the　three　per　cents　（then　quoted　at　76）；　the　house；　valued　at　forty
  thousand　francs；　and　its　handsome　furniture；　produced　a　total　of　about
  six　hundred　thousand　francs；　which　to　most　persons　seemed　a　comforting
  sum。　But　what　had　become　of　the　money　the　doctor　must　have　saved？
  Minoret　began　to　have　gnawing　anxieties。　La　Bougival　and　Savinien；　who
  persisted　in　believing；　as　did　the　justice　of　peace；　in　the　existence
  of　a　will；　came　every　day　at　the　close　of　each　session　to　find　out
  from　Bongrand　the　results　of　the　day's　search。　The　latter　would
  sometimes　exclaim；　before　the　agents　and　the　heirs　were　fairly　out　of
  hearing；　〃I　can't　understand　the　thing！〃　Bongrand；　Savinien；　and　the
  abbe　often　declared　to　each　other　that　the　doctor；　who　received　no
  interest　from　the　Portenduere　loan；　could　not　have　kept　his　house　as
  he　did　on　fifteen　thousand　francs　a　year。　This　opinion；　openly
  expressed；　made　the　post　master　turn　livid　more　than　once。
  〃Yet　they　and　I　have　rummaged　everywhere；〃　said　Bongrand；〃they　to
  find　money；　and　I　to　find　a　will　in　favor　of　Monsieur　de　Portenduere。
  They　have　sifted　the　ashes；　lifted　the　marbles；　felt　of　the　slippers；
  bored　into　the　wood…work　of　the　beds；　emptied　the　mattresses；　ripped
  up　the　quilts；　turned　his　eider…down　inside…out；　examined　every　inch
  of　paper　piece　by　piece；　searched　the　drawers；　dug　up　the　cellar　floor
  and　I　have　urged　on　their　devastations。〃
  〃What　do　you　think　about　it？〃　said　the　abbe。
  〃The　will　has　been　suppressed　by　one　of　the　heirs。〃
  〃But　where's　the　property？〃
  〃We　may　whistle　for　it！〃
  〃Perhaps　the　will　is　hidden　in　the　library；〃　said　Savinien。
  〃Yes；　and　for　that　reason　I　don't　dissuade　Ursula　from　buying　it。　If
  it　were　not　for　that；　it　would　be　absurd　to　let　her　put　every　penny　of
  her　ready　money　into　books　she　will　never　open。〃
  At　first　the　whole　town　believed　the　doctor's　niece　had　got　possession
  of　the　unfound　capital；　but　when　it　was　known　positively　that　fourteen
  hundred　francs　a　year　and　her　gifts　constituted　her　whole　fortune　the
  search　of　the　doctor's　house　and　furniture　excited　a　more　wide…spread
  curiosity　than　before。　Some　said　the　money　would　be　found　in　bank
  bills　hidden　away　in　the　furniture；　others　that　the　old　man　had
  slipped　them　into　his　books。　The　sale　of　the　effects　exhibited　a
  spectacle　of　the　most　extraordinary　precautions　on　the　part　of　the
  heirs。　Dionis；　who　was　doing　duty　as　auctioneeer；　declared；　as　each
  lot　was　cried　out；　that　the　heirs　only　sold　the　article　（whatever　it
  was）　and　not　what　it　might　contain；　then；　before　allowing　it　to　be
  taken　away　it　was　subjected　to　a　final　investigation；　being　thumped
  and　sounded；　and　when　at　last　it　left　the　house　the　sellers　followed
  with　the　looks　a　father　might　cast　upon　a　son　who　was　starting　for
  India。
  〃Ah；　mademoiselle；〃　cried　La　Bougival；　returning　from　the　first
  session　in　despair；　〃I　shall　not　go　again。　Monsieur　Bongrand　is　right；
  you　could　never　bear　the　sight。　Everything　is　ticketed。　All　the　town
  is　coming　and　going　just　as　in　the　street；　the　handsome　furniture　is
  being　ruined；　they　even　stand　upon　it；　the　whole　place　is　such　a
  muddle　that　a　hen　couldn't　find　her　chicks。　You'd　think　there　had　been
  a　fire。　Lots　of　things　are　in　the　courtyard；　the　closets　are　all　open；
  and　nothing　in　them。　Oh！　the　poor　dear　man；　it's　well　he　died；　the
  sight　would　have　killed　him。〃
  Bongrand；　who　bought　for　Ursula　certain　articles　which　her　uncle
  cherished；　and　which　were　suitable　for　her　little　house；　did　not
  appear　at　the　sale　of　the　library。　Shrewder　than　the　heirs；　whose
  cupidity　might　have　run　up　the　price　of　the　books　had　they　known　he
  was　buying　them　for　Ursula；　he　commissioned　a　dealer　in　old　books
  living　in　Melun　to　buy　them　for　him。　As　a　result　of　the　heir's　anxiety
  the　whole　library　was　sold　book　by　book。　Three　thousand　volumes　were
  examined；　one　by　one；　held　by　the　two　sides　of　the　binding　and　shaken
  so　that　loose　papers　would　infallibly　fall　out。　The　whole　amount　of
  the　purchases　on　Ursula's　account　amounted　to　six　thousand　five
  hundred　francs　or　thereabouts。　The　book…cases　were　not　allowed　to
  leave　the　premises　until　carefully　examined　by　a　cabinet…maker；
  brought　down　from　Paris　to　search　for　secret　drawers。　When　at　last
  Monsieur　Bongrand　gave　orders　to　take　the　books　and　the　bookcases　to
  Mademoiselle　Mirouet's　house　the　heirs　were　tortured　with　vague　fears；
  not　dissipated　until　in　course　of　time　they　saw　how　poorly　she　lived。
