“Hisname?“
  “Ah!totellyouthatImustreadit,orhearit。HeisnamedSavinien;shehasjustspokenhisname;shethinksitsweettosay;
  shehaslookedinthealmanacforhisfete-dayandmarkedareddotagainstit,——child’splay,that。Ah!shewilllovewell,withasmuchstrengthaspurity;sheisnotagirltolovetwice;lovewillsodyehersoulandfillitthatshewillrejectallothersentiments。“
  “Wheredoyouseethat?“
  “Inher。Shewillknowhowtosuffer;sheinheritsthat;herfatherandhermothersufferedmuch。“
  Thelastwordsovercamethedoctor,whofeltlessshakenthansurprised。Itispropertostatethatbetweenhersentencesthewomanpausedforseveralminutes,duringwhichtimeherattentionbecamemoreandmoreconcentrated。Shewasseentosee;herforeheadhadasingularaspect;aninwardeffortappearedthere;itseemedtoclearorcloudbysomemysteriouspower,theeffectsofwhichMinorethadseenindyingpersonsatmomentswhentheyappearedtohavethegiftofprophecy。SeveraltimesshemadegestureswhichresembledthoseofUrsula。
  “Questionher,“saidthemysteriousstranger,toMinoret,“shewilltellyousecretsyoualonecanknow。“
  “DoesUrsulaloveme?“askedMinoret。
  “AlmostasmuchasshelovesGod,“wastheanswer。“Butsheisveryunhappyatyourunbelief。YoudonotbelieveinGod;asifyoucouldpreventhisexistence!Hiswordfillstheuniverse。Youarethecauseofheronlysorrow——Hear!sheisplayingscales;shelongstobeabettermusicianthansheis;sheisprovokedwithherself。Sheisthinking,’IfIcouldsing,ifmyvoicewerefine,itwouldreachhisearwhenheiswithhismother。’“
  DoctorMinorettookouthispocket-bookandnotedthehour。
  “Tellmewhatseedssheplanted?“
  “Mignonette,sweet-peas,balsams——“
  “Andwhatelse?“
  “Larkspur。“
  “Whereismymoney?“
  “Withyournotary;butyouinvestitsoasnottolosetheinterestofasingleday。“
  “Yes,butwhereisthemoneythatIkeepformymonthlyexpenses?“
  “Youputitinalargebookboundinred,entitled’PandectsofJustinian,Vol。II。’betweenthelasttwoleaves;thebookisontheshelfoffoliosabovetheglassbuffet。Youhaveawholerowofthem。
  Yourmoneyisinthelastvolumenexttothesalon——See!Vol。III。isbeforeVol。II——butyouhavenomoney,itisallin——“
  “——thousand-francnotes,“saidthedoctor。
  “Icannotsee,theyarefolded。No,therearetwonotesoffivehundredfrancs。“
  “Youseethem?“
  “Yes。“
  “Howdotheylook?“
  “Oneisoldandyellow,theotherwhiteandnew。“
  Thislastphaseoftheinquirypetrifiedthedoctor。HelookedatBouvardwithabewilderedair;butBouvardandtheSwedenborgian,whowereaccustomedtotheamazementofsceptics,werespeakingtogetherinalowvoiceandappearednottonoticehim。Minoretbeggedthemtoallowhimtoreturnafterdinner。Theoldphilosopherwishedtocomposehismindandshakeoffthisterror,soastoputthisvastpowertosomenewtest,tosubjectittomoredecisiveexperimentsandobtainanswerstocertainquestions,thetruthofwhichshoulddoawaywitheverysortofdoubt。
  “Behereatnineo’clockthisevening,“saidthestranger。“Iwillreturntomeetyou。“
  DoctorMinoretwasinsoconvulsedastatethathelefttheroomwithoutbowing,followedbyBouvard,whocalledtohimfrombehind。
  “Well,whatdoyousay?whatdoyousay?“
  “IthinkIammad,Bouvard,“answeredMinoretfromthestepsoftheporte-cochere。“IfthatwomantellsthetruthaboutUrsula,——andnonebutUrsulacanknowthethingsthatsorceresshastoldme,——IshallsaythatYOUARERIGHT。IwishIhadwingstoflytoNemoursthisminuteandverifyherwords。ButIshallhireacarriageandstartatteno’clockto-night。Ah!amIlosingmysenses?“
  “Whatwouldyousayifyouknewofalife-longincurablediseasehealedinamoment;ifyousawthatgreatmagnetizerbringsweatintorrentsfromanherpeticpatient,ormakeaparalyzedwomanwalk?“
  “Comeanddine,Bouvard;staywithmetillnineo’clock。Imustfindsomedecisive,undeniabletest!“
  “Sobeit,oldcomrade,“answeredtheother。
