“Jesuit！“exclaimedoldMinoret，laughing，“Ididnotaskyouforproofs；Iaskedyouifyoubelievedinapparitions。“
　　“Ithinkanapparitiondependsagooddealonwhoseesit，“saidtheabbe，stillfencingwithhissceptic。
　　“Myfriend，“saidthedoctor，seriously，“Iamnotsettingatrapforyou。Whatdoyoureallybelieveaboutit？“
　　“IbelievethatthepowerofGodisinfinite，“repliedtheabbe。
　　“WhenIamdead，ifIamreconciledtoGod，IwillaskHimtoletmeappeartoyou，“saidthedoctor，smiling。
　　“That’sexactlytheagreementCardanmadewithhisfriend，“answeredthepriest。
　　“Ursula，“saidMinoret，“ifdangereverthreatensyou，callme，andI
　　willcome。“
　　“Youhaveputintoonesentencethatbeautifulelegyof’Neere’byAndreChenier，“saidtheabbe。“Poetsaresublimebecausetheyclothebothfactsandfeelingswithever-livingimages。“
　　“Whydoyouspeakofyourdeath，deargodfather？“saidUrsulainagrievedtone。“WeChristiansdonotdie；thegraveisthecradleofoursouls。“
　　“Well，“saidthedoctor，smiling，“wemustgooutoftheworld，andwhenIamnolongerhereyouwillbeastonishedatyourfortune。“
　　“Whenyouareherenolonger，mykindfriend，myonlyconsolationwillbetoconsecratemylifetoyou。“
　　“Tome，dead？“
　　“Yes。AllthegoodworksthatIcandowillbedoneinyournametoredeemyoursins。IwillprayGodeverydayforhisinfinitemercy，thathemaynotpunisheternallytheerrorsofaday。Iknowhewillsummonamongtherighteousasoulsopure，sobeautiful，asyours。“
　　Thatanswer，saidwithangeliccandor，inatoneofabsolutecertainty，confoundederrorandconvertedDenisMinoretasGodconvertedSaul。Arayofinwardlightoverawedhim；theknowledgeofthistenderness，coveringhisyearstocome，broughttearstohiseyes。Thissuddeneffectofgracehadsomethingthatseemedelectricalaboutit。Theabbeclaspedhishandsandrose，troubled，fromhisseat。Thegirl，astonishedathertriumph，wept。Theoldmanstoodupasifavoicehadcalledhim，lookingintospaceasthoughhiseyesbeheldthedawn；thenhebenthiskneeuponhischair，claspedhishands，andloweredhiseyestothegroundasonehumiliated。
　　“MyGod，“hesaidinatremblingvoice，raisinghishead，“ifanyonecanobtainmypardonandleadmetothee，surelyitisthisspotlesscreature。Havemercyontherepentantoldagethatthispurechildpresentstothee！“
　　HeliftedhissoultoGod；mentallyprayingforthelightofdivineknowledgeafterthegiftofdivinegrace；thenheturnedtotheabbeandheldouthishand。
　　“Mydearpastor，“hesaid，“Iambecomeasalittlechild。Ibelongtoyou；Igivemysoultoyourcare。“
　　Ursulakissedhishandsandbathedthemwithhertears。Theoldmantookheronhiskneeandcalledhergaylyhisgodmother。Theabbe，deeplymoved，recitedthe“VeniCreator“inaspeciesofreligiousecstasy。ThehymnservedastheeveningprayerofthethreeChristianskneelingtogetherforthefirsttime。
　　“Whathashappened？“askedLaBougival，amazedatthesight。
　　“MygodfatherbelievesinGodatlast！“repliedUrsula。
　　“Ah！somuchthebetter；heonlyneededthattomakehimperfect，“
　　criedtheoldwoman，crossingherselfwithartlessgravity。
　　“Deardoctor，“saidthegoodpriest，“youwillsooncomprehendthegrandeurofreligionandthevalueofitspractices；youwillfinditsphilosophyinhumanaspectsfarhigherthanthatoftheboldestsceptics。“
　　Theabbe，whoshowedajoythatwasalmostinfantine，agreedtocatechizetheoldmanandconferwithhimtwiceaweek。ThustheconversionattributedtoUrsulaandtoaspiritofsordidcalculation，wasthespontaneousactofthedoctorhimself。Theabbe，whoforfourteenyearshadabstainedfromtouchingthewoundsofthatheart，thoughallthewhiledeploringthem，wasnowaskedforhelp，asasurgeoniscalledtoaninjuredman。EversincethissceneUrsula’seveningprayershadbeensaidincommonwithhergodfather。Dayafterdaytheoldmangrewmoreconsciousofthepeacewithinhimthatsucceededallhisconflicts。Having，ashesaid，Godastheresponsibleeditorofthingsinexplicable，hismindwasatease。HisdearchildtoldhimthathemightknowbyhowfarhehadadvancedalreadyinGod’skingdom。Duringthemasswhichwehaveseenhimattend，hehadreadtheprayersandappliedhisownintelligencetothem；fromthefirst，hehadrisentothedivineideaofthecommunionofthefaithful。Theoldneophyteunderstoodtheeternalsymbolattachedtothatsacrednourishment，whichfaithrendersneedfultothesoulafterconveyingtoitherownprofoundandradiantessence。
　　Whenonleavingthechurchhehadseemedinahurrytogethome，itwasmerelythathemightoncemorethankhisdearchildforhavingledhimto“enterreligion，“——thebeautifulexpressionofformerdays。Hewasholdingheronhiskneeinthesalonandkissingherforeheadsacredlyattheverymomentwhenhisrelativesweredegradingthatsaintlyinfluencewiththeirshamelessfears，andcastingtheirvulgarinsultsuponUrsula。Hishastetoreturnhome，hisassumeddisdainfortheircompany，hissharprepliesasheleftthechurchwerenaturallyattributedbyalltheheirstothehatredUrsulahadexcitedagainstthemintheoldman’smind。