  Minoret　bought　up　his　uncle's　house；　the　value　of　which　his　co…heirs
  ran　up　to　fifty　thousand　francs；　imagining　that　the　post　master
  expected　to　find　a　treasure　in　the　walls；　in　fact　the　house　was　sold
  with　a　reservation　on　this　subject。　Two　weeks　later　Minoret　disposed
  of　his　post　establishment；　with　all　the　coaches　and　horses；　to　the　son
  of　a　rich　farmer；　and　went　to　live　in　his　uncle's　house；　where　he
  spent　considerable　sums　in　repairing　and　refurnishing　the　rooms。　By
  making　this　move　he　thoughtlessly　condemned　himself　to　live　within
  sight　of　Ursula。
  〃I　hope；〃　he　said　to　Dionis　the　day　when　Madame　de　Portenduere　was
  summoned　to　pay　her　debt；　〃that　we　shall　soon　be　rid　of　those　nobles；
  after　they　are　gone　we'll　drive　out　the　rest。〃
  〃That　old　woman　with　fourteen　quarterings；〃　said　Goupil；　〃won't　want
  to　witness　her　own　disaster；　she'll　go　and　die　in　Brittany；　where　she
  can　manage　to　find　a　wife　for　her　son。〃
  〃No；〃　said　the　notary；　who　had　that　morning　drawn　out　a　deed　of　sale
  at　Bongrand's　request。　〃Ursula　has　just　bought　the　house　she　is　living
  in。〃
  〃That　cursed　fool　does　everything　she　can　to　annoy　me！〃　cried　the　post
  master　imprudently。
  〃What　does　it　signify　to　you　whether　she　lives　in　Nemours　or　not？〃
  asked　Goupil；　surprised　at　the　annoyance　which　the　colossus　betrayed。
  〃Don't　you　know；〃　answered　Minoret；　turning　as　red　as　a　poppy；　〃that
  my　son　is　fool　enough　to　be　in　love　with　her？　I'd　give　five　hundred
  francs　if　I　could　get　Ursula　out　of　this　town。〃
  CHAPTER　XVI
  THE　TWO　ADVERSARIES
  Perhaps　the　foregoing　conduct　on　the　part　of　the　post　master　will　have
  shown　already　that　Ursula；　poor　and　resigned；　was　destined　to　be　a
  thorn　in　the　side　of　the　rich　Minoret。　The　bustle　attending　the
  settlement　of　an　estate；　the　sale　of　the　property；　the　going　and
  coming　necessitated　by　such　unusual　business；　his　discussions　with　his
  wife　about　the　most　trifling　details；　the　purchase　of　the　doctor's
  house；　where　Zelie　wished　to　live　in　bourgeois　style　to　advance　her
  son's　interests；all　this　hurly…burly；　contrasting　with　his　usually
  tranquil　life　hindered　the　huge　Minoret　from　thinking　of　his　victim。
  But　about　the　middle　of　May；　a　few　days　after　his　installation　in　the
  doctor's　house；　as　he　was　coming　home　from　a　walk；　he　heard　the　sound
  of　a　piano；　saw　La　Bougival　sitting　at　a　window；　like　a　dragon
  guarding　a　treasure；　and　suddenly　became　aware　of　an　importunate　voice
  within　him。
  To　explain　why　to　a　man　of　Minoret's　nature　the　sight　of　Ursula；　who
  had　no　suspicion　of　the　theft　committed　upon　her；　now　became
  intolerable；　why　the　spectacle　of　so　much　fortitude　under　misfortune
  impelled　him　to　a　desire　to　drive　the　girl　out　of　town；　and　how　and
  why　it　was　that　this　desire　took　the　form　of　hatred　and　revenge；　would
  require　a　whole　treatise　on　moral　philosophy。　Perhaps　he　felt　he　was
  not　the　real　possessor　of　thirty…six　thousand　francs　a　year　so　long　as
  she　to　whom　they　really　belonged　lived　near　him。　Perhaps　he　fancied
  some　mere　chance　might　betray　his　theft　if　the　person　despoiled　was
  not　got　rid　of。　Perhaps　to　a　nature　in　some　sort　primitive；　almost
  uncivilized；　and　whose　owner　up　to　that　time　had　never　done　anything
  illegal；　the　presence　of　Ursula　awakened　remorse。　Possibly　this
  remorse　goaded　him　the　more　because　he　had　received　his　share　of　the
  property　legitimately　acquired。　In　his　own　mind　he　no　doubt　attributed
  these　stirrings　of　his　conscience　to　the　fact　of　Ursula's　presence；
  imagining　that　if　she　were　removed　all　his　uncomfortable　feelings
  would　disappear　with　her。　But　still；　after　all；　perhaps　crime　has　its
  own　doctrine　of　perfection。　A　beginning　of　evil　demands　its　end；　a
  first　stab　must　be　followed　by　the　blow　that　kills。　Perhaps　robbery　is
  doomed　to　lead　to　murder。　Minoret　had　committed　the　crime　without　the
  slightest　reflection；　so　rapidly　had　the　events　taken　place；
  reflection　came　later。　Now；　if　you　have　thoroughly　possessed　yourself
  of　this　man's　nature　and　bodily　presence　you　will　understand　the
  mighty　effect　produced　on　him　by　a　thought。　Remorse　is　more　than　a
  thought；　it　comes　from　a　feeling　which　can　no　more　be　hidden　than
  love；　like　love；　it　has　its　own　tyranny。　But；　just　as　Minoret　had
  committed　the　crime　against　Ursula　without　the　slightest　reflection；
  so　he　now　blindly　longed　to　drive　her　from　Nemours　when　he　felt
  himself　disturbed　by　the　sight　of　that　wronged　innocence。　Being；　in　a
  sense；　imbecil