bench；　and　when　Savinien　sat　beside　her；　entreating　pardon；　he　saw　the
  doctor　standing　before　them。
  〃My　friend；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃Ursula　is　a　born　sensitive；　too　rough
  a　word　might　kill　her。　For　her　sake　you　must　moderate　the　enthusiasm
  of　your　loveAh！　if　you　had　loved　her　for　sixteen　years　as　I　have；
  you　would　have　been　satisfied　with　her　word　of　promise；〃　he　added；　to
  revenge　himself　for　the　last　sentence　in　Savinien's　second　letter。
  Two　days　later　the　young　man　departed。　In　spite　of　the　letters　which
  he　wrote　regularly　to　Ursula；　she　fell　a　prey　to　an　illness　without
  apparent　cause。　Like　a　fine　fruit　with　a　worm　at　the　core；　a　single
  thought　gnawed　her　heart。　She　lost　both　appetite　and　color。　The　first
  time　her　godfather　asked　her　what　she　felt；　she　replied：
  〃I　want　to　see　the　ocean。〃
  〃It　is　difficult　to　take　you　to　a　sea…port　in　the　depth　of　winter；〃
  answered　the　old　man。
  〃Shall　I　really　go？〃　she　said。
  If　the　wind　was　high；　Ursula　was　inwardly　convulsed；　certain；　in　spite
  of　the　learned　assurances　of　the　doctor　and　the　abbe；　that　Savinien
  was　being　tossed　about　in　a　whirlwind。　Monsieur　Bongrand　made　her
  happy　for　days　with　the　gift　of　an　engraving　representing　a　midshipman
  in　uniform。　She　read　the　newspapers；　imagining　that　they　would　give
  news　of　the　cruiser　on　which　her　lover　sailed。　She　devoured　Cooper's
  sea…tales　and　learned　to　use　sea…terms。　Such　proofs　of　concentration
  of　feeling；　often　assumed　by　other　women；　were　so　genuine　in　Ursula
  that　she　saw　in　dreams　the　coming　of　Savinien's　letters；　and　never
  failed　to　announce　them；　relating　the　dream　as　a　forerunner。
  〃Now；〃　she　said　to　the　doctor　the　fourth　time　that　this　happened；　〃I
  am　easy；　wherever　Savinien　may　be；　if　he　is　wounded　I　shall　know　it
  instantly。〃
  The　old　doctor　thought　over　this　remark　so　anxiously　that　the　abbe　and
  Monsieur　Bongrand　were　troubled　by　the　sorrowful　expression　of　his
  face。
  〃What　pains　you？〃　they　said；　when　Ursula　had　left　them。
  〃Will　she　live？〃　replied　the　doctor。　〃Can　so　tender　and　delicate　a
  flower　endure　the　trials　of　the　heart？〃
  Nevertheless；　the　〃little　dreamer；〃　as　the　abbe　called　her；　was
  working　hard。　She　understood　the　importance　of　a　fine　education　to　a
  woman　of　the　world；　and　all　the　time　she　did　not　give　to　her　singing
  and　to　the　study　of　harmony　and　composition　she　spent　in　reading　the
  books　chosen　for　her　by　the　abbe　from　her　godfather's　rich　library。
  And　yet　while　leading　this　busy　life　she　suffered；　though　without
  complaint。　Sometimes　she　would　sit　for　hours　looking　at　Savinien's
  window。　On　Sundays　she　would　leave　the　church　behind　Madame　de
  Portenduere　and　watch　her　tenderly；　for；　in　spite　of　the　old　lady's
  harshness；　she　loved　her　as　Savinien's　mother。　Her　piety　increased；
  she　went　to　mass　every　morning；　for　she　firmly　believed　that　her
  dreams　were　the　gift　of　God。
  At　last　her　godfather；　frightened　by　the　effects　produced　by　this
  nostalgia　of　love；　promised　on　her　birthday　to　take　her　to　Toulon　to
  see　the　departure　of　the　fleet　for　Algiers。　Savinien's　ship　formed
  part　of　it；　but　he　was　not　to　be　informed　beforehand　of　their
  intention。　The　abbe　and　Monsieur　Bongrand　kept　secret　the　object　of
  this　journey；　said　to　be　for　Ursula's　health；　which　disturbed　and
  greatly　puzzled　the　relations。　After　beholding　Savinien　in　his　naval
  uniform；　and　going　on　board　the　fine　flag…ship　of　the　admiral；　to　whom
  the　minister　had　given　young　Portenduere　a　special　recommendation；
  Ursula；　at　her　lover's　entreaty；　went　with　her　godfather　to　Nice；　and
  along　the　shores　of　the　Mediterranean　to　Genoa；　where　she　heard　of　the
  safe　arrival　of　the　fleet　at　Algiers　and　the　landing　of　the　troops。
  The　doctor　would　have　liked　to　continue　the　journey　through　Italy；　as
  much　to　distract　Ursula's　mind　as　to　finish；　in　some　sense；　her
  education；　by　enlarging　her　ideas　through　comparison　with　other
  manners　and　customs　and　countries；　and　by　the　fascination　of　a　land
  where　the　masterpieces　of　art　can　still　be　seen；　and　where　so　many
  civilizations　have　left　their　brilliant　traces。　But　the　tidings　of　the
  opposition　by　the　throne　to　the　newly　elected　Chamber　of　1830　obliged
  the　doctor　to　return　to　France；　bringing　back　his　treasure　in　a
  flourishing　state　of　health　and　possessed　of　a　charming　little　model
  of　the　ship　on　which　Savinien　was　serving。
  The　elections　of　1830　united　into　an　active　body　the　various　Minoret
