Onrising，thedoctor，surethatnoonehadcrossedthethresholdofhishousesincehere-enteredit，proceededbutnotwithoutextremetrepidationtoverifyhisfacts。Hewashimselfignorantofanydifferenceinthebank-notesandalsoofthemisplacementofthePandectvolumes。Thesomnambulistwasright。ThedoctorrangforLaBougival。
　　“TellUrsulatocomeandspeaktome，“hesaid，seatinghimselfinthecenterofhislibrary。
　　Thegirlcame；sheranuptohimandkissedhim。Thedoctortookheronhisknee，whereshesatcontentedly，minglinghersoftfaircurlswiththewhitehairofheroldfriend。
　　“Doyouwantsomething，godfather？“
　　“Yes；butpromiseme，onyoursalvation，toanswerfrankly，withoutevasion，thequestionsthatIshallputtoyou。“
　　Ursulacoloredtothetemples。
　　“Oh！I’llasknothingthatyoucannotspeakof，“hesaid，noticinghowthebashfulnessofyounglovecloudedthehithertochildlikepurityofthegirl’sblueeyes。
　　“Askme，godfather。“
　　“Whatthoughtwasinyourmindwhenyouendedyourprayerslastevening，andwhattimewasitwhenyousaidthem。“
　　“Itwasaquarter-pastorhalf-pastnine。“
　　“Well，repeatyourlastprayer。“
　　Thegirlfanciedthathervoicemightconveyherfaithtothesceptic；
　　sheslidfromhiskneeandkneltdown，claspingherhandsfervently；abrilliantlightilluminedherfaceassheturneditontheoldmanandsaid:——
　　“WhatIaskedofGodlastnightIaskedagainthismorning，andI
　　shallaskittillhevouchsafestograntit。“
　　Thensherepeatedherprayerwithnewandstillmorepowerfulexpression。Tohergreatastonishmenthergodfathertookthelastwordsfromhermouthandfinishedtheprayer。
　　“Good，Ursula，“saidthedoctor，takingheragainonhisknee。“Whenyoulaidyourheadonthepillowandwenttosleepdidyouthinktoyourself，’Thatdeargodfather；IwonderwhoisplayingbackgammonwithhiminParis’？“
　　Ursulasprangupasifthelasttrumpethadsoundedinherears。Shegaveacryofterror；hereyes，wideopen，gazedattheoldmanwithawfulfixity。
　　“Whoareyou，godfather？Fromwhomdoyougetsuchpower？“sheasked，imaginingthatinhisdesiretodenyGodhehadmadesomecompactwiththedevil。
　　“Whatseedsdidyouplantyesterdayinthegarden？“
　　“Mignonette，sweet-peas，balsams——“
　　“Andthelastwerelarkspur？“
　　Shefellonherknees。
　　“Donotterrifyme！“sheexclaimed。“Ohyoumusthavebeenhere——youwerehere，wereyounot？“
　　“AmInotalwayswithyou？“repliedthedoctor，evadingherquestion，tosavethestrainontheyounggirl’smind。“Letusgotoyourroom。“
　　“Yourlegsaretrembling，“shesaid。
　　“Yes，Iamconfounded，asitwere。“
　　“CanitbethatyoubelieveinGod？“shecried，withartlessjoy，lettingfallthetearsthatgatheredinhereyes。
　　TheoldmanlookedroundthesimplebutdaintylittleroomhehadgiventohisUrsula。Onthefloorwasaplaingreencarpet，veryinexpensive，whichsheherselfkeptexquisitelyclean；thewallswerehungwithagraypaperstrewnwithrosesandgreenleaves；atthewindows，whichlookedtothecourt，werecalicocurtainsedgedwithabandofsomepinkmaterial；betweenthewindowsandbeneathatallmirrorwasapier-tabletoppedwithmarble，onwhichstoodaSevresvaseinwhichsheputhernosegays；oppositethechimneywasalittlebureau-deskofcharmingmarquetry。Thebed，ofchintz，withchintzcurtainslinedwithpink，wasoneofthoseduchessbedssocommonintheeighteenthcentury，whichhadatuftofcarvedfeathersatthetopofeachofthefourposts，whichwereflutedonthesides。Anoldclock，inclosedinasortofmonumentmadeoftortoise-shellinlaidwitharabesquesofivory，decoratedthemantelpiece，themarbleshelfofwhich，withthecandlesticksandthemirrorinaframepaintedincameoonagrayground，presentedaremarkableharmonyofcolor，tone，andstyle。Alargewardrobe，thedoorsofwhichwereinlaidwithlandscapesindifferentwoodssomehavingagreentintwhicharenolongertobefoundforsalecontained，nodoubt，herlinenandherdresses。Theairoftheroomwasredolentofheaven。Theprecisearrangementofeverythingshowedasenseoforder，afeelingforharmony，whichwouldcertainlyhaveinfluencedanyone，evenaMinoret-Levrault。ItwasplainthatthethingsaboutherweredeartoUrsula，andthatshelovedaroomwhichcontained，asitwere，herchildhoodandthewholeofhergirlishlife。
　　Lookingtheroomwelloverthathemightseemtohaveareasonforhisvisit，thedoctorsawatoncehowthewindowslookedintothoseofMadamedePortenduere。DuringthenighthehadmeditatedastothecourseheoughttopursuewithUrsulaabouthisdiscoveryofthisdawningpassion。Toquestionhernowwouldcommithimtosomecourse。
