Onwhich，notbeingabletorestrainhisfearsastothetruthofthiswarning，hesentaservanttothemarquis’squarters，whichweredistantfromhim。Butbeforethemancouldgetback，thekingsenttoinformtheduke，bypersonsfittedtoconsolehim，ofthegreatlosshehadsustained。
“Ileavelearnedmentodiscussthecauseofthisevent，whichI
havefrequentlyheardtheDucdeMontmorencyrelate:Ithinkthatthetruthandsingularityofthefactitselfoughttoberecordedandpreserved。“
“Ifallthisisso，“saidUrsula，“whatoughtIdodo？“
“Mychild，“saidtheabbe，“itconcernsmatterssoimportant，andwhichmayprovesoprofitabletoyou，thatyououghttokeepabsolutelysilentaboutit。Nowthatyouhaveconfidedtomethesecretoftheseapparitionsperhapstheymaynotreturn。Besides，youarenowstrongenoughtocometochurch；well，then，cometo-morrowandthankGodandpraytohimforthereposeofyourgodfather’ssoul。
Feelquitesurethatyouhaveentrustedyoursecrettoprudenthands。“
“IfyouknewhowafraidIamtogotosleep，——whatglancesmygodfathergivesme！Thelasttimehecaughtholdofmydress——Iawokewithmyfaceallcoveredwithtears。“
“Beatpeace；hewillnotcomeagain，“saidthepriest。
WithoutlosingamomenttheAbbeChaperonwentstraighttoMinoretandaskedforafewmomentsinterviewintheChinesepagoda，requestingthattheymightbeentirelyalone。
“Cananyonehearus？“heasked。
“Noone，“repliedMinoret。
“Monsieur，mycharactermustbeknowntoyou，“saidtheabbe，fasteningagentlebutattentivelookonMinoret’sface。“Ihavetospeaktoyouofseriousandextraordinarymatters，whichconcernyou，andaboutwhichyoumaybesurethatIshallkeeptheprofoundestsecrecy；butitisimpossibleformetodootherwisethangiveyouthisinformation。Whileyourunclelived，therestoodthere，“saidthepriest，pointingtoacertainspotintheroom，“asmallbuffetmadebyBoule，withamarbletop“(Minoretturnedlivid)，“andbeneaththemarbleyouruncleplacedaletterforUrsula——“Theabbethenwentontorelate，withoutomittingthesmallestcircumstance，Minoret’sconducttoMinorethimself。Whenthelastpostmasterheardthedetailofthetwomatchesrefusingtolighthefelthishairbegintowritheonhisskull。
“Whoinventedsuchnonsense？“hesaid，inastrangledvoice，whenthetaleended。
“Thedeadmanhimself。“
ThisanswermadeMinorettremble，forhehimselfhaddreamedofthedoctor。
“Godisverygood，Monsieurl’abbe，todomiraclesforme，“hesaid，dangerinspiringhimtomakethesolejestofhislife。
“AllthatGoddoesisnatural，“repliedthepriest。
“Yourphantomsdon’tfrightenme，“saidthecolossus，recoveringhiscoolness。
“Ididnotcometofrightenyou，forIshallneverspeakofthistoanyoneintheworld，“saidtheabbe。“Youaloneknowthetruth。ThematterisbetweenyouandGod。“
“Comenow，Monsieurl’abbe，doyoureallythinkmecapableofsuchahorribleabuseofconfidence？“
“Ibelieveonlyincrimeswhichareconfessedtome，andofwhichthesinnerrepents，“saidthepriest，inanapostolictone。
“Crime？“criedMinoret。
“Acrimefrightfulinitsconsequences。“
“Whatconsequences？“
“Inthefactthatitescapeshumanjustice。Thecrimeswhicharenotexpiatedherebelowwillbepunishedinanotherworld。Godhimselfavengesinnocence。“
“DoyouthinkGodconcernshimselfwithsuchtrifles？“
“Ifhedidnotseetheworldsinalltheirdetailsataglance，asyoutakealandscapeintoyoureye，hewouldnotbeGod。“
“Monsieurl’abbe，willyougivemeyourwordofhonorthatyouhavehadthesefactsfrommyuncle？“
“YourunclehasappearedthreetimestoUrsulaandhastoldthemandrepeatedthemtoher。Exhaustedbysuchvisionssherevealedthemtomeprivately；sheconsidersthemsodevoidofreasonthatshewillneverspeakofthem。Youmaymakeyourselfeasyonthatpoint。“
“Iameasyonallpoints，MonsieurChaperon。“
