“Verygood，——Sens，“repliedthehideousclerk。“There’sanarchbishopatSens，andIdon’tobjecttodevotion；alittlehypocrisyandthereyouare，onthewaytofortune。Besides，thegirlispious，andshe’llsucceedatSens。“
“Itistobefullyunderstood，“continuedMinoret，“thatIshallnotpaythemoneytillyoumarrymycousin，forwhomIwishtoprovide，outofconsiderationformydeceaseduncle。“
“Whynotformetoo？“saidGoupilmaliciously，instantlysuspectingasecretmotiveinMinoret’sconduct。“Isn’titthroughinformationyougotfrommethatyoumaketwenty-fourthousandayearfromthatland，withoutasingleenclosure，aroundtheChateauduRouvre？ThefieldsandthemilltheothersideoftheLoingmakesixteenthousandmore。
Come，oldfellow，doyoumeantoplayfairwithme？“
“Yes。“
“IfIwantedtoshowmyteethIcouldcoaxMassintobuytheRouvreestate，park，gardens，preserves，andtimber——“
“You’dbetterthinktwicebeforeyoudothat，“saidZelie，suddenlyintervening。
“IfIchoose，“saidGoupil，givingheraviperishlook；“Massinwouldbuythewholefortwohundredthousandfrancs。“
“Leaveus，wife，“saidthecolossus，takingZeliebythearm，andshovingheraway；“Iunderstandhim。Wehavebeensoverybusy，“hecontinued，returningtoGoupil，“thatwehavehadnotimetothinkofyou；butIrelyonyourfriendshiptobuytheRouvreestateforme。“
“Itisaveryancientmarquisate，“saidGoupil，maliciously；“whichwillsoonbeworthinyourhandsfiftythousandfrancsayear；thatmeansacapitalofmorethantwomillionsasmoneyisnow。“
“MysoncouldthenmarrythedaughterofamarshalofFrance，orthedaughterofsomeoldfamilywhoseinfluencewouldgethimafineplaceunderthegovernmentinParis，“saidMinoret，openinghishugesnuff-
boxandofferingapinchtoGoupil。
“Verygood；butwillyouplayfair？“criedGoupil，shakinghisfingers。
Minoretpressedtheclerk’shandsreplying:——
“Onmywordofhonor。“
Likeallcraftypersons，Goupil，fortunatelyforMinoret，believedthattheproposedmarriagewithUrsulawasonlyapretextonthepartofthecolossusandZelieformakingupwithhim，nowthathewasopposingthemwithMassin。
“Itisn’the，“thoughtGoupil，“whohasinventedthisscheme；IknowmyZelie，——shetaughthimhispart。Bah！I’llletMassingo。InthreeyearstimeI’llbedeputyfromSens。“JustthenhesawBongrandonhiswaytotheoppositehouseforhiswhist，andherushedhastilyafterhim。
“YoutakeagreatinterestinMademoiselleMirouet，mydearMonsieurBongrand，“hesaid。“Iknowyouwillnotbeindifferenttoherfuture。
Herrelationsareconsideringit，andthereistheprogramme；sheoughttomarryanotarywhosepracticeshouldbeinthechieftownofanarrondisement。Thisnotary，whowouldofcoursebeelecteddeputyinthreeyears，shouldsettleonadowerofahundredthousandfrancsonher。“
“Shecandobetterthanthat，“saidBongrandcoldly。“MadamedePortenduereisgreatlychangedsincehermisfortunes；troubleiskillingher。Savinienwillhavesixthousandfrancsayear，andUrsulahasacapitaloffortythousand。IshallshowthemhowtoincreaseitalaMassin，buthonestly，andintenyearstheywillhavealittlefortune。
“Savinienwilldoafoolishthing，“saidGoupil；“hecanmarryMademoiselleduRouvrewheneverhelikes，——anonlydaughtertowhomtheuncleandauntintendtoleaveafineproperty。“
“Whereloveentersfarewellprudence，asLaFontainesays——Bythebye，whoisyournotary？“addedBongrandfromcuriosity。
“SupposeitwereI？“answeredGoupil。
“You！“exclaimedBongrand，withouthidinghisdisgust。
“Well，well！——Adieu，monsieur，“repliedGoupil，withapartingglanceofgallandhatredanddefiance。
“Doyouwishtobethewifeofanotarywhowillsettleahundredthousandfrancsonyou？“criedBongrandenteringMadamedePortenduere’slittlesalon，whereUrsulawasseatedbesidetheoldlady。
UrsulaandSavinientrembledandlookedateachother，——shesmiling，henotdaringtoshowhisuneasiness。
“Iamnotmistressofmyself，“saidUrsula，holdingoutherhandtoSavinieninsuchawaythattheoldladydidnotperceivethegesture。
“Well，Ihaverefusedtheofferwithoutconsultingyou。“
“Whydidyoudothat？“saidMadamedePortenduere。“Ithinkthepositionofanotaryisaverygoodone。“
“Iprefermypeacefulpoverty，“saidUrsula，“whichisreallywealthcomparedwithwhatmystationinlifemighthavegivenme。Besides，myoldnursesparesmeagreatdealofcare，andIshallnotexchangethepresent，whichIlike，foranunknownfate。“
Afewweekslaterthepostpouredintotwoheartsthepoisonofanonymousletters，——oneaddressedtoMadamedePortenduere，theothertoUrsula。Thefollowingistheonetotheoldlady:——