　　Hemusteitherapproveordisapproveofherlove；ineithercasehispositionwouldbeafalseone。Hethereforeresolvedtowatchandexamineintothestateofthingsbetweenthetwoyoungpeople，andlearnwhetheritwerehisdutytochecktheinclinationbeforeitwasirresistible。Nonebutanoldmancouldhaveshownsuchdeliberatewisdom。Stillpantingfromthediscoveryofthetruthofthesemagneticfacts，heturnedaboutandlookedatallthevariouslittlethingsaroundtheroom；hewishedtoexaminethealmanacwhichwashangingatacornerofthechimney-piece。
　　“Theseuglythingsaretooheavyforyourlittlehands，“hesaid，takingupthemarblecandlestickswhichwerepartlycoveredwithleather。
　　Heweighedtheminhishand；thenhelookedatthealmanacandtookit，saying，“Thisisuglytoo。Whydoyoukeepsuchacommonthinginyourprettyroom？“
　　“Oh，pleaseletmehaveit，godfather。“
　　“No，no，youshallhaveanotherto-morrow。“
　　Sosayinghecarriedoffthispossibleproof，shuthimselfupinhisstudy，lookedforSaintSavinienandfound，asthesomnambulisthadtoldhim，alittlereddotatthe19thofOctober；healsosawanotherbeforehisownsaint’sday，SaintDenis，andathirdbeforeSaintJohn，theabbe’spatron。Thislittledot，nolargerthanapin’shead，hadbeenseenbythesleepingwomaninspiteofdistanceandotherobstacles！Theoldmanthoughttilleveningoftheseevents，moremomentousforhimthanforothers。Hewasforcedtoyieldtoevidence。
　　Astrongwall，asitwere，crumbledwithinhim；forhislifehadrestedontwobases，——indifferenceinmattersofreligionandafirmdisbeliefinmagnetism。Whenitwasprovedtohimthatthesenses——
　　facultiespurelyphysical，organs，theeffectsofwhichcouldbeexplained——attainedtosomeoftheattributesoftheinfinite，magnetismupset，oratleastitseemedtohimtoupset，thepowerfulargumentsofSpinoza。Thefiniteandtheinfinite，twoincompatibleelementsaccordingtothatremarkableman，werehereunited，theoneintheother。Nomatterwhatpowerhegavetothedivisibilityandmobilityofmatterhecouldnothelprecognizingthatitpossessedqualitiesthatwerealmostdivine。
　　Hewastoooldnowtoconnectthosephenomenatoasystem，andcomparethemwiththoseofsleep，ofvision，oflight。Hiswholescientificbelief，basedontheassertionsoftheschoolofLockeandCondillac，wasinruins。Seeinghishollowideasinpieces，hisscepticismstaggered。ThustheadvantageinthisstrugglebetweentheCatholicchildandtheVoltaireanoldmanwasonUrsula’sside。Inthedismantledfortress，abovetheseruins，shonealight；fromthecenteroftheseashesissuedthepathofprayer！Nevertheless，theobstinateoldscientistfoughthisdoubts。Thoughstrucktotheheart，hewouldnotdecide，hestruggledonagainstGod。
　　Buthewasnolongerthesameman；hismindshoweditsvacillation。Hebecameunnaturallydreamy；hereadPascal，andBossuet’ssublime“HistoryofSpecies“；hereadBonald，hereadSaint-Augustine；hedeterminedalsotoreadtheworksofSwedenborg，andthelateSaint-
　　Martin，whichthemysteriousstrangerhadmentionedtohim。Theedificewithinhimwascrackingonallsides；itneededbutonemoreshake，andthen，hisheartbeingripeforGod，hewasdestinedtofallintothecelestialvineyardasfallthefruits。Oftenofanevening，whenplayingwiththeabbe，hisgoddaughtersittingby，hewouldputquestionsbearingonhisopinionswhichseemedsingulartothepriest，whowasignorantoftheinwardworkingsbywhichGodwasremakingthatfineconscience。
　　“Doyoubelieveinapparitions？“askedthescepticofthepastor，stoppingshortinthegame。
　　“Cardan，agreatphilosopherofthesixteenthcenturysaidhehadseensome，“repliedtheabbe。
　　“Iknowallthosethatscholarshavediscussed，forIhavejustrereadPlotinus。IamquestioningyouasaCatholicmight，andIaskifyouthinkthatdeadmencanreturntotheliving。“
　　“Jesusreappearedtohisdisciplesafterhisdeath，“saidtheabbe。
　　“TheChurchoughttohavefaithintheapparitionsoftheSavior。Asformiracles，theyarenotlacking，“hecontinued，smiling。“ShallI
　　tellyouthelast？Ittookplaceintheeighteenthcentury。“
　　“Pooh！“saidthedoctor。
　　“Yes，theblessedMarie-AlphonseofLigouri，beingveryfarfromRome，knewofthedeathofthePopeattheverymomenttheHolyFatherexpired；therewerenumerouswitnessesofthismiracle。Thesaintedbishopbeinginecstasy，heardthelastwordsofthesovereignpontiffandrepeatedthematthetimetothoseabouthim。Thecourierwhobroughttheannouncementofthedeathdidnotarrivetillthirtyhourslater。“