Theresultofhisinterviewwithhisassailantwassoonapparent。
ThoughGoupilhadconcludedhisbargainwiththesheriffthenightbefore，henowimpudentlyrefusedtofulfilit。
“MydearLecoeur，“hesaid，“IamunexpectedlyenabledtobuyupMonsieurDionis’spractice；Iamthereforeinapositiontohelpyoutoselltoothers。Tearuptheagreement；it’sonlythelossoftwostamps，——hereareseventycentimes。“
LecoeurwastoomuchafraidofGoupiltocomplain。AllNemoursknewbeforenightthatMinorethadgivenDionissecuritytoenableGoupiltobuyhispractice。ThelatterwrotetoSaviniendenyinghischargesagainstMinoret，andtellingtheyoungnoblemanthatinhisnewpositionhewasforbiddenbytherulesofthesupremecourt，andalsobyhisrespectforlaw，tofightaduel。ButhewarnedSavinientotreathimwellinfuture；assuringhimhewasacapitalboxer，andwouldbreakhislegatthefirstoffence。
ThewallsofNemourswereclearedoftheinscription；butthequarrelbetweenMinoretandhiswifewenton；andSavinienmaintainedathreateningsilence。TendaysaftertheseeventsthemarriageofMademoiselleMassin，theelder，tothefuturenotarywasbruitedaboutthetown。MademoiselleMassinhadadowryofeightythousandfrancsandherownpeculiarugliness；Goupilhadhisdeformitiesandhispractice；theunionthereforeseemedsuitableandprobable。Oneevening，towardsmidnight，twounknownmenseizedGoupilinthestreetashewasleavingMassin’shouse，gavehimasoundbeating，anddisappeared。Thenotarykeptthematteraprofoundsecret，andevencontradictedanoldwomanwhosawthescenefromherwindowandthoughtthatsherecognizedhim。
ThesegreatlittleeventswerecarefullystudiedbyBongrand，whobecameconvincedthatGoupilheldsomemysteriouspoweroverMinoret，andhedeterminedtofindoutitscause。
ThoughthepublicopinionofthelittletownrecognizedUrsula’sperfectinnocence，sherecoveredslowly。Whileinastateofbodilyexhaustion，whichlefthermindandspiritfree，shebecamethemediumofphenomenatheeffectsofwhichwereastounding，andofanaturetochallengescience，ifsciencehadbeenbroughtintocontactwiththem。
TendaysafterMadamedePortenduere’svisitUrsulahadadream，withallthecharacteristicsofasupernaturalvision，asmuchinitsmoralaspectsasinthe，sotospeak，physicalcircumstances。Hergodfatherappearedtoherandmadeasignthatsheshouldcomewithhim。ShedressedherselfandfollowedhimthroughthedarknesstotheirformerhouseintheRuedesBourgeois，whereshefoundeverythingpreciselyasitwasonthedayofhergodfather’sdeath。Theoldmanworetheclothesthatwereonhimtheeveningbeforehisdeath。Hisfacewaspale，hismovementscausednosound；nevertheless，Ursulaheardhisvoicedistinctly，thoughitwasfeebleandasifrepeatedbyadistantecho。ThedoctorconductedhischildasfarastheChinesepagoda，wherehemadeherliftthemarbletopofthelittleBoulecabinetjustasshehadraiseditonthedayofhisdeath；butinsteadoffindingnothingthereshesawtheletterhergodfatherhadtoldhertofetch。
SheopeneditandreadboththeletteraddressedtoherselfandthewillinfavorofSavinien。Thewriting，assheafterwardstoldtheabbe，shoneasiftracedbysunbeams——“itburnedmyeyes，“shesaid。
Whenshelookedatheruncletothankhimshesawtheoldbenevolentsmileuponhisdiscoloredlips。Then，inafeeblevoice，butstillclearly，hetoldhertolookatMinoret，whowaslisteninginthecorridortowhathesaidtoher；andnext，slippingthelockofthelibrarydoorwithhisknife，andtakingthepapersfromthestudy。