“Youloveyourson，youwishtomarryhiminamannerconformablewiththenamehebears；andyetyouencouragehisfancyforanambitiousgirlwithoutmoneyandthedaughterofaregimentalband-
master，byinvitinghertoyourhouse。YououghttomarryhimtoMademoiselleduRouvre，onwhomhertwouncles，theMarquisdeRonquerollesandtheChevalierduRouvre，whoareworthmoney，wouldsettleahandsomesumratherthanleaveittothatoldfooltheMarquisduRouvre，whorunsthrougheverything。MadamedeSerizy，auntofClementineduRouvre，whohasjustlostheronlysoninthecampaigninAlgiers，willnodoubtadoptherniece。Apersonwhoisyourwell-wisherassuresyouthatSavinienwillbeaccepted。“
ThelettertoUrsulawasasfollows:——
DearUrsula，——ThereisayoungmaninNemourswhoidolizesyou。Hecannotseeyouworkingatyourwindowwithoutemotionswhichprovetohimthathislovewilllastthroughlife。Thisyoungmanisgiftedwithanironwillandaspiritofperseverancewhichnothingcandiscourage。Receivehisaddressesfavorably，forhisintentionsarepure，andhehumblyasksyourhandwithasinceredesiretomakeyouhappy。Hisfortune，alreadysuitable，isnothingtothatwhichhewillmakeforyouwhenyouareoncehiswife。Youshallbereceivedatcourtasthewifeofaministerandoneofthefirstladiesintheland。
Asheseesyoueveryday(withoutyourbeingabletoseehim)putapotofLaBougival’spinksinyourwindowandhewillunderstandfromthatthathehasyourpermissiontopresenthimself。
UrsulaburnedtheletterandsaidnothingaboutittoSavinien。Twodayslatershereceivedanotherletterinthefollowinglanguage:——
“Youdowrong，mydearUrsula，nottoansweronewholovesyoubetterthanlifeitself。YouthinkyouwillmarrySavinien——youareverymuchmistaken。Thatmarriagewillnottakeplace。MadamedePortenduerewentthismorningtoRouvretoaskforthehandofMademoiselleClementineforherson。Savinienwillyieldintheend。Whatobjectioncanhemake？Theunclesoftheyoungladyarewillingtoguaranteetheirfortunetoher；itamountstooversixtythousandfrancsayear。“
ThisletteragonizedUrsula’sheartandafflictedherwiththetorturesofjealousy，aformofsufferinghithertounknowntoher，butwhichtothisfineorganization，sosensitivetopain，threwapalloverthepresentandoverthefuture，andevenoverthepast。Fromthemomentwhenshereceivedthisfatalpapershelayonthedoctor’ssofa，hereyesfixedonspace，lostinadreadfuldream。Inaninstantthechillofdeathhadcomeuponherwarmyounglife。Alas，worsethanthat！itwasliketheawfulawakeningofthedeadtothesensethattherewasnoGod，——themasterpieceofthatstrangegeniuscalledJeanPaul。FourtimesLaBougivalcalledhertobreakfast。Whenthefaithfulcreaturetriedtoremonstrate，Ursulawavedherhandandansweredinoneharshword，“Hush！“saiddespotically，instrangecontrasttoherusualgentlemanner。LaBougival，watchinghermistressthroughtheglassdoor，sawheralternatelyredwithaconsumingfever，andblueasifashudderofcoldhadsucceededthatunnaturalheat。Thisconditiongrewworseandworseuptofouro’clock；thensherosetoseeifSavinienwerecoming，buthedidnotcome。Jealousyanddistrusttearallreservesfromlove。Ursula，whotillthenhadnevermadeonegesturebywhichherlovecouldbeguessed，nowtookherhatandshawlandrushedintothepassageasiftogoandmeethim。Butanafterthoughtofmodestysentherbacktoherlittlesalon，whereshestayedandwept。WhentheabbearrivedintheeveningLaBougivalmethimatthedoor。
“Ah，monsieur！“shecried；“Idon’tknowwhat’sthematterwithmademoiselle；sheis——“
“Iknow，“saidtheabbesadly，stoppingthewordsofthepoornurse。
HethentoldUrsula(whatshehadnotdaredtoverify)thatMadamedePortenduerehadgonetodineatRouvre。
“AndSavinientoo？“sheasked。
“Yes。“
UrsulawasseizedwithalittlenervoustremorwhichmadetheabbequiverasthoughawholeLeydenjarhadbeendischargedathim；hefeltmoreoveralastingcommotioninhisheart。
“Soweshallnotgothereto-night，“hesaidasgentlyashecould；
“and，mychild，itwouldbebetterifyoudidnotgothereagain。Theoldladywillreceiveyouinawaytowoundyourpride。MonsieurBongrandandI，whohadsucceededinbringinghertoconsideryourmarriage，havenoideafromwhatquarterthisnewinfluencehascometochangeher，asitwereinamoment。“
“Iexpecttheworst；nothingcansurprisemenow，“saidUrsulainapainedvoice。“InsuchextremitiesitisacomforttofeelthatwehavedonenothingtodispleaseGod。“
“Submit，deardaughter，anddonotseektofathomthewaysofProvidence，“saidtheabbe。
“IshallnotunjustlydistrustthecharacterofMonsieurdePortenduere——“
“WhydoyounolongercallhimSavinien？“askedthepriest，whodetectedaslightbitternessinUrsula’stone。