  relations；Desire　and　Goupil　having　formed　a　committee　in　Nemours　by
  whose　efforts　a　liberal　candidate　was　put　in　nomination　at
  Fontainebleau。　Massin；　as　collector　of　taxes；　exercised　an　enormous
  influence　over　the　country　electors。　Five　of　the　post　master's　farmers
  were　electors。　Dionis　represented　eleven　votes。　After　a　few　meetings
  at　the　notary's；　Cremiere；　Massin；　the　post　master；　and　their
  adherents　took　a　habit　of　assembling　there。　By　the　time　the　doctor
  returned；　Dionis's　office　and　salon　were　the　camp　of　his　heirs。　The
  justice　of　peace　and　the　mayor；　who　had　formed　an　alliance；　backed　by
  the　nobility　in　the　neighbouring　castles；　to　resist　the　liberals　of
  Nemours；　now　worsted　in　their　efforts；　were　more　closely　united　than
  ever　by　their　defeat。
  By　the　time　Bongrand　and　the　Abbe　Chaperon　were　able　to　tell　the
  doctor　by　word　of　mouth　the　result　of　the　antagonism；　which　was
  defined　for　the　first　time；　between　the　two　classes　in　Nemours　（giving
  incidentally　such　importance　to　his　heirs）　Charles　X。　had　left
  Rambouillet　for　Cherbourg。　Desire　Minoret；　whose　opinions　were　those
  of　the　Paris　bar；　sent　for　fifteen　of　his　friends；　commanded　by　Goupil
  and　mounted　on　horses　from　his　father's　stable；　who　arrived　in　Paris
  on　the　night　of　the　28th。　With　this　troop　Goupil　and　Desire　took　part
  in　the　capture　of　the　Hotel…de…Veille。　Desire　was　decorated　with　the
  Legion　of　honor　and　appointed　deputy　procureur　du　roi　at
  Fontainebleau。　Goupil　received　the　July　cross。　Dionis　was　elected
  mayor　of　Nemours；　and　the　city　council　was　composed　of　the　post　master
  （now　assistant…mayor）；　Massin；　Cremiere；　and　all　the　adherents　of　the
  family　faction。　Bongrand　retained　his　place　only　through　the　influence
  of　his　son；　procureur　du　roi　at　Melun；　whose　marriage　with
  Mademoiselle　Levrault　was　then　on　the　tapis。
  Seeing　the　three…per…cents　quoted　at　forty…five；　the　doctor　started　by
  post　for　Paris；　and　invested　five　hundred　and　forty　thousand　francs
  in　shares　to　bearer。　The　rest　of　his　fortune　which　amounted　to　about
  two　hundred　and　seventy　thousand　francs；　standing　in　his　own　name　in
  the　same　funds；　gave　him　ostensibly　an　income　of　fifteen　thousand
  francs　a　year。　He　made　the　same　disposition　of　Ursula's　little　capital
  bequeathed　to　her　by　de　Jordy；　together　with　the　accrued　interest
  thereon；　which　gave　her　about　fourteen　hundred　francs　a　year　in　her
  own　right。　La　Bougival；　who　had　laid　by　some　five　thousand　francs　of
  her　savings；　did　the　same　by　the　doctor's　advice；　receiving　in　future
  three　hundred　and　fifty　francs　a　year　in　dividends。　These　judicious
  transactions；　agreed　on　between　the　doctor　and　Monsieur　Bongrand；　were
  carried　out　in　perfect　secrecy；　thanks　to　the　political　troubles　of
  the　time。
  When　quiet　was　again　restored　the　doctor　bought　the　little　house　which
  adjoined　his　own　and　pulled　it　down　so　as　to　build　a　coach…house　and
  stables　on　its　side。　To　employ　a　capital　which　would　have　given　him　a
  thousand　francs　a　year　on　outbuildings　seemed　actual　folly　to　the
  Minoret　heirs。　This　folly；　if　it　were　one；　was　the　beginning　of　a　new
  era　in　the　doctor's　existence；　for　he　now　（at　a　period　when　horses　and
  carriages　were　almost　given　away）　brought　back　from　Paris　three　fine
  horses　and　a　caleche。
  When；　in　the　early　part　of　November；　1830；　the　old　man　came　to　church
  on　a　rainy　day　in　the　new　carriage；　and　gave　his　hand　to　Ursula　to
  help　her　out；　all　the　inhabitants　flocked　to　the　square；as　much　to
  see　the　caleche　and　question　the　coachman；　as　to　criticize　the
  goddaughter；　to　whose　excessive　pride　and　ambition　Massin；　Cremiere；
  the　post　master；　and　their　wives　attributed　this　extravagant　folly　of
  the　old　man。
  〃A　caleche！　Hey；　Massin！〃　cried　Goupil。　〃Your　inheritance　will　go　at
  top　speed　now！〃
  〃You　ought　to　be　getting　good　wages；　Cabirolle；〃　said　the　post　master
  to　the　son　of　one　of　his　conductors；　who　stood　by　the　horses；　〃for　it
  is　to　be　supposed　an　old　man　of　eighty…four　won't　use　up　many　horse…
  shoes。　What　did　those　horses　cost？〃
  〃Four　thousand　francs。　The　caleche；　though　second…hand；　was　two
  thousand；　but　it's　a　fine　one；　the　wheels　are　patent。〃
  〃Yes；　it's　a　good　carriage；〃　said　Cremiere；　〃and　a　man　must　be　rich　to
  buy　that　style　of　thing。〃
  〃Ursula　means　to　go　at　a　good　pace；〃　said　Goupil。　〃She's　right；　she's
  showing　you　how　to　enjoy　life。　Why　don't　you　have　fine　carriages　and
  horses；　papa　Minoret？　I　wouldn't　let　myself　be　humiliated　if　I　were
  youI'd　buy　a　carriage　fit　for　a　prince。〃
  〃Come；　Ca