without　contradiction；　the　master　of　Nemours。　Though　he　never　thought
  of　God　or　devil；　being　a　practical　materialist；　just　as　he　was　a
  practical　agriculturist；　a　practical　egoist；　and　a　practical　miser；
  Minoret　had　enjoyed　up　to　this　time　a　life　of　unmixed　happiness；if
  we　can　call　pure　materialism　happiness。　A　physiologist；　observing　the
  rolls　of　flesh　which　covered　the　last　vertebrae　and　pressed　upon　the
  giant's　cerebellum；　and；　above　all；　hearing　the　shrill；　sharp　voice
  which　contrasted　so　absurdly　with　his　huge　body；　would　have　understood
  why　this　ponderous；　coarse　being　adored　his　only　son；　and　why　he　had
  so　long　expected　him；a　fact　proved　by　the　name；　Desire；　which　was
  given　to　the　child。
  The　mother；　whom　the　boy　fortunately　resembled；　rivaled　the　father　in
  spoiling　him。　No　child　could　long　have　resisted　the　effects　of　such
  idolatry。　As　soon　as　Desire　knew　the　extent　of　his　power　he　milked　his
  mother's　coffer　and　dipped　into　his　father's　purse；　making　each　author
  of　his　being　believe　that　he；　or　she；　alone　was　petitioned。　Desire；
  who　played　a　part　in　Nemours　far　beyond　that　of　a　prince　royal　in　his
  father's　capital；　chose　to　gratify　his　fancies　in　Paris　just　as　he　had
  gratified　them　in　his　native　town；　he　had　therefore　spent　a　yearly　sum
  of　not　less　than　twelve　thousand　francs　during　the　time　of　his　legal
  studies。　But　for　that　money　he　had　certainly　acquired　ideas　that　would
  never　had　come　to　him　in　Nemours；　he　had　stripped　off　the　provincial
  skin；　learned　the　power　of　money　and　seen　in　the　magistracy　a　means　of
  advancement　which　he　fancied。　During　the　last　year　he　had　spent　an
  extra　sum　of　ten　thousand　francs　in　the　company　of　artists；
  journalists；　and　their　mistresses。　A　confidential　and　rather
  disquieting　letter　from　his　son；　asking　for　his　consent　to　a　marriage；
  explains　the　watch　which　the　post　master　was　now　keeping　on　the
  bridge；　for　Madame　Minoret…Levrault；　busy　in　preparing　a　sumptuous
  breakfast　to　celebrate　the　triumphal　return　of　the　licentiate；　had
  sent　her　husband　to　the　mail　road；　advising　him　to　take　a　horse　and
  ride　out　if　he　saw　nothing　of　the　diligence。　The　coach　which　was
  conveying　the　precious　son　usually　arrived　at　five　in　the　morning　and
  it　was　now　nine！　What　could　be　the　meaning　of　such　delay？　Was　the
  coach　overturned？　Could　Desire　be　dead？　Or　was　it　nothing　worse　than　a
  broken　leg？
  Three　distinct　volleys　of　cracking　whips　rent　the　air　like　a　discharge
  of　musketry；　the　red　waistcoats　of　the　postilions　dawned　in　sight；　ten
  horses　neighed。　The　master　pulled　off　his　cap　and　waved　it；　he　was
  seen。　The　best　mounted　postilion；　who　was　returning　with　two　gray
  carriage…horses；　set　spurs　to　his　beast　and　came　on　in　advance　of　the
  five　diligence　horses　and　the　three　other　carriage…horses；　and　soon
  reached　his　master。
  〃Have　you　seen　the　'Ducler'？〃
  On　the　great　mail　routes　names；　often　fantastic；　are　given　to　the
  different　coaches；　such；　for　instance；　as　the　〃Caillard；〃　the　〃Ducler〃
