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Mademoiselle Ursula Mirouet； and her best interests demand a
compromise。〃
〃Ah！〃 exclaimed Zelie。
〃Write to your husband in the following words；〃 he continued； placing
Zelie at his desk and proceeding to dictate the letter：
〃My Friend；I am arrested； and I have told all。 Return the
certificates which uncle left to Monsieur de Portenduere in the
will which you burned； for the procureur du roi has stopped
payment at the Treasury。〃
〃You will thus save him from the denials he would otherwise attempt to
make；〃 said the magistrate； smiling at Zelie's orthography。 〃We will
see that the restitution is properly made。 My wife will make your stay
in our house as agreeable as possible。 I advise you to say nothing of
the matter and not to appear anxious or unhappy。〃
Now that Zelie had confessed and was safely immured； the magistrate
sent for Desire； told him all the particulars of his father's theft；
which was really to Ursula's injury； but； as matters stood； legally to
that of his co…heirs； and showed him the letter written by his mother。
Desire at once asked to be allowed to go to Nemours and see that his
father made immediate restitution。
〃It is a very serious matter；〃 said the magistrate。 〃The will having
been destroyed； if the matter gets wind； the co…heirs； Massin and
Cremiere may put in a claim。 I have proof enough against your father。
I will release your mother； for I think the little ceremony that has
already taken place has been sufficient warning as to her duty。 To
her； I will seem to have yielded to your entreaties in releasing her。
Take her with you to Nemours； and manage the whole matter as best you
can。 Don't fear any one。 Monsieur Bongrand loves Ursula Mirouet too
well to let the matter become known。〃
Zelie and Desire started soon after for Nemours。 Three hours later the
procureur du roi received by a mounted messenger the following letter；
the orthography of which has been corrected so as not to bring
ridicule on a man crushed by affliction。
To Monsieur le procureur du roi at Fontainebleau：
Monsieur；God is less kind to us than you； we have met with an
irreparable misfortune。 When my wife and son reached the bridge at
Nemours a trace became unhooked。 There was no servant behind the
carriage； the horses smelt the stable； my son； fearing their
impatience； jumped down to hook the trace rather than have the
coachman leave the box。 As he turned to resume his place in the
carriage beside his mother the horses started； Desire did not step
back against the parapet in time； the step of the carriage cut
through both legs and he fell； the hind wheel passing over his
body。 The messenger who goes to Paris for the best surgeon will
bring you this letter； which my son in the midst of his sufferings
desires me to write so as to let you know our entire submission to
your decisions in the matter about which he was coming to speak to me。
I shall be grateful to you to my dying day for the manner in which
you have acted； and I will deserve your goodness。
Francois Minoret。
This cruel event convulsed the whole town of Nemours。 The crowds
standing about the gate of the Minoret house were the first to tell
Savinien that his vengeance had been taken by a hand more powerful
than his own。 He went at once to Ursula's house； where he found both
the abbe and the young girl more distressed than surprised。
The next day； after the wounds were dressed； and the doctors and
surgeons from Paris had given their opinion that both legs must be
amputated； Minoret went； pale； humbled； and broken down； accompanied
by the abbe； to Ursula's house； where he found also Monsieur Bongrand
and Savinien。
〃Mademoiselle；〃 he said； 〃I am very guilty towards you； but if all the
wrongs I have done you are not wholly reparable； there are some that I
can expiate。 My wife and I have made a vow to make over to you in
absolute possession our estate at Rouvre in case our son recovers； and
also in case we have the dreadful sorrow of losing him。〃
He burst into tears as he said the last words。
〃I can assure you； my dear Ursula；〃 said the abbe； 〃that you can and
that you ought to accept a part of this gift。〃
〃Will you forgive me？〃 said Minoret； humbly kneeling before the
astonished girl。 〃The operation is about to be performed by the first
surgeon of the Hotel…Dieu； but I do not trust to human science； I rely
