Possessinganincomeofoverfiftythousandfrancsayear，itgavehimpleasuretoadornhisidol。
InthemonthofFebruary，1832，thedaywhenUrsulawaseighteen，hereyesbeheldSavinienintheuniformofanensignasshelookedfromherwindowwhensheroseinthemorning。
“Whydidn’tIknowhewascoming？“shesaidtoherself。
AfterthetakingofAlgiers，Savinienhaddistinguishedhimselfbyanactofcouragewhichwonhimthecross。Thecorvetteonwhichhewasservingwasmanymonthsatseawithouthisbeingabletocommunicatewiththedoctor；andhedidnotwishtoleavetheservicewithoutconsultinghim。Desirousofretaininginthenavyanamealreadyillustriousinitsservice，thenewgovernmenthadprofitedbyageneralchangeofofficerstomakeSavinienanensign。Havingobtainedleaveofabsenceforfifteendays，thenewofficerarrivedfromToulonbythemail，intimeforUrsula’sfete，intendingtoconsultthedoctoratthesametime。
“Hehascome！“criedUrsularushingintohergodfather’sbedroom。
“Verygood，“heanswered；“Icanguesswhatbringshim，andhemaynowstayinNemours。“
“Ah！that’smybirthdaypresent——itisallinthatsentence，“shesaid，kissinghim。
Onasign，whichsheranuptomakefromherwindow，Saviniencameoveratonce；shelongedtoadmirehim，forheseemedtohersochangedforthebetter。Militaryservicedoes，infact，giveacertaingravedecisiontotheairandcarriageandgesturesofaman，andanerectbearingwhichenablesthemostsuperficialobservertorecognizeamilitarymaneveninplainclothes。Thehabitofcommandproducesthisresult。UrsulalovedSavinienthebetterforit，andtookachildlikepleasureinwalkingroundthegardenwithhim，takinghisarm，andhearinghimrelatethepartheplayed(asmidshipman)inthetakingofAlgiers。EvidentlySavinienhadtakenthecity。Thedoctor，whohadbeenwatchingthemfromhiswindowashedressed，sooncamedown。Withouttellingtheviscounteverything，hedidsaythat，incaseMadamedePortenduereconsentedtohismarriagewithUrsula，thefortuneofhisgodchildwouldmakehisnavalpaysuperfluous。
“Alas！“saidSavinien。“Itwilltakeagreatdealoftimetoovercomemymother’sopposition。BeforeIlefthertoenterthenavyshewasplacedbetweentwoalternatives，——eithertoconsenttomymarryingUrsulaorelsetoseemeonlyfromtimetotimeandtoknowmeexposedtothedangersoftheprofession；andyouseeshechosetoletmego。“
“But，Savinien，weshallbetogether，“saidUrsula，takinghishandandshakingitwithasortofimpatience。
Toseeeachotherandnottopart，——thatwasthealloflovetoher；
shesawnothingbeyondit；andherprettygestureandthepetulanttoneofhervoiceexpressedsuchinnocencethatSavinienandthedoctorwerebothmovedbyit。Theresignationwaswrittenanddespatched，andUrsula’sfetereceivedfullgloryfromthepresenceofherbetrothed。Afewmonthslater，towardsthemonthofMay，thehome-
lifeofthedoctor’shouseholdhadresumedthequitetenorofitswaybutwithonewelcomevisitorthemore。Theattentionsoftheyoungviscountweresooninterpretedinthetownasthoseofafuturehusband，——allthemorebecausehismannersandthoseofUrsula，whetherinchurch，oronthepromenade，thoughdignifiedandreserved，betrayedtheunderstandingoftheirhearts。DionispointedouttotheheirsthatthedoctorhadneveraskedMadamedePortenduerefortheinterestofhismoney，threeyearsofwhichwasnowdue。
“She’llbeforcedtoyield，andconsenttothisderogatorymarriageofherson，“saidthenotary。“Ifsuchamisfortunehappensitisprobablethatthegreaterpartofyouruncle’sfortunewillserveforwhatBasilecalls’anirresistibleargument。’“
Theirritationoftheheirs，whenconvincedthattheirunclelovedUrsulatoowellnottosecureherhappinessattheirexpense，becameasunderhandasitwasbitter。MeetinginDionis’ssalon(astheyhaddoneeveryeveningsincetherevolutionof1830)theyinveighedagainstthelovers，andseldomseparatedwithoutdiscussingsomewayofcircumventingtheoldman。Zelie，whohaddoubtlessprofitedbythefallintheFunds，asthedoctorhaddone，toinvestsome，atleast，ofherenormousgains，wasbitterestofthemallagainsttheorphangirlandthePortendueres。Oneevening，whenGoupil，whousuallyavoidedthedullnessofthesemeetings，hadcomeintolearnsomethingoftheaffairsofthetownwhichwereunderdiscussion，Zelie’shatredwasfreshlyexcited；shehadseenthedoctor，Ursula，andSavinienreturninginthecalechefromacountrydrive，withanairofintimacythattoldall。
“I’dgivethirtythousandfrancsifGodwouldcalluncletohimselfbeforethemarriageofyoungPortenduerewiththataffectedminxcantakeplace，“shesaid。
GoupilaccompaniedMonsieurandMadameMinorettothemiddleoftheirgreatcourtyard，andtheresaid，lookingroundtoseeiftheywerequitealone:
“WillyougivemethemeansofbuyingDionis’spractice？Ifyouwill，IwillbreakoffthemarriagebetweenPortenduereandUrsula。“