WithhisrighthandtheoldmanseizedhisgoddaughterandobligedhertowalkatthepaceofdeathandfollowMinorettohisownhouse。
Ursulacrossedthetown，enteredtheposthouseandwentintoZelie’soldroom，wherethespectreshowedherMinoretunfoldingtheletters，readingthemandburningthem。
“Hecouldnot，“saidUrsula，tellingherdreamtotheabbe，“lightthefirsttwomatches，butthethirdtookfire；heburnedthepapersandburiedtheirremainsintheashes。Thenmygodfatherbroughtmebacktoourhouse，andIsawMinoret-Levraultslippingintothelibrary，wherehetookfromthethirdvolumeofPandectsthreecertificatesoftwelvethousandfrancseach；also，fromtheprecedingvolume，anumberofbanknotes。’Heis，’saidmygodfather，’thecauseofallthetroublewhichhasbroughtyoutothevergeofthetomb；butGodwillsthatyoushallyetbehappy。Youwillnotdienow；youwillmarrySavinien。Ifyouloveme，andifyouloveSavinien，Ichargeyoutodemandyourfortunefrommynephew。Swearit。’“
Resplendentasthoughtransfigured，thespectrehadsopowerfulaninfluenceonUrsula’ssoulthatshepromisedallheruncleasked，hopingtoputanendtothenightmare。Shewokesuddenlyandfoundherselfstandinginthemiddleofherbedroom，facinghergodfather’sportrait，whichhadbeenplacedthereduringherillness。Shewentbacktobedandfellasleepaftermuchagitation，andonwakingagainsherememberedalltheparticularsofthissingularvision；butshedarednotspeakofit。Herjudgmentandherdelicacybothshrankfromrevealingadreamtheendandobjectofwhichwasherpecuniarybenefit。Sheattributedthevision，notunnaturally，toremarksmadebyLaBougivaltheprecedingevening，whentheoldwomantalkedofthedoctor’sintendedliberalityandofherownconvictionsonthatsubject。Butthedreamreturned，withaggravatedcircumstanceswhichmadeitfearfultothepoorgirl。Onthesecondoccasiontheicyhandofhergodfatherwaslaiduponhershoulder，causingherthemosthorribledistress，anindefinablesensation。“Youmustobeythedead，“
hesaid，inasepulchralvoice。“Tears，“saidUrsula，relatingherdreams，“fellfromhiswhite，wide-openeyes。“
ThethirdtimethevisioncamethedeadmantookherbythebraidsofherlonghairandshowedherthepostmastertalkingwithGoupilandpromisingmoneyifhewouldremoveUrsulatoSens。UrsulathendecidedtorelatethethreedreamstotheAbbeChaperon。
“Monsieurl’abbe，“shesaid，“doyoubelievethatthedeadreappear？“
“Mychild，sacredhistory，profanehistory，andmodernhistory，havemuchtestimonytothateffect；buttheChurchhasnevermadeitanarticleoffaith；andasforscience，inFrancesciencelaughsattheidea。“
“WhatdoYOUbelieve？“
“ThatthepowerofGodisinfinite。“
“Didmygodfathereverspeaktoyouofsuchmatters？“
“Yes，often。Hehadentirelychangedhisviewsofthem。Hisconversion，ashetoldmeatleasttwentytimes，datedfromthedaywhenawomaninParisheardyouprayingforhiminNemours，andsawthereddotyoumadeagainstSaint-Savinien’sdayinyouralmanac。“
Ursulautteredapiercingcry，whichalarmedthepriest；sherememberedthescenewhen，onreturningtoNemours，hergodfatherreadhersoul，andtookawaythealmanac。
“Ifthatisso，“shesaid，“thenmyvisionsarepossiblytrue。Mygodfatherhasappearedtome，asJesusappearedtohisdisciples。Hewaswrappedinyellowlight；hespoketome。IbegyoutosayamassforthereposeofhissoulandtoimplorethehelpofGodthatthesevisionsmaycease，fortheyaredestroyingme。“