only on the power of God。 If you will forgive us； if you ask God to
restore our son to us； he will have strength to bear the agony and we
shall have the joy of saving him。〃
〃Let us go to the church！〃 cried Ursula； rising。
But as she gained her feet； a piercing cry came from her lips； and she
fell backward fainting。 When her senses returned； she saw her friends
but not Minoret who had rushed for a doctorlooking at her with
anxious eyes； seeking an explanation。 As she gave it； terror filled
their hearts。
〃I saw my godfather standing in the doorway；〃 she said； 〃and he signed
to me that there was no hope。〃
The day after the operation Desire died；carried off by the fever and
the shock to the system that succeed operations of this nature。 Madame
Minoret； whose heart had no other tender feeling than maternity；
became insane after the burial of her son； and was taken by her
husband to the establishment of Doctor Blanche； where she died in
1841。
Three months after these events； in January； 1837； Ursula married
Savinien with Madame de Portenduere's consent。 Minoret took part in
the marriage contract and insisted on giving Mademoiselle Mirouet his
estate at Rouvre and an income of twenty…four thousand francs from the
Funds； keeping for himself only his uncle's house and ten thousand
francs a year。 He has become the most charitable of men； and the most
religious； he is churchwarden of the parish； and has made himself the
providence of the unfortunate。
〃The poor take the place of my son；〃 he said。
If you have ever noticed by the wayside； in countries where they poll
the oaks； some old tree； whitened and as if blasted； still throwing
out its twigs though its trunk is riven and seems to implore the axe；
you will have an idea of the old post master； with his white hair；
broken； emaciated； in whom the elders of the town can see no trace of
the jovial dullard whom you first saw watching for his son at the
beginning of this history； he does not even take his snuff as he once
did； he carries something more now than the weight of his body。
Beholding him； we feel that the hand of God was laid upon that figure
to make it an awful warning。 After hating so violently his uncle's
godchild the old man now； like Doctor Minoret himself； has
concentrated all his affections on her； and has made himself the
manager of her property in Nemours。
Monsieur and Madame de Portenduere pass five months of the year in
Paris； where they have bought a handsome house in the Faubourg Saint…
Germain。 Madame de Portenduere the elder； after giving her house in
Nemours to the Sisters of Charity for a free school； went to live at
Rouvre； where La Bougival keeps the porter's lodge。 Cabirolle； the
former conductor of the 〃Ducler；〃 a man sixty years of age； has
married La Bougival and the twelve hundred francs a year which she
possesses besides the ample emoluments of her place。 Young Cabirolle
is Monsieur de Portenduere's coachman。
If you happen to see in the Champs…Elysees one of those charming
little low carriages called 'escargots；' lined with gray silk and
trimmed with blue； and containing a pretty young woman whom you admire
because her face is wreathed in innumerable fair curls； her eyes
luminous as forget…me…nots and filled with love； if you see her
bending slightly towards a fine young man； and； if you are； for a
moment； conscious of envypause and reflect that this handsome
couple； beloved of God； have paid their quota to the sorrows of life
in times now past。 These married lovers are the Vicomte de Portenduere
and his wife。 There is not another such home in Paris as theirs。
〃It is the sweetest happiness I have ever seen；〃 said the Comtesse de
l'Estorade； speaking of them lately。
Bless them； therefore； and be not envious； seek an Ursula for
yourselves； a young girl brought up by three old men； and by the best
of all mothersadversity。
Goupil； who does service to everybody and is justly considered the
wittiest man in Nemours； has won the esteem of the little town； but he
is punished in his children； who are rickety and hydrocephalous。
Dionis； his predecessor； flourishes in the Chamber of Deputies； of
which he is one of the finest ornaments； to the great satisfaction of
the king of the French； who sees Madame Dionis at all his balls。
Madame Dionis relates to the whole town of Nemours the particulars of
her receptions at the Tuileries and the splendor of the court of the
king of the French。 She lor