notary　as　caretaker；　and　the　woman　was　accepted。
  When　the　heirs　heard　that　their　uncle　and　great…uncle　Minoret　was
  really　coming　to　live　in　Nemours；　they　were　seized　（in　spite　of　the
  political　events　which　were　just　then　weighing　so　heavily　on　Brie　and
  on　the　Gatinais）　with　a　devouring　curiosity；　which　was　not　surprising。
  Was　he　rich？　Economical　or　spendthrift？　Would　he　leave　a　fine　fortune
  or　nothing？　Was　his　property　in　annuities？　In　the　end　they　found　out
  what　follows；　but　only　by　taking　infinite　pains　and　employing　much
  subterraneous　spying。
  After　the　death　of　his　wife；　Ursula　Mirouet；　and　between　the　years
  1789　and　1813；　the　doctor　（who　had　been　appointed　consulting　physician
  to　the　Emperor　in　1805）　must　have　made　a　good　deal　of　money；　but　no
  one　knew　how　much。　He　lived　simply；　without　other　extravagancies　than
  a　carriage　by　the　year　and　a　sumptuous　apartment。　He　received　no
  guests；　and　dined　out　almost　every　day。　His　housekeeper；　furious　at
  not　being　allowed　to　go　with　him　to　Nemours；　told　Zelie　Levrault；　the
  post　master's　wife；　that　she　knew　the　doctor　had　fourteen　thousand
  francs　a　year　on　the　〃grand…livre。〃　Now；　after　twenty　years'　exercise
  of　a　profession　which　his　position　as　head　of　a　hospital；　physician　to
  the　Emperor；　and　member　of　the　Institute；　rendered　lucrative；　these
  fourteen　thousand　francs　a　year　showed　only　one　hundred　and　sixty
  thousand　francs　laid　by。　To　have　saved　only　eight　thousand　francs　a
  year　the　doctor　must　have　had　either　many　vices　or　many　virtues　to
  gratify。　But　neither　his　housekeeper　nor　Zelie　nor　any　one　else　could
  discover　the　reason　for　such　moderate　means。　Minoret；　who　when　he　left
  it　was　much　regretted　in　the　quarter　of　Paris　where　he　had　lived；　was
  one　of　the　most　benevolent　of　men；　and；　like　Larrey；　kept　his　kind
  deeds　a　profound　secret。
  The　heirs　watched　the　arrival　of　their　uncle's　fine　furniture　and
  large　library　with　complacency；　and　looked　forward　to　his　own　coming；
  he　being　now　an　officer　of　the　Legion　of　honor；　and　lately　appointed
  by　the　king　a　chevalier　of　the　order　of　Saint…Michelperhaps　on
  account　of　his　retirement；　which　left　a　vacancy　for　some　favorite。　But
  when　the　architect　and　painter　and　upholsterer　had　arranged　everything
  in　the　most　comfortable　manner；　the　doctor　did　not　come。　Madame
  Minoret…Levrault；　who　kept　an　eye　on　the　upholsterer　and　architect　as
  if　her　own　property　was　concerned；　found　out；　through　the　indiscretion
  of　a　young　man　sent　to　arrange　the　books；　that　the　doctor　was　taking
  care　of　a　little　orphan　named　Ursula。　The　news　flew　like　wild…fire
  through　the　town。　At　last；　however；　towards　the　middle　of　the　month　of
  January；　1815；　the　old　man　actually　arrived；　installing　himself
  quietly；　almost　slyly；　with　a　little　girl　about　ten　months　old；　and　a
  nurse。
  〃The　child　can't　be　his　daughter；〃　said　the　terrified　heirs；　〃he　is
  seventy…one　years　old。〃
  〃Whoever　she　is；〃　remarked　Madame　Massin；　〃she'll　give　us　plenty　of
  tintouin〃　（a　word　peculiar　to　Nemours；　meaning　uneasiness；　anxiety；　or
  more　literally；　tingling　in　the　ears）。
  The　doctor　received　his　great…niece　on　the　mother's　side　somewhat
  coldly；　her　husband　had　just　bought　the　place　of　clerk　of　the　court；
  and　the　pair　began　at　once　to　tell　him　of　their　difficulties。　Neither
  Massin　nor　his　wife　were　rich。　Massin's　father；　a　locksmith　at
  Montargis；　had　been　obliged　to　compromise　with　his　creditors；　and　was
  now；　at　sixty…seven　years　of　age；　working　like　a　young　man；　and　had
  nothing　to　leave　behind　him。　Madame　Massin's　father；　Levrault…Minoret；
  had　just　died　at　Montereau　after　the　battle；　in　despair　at　seeing　his
  farm　burned；　his　fields　ruined；　his　cattle　slaughtered。
  〃We'll　get　nothing　out　of　your　great…uncle；〃　said　Massin　to　his　wife；
  now　pregnant　with　her　second　child；　after　the　interview。
  The　doctor；　however；　gave　them　privately　ten　thousand　francs；　with
  which　Massin；　who　was　a　great　friend　of　the　notary　and　of　the　sheriff；
  began　the　business　of　money…lending；　and　carried　matters　so　briskly
  with　the　peasantry　that　by　the　time　of　which　we　are　now　writing　Goupil
  knew　him　to　hold　at　least　eighty　thousand　francs　on　their　property。
  As　to　his　other　niece；　the　doctor　obtained　for　her　husband；　through
  his　influence　in　Paris；　the　collectorship　of　Nemours；　and　became　his
  bondsman。　Though　Minoret…Levrault　needed　no　assistance；　Zelie；　his
  wife；　being　jealous　of　the　uncle's　liberality　to　his　two　nieces；　took
