Theabbedeparted；presentlyheturnedbacktolookatMinoret。Themanwasholdinghisheadinhishandsasifittroubledhim；hewas，infact，partlycrazy。Inthefirstplace，hehadkeptthethreecertificatesbecausehedidnotknowwhattodowiththem。Hedarednotdrawthemoneyhimselfforfearitshouldbenoticed；hedidnotwishtosellthem，andwasstilltryingtofindsomewayoftransferringthecertificates。Inthishorriblestateofuncertaintyhebethoughthimofacknowledgingalltohiswifeandgettingheradvice。Zelie，whoalwaysmanagedaffairsforhimsowell，shecouldgethimoutofhistroubles。Thethree-per-centFundswerenowsellingateighty。Restitution！why，thatmeant，witharrearages，givingupamillion！Giveupamillion，whentherewasnoonewhocouldknowthathehadtakenit！——
SoMinoretcontinuedthroughSeptemberandapartofOctoberirresoluteandapreytohistorturingthoughts。Tothegreatsurpriseofthelittletownhegrewthinandhaggard。
AnalarmingcircumstancehastenedtheconfessionwhichMinoretwasinclinedtomaketoZelie；theswordofDamoclesbegantomoveabovetheirheads。TowardsthemiddleofOctoberMonsieurandMadameMinoretreceivedfromtheirsonDesirethefollowingletter:——
MydearMother，——IfIhavenotbeentoseeyousincevacation，itispartlybecauseIhavebeenondutyduringtheabsenceofmychief，butalsobecauseIknewthatMonsieurdePortenduerewaswaitingmyarrivalatNemours，topickaquarrelwithme。Tired，perhaps，ofseeinghisvengeanceonourfamilydelayed，theviscountcametoFontainebleau，wherehehadappointedoneofhisParisianfriendstomeethim，havingalreadyobtainedthehelpoftheVicomtedeSoulangescommandingthetroopofcavalryhereingarrison。
Hecalleduponme，verypolitely，accompaniedbythetwogentlemen，andtoldmethatmyfatherwasundoubtedlytheinstigatorofthemalignantpersecutionsagainstUrsulaMirouet，hisfuturewife；hegavemeproofs，andtoldmeofGoupil’sconfessionbeforewitnesses。Healsotoldmeofmyfather’sconduct，firstinrefusingtopayGoupilthepriceagreedonforhiswickedinvention，andnext，outoffearofGoupil’smalignity，goingsecuritytoMonsieurDionisforthepriceofhispracticewhichGoupilistohave。
Theviscount，notbeingabletofightamansixty-sevenyearsofage，andbeingdeterminedtohavesatisfactionfortheinsultsofferedtoUrsula，demandeditformallyofme。Hisdetermination，havingbeenwell-weighedandconsidered，couldnotbeshaken。IfI
refused，hewasresolvedtomeetmeinsocietybeforepersonswhoseesteemIvalue，andinsultmeopenly。InFrance，acowardisunanimouslyscorned。Besides，themotivesfordemandingreparationshouldbeexplainedbyhonorablemen。Hesaidhewassorrytoresorttosuchextremities。Hissecondsdeclareditwouldbewiserinmetoarrangeameetingintheusualmanneramongmenofhonor，sothatUrsulaMirouetmightnotbeknownasthecauseofthequarrel；toavoidallscandalitwasbettertomakeajourneytothenearestfrontier。Inshort，mysecondsmethisyesterday，andtheyunanimouslyagreedthatIowedhimreparation。Aweekfromto-dayIleaveforGenevawithmytwofriends。MonsieurdePortenduere，MonsieurdeSoulanges，andMonsieurdeTrailleswillmeetmethere。
Thepreliminariesoftheduelaresettled；weshallfightwithpistols；eachfiresthreetimes，andafterthat，nomatterwhathappens，theaffairterminates。Tokeepthisdegradingmatterfrompublicknowledge(forIfinditimpossibletojustifymyfather’sconduct)Idonotgotoseeyounow，becauseIdreadtheviolenceoftheemotiontowhichyouwouldyieldandwhichwouldnotbeseemly。IfIamtomakemywayintheworldImustconformtotherulesofsociety。Ifthesonofaviscounthasadozenreasonsforfightingaduelthesonofapostmasterhasahundred。IshallpassthenightinNemoursonmywaytoGeneva，andIwillbidyougood-bythen。
AfterthereadingofthisletterascenetookplacebetweenZelieandMinoretwhichendedinthelatterconfessingthetheftandrelatingallthecircumstancesandthestrangescenesconnectedwithit，evenUrsula’sdreams。ThemillionfascinatedZeliequiteasmuchasitdidMinoret。
“Youstayquietlyhere，“Zeliesaidtoherhusband，withouttheslightestremonstranceagainsthisfolly。“I’llmanagethewholething。We’llkeepthemoney，andDesireshallnotfightaduel。“
MadameMinoretputonherbonnetandshawlandcarriedherson’slettertoUrsula，whomshefoundalone，asitwasaboutmidday。InspiteofherassuranceZeliewasdiscomfitedbythecoldlookwhichtheyounggirlgaveher。Butshetookherselftotaskforhercowardiceandassumedaneasyair。
“Here，MademoiselleMirouet，domethekindnesstoreadthatandtellmewhatyouthinkofit，“shecried，givingUrsulaherson’sletter。
