WithstandingSavinien’sentreaties，sherefusedtotellhim，outofprudence，thesecretofherfears。Thedelightofseeinghimagain，aftershehadthoughthimlosttoher，couldalonehavemadeherrecoverfromthemortalchillofterror。Theexpectationofindefiniteevilistorturetoeveryone；sufferingassumestheproportionsoftheunknown，andtheunknownistheinfiniteofthesoul。ToUrsulathepainwasexquisite。Somethingwithoutherboundedattheslightestnoise；yetshewasafraidofsilence，andsuspectedeventhewallsofcollusion。Evenhersleepwasrestless。Goupil，whoknewnothingofhernature，delicateasthatofaflower，hadfound，withtheinstinctofevil，thepoisonthatcouldwitheranddestroyher。
Thenextdaypassedwithoutashock。Ursulasatplayingonherpianotillverylate；andwenttobedeasierinmindandverysleepy。Aboutmidnightshewasawakenedbythemusicofabandcomposedofaclarinet，hautboy，flute，cornetapiston，trombone，bassoon，flageolet，andtriangle。Alltheneighbourswereattheirwindows。Thepoorgirl，alreadyfrightenedatseeingthepeopleinthestreet，receivedadreadfulshockassheheardthecoarse，roughvoiceofamanproclaiminginloudtones:“ForthebeautifulUrsulaMirouet，fromherlover。“
Thenextday，Sunday，thewholetownhadheardofit；andasUrsulaenteredandleftthechurchshesawthegroupsofpeoplewhostoodgossipingabouther，andfeltherselftheobjectoftheirterriblecuriosity。Theserenadesetalltongueswagging，andconjectureswererifeonallsides。Ursulareachedhomemoredeadthanalive，determinednottoleavethehouseagain，——theabbehavingadvisedhertosayvespersinherownroom。Assheenteredthehouseshesawlyinginthepassage，whichwasflooredwithbrick，aletterwhichhadevidentlybeenslippedunderthedoor。Shepickeditupandreadit，undertheideathatitwouldobtainanexplanation。Itwasasfollows:——
“Resignyourselftobecomingmywife，richandidolized。Iamresolved。Ifyouarenotminelivingyoushallbeminedead。Toyourrefusalyoumayattributenotonlyyourownmisfortunes，butthosewhichwillfallonothers。
“Hewholovesyou，andwhosewifeyouwillbe。“
Curiouslyenough，attheverymomentthatthegentlevictimofthisplotwasdroopinglikeacutflower，MesdemoisellesMassin，Dionis，andCremierewereenvyingherlot。
“Sheisaluckygirl，“theyweresaying；“peopletalkofher，andcourther，andquarrelabouther。Theserenadewascharming；therewasacornet-a-piston。“
“What’sapiston？“
“Anewmusicalinstrument，asbigasthis，see！“repliedAngeliqueCremieretoPamelaMassin。
EarlythatmorningSavinienhadgonetoFontainebleautoendeavortofindoutwhohadengagedthemusiciansoftheregimenttheningarrison。ButasthereweretwomentoeachinstrumentitwasimpossibletofindoutwhichofthemhadgonetoNemours。Thecolonelforbadethemtoplayforanyprivatepersoninfuturewithouthispermission。Savinienhadaninterviewwiththeprocureurduroi，Ursula’slegalguardian，andexplainedtohimtheinjurythesesceneswoulddotoayounggirlnaturallysodelicateandsensitive，begginghimtotakesomeactiontodiscovertheauthorofsuchwrong。
Threenightslaterthreeviolins，aflute，aguitar，andahautboybegananotherserenade。ThistimethemusiciansfledtowardsMontargis，wheretherehappenedthentobeacompanyofcomicactors。
Aloudandringingvoicecalledoutastheyleft:“TothedaughteroftheregimentalbandsmanMirouet。“BythismeansallNemourscametoknowtheprofessionofUrsula’sfather，asecrettheolddoctorhadsedulouslykept。
SaviniendidnotgotoMontargis。Hereceivedinthecourseofthedayananonymouslettercontainingaprophecy:——
“YouwillnevermarryUrsula。Ifyouwishhertolive，giveherupatoncetoamanwholoveshermorethanyouloveher。Hehasmadehimselfamusicianandanartisttopleaseher，andhewouldratherseeherdeadthanletherbeyourwife。“
ThedoctorcametoUrsulathreetimesinthecourseofthatday，forshewasreallyindangerofdeathfromthehorrorofthismysteriouspersecution。Feelingthatsomeinfernalhandhadplungedherintothemire，thepoorgirllaylikeamartyr；shesaidnothing，butliftedhereyestoheaven，andweptnomore；sheseemedawaitingotherblows，andprayedfervently。
“IamgladIcannotgodownintothesalon，“shesaidtoMonsieurBongrandandtheabbe，wholeftheraslittleaspossible；“HEwouldcome，andIamnowunworthyofthelookswithwhichHEblessedme。DoyouthinkHEwillsuspectme？“
“IfSaviniendoesnotdiscovertheauthoroftheseinfamieshemeanstogettheassistanceoftheParispolice，“saidBongrand。
“WhoeveritiswillknowIamdying，“saidUrsula；“andwillceasetotroubleme。“
Theabbe，Bongrand，andSavinienwerelostinconjecturesandsuspicions。TogetherwithTiennette，LaBougival，andtwopersonsonwhomtheabbecouldrely，theykepttheclosestwatchandwereontheirguardnightanddayforaweek；butnoindiscretioncouldbetrayGoupil，whosemachinationswereknowntohimselfonly。Therewerenomoreserenadesandnomoreletters，andlittlebylittlethewatchrelaxed。Bongrandthoughttheauthorofthewrongwasfrightened；