  （the　coach　between　Nemours　and　Paris）；　the　〃Grand　Bureau。〃　Every　new
  enterprise　is　called　the　〃Competition。〃　In　the　days　of　the　Lecompte
  company　their　coaches　were　called　the　〃Countess。〃〃'Caillard'　could
  not　overtake　the　'Countess'；　but　'Grand　Bureau'　caught　up　with　her
  finely；〃　you　will　hear　the　men　say。　If　you　see　a　postilion　pressing
  his　horses　and　refusing　a　glass　of　wine；　question　the　conductor　and　he
  will　tell　you；　snuffing　the　air　while　his　eye　gazes　far　into　space；
  〃The　'Competition'　is　ahead。〃〃We　can't　get　in　sight　of　her；〃　cries
  the　postilion；　〃the　vixen！　she　wouldn't　stop　to　let　her　passengers
  dine。〃〃The　question　is；　has　she　got　any？〃　responds　the　conductor。
  〃Give　it　to　Polignac！〃　All　lazy　and　bad　horses　are　called　Polignac。
  Such　are　the　jokes　and　the　basis　of　conversation　between　postilions
  and　conductors　on　the　roofs　of　the　coaches。　Each　profession；　each
  calling　in　France　has　its　slang。
  〃Have　you　seen　the　'Ducler'？〃　asked　Minoret。
  〃Monsieur　Desire？〃　said　the　postilion；　interrupting　his　master。　〃Hay！
  you　must　have　heard　us；　didn't　our　whips　tell　you？　we　felt　you　were
  somewhere　along　the　road。〃
  Just　then　a　woman　dressed　in　her　Sunday　clothes；for　the　bells　were
  pealing　from　the　clock　tower　and　calling　the　inhabitants　to　mass；a
  woman　about　thirty…six　years　of　age　came　up　to　the　post　master。
  〃Well；　cousin；〃　she　said；　〃you　wouldn't　believe　me　Uncle　is　with
  Ursula　in　the　Grand'Rue；　and　they　are　going　to　mass。〃
  In　spite　of　the　modern　poetic　canons　as　to　local　color；　it　is　quite
  impossible　to　push　realism　so　far　as　to　repeat　the　horrible　blasphemy
  mingled　with　oaths　which　this　news；　apparently　so　unexciting；　brought
  from　the　huge　mouth　of　Minoret…Levrault；　his　shrill　voice　grew
  sibilant；　and　his　face　took　on　the　appearance　of　what　people　oddly
  enough　call　a　sunstroke。
  〃Is　that　true？〃　he　asked；　after　the　first　explosion　of　his　wrath　was
  over。
  The　postilions　bowed　to　their　master　as　they　and　their　horses　passed
  him；　but　he　seemed　to　neither　see　nor　hear　them。　Instead　of　waiting
  for　his　son；　Minoret…Levrault　hurried　up　to　the　Grand'Rue　with　his
  cousin。
  〃Didn't　I　always　tell　you　so？〃　she　resumed。　〃When　Doctor　Minoret　goes
  out　of　his　head　that　demure　little　hypocrite　will　drag　him　into
  religion；　whoever　lays　hold　of　the　mind　gets　hold　of　the　purse；　and
  she'll　have　our　inheritance。〃
  〃But；　Madame　Massin〃　said　the　post　master；　dumbfounded。
  〃There　now！〃　exclaimed　Madame　Massin；　interrupting　her　cousin。　〃You
  are　going　to　say；　just　as　Massin　does；　that　a　little　girl　of　fifteen
  can't　invent　such　plans　and　carry　them　out；　or　make　an　old　man　of
  eighty…three；　who　has　never　set　foot　in　a　church　except　to　be　married；
  change　his　opinions；now　don't　tell　me　he　has　such　a　horror　of
  priests　that　he　wouldn't　even　go　with　the　girl　to　the　parish　church
  when　she　made　her　first　communion。　I'd　like　to　know　why；　if　Doctor
  Minoret　hates　priests；　he　has　spent　nearly　every　evening　for　the　last
