this　young　man　for　Ursula；　so　devoid　of　self…interest；　and　so
  persistent；　interested　the　three　friends　deeply；　and　they　now　never
  separated　the　lovers　in　their　thoughts。　Soon　the　monotony　of　this
  patriarchal　life；　and　the　certainty　of　a　future　before　them；　gave　to
  their　affection　a　fraternal　character。　The　doctor　often　left　the　pair
  alone　together。　He　judged　the　young　man　rightly；　he　saw　him　kiss　her
  hand　on　arriving；　but　he　knew　he　would　ask　no　kiss　when　alone　with
  her；　so　deeply　did　the　lover　respect　the　innocence；　the　frankness　of
  the　young　girl；　whose　excessive　sensibility；　often　tried；　taught　him
  that　a　harsh　word；　a　cold　look；　or　the　alternations　of　gentleness　and
  roughness　might　kill　her。　The　only　freedom　between　the　two　took　place
  before　the　eyes　of　the　old　man　in　the　evenings。
  Two　years；　full　of　secret　happiness；　passed　thus；without　other
  events　than　the　fruitless　efforts　made　by　the　young　man　to　obtain　from
  his　mother　her　consent　to　his　marriage。　He　talked　to　her　sometimes　for
  hours　together。　She　listened　and　made　no　answer　to　his　entreaties；
  other　than　by　Breton　silence　or　a　positive　denial。
  At　nineteen　years　of　age　Ursula；　elegant　in　appearance；　a　fine
  musician；　and　well　brought　up；　had　nothing　more　to　learn；　she　was
  perfected。　The　fame　of　her　beauty　and　grace　and　education　spread　far。
  The　doctor　was　called　upon　to　decline　the　overtures　of　Madame
  d'Aiglemont；　who　was　thinking　of　Ursula　for　her　eldest　son。　Six　months
  later；　in　spite　of　the　secrecy　the　doctor　and　Ursula　maintained　on
  this　subject；　Savinien　heard　of　it。　Touched　by　so　much　delicacy；　he
  made　use　of　the　incident　in　another　attempt　to　vanquish　his　mother's
  obstinacy；　but　she　merely　replied：
  〃If　the　d'Aiglemonts　choose　to　ally　themselves　ill；　is　that　any　reason
  why　we　should　do　so？〃
  In　December；　1834；　the　kind　and　now　truly　pious　old　doctor；　then
  eighty…eight　years　old；　declined　visibly。　When　seen　out　of　doors；　his
  face　pinched　and　wan　and　his　eyes　pale；　all　the　town　talked　of　his
  approaching　death。　〃You'll　soon　know　results；〃　said　the　community　to
  the　heirs。　In　truth　the　old　man's　death　had　all　the　attraction　of　a
  problem。　But　the　doctor　himself　did　not　know　he　was　ill；　he　had　his
  illusions；　and　neither　poor　Ursula　nor　Savinien　nor　Bongrand　nor　the
  abbe　were　willing　to　enlighten　him　as　to　his　condition。　The　Nemours
  doctor　who　came　to　see　him　every　day　did　not　venture　to　prescribe。　Old
  Minoret　felt　no　pain；　his　lamp　of　life　was　gently　going　it。　His　mind
  continued　firm　and　clear　and　powerful。　In　old　men　thus　constituted　the
  soul　governs　the　body；　and　gives　it　strength　to　die　erect。　The　abbe；
  anxious　not　to　hasten　the　fatal　end；　released　his　parishioner　from　the
  duty　of　hearing　mass　in　church；　and　allowed　him　to　read　the　services
  at　home；　for　the　doctor　faithfully　attended　to　all　his　religious
  duties。　The　nearer　he　came　to　the　grave　the　more　he　loved　God；　the
  lights　eternal　shone　upon　all　difficulties　and　explained　them　more　and
  more　clearly　to　his　mind。　Early　in　the　year　Ursula　persuaded　him　to
  sell　the　carriage　and　horses　and　dismiss　Cabirolle。　Monsieur　Bongrand；
  whose　uneasiness　about　Ursula's　future　was　far　from　quieted　by　the
  doctor's　half…confidence；　boldly　opened　the　subject　one　evening　and
  showed　his　old　friend　the　importance　of　making　Ursula　legally　of　age。
  Still　the　old　man；　though　he　had　often　consulted　the　justice　of　peace；
  would　not　reveal　to　him　the　secret　of　his　provision　for　Ursula；　though
  he　agreed　to　the　necessity　of　securing　her　independence　by　majority。
  The　more　Monsieur　Bongrand　persisted　in　his　efforts　to　discover　the
  means　selected　by　his　old　friend　to　provide　for　his　darling　the　more
  wary　the　doctor　became。
  〃Why　not　secure　the　thing；〃　said　Bongrand；　〃why　run　any　risks？〃
  〃When　you　are　between　two　risks；〃　replied　the　doctor；　〃avoid　the　most
  risky。〃
  Bongrand　carried　through　the　business　of　making　Ursula　of　age　so
  promptly　that　the　papers　were　ready　by　the　day　she　was　twenty。　That
  anniversary　was　the　last　pleasure　of　the　old　doctor　who；　seized
  perhaps　with　a　presentiment　of　his　end；　gave　a　little　ball；　to　which
  he　invited　all　the　young　people　in　the　families　of　Dionis；　Cremiere；
  Minoret；　and　Massin。　Savinien；　Bongrand；　the　abbe　and　his　two
  assistant　priests；　the　Nemours　doctor；　and　Mesdames　Zelie　Minoret；
  Massin；　and　Cremiere；　together　with　old　Schmucke；　were　the　guests　at　a
  grand　dinner　which　preceded　the　ball。