SavinienbelievedthattheprocureurduroitowhomhehadsentthelettersreceivedbyUrsulaandhimselfandhismother，hadtakenstepstoputanendtothepersecution。
Thearmisticewasnotoflongduration，however。WhenthedoctorhadcheckedthenervousfeverfromwhichpoorUrsulawassuffering，andjustasshewasrecoveringhercourage，arope-ladderwasfound，earlyonemorninginJuly，attachedtoherwindow。Thepostilionofthemail-postdeclaredthatashedrovepastthehouseinthemiddleofthenightasmallmanwasintheactofcomingdowntheladder，andthoughhetriedtopullup，hishorses，beingstartled，carriedhimdownthehillsofastthathewasoutofNemoursbeforehestoppedthem。SomeofthepersonswhofrequentedDionis’ssalonattributedthesemanoeuvrestotheMarquisduRouvre，thenmuchhamperedinmeans，forMassinheldhisnotestoalargeamount。ItwassaidthatapromptmarriageofhisdaughtertoSavinienwouldsaveChateauduRouvrefromhiscreditors；andMadamedePortenduere，thegossipsadded，wouldapproveofanythingthatwoulddiscreditanddegradeUrsulaandleadtothismarriageofherson。
Sofarfromthisbeingtrue，theoldladywaswell-nighvanquishedbythesufferingsoftheinnocentgirl。Theabbewassopainfullyovercomebythisactofinfernalwickednessthathefellillhimselfandwaskepttothehouseforseveraldays。PoorUrsula，towhomthislastinsulthadcausedarelapse，receivedbypostaletterfromtheabbe，whichwastakeninbyLaBougivalonrecognizingthehandwriting。Itwasasfollows:——
Mychild，——LeaveNemours，andthusevadethemaliceofyourenemies。PerhapstheyareseekingtoendangerSavinien’slife。I
willtellyoumorewhenIamabletogotoyou。
Yourdevotedfriend，Chaperon。
WhenSavinien，whowasalmostmaddenedbytheseproceedings，carriedthislettertotheabbe，thepoorpriestreaditandre-readit；soamazedandhorror-strickenwashetoseetheperfectionwithwhichhisownhandwritingandsignaturewereimitated。ThedangerousconditionintowhichthislastatrocitythrewpoorUrsulasentSavinienoncemoretotheprocureurduroiwiththeforgedletter。
“Amurderisbeingcommittedbymeansthatthelawcannottouch，“hesaid，“uponanorphanwhomtheCodeplacesinyourcareaslegalguardian。Whatistobedone？“
“Ifyoucanfindanymeansofrepression，“saidtheofficial，“Iwilladoptthem；butIknowofnone。Thatinfamouswretchgivesthebestadvice。MademoiselleMirouetmustbesenttothesistersoftheAdorationoftheSacredHeart。MeanwhilethecommissaryofpoliceatFontainebleaushallatmyrequestauthorizeyoutocarryarmsinyourowndefence。IhavebeenmyselftoRouvre，andIfoundMonsieurduRouvrejustlyindignantatthesuspicionssomeoftheNemourspeoplehaveputuponhim。Minoret，thefatherofmyassistant，isintreatyforthepurchaseoftheestate。MademoiselleistomarryarichPolishcount；andMonsieurduRouvrehimselflefttheneighbourhoodthedayI
sawhim，toavoidarrestfordebt。“
DesireMinoret，whenquestionedbyhischief，darednottellhisthought。HerecognizedGoupil。Goupil，hefullybelieved，wastheonlymancapableofcarryingapersecutiontotheveryvergeofthepenalcodewithoutinfringingahair’s-breadthuponit。
Impunity，secrecy，andsuccessincreasedGoupil’saudacity。HemadeMassin，whowascompletelyhisdupe，suetheMarquisduRouvreforhisnotes，soastoforcehimtoselltheremainderofhispropertytoMinoret。Thusprepared，heopenednegotiationsforapracticeatSens，andthenresolvedtostrikealastblowtoobtainUrsula。HemeanttoimitatecertainyoungmeninPariswhoowedtheirwivesandtheirfortunestoabduction。HeknewthattheserviceshehadrenderedtoMinoret，toMassin，andtoCremiere，andtheprotectionofDionisandthemayorofNemourswouldenablehimtohushuptheaffair。Heresolvedtothrowoffthemask，believingUrsulatoofeebleintheconditiontowhichhehadreducedhertomakeanyresistance。ButbeforeriskingthislastthrowinthegamehethoughtitbesttohaveanexplanationwithMinoret，andhechosehisopportunityatRouvre，wherehewentwithhispatronforthefirsttimeafterthedeedsweresigned。
MinorethadthatmorningreceivedaconfidentialletterfromhissonaskinghimforinformationastowhatwashappeninginconnectionwithUrsula，informationthathedesiredtoobtainbeforegoingtoNemourswiththeprocureurduroitoplaceherundershelterfromtheseatrocitiesintheconventoftheAdoration。Desireexhortedhisfather，incasethispersecutionshouldbetheworkofanyoftheirfriends，togivetowhoeveritmightbewarningandgoodadvice；forevenifthelawcouldnotpunishthiscrimeitwouldcertainlydiscoverthetruthandholditoverthedelinquent’shead。Minorethadnowattainedagreatobject。OwnerofthechateauduRouvre，oneofthefinestestatesintheGatinais，hehadalsoarent-rollofsomefortyoddthousandfrancsayearfromtherichdomainswhichsurroundedthepark。HecouldwellaffordtosnaphisfingersatGoupil。Besides，heintendedtoliveontheestate，wherethesightofUrsulawouldnolongertroublehim。
“Myboy，“hesaidtoGoupil，astheywalkedalongtheterrace，“letmyyoungcousinalone，now。“