  fifteen　years　of　his　life　with　the　Abbe　Chaperon。　The　old　hypocrite
  never　fails　to　give　Ursula　twenty　francs　for　wax　tapers　every　time　she
  takes　the　sacrament。　Have　you　forgotten　the　gift　Ursula　made　to　the
  church　in　gratitude　to　the　cure　for　preparing　her　for　her　first
  communion？　She　spent　all　her　money　on　it；　and　her　godfather　returned
  it　to　her　doubled。　You　men！　you　don't　pay　attention　to　things。　When　I
  heard　that；　I　said　to　myself；　'Farewell　baskets；　the　vintage　is　done！'
  A　rich　uncle　doesn't　behave　that　way　to　a　little　brat　picked　up　in　the
  streets　without　some　good　reason。〃
  〃Pooh；　cousin；　I　dare　say　the　good　man　is　only　taking　her　to　the　door
  of　the　church；〃　replied　the　post　master。　〃It　is　a　fine　day；　and　he　is
  out　for　a　walk。〃
  〃I　tell　you　he　is　holding　a　prayer…book；　and　looks　sanctimonious
  you'll　see　him。〃
  〃They　hide　their　game　pretty　well；〃　said　Minoret；　〃La　Bougival　told　me
  there　was　never　any　talk　of　religion　between　the　doctor　and　the　abbe。
  Besides；　the　abbe　is　one　of　the　most　honest　men　on　the　face　of　the
  globe；　he'd　give　the　shirt　off　his　back　to　a　poor　man；　he　is　incapable
  of　a　base　action；　and　to　cheat　a　family　out　of　their　inheritance　is〃
  〃Theft；〃　said　Madame　Massin。
  〃Worse！〃　cried　Minoret…Levrault；　exasperated　by　the　tongue　of　his
  gossiping　neighbour。
  〃Of　course　I　know；〃　said　Madame　Massin；　〃that　the　Abbe　Chaperon　is　an
  honest　man；　but　he　is　capable　of　anything　for　the　sake　of　his　poor。　He
  must　have　mined　and　undermined　uncle；　and　the　old　man　has　just　tumbled
  into　piety。　We　did　nothing；　and　here　he　is　perverted！　A　man　who　never
  believed　in　anything；　and　had　principles　of　his　own！　Well！　we're　done
  for。　My　husband　is　absolutely　beside　himself。〃
  Madame　Massin；　whose　sentences　were　so　many　arrows　stinging　her　fat
  cousin；　made　him　walk　as　fast　as　herself；　in　spite　of　his　obesity　and
  to　the　great　astonishment　of　the　church…goers；　who　were　on　their　way
  to　mass。　She　was　determined　to　overtake　this　uncle　and　show　him　to　the
  post　master。
  Nemours　is　commanded　on　the　Gatinais　side　by　a　hill；　at　the　foot　of
  which　runs　the　road　to　Montargis　and　the　Loing。　The　church；　on　the
  stones　of　which　time　has　cast　a　rich　discolored　mantle　（it　was　rebuilt
  in　the　fourteenth　century　by　the　Guises；　for　whom　Nemours　was　raised
  to　a　peerage…duchy）；　stands　at　the　end　of　the　little　town　close　to　a
  great　arch　which　frames　it。　For　buildings；　as　for　men；　position　does
  everything。　Shaded　by　a　few　trees；　and　thrown　into　relief　by　a　neatly
  kept　square；　this　solitary　church　produces　a　really　grandiose　effect。
  As　the　post　master　of　Nemours　entered　the　open　space；　he　beheld　his
  uncle　with　the　young　girl　called　Ursula　on　his　arm；　both　carrying
  prayer…books　and　just　entering　the　church。　The　old　man　took　off　his
  hat　in　the　porch；　and　his　head；　which　was　white　as　a　hill…top　covered
  with　snow；　shone　among　the　shadows　of　the　portal。
  〃Well；　Minoret；　what　do　you　say　to　the　conversion　of　your　uncle？〃
  cried　t