  〃I　feel　I　am　going；〃　said　the　old　man　to　the　notary　towards　the　close
  of　the　evening。　〃I　beg　you　to　come　to…morrow　and　draw　up　my
  guardianship　account　with　Ursula；　so　as　not　to　complicate　my　property
  after　my　death。　Thank　God！　I　have　not　withdrawn　one　penny　from　my
  heirs；I　have　disposed　of　nothing　but　my　income。　Messieurs　Cremiere；
  Massin；　and　Minoret　my　nephew　are　members　of　the　family　council
  appointed　for　Ursula；　and　I　wish　them　to　be　present　at　the　rendering
  of　my　account。〃
  These　words；　heard　by　Massin　and　quickly　passed　from　one　to　another
  round　the　ball…room；　poured　balm　into　the　minds　of　the　three　families；
  who　had　lived　in　perpetual　alternations　of　hope　and　fear；　sometimes
  thinking　they　were　certain　of　wealth；　oftener　that　they　were
  disinherited。
  When；　about　two　in　the　morning；　the　guests　were　all　gone　and　no　one
  remained　in　the　salon　but　Savinien；　Bongrand；　and　the　abbe；　the　old
  doctor　said；　pointing　to　Ursula；　who　was　charming　in　her　ball　dress；
  〃To　you；　my　friends；　I　confide　her！　A　few　days　more；　and　I　shall　be
  here　no　longer　to　protect　her。　Put　yourselves　between　her　and　the
  world　until　she　is　married；I　fear　for　her。〃
  The　words　made　a　painful　impression。　The　guardian's　account；　rendered
  a　day　or　two　later　in　presence　of　the　family　council；　showed　that
  Doctor　Minoret　owed　a　balance　to　his　ward　of　ten　thousand　six　hundred
  francs　from　the　bequest　of　Monsieur　de　Jordy；　and　also　from　a　little
  capital　of　gifts　made　by　the　doctor　himself　to　Ursula　during　the　last
  fifteen　years；　on　birthdays　and　other　anniversaries。
  This　formal　rendering　of　the　account　was　insisted　on　by　the　justice　of
  the　peace；　who　feared　（unhappily；　with　too　much　reason）　the　results　of
  Doctor　Minoret's　death。
  The　following　day　the　old　man　was　seized　with　a　weakness　which
  compelled　him　to　keep　his　bed。　In　spite　of　the　reserve　which　always
  surrounded　the　doctor's　house　and　kept　it　from　observation；　the　news
  of　his　approaching　death　spread　through　the　town；　and　the　heirs　began
  to　run　hither　and　thither　through　the　streets；　like　the　pearls　of　a
  chaplet　when　the　string　is　broken。　Massin　called　at　the　house　to　learn
  the　truth；　and　was　told　by　Ursula　herself　that　the　doctor　was　in　bed。
  The　Nemours　doctor　had　remarked　that　whenever　old　Minoret　took　to　his
  bed　he　would　die；　and　therefore　in　spite　of　the　cold；　the　heirs　took
  their　stand　in　the　street；　on　the　square；　at　their　own　doorsteps；
  talking　of　the　event　so　long　looked　for；　and　watching　for　the　moment
  when　the　priests　should　appear；　bearing　the　sacrament；　with　all　the
  paraphernalia　customary　in　the　provinces；　to　the　dying　man。
  Accordingly；　two　days　later；　when　the　Abbe　Chaperon；　with　an　assistant
  and　the　choir…boys；　preceded　by　the　sacristan　bearing　the　cross；
  passed　along　the　Grand'Rue；　all　the　heirs　joined　the　procession；　to
  get　an　entrance　to　the　house　and　see　that　nothing　was　abstracted；　and
  lay　their　eager　hands　upon　its　coveted　treasures　at　the　earliest
  moment。
  When　the　doctor　saw；　behind　the　clergy；　the　row　of　kneeling　heirs；　who
  instead　of　praying　were　looking　at　him　with　eyes　that　were　brighter
  than　the　tapers；　he　could　not　restrain　a　smile。　The　abbe　turned　round；
  saw　them；　and　continued　to　say　the　prayers　slowly。　The　post　master　was
  the　first　to　abandon　the　kneeling　posture；　his　wife　followed　him。
  Massin；　fearing　that　Zelie　and　her　husband　might　lay　hands　on　some
  ornament；　joined　them　in　the　salon；　where　all　the　heirs　were　presently
  assembled　one　by　one。
  〃He　is　too　honest　a　man　to　steal　extreme　unction；〃　said　Cremiere；　〃we
  may　be　sure　of　his　death　now。〃
  〃Yes；　we　shall　each　get　about　twenty　thousand　francs　a　year；〃　replied
  Madame　Massin。
  〃I　have　an　idea；〃　said　Zelie；　〃that　for　the　last　three　years　he　hasn't
  invested　anythinghe　grew　fond　of　hoarding。〃
  〃Perhaps　the　money　is　in　the　cellar；〃　whispered　Massin　to　Cremiere。
  〃I　hope　we　shall　be　able　to　find　it；〃　said　Minoret…Levrault。
  〃But　after　what　he　said　at　the　ball　we　can't　have　any　doubt；〃　cried
  Madame　Massin。
  〃In　any　case；〃　began　Cremiere；　〃how　shall　we　manage？　Shall　we　divide；
  shall　we　go　to　law；　or　could　we　draw　lots？　We　are　adults；　you　know〃
  A　discussion；　which　soon　became　angry；　now　arose　as　to　the　method　of
  procedure。　At　the　end　of　half　an　hour　a　perfect　uproar　of　voices；
  Zelie's　screeching　organ　detaching　itself　from　the　rest；　resounded　in
  the　courtyard　and　even　in　the　street。
  The　noise　reached　the　doctor's　ears；　he　heard　the　words；　〃The　house
  the　house　i