  ThereconciledenemiesdinedinthePalais-Royal。Afteralivelyconversation,whichhelpedMinorettoevadethefeveroftheideaswhichwereravaginghisbrain,Bouvardsaidtohim:——
  “Ifyouadmitinthatwomanthefacultyofannihilatingoroftraversingspace,ifyouobtainacertaintythathere,inParis,sheseesandhearswhatissaidanddoneinNemours,youmustadmitallothermagneticfacts;theyarenotmoreincrediblethanthese。Askherforsomeoneproofwhichyouknowwillsatisfyyou——foryoumightsupposethatweobtainedinformationtodeceiveyou;butwecannotknow,forinstance,whatwillhappenatnineo’clockinyourgoddaughter’sbedroom。Remember,orwritedown,whatthesleeperwillseeandhear,andthengohome。YourlittleUrsula,whomIdonotknow,isnotouraccomplice,andifshetellsyouthatshehassaidanddonewhatyouhavewrittendown——lowerthyhead,proudHun!“
  ThetwofriendsreturnedtothehouseoppositetotheAssumptionandfoundthesomnambulist,whoinherwakingstatedidnotrecognizeDoctorMinoret。TheeyesofthiswomanclosedgentlybeforethehandoftheSwedenborgian,whichwasstretchedtowardsheratalittledistance,andshetooktheattitudeinwhichMinorethadfirstseenher。Whenherhandandthatofthedoctorwereagainjoined,heaskedhertotellhimwhatwashappeninginhishouseatNemoursatthatinstant。“WhatisUrsuladoing?“hesaid。
  “Sheisundressed;shehasjustcurledherhair;sheiskneelingonherprie-Dieu,beforeanivorycrucifixfastenedtoaredvelvetbackground。“
  “Whatisshesaying?“
  “Hereveningprayers;sheiscommendingherselftoGod;sheimploreshimtosavehersoulfromevilthoughts;sheexaminesherconscienceandrecallswhatshehasdoneduringtheday;thatshemayknowifshehasfailedtoobeyhiscommandsandthoseofthechurch——poordearlittlesoul,shelaysbareherbreast!“Tearswereinthesleeper’seyes。“Shehasdonenosin,butsheblamesherselfforthinkingtoomuchofSavinien。ShestopstowonderwhatheisdoinginParis;shepraystoGodtomakehimhappy。Shespeaksofyou;sheisprayingaloud。“
  “Tellmeherwords。“Minorettookhispencilandwrote,asthesleeperutteredit,thefollowingprayer,evidentlycomposedbytheAbbeChaperon。
  “MyGod,ifthouartcontentwiththinehandmaid,whoworshipstheeandpraystotheewithalovethatisequaltoherdevotion,whostrivesnottowanderfromthysacredpaths,whowouldgladlydieasthySondiedtoglorifythyname,whodesirestoliveintheshadowofthywill——OGod,whoknoweththeheart,opentheeyesofmygodfather,leadhiminthewayofsalvation,granthimthyDivinegrace,thathemaylivefortheeinhislastdays;savehimfromevil,andletmesufferinhisstead。KindSaintUrsula,dearprotectress,andyou,MotherofGod,queenofheaven,archangels,andsaintsinParadise,hearme!joinyourintercessionstomineandhavemercyuponus。“
  ThesleeperimitatedsoperfectlytheartlessgesturesandtheinspiredmannerofhischildthatDoctorMinoret’seyeswerefilledwithtears。
  “Doesshesaymore?“heasked。
  “Yes。“
  “Repeatit。“
  “’Mydeargodfather;IwonderwhoplaysbackgammonwithhiminParis。’
  Shehasblownoutthelight——herheadisonthepillow——sheturnstosleep!Ah!sheisoff!Howprettyshelooksinherlittlenight-cap。“
  MinoretbowedtothegreatUnknown,wrungBouvardbythehand,randownstairsandhastenedtoacab-standwhichatthattimewasnearthegatesofahousesincepulleddowntomakeroomfortheRued’Alger。
  TherehefoundacoachmanwhowaswillingtostartimmediatelyforFontainebleau。Themomentthepricewasagreedon,theoldman,whoseemedtohaverenewedhisyouth,jumpedintothecarriageandstarted。Accordingtoagreement,hestoppedtorestthehorseatEssonne,butarrivedatFontainebleauintimeforthediligencetoNemours,onwhichhesecuredaseat,anddismissedhiscoachman。Hereachedhomeatfiveinthemorning,andwenttobed,withhislife-
  longideasofphysiology,nature,andmetaphysicsinruinsabouthim,andslepttillnineo’clock,soweariedwashewiththeeventsofhisjourney。