　　WhileUrsulawasplayingvariationsonWeber’s“LastThought“tohergodfather，aplotwashatchingintheMinoret-Levraults’dining-roomwhichwasdestinedtohavealastingeffectontheeventsofthisdrama。Thebreakfast，noisyasallprovincialbreakfastsare，andenlivenedbyexcellentwinesbroughttoNemoursbythecanaleitherfromBurgundyorTouraine，lastedmorethantwohours。Zeliehadsentforoysters，salt-waterfish，andothergastronomicaldelicaciestodohonortoDesire’sreturn。Thedining-room，inthecenterofwhicharoundtableofferedamostappetizingsight，waslikethehallofaninn。Contentwiththesizeofherkitchensandoffices，Zeliehadbuiltapavilionforthefamilybetweenthevastcourtyardandagardenplantedwithvegetablesandfulloffruit-trees。Everythingaboutthepremiseswassolidandplain。TheexampleofLevrault-
　　Levraulthadbeenawarningtothetown。Zelieforbadeherbuildertoleadherintosuchfollies。Thedining-roomwas，therefore，hungwithvarnishedpaperandfurnishedwithwalnutchairsandsideboards，aporcelainstove，atallclock，andabarometer。Thoughtheplatesanddisheswereofcommonwhitechina，thetableshonewithhandsomelinenandabundantsilverware。AfterZeliehadservedthecoffee，comingandgoingherselflikeshotinadecanter，——forshekeptbutoneservant，——andwhenDesire，thebuddinglawyer，hadbeentoldoftheeventofthemorninganditsprobablyconsequences，thedoorwasclosed，andthenotaryDioniswascalledupontospeak。Bythesilenceintheroomandthelooksthatwerecastonthatauthoritativeface，itwaseasytoseethepowerthatsuchmenexerciseoverfamilies。
　　“Mydearchildren，“saidhe，“yourunclehavingbeenbornin1746，iseighty-threeyearsoldatthepresenttime；now，oldmenaregiventofolly，andthatlittle——“
　　“Viper！“criedMadameMassin。
　　“Hussy！“saidZelie。
　　“Letuscallherbyherownname，“saidDionis。
　　“Well，she’sathief，“saidMadameCremiere。
　　“Aprettythief，“remarkedDesire。
　　“ThatlittleUrsula，“wentonDionis，“hasmanagedtogetholdofhisheart。Ihavebeenthinkingofyourinterests，andIdidnotwaituntilnowbeforemakingcertaininquiries；nowthisiswhatIhavediscoveredaboutthatyoung——“
　　“Marauder，“saidthecollector。
　　“Inveigler，“saidtheclerkofthecourt。
　　“Holdyourtongue，friends，“saidthenotary，“orI’lltakemyhatandbeoff。“
　　“Come，come，papa，“criedMinoret，pouringoutalittleglassofrumandofferingittothenotary；“here，drinkthis，itcomesfromRomeitself；andnowgoon。“
　　“Ursulais，itistrue，thelegitimatedaughterofJosephMirouet；butherfatherwasthenaturalsonofValentinMirouet，youruncle’sfather-in-law。Beingthereforeanillegitimateniece，anywillthedoctormightmakeinherfavorcouldprobablybecontested；andifheleavesherhisfortuneinthatwayyoucouldbringasuitagainstUrsula。This，however，mightturnoutillforyou，incasethecourttooktheviewthattherewasnorelationshipbetweenUrsulaandthedoctor。Still，thesuitwouldfrightenanunprotectedgirl，andbringaboutacompromise——“
　　“Thelawissorigidastotherightsofnaturalchildren，“saidthenewlyfledgedlicentiate，eagertoparadehisknowledge，“thatbythejudgmentofthecourtofappealsdatedJuly7，1817，anaturalchildcanclaimnothingfromhisnaturalgrandfather，notevenamaintenance。Soyouseetheillegitimateparentageismaderetrospective。Thelawpursuesthenaturalchildeventoitslegitimatedescent，onthegroundthatbenefactionsdonetograndchildrenreachthenaturalsonthroughthatmedium。Thisisshownbyarticles757，908，and911ofthecivilCode。TheroyalcourtofParis，byadecisionofthe26thofJanuaryoflastyear，cutoffalegacymadetothelegitimatechildofanaturalsonbyhisgrandfather，who，asgrandfather，wasasdistanttoanaturalgrandsonasthedoctor，beinganuncle，istoUrsula。“
　　“Allthat，“saidGoupil，“seemstometorelateonlytothebequestsmadebygrandfatherstonaturaldescendants。UrsulaisnotabloodrelationofDoctorMinoret。IrememberadecisionoftheroyalcourtatColmar，renderedin1825，justbeforeItookmydegree，whichdeclaredthatafterthedeceaseofanaturalchildhisdescendantscouldnolongerbeprohibitedfrominheriting。Now，Ursula’sfatherisdead。“
　　Goupil’sargumentproducedwhatjournalistswhoreportthesittingsoflegislativeassembliesarewonttocall“profoundsensation。“
　　“Whatdoesthatsignify？“criedDionis。“Theactualcaseofthebequestofanuncletoanillegitimatechildmaynotyethavebeenpresentedfortrial；butwhenitis，thesternnessofFrenchlawagainstsuchchildrenwillbeallthemorefirmlyappliedbecauseweliveintimeswhenreligionishonored。I’llanswerforitthatoutofsuchasuitasIproposeyoucouldgetacompromise，——especiallyiftheyseeyouaredeterminedtocarryUrsulatoacourtofappeals。“
　　Herethejoyoftