxhasgotyouruncleinthetoils。Fiveorsixparcelscomedownforherbythediligenceeveryweek，andthedressmakersandmillinerscometoo，totryonhergownsandalltherestofit。MadameDionisisfurious。
WatchforUrsulaasshecomesoutofchurchandlookatthelittlescarfsheiswearingroundherneck，——realcashmere，anditcostsixhundredfrancs！“
IfathunderbolthadfalleninthemidstoftheheirstheeffectwouldhavebeenlessthanthatofGoupil’slastwords；themischief-makerstoodbyrubbinghishands。
Thedoctor’soldgreensalonhadbeenrenovatedbyaParisianupholsterer。Judgedbytheluxurydisplayed，hewassometimesaccusedofhoardingimmensewealth，sometimesofspendinghiscapitalonUrsula。Theheirscalledhiminturnamiserandaspendthrift，butthesaying，“He’sanoldfool！“summedupon，onthewhole，theverdictoftheneighbourhood。Thesemistakenjudgmentsofthelittletownhadtheoneadvantageofmisleadingtheheirs，whoneversuspectedthelovebetweenSavinienandUrsula，whichwasthesecretreasonofthedoctor’sexpenditure。Theoldmantookthegreatestdelightsinaccustominghisgodchildtoherfuturestationintheworld。