“Ihopeyouare，“saidtheoldpriest。“EvenifIconsideredthesewarningsabsurd，Ishouldstillfeelboundtoinformyouofthem，consideringthesingularnatureofthedetails。Youareanhonestman，andyouhaveobtainedyourhandsomefortuneintoolegalawaytowishtoaddtoitbytheft。Besides，youareanalmostprimitiveman，andyouwouldbetorturedbyremorse。Wehavewithinus，bewesavageorcivilized，thesenseofwhatisright，andthiswillnotpermitustoenjoyinpeaceill-gottengainsacquiredagainstthelawsofthesocietyinwhichwelive，——forwell-constitutedsocietiesaremodeledonthesystemGodhasordainedfortheuniverse。Inthisrespectsocietieshaveadivineorigin。Mandoesnotoriginateideas，heinventsnoform；heanswerstotheeternalrelationsthatsurroundhimonallsides。Therefore，seewhathappens！Criminalsgoingtothescaffold，andhavingitintheirpowertocarrytheirsecretwiththem，arecompelledbytheforceofsomemysteriouspowertomakeconfessionsbeforetheirheadsaretakenoff。Therefore，MonsieurMinoret，ifyourmindisatease，Igomywaysatisfied。“
Minoretwassostupefiedthatheallowedtheabbetofindhisownwayout。Whenhethoughthimselfaloneheflewintothefuryofacholericman；thestrangestblasphemiesescapedhislips，inwhichUrsula’snamewasmingledwithodiouslanguage。
“Why，whathasshedonetoyou？“criedZelie，whohadslippedinontiptoeafterseeingtheabbeoutofthehouse。
Forthefirstandonlytimeinhislife，Minoret，drunkwithangeranddriventoextremitiesbyhiswife’sreiteratedquestions，turneduponherandbeathersoviolentlythathewasobliged，whenshefellhalf-
deadonthefloor，totakeherinhisarmsandputhertobedhimself，ashamedofhisact。Hewastakenillandthedoctorbledhimtwice；
whenheappearedagaininthestreetseverybodynoticedagreatchangeinhim。Hewalkedalone，andoftenroamedthetownasthoughuneasy。
Whenanyoneaddressedhimheseemedpreoccupiedinhismind，hewhohadneverbeforehadtwoideasinhishead。Atlast，oneevening，hewentuptoMonsieurBongrandintheGrand’Rue，thelatterbeingonhiswaytotakeUrsulatoMadamedePortenduere’s，wherethewhistpartieshadbegunagain。
“MonsieurBongrand，Ihavesomethingimportanttosaytomycousin，“
hesaid，takingthejusticebythearm，“andIamverygladyoushouldbepresent，foryoucanadviseher。“
TheyfoundUrsulastudying；sherose，withacoldanddignifiedair，assoonasshesawMinoret。
“Mychild，MonsieurMinoretwantstospeaktoyouonamatterofbusiness，“saidBongrand。“Bythebye，don’tforgettogivemeyourcertificates；IshallgotoParisinthemorningandwilldrawyourdividendandLaBougival’s。“
“Cousin，“saidMinoret，“ouruncleaccustomedyoutomoreluxurythanyouhavenow。“
“Wecanbeveryhappywithverylittlemoney，“shereplied。
“Ithoughtmoneymighthelpyourhappiness，“continuedMinoret，“andI
havecometoofferyousome，outofrespectforthememoryofmyuncle。“
“Youhadanaturalwayofshowingrespectforhim，“saidUrsula，sternly；“youcouldhavelefthishouseasitwas，andallowedmetobuyit；insteadofthatyouputitatahighprice，hopingtofindsomehiddentreasureinit。“
“But，“saidMinoret，evidentlytroubled，“ifyouhadtwelvethousandfrancsayearyouwouldbeinapositiontomarrywell。“
“Ihavenotgotthem。“
“ButsupposeIgivethemtoyou，onconditionofyourbuyinganestateinBrittanynearMadamedePortenduere，——youcouldthenmarryherson。“
“MonsieurMinoret，“saidUrsula，“Ihavenoclaimtothatmoney，andI
cannotacceptitfromyou。Wearescarcelyrelations，stilllessarewefriends。Ihavesufferedtoomuchfromcalumnytogiveahandleforevil-speaking。WhathaveIdonetodeservethatmoney？Whatreasonhaveyoutomakemesuchapresent？Thesequestions，whichIhavearighttoask，personswillanswerastheyseefit；somewouldconsideryourgiftthereparationofawrong，and，assuch，Ichoosenottoacceptit。Youruncledidnotbringmeuptoignoblefeelings。Icanacceptnothingexceptfromfriends，andIhavenofriendshipforyou。“
“Thenyourefuse？“criedthecolossus，intowhoseheadtheideahadneverenteredthatafortunecouldberejected。
“Irefuse，“saidUrsula。
“ButwhatgroundshaveyouforofferingMademoiselleUrsulasuchafortune？“askedBongrand，lookingfixedlyatMinoret。“Youhaveanidea——haveyouanidea？——“
“Well，yes，theideaofgettingheroutofNemours，sothatmysonwillleavemeinpeace；heisinlovewithherandwantstomarryher。“
“Well，we’llseeaboutit，“saidBongrand，settlinghisspectacles。