“How？“askedthecolossus。
“DoyouthinkIamsuchafoolastotellyoumyplan？“saidthenotary’sheadclerk。
“Well，mylad，separatethem，andwe’llseewhatwecando，“saidZelie。
“Idon’tembarkinanysuchbusinessona’we’llsee。’Theyoungmanisafire-eaterwhomightkillme；Ioughttoberough-shodandasgoodahandwithaswordorapistolasheis。Setmeupinbusiness，andI’llkeepmyword。“
“PreventthemarriageandIwillsetyouup，“saidthepostmaster。
“ItisninemonthssinceyouhavebeenthinkingoflendingmeapaltryfifteenthousandfrancstobuyLecoeur’spractice，andyouexpectmetotrustyounow！Nonsense；you’llloseyouruncle’sproperty，andserveyouright。“
“ItifwereonlyamatteroffifteenthousandfrancsandLecoeur’spractice，thatmightbemanaged，“saidZelie；“buttogivesecurityforyouinahundredandfiftythousandisanotherthing。“
“ButI’lldomypart，“saidGoupil，flingingaseductivelookatZelie，whichencounteredtheimperiousglanceofthepostmistress。
Theeffectwasthatofvenomonsteel。
“Wecanwait，“saidZelie。
“Thedevil’sownspiritisinyou，“thoughtGoupil。“IfIevercatchthatpairinmypower，“hesaidtohimselfashelefttheyard，“I’llsqueezethemlikelemons。“
Bycultivatingthesocietyofthedoctor，theabbe，andMonsieurBongrand，Savinienprovedtheexcellenceofhischaracter。TheloveofthisyoungmanforUrsula，sodevoidofself-interest，andsopersistent，interestedthethreefriendsdeeply，andtheynowneverseparatedtheloversintheirthoughts。Soonthemonotonyofthispatriarchallife，andthecertaintyofafuturebeforethem，gavetotheiraffectionafraternalcharacter。Thedoctoroftenleftthepairalonetogether。Hejudgedtheyoungmanrightly；hesawhimkissherhandonarriving，butheknewhewouldasknokisswhenalonewithher，sodeeplydidtheloverrespecttheinnocence，thefranknessoftheyounggirl，whoseexcessivesensibility，oftentried，taughthimthataharshword，acoldlook，orthealternationsofgentlenessandroughnessmightkillher。Theonlyfreedombetweenthetwotookplacebeforetheeyesoftheoldmanintheevenings。
Twoyears，fullofsecrethappiness，passedthus，——withoutothereventsthanthefruitlesseffortsmadebytheyoungmantoobtainfromhismotherherconsenttohismarriage。Hetalkedtohersometimesforhourstogether。Shelistenedandmadenoanswertohisentreaties，otherthanbyBretonsilenceorapositivedenial。
AtnineteenyearsofageUrsula，elegantinappearance，afinemusician，andwellbroughtup，hadnothingmoretolearn；shewasperfected。Thefameofherbeautyandgraceandeducationspreadfar。
ThedoctorwascalledupontodeclinetheoverturesofMadamed’Aiglemont，whowasthinkingofUrsulaforhereldestson。Sixmonthslater，inspiteofthesecrecythedoctorandUrsulamaintainedonthissubject，Savinienheardofit。Touchedbysomuchdelicacy，hemadeuseoftheincidentinanotherattempttovanquishhismother’sobstinacy；butshemerelyreplied:——
“Ifthed’Aiglemontschoosetoallythemselvesill，isthatanyreasonwhyweshoulddoso？“
InDecember，1834，thekindandnowtrulypiousolddoctor，theneighty-eightyearsold，declinedvisibly。Whenseenoutofdoors，hisfacepinchedandwanandhiseyespale，allthetowntalkedofhisapproachingdeath。“You’llsoonknowresults，“saidthecommunitytotheheirs。Intruththeoldman’sdeathhadalltheattractionofaproblem。Butthedoctorhimselfdidnotknowhewasill；hehadhisillusions，andneitherpoorUrsulanorSaviniennorBongrandnortheabbewerewillingtoenlightenhimastohiscondition。TheNemoursdoctorwhocametoseehimeverydaydidnotventuretoprescribe。OldMinoretfeltnopain；hislampoflifewasgentlygoingit。Hismindcontinuedfirmandclearandpowerful。Inoldmenthusconstitutedthesoulgovernsthebody，andgivesitstrengthtodieerect。Theabbe，anxiousnottohastenthefatalend，releasedhisparishionerfromthedutyofhearingmassinchurch，andallowedhimtoreadtheservicesathome，forthedoctorfaithfullyattendedtoallhisreligiousduties。ThenearerhecametothegravethemorehelovedGod；thelightseternalshoneuponalldifficultiesandexplainedthemmoreandmoreclearlytohismind。EarlyintheyearUrsulapersuadedhimtosellthecarriageandhorsesanddismissCabirolle。MonsieurBongrand，whoseuneasinessaboutUrsula’sfuturewasfarfromquietedbythedoctor’shalf-confidence，boldlyopenedthesubjectoneeveningandshowedhisoldfriendtheimportanceofmakingUrsulalegallyofage。
Stilltheoldman，thoughhehadoftenconsultedthejusticeofpeace，wouldnotrevealtohimthesecretofhisprovisionforUrsula，thoughheagreedtothenecessityofsecuringherindependencebymajority。
ThemoreMonsieurBongrandpersistedinhiseffortstodiscoverthemeansselectedbyhisoldfriendtoprovideforhisdarlingthemorewarythedoctorbecame。