Shethenrelatedthethreedreamswithalltheirdetails，insistingonthetruthofwhatshesaid，onherownfreedomofaction，onthesomnambulismofherinnerbeing，which，shesaid，detacheditselffromherbodyatthebiddingofthespectreandfollowedhimwithperfectease。Thethingthatmostsurprisedtheabbe，towhomUrsula’sveracitywasknown，wastheexactdescriptionwhichshegaveofthebedroomformerlyoccupiedbyZelieattheposthouse，whichUrsulahadneverenteredandaboutwhichnoonehadeverspokentoher。
“Bywhatmeanscanthesesingularapparitionstakeplace？“askedUrsula。“Whatdidmygodfatherthink？“
“Yourgodfather，mydearchild，arguedmyhypothesis。Herecognizedthepossibilityofaspiritualworld，aworldofideas。Ifideasareofman’screation，iftheysubsistinalifeoftheirown，theymusthaveformswhichourexternalsensescannotgrasp，butwhichareperceptibletoourinwardsenseswhenbroughtundercertainconditions。Thusyourgodfather’sideasmightsoenfoldyouthatyouwouldclothethemwithhisbodilypresence。Then，ifMinoretreallycommittedthoseactions，theytooresolvethemselvesintoideas；forallactionistheresultofmanyideas。Now，ifideasliveandmoveinaspiritualworld，yourspiritmustbeabletoperceivethemifitpenetratesthatworld。Thesephenomenaarenotmoreextraordinarythanthoseofmemory；andthoseofmemoryarequiteasamazingandinexplicableasthoseoftheperfumeofplants——whichareperhapstheideasoftheplants。“
“Howyouenlargeandmagnifytheworld！“exclaimedUrsula。“Buttohearthedeadspeak，toseethemwalk，act——doyouthinkitpossible？“
“InSweden，“repliedtheabbe，“Swedenborghasprovedbyevidencethathecommunicatedwiththedead。ButcomewithmeintothelibraryandyoushallreadinthelifeofthefamousDucdeMontmorency，beheadedatToulouse，andwhocertainlywasnotamantoinventfoolishtales，anadventureverylikeyours，whichhappenedahundredyearsearlieratCardan。“
Ursulaandtheabbewentupstairs，andthegoodmanhuntedupalittleeditionin12mo，printedinParisin1666，ofthe“HistoryofHenrideMontmorency，“writtenbyapriestofthatperiodwhohadknowntheprince。
“Readit，“saidtheabbe，givingUrsulathevolume，whichhehadopenedatthe175thpage。“Yourgodfatheroftenre-readthatpassage，——andsee！here’salittleofhissnuffinit。“
“Andhenothere！“saidUrsula，takingthevolumetoreadthepassage。
“ThesiegeofPrivatwasremarkableforthelossofagreatnumberofofficers。Twobrigadier-generalsdiedthere——namely，theMarquisd’Uxelles，ofawoundreceivedattheoutposts，andtheMarquisdePortes，fromamusket-shotthroughthehead。ThedaythelatterwaskilledhewastohavebeenmadeamarshalofFrance。AboutthemomentwhenthemarquisexpiredtheDucdeMontmorency，whowassleepinginhistent，wasawakenedbyavoicelikethatofthemarquisbiddinghimfarewell。Theaffectionhefeltforafriendsonearmadehimattributetheillusionofthisdreamtotheforceofhisownimagination；andowingtothefatiguesofthenight，whichhehadspent，accordingtohiscustom，inthetrenches，hefellasleeponcemorewithoutanysenseofdread。Butthesamevoicedisturbedhimagain，andthephantomobligedhimtowakeupandlistentothesamewordsithadsaidasitfirstpassed。ThedukethenrecollectedthathehadheardthephilosopherPitratdiscourseonthepossibilityoftheseparationofthesoulfromthebody，andthatheandthemarquishadagreedthatthefirstwhodiedshouldbidadieutotheother。