Ursulawentthroughvariousconflictingemotionsasshereadtheletter，whichshowedherhowtrulyshewaslovedandwhatcareSavinientookofthehonorofthewomanwhowastobehiswife；butshehadtoomuchcharityandtruereligiontobewillingtobethecauseofdeathorsufferingtohermostcruelenemy。
“Ipromise，madame，topreventtheduel；youmayfeelperfectlyeasy，——butImustrequestyoutoleavemethisletter。“
“Mydearlittleangel，canwenotcometosomebetterarrangement。
MonsieurMinoretandIhaveacquiredpropertyaboutRouvre，——areallyregalcastle，whichgivesusforty-eightthousandfrancsayear；weshallgiveDesiretwenty-fourthousandayearwhichwehaveintheFunds；inall，seventythousandfrancsayear。Youwilladmitthattherearenotmanybettermatchesthanhe。Youareanambitiousgirl，——andquiterighttoo，“addedZelie，seeingUrsula’squickgestureofdenial；“IhavethereforecometoaskyourhandforDesire。Youwillbearyourgodfather’sname，andthatwillhonorit。Desire，asyoumusthaveseen，isahandsomefellow；heisverymuchthoughtofatFontainebleau，andhewillsoonbeprocureurduroihimself。YouareacoaxinggirlandcaneasilypersuadehimtoliveinParis。Wewillgiveyouafinehousethere；youwillshine；youwillplayadistinguishedpart；for，withseventythousandfrancsayearandthesalaryofanoffice，youandDesirecanenterthehighestsociety。
Consultyourfriends；you’llseewhattheytellyou。“
“Ineedonlyconsultmyheart，madame。“
“Ta，ta，ta！nowdon’ttalktomeaboutthatlittlelady-killerSavinien。You’dpaytoohighapriceforhisname，andforthatlittlemoustachecurledupatthepointsliketwohooks，andhisblackhair。
Howdoyouexpecttomanageonseventhousandfrancsayear，withamanwhomadetwohundredthousandfrancsofdebtintwoyears？Besides——thoughthisisathingyoudon’tknowyet——allmenarealike；andwithoutflatteringmyselftoomuch，ImaysaythatmyDesireistheequalofaking’sson。“
“Youforget，madame，thedangeryoursonisinatthismoment；whichcan，perhaps，beavertedonlybyMonsieurdePortenduere’sdesiretopleaseme。Ifheknewthatyouhadmademetheseunworthyproposalsthatdangermightnotbeescaped。Besides，letmetellyou，madame，thatIshallbefarhappierinthemoderatecircumstancestowhichyoualludethanIshouldbeintheopulencewithwhichyouaretryingtodazzleme。Forreasonshithertounknown，butwhichwillyetbemadeknown，MonsieurMinoret，bypersecutingmeinanodiousmanner，strengthenedtheaffectionthatexistsbetweenMonsieurdePortenduereandmyself——whichIcannowadmitbecausehismotherhasblessedit。I
willalsotellyouthatthisaffection，sanctionedandlegitimate，islifeitselftome。Nodestiny，howeverbrilliant，howeverlofty，couldmakemechange。Ilovewithoutthepossibilityofchanging。ItwouldthereforebeacrimeifImarriedamantowhomIcouldtakenothingbutasoulthatisSavinien’s。But，madame，sinceyouforcemetobeexplicit，ImusttellyouthatevenifIdidnotloveMonsieurdePortenduereIcouldnotbringmyselftobearthetroublesandjoysoflifeinthecompanyofyourson。IfMonsieurSavinienmadedebts，youhaveoftenpaidthoseofyourson。Ourcharactershaveneitherthesimilaritiesnorthedifferenceswhichenabletwopersonstolivetogetherwithoutbitterness。PerhapsIshouldnothavetowardshimtheforbearanceawifeowestoherhusband；Ishouldthenbeatrialtohim。PrayceasetothinkofanallianceofwhichIcountmyselfquiteunworthy，andwhichIfellIcandeclinewithoutpaintoyou；forwiththegreatadvantagesyounametome，youcannotfailtofindsomegirlofbetterstation，morewealth，andmorebeautythanmine。“
“Willyousweartome，“saidZelie，“topreventtheseyoungmenfromtakingthatjourneyandfightingthatduel？“
“Itwillbe，Iforesee，thegreatestsacrificethatMonsieurdePortenduerecanmaketome，butIshalltellhimthatmybridalcrownmusthavenoblooduponit。“
“Well，Ithankyou，cousin，andIcanonlyhopeyouwillbehappy。“
“AndI，madame，sincerelywishthatyoumayrealizeallyourexpectationsforthefutureofyourson。“
Thesewordsstruckachilltotheheartofthemother，whosuddenlyrememberedthepredictionsofUrsula’slastdream；shestoodstill，hersmalleyesfixedonUrsula’sface，sowhite，sopure，sobeautifulinhermourningdress，forUrsulahadrisentootohastenherso-
calledcousin’sdeparture。
“Doyoubelieveindreams？“saidZelie。
“Isufferfromthemtoomuchnottodoso。“
“Butifyoudo——“beganZelie。
“Adieu，madame，“exclaimedUrsula，bowingtoMadameMinoretassheheardtheabbe’senteringstep。
ThepriestwassurprisedtofindMadameMinoretwithUrsula。Theuneasinessdepictedonthethinandwrinkledfaceoftheformerpostmistressinducedhimtotakenoteofthetwowomen。
“Doyoubelieveinspirits？“Zelieaskedhim。
“Whatdoyoubelievein？“heanswered，smiling。