  her　ten…year　old　son　to　see　him；　and　talked　of　the　expense　he　would　be
  to　them　at　a　school　in　Paris；　where；　she　said；　education　costs　so
  much。　The　doctor　obtained　a　half…scholarship　for　his　great…nephew　at
  the　school　of　Louis…le…Grand；　where　Desire　was　put　into　the　fourth
  class。
  Cremiere；　Massin；　and　Minoret…Levrault；　extremely　common　persons；　were
  〃rated　without　appeal〃　by　the　doctor　within　two　months　of　his　arrival
  in　Nemours；　during　which　time　they　courted；　less　their　uncle　than　his
  property。　Persons　who　are　led　by　instinct　have　one　great　disadvantage
  against　others　with　ideas。　They　are　quickly　found　out；　the　suggestions
  of　instinct　are　too　natural；　too　open　to　the　eye　not　to　be　seen　at　a
  glance；　whereas；　the　conceptions　of　the　mind　require　an　equal　amount
  of　intellect　to　discover　them。　After　buying　the　gratitude　of　his
  heirs；　and　thus；　as　it　were；　shutting　their　mouths；　the　wily　doctor
  made　a　pretext　of　his　occupations；　his　habits；　and　the　care　of　the
  little　Ursula　to　avoid　receiving　his　relatives　without　exactly　closing
  his　doors　to　them。　He　liked　to　dine　alone；　he　went　to　bed　late　and　he
  got　up　late；　he　had　returned　to　his　native　place　for　the　very　purpose
  of　finding　rest　in　solitude。　These　whims　of　an　old　man　seemed　to　be
  natural；　and　his　relatives　contented　themselves　with　paying　him　weekly
  visits　on　Sundays　from　one　to　four　o'clock；　to　which；　however；　he
  tried　to　put　a　stop　by　saying：　〃Don't　come　and　see　me　unless　you　want
  something。〃
  The　doctor；　while　not　refusing　to　be　called　in　consultation　over
  serious　cases；　especially　if　the　patients　were　indigent；　would　not
  serve　as　a　physician　in　the　little　hospital　of　Nemours；　and　declared
  that　he　no　longer　practiced　his　profession。
  〃I've　killed　enough　people；〃　he　said；　laughing；　to　the　Abbe　Chaperon；
  who；　knowing　his　benevolence；　would　often　get　him　to　attend　the　poor。
  〃He's　an　original！〃　These　words；　said　of　Doctor　Minoret；　were　the
  harmless　revenge　of　various　wounded　vanities；　for　a　doctor　collects
  about　him　a　society　of　persons　who　have　many　of　the　characteristics　of
  a　set　of　heirs。　Those　of　the　bourgeoisie　who　thought　themselves
  entitled　to　visit　this　distinguished　physician　kept　up　a　ferment　of
  jealousy　against　the　few　privileged　friends　whom　he　did　admit　to　his
  intimacy；　which　had　in　the　long　run　some　unfortunate　results。
  CHAPTER　III
  THE　DOCTOR'S　FRIENDS
  Curiously　enough；　though　it　explains　the　old　proverb　that　〃extremes
  meet；〃　the　materialistic　doctor　and　the　cure　of　Nemours　were　soon
  friends。　The　old　man　loved　backgammon；　a　favorite　game　of　the
  priesthood；　and　the　Abbe　Chaperon　played　it　with　about　as　much　skill
  as　he　himself。　The　game　was　the　first　tie　between　them。　Then　Minoret
  was　charitable；　and　the　abbe　was　the　Fenelon　of　the　Gatinais。　Both　had
  had　a　wide　and　varied　education；　the　man　of　God　was　the　only　person　in
  all　Nemours　who　was　fully　capable　of　understanding　the　atheist。　To　be
  able　to　argue；　men　must　first　understand　each　other。　What　pleasure　is
  there　in　saying　sharp　words　to　one　who　can't　feel　them？　The　doctor　and
  the　priest　had　far　too　much　taste　and　had　seen　too　much　of　good
  society　not　to　practice　its　precepts；　they　were　thus　well…fitted　for
  the　little　warfare　so　essential　to　conversation。　They　hated　each
  other's　opinions；　but　they　valued　each　other's　character。　If　such
  conflicts　and　such　sympathies　are　not　true　elements　of　intimacy　we
  must　surely　despair　of　society；　which；　especially　in　France；　requires
  some　form　of　antagonism。　It　is　from　the　shock　of　characters；　and　not
  from　the　struggle　of　opinions；　that　antipathies　are　generated。
  The　Abbe　Chaperon　became；　therefore；　the　doctor's　chief　friend。　This
  excellent　ecclesiastic；　then　sixty　years　of　age；　had　been　curate　of
  Nemours　ever　since　the　re…establishment　of　Catholic　worship。　Out　of
  attachment　to　his　flock　he　had　refused　the　vicariat　of　the　diocese。　If
  those　who　were　indifferent　to　religion　thought　well　of　him　for　so
  doing；　the　faithful　loved　him　the　more　for　it。　So；　revered　by　his
  sheep；　respected　by　the　inhabitants　at　large；　the　abbe　did　good
  without　inquiring　into　the　religious　opinions　of　those　he　benefited。
  His　parsonage；　with　scarcely　furniture　enough　for　the　common　needs　of
  life；　was　cold　and　shabby；　like　the　lodging　of　a　miser。　Charity　and
  avarice　manifest　themselves　in　the　same　way；　charity　lays　up　a
  treasure　in　heaven　which　avarice　lays　up　on　earth。　The　Abbe　Chaperon
  argued　with　his　servant　over　expenses　even　more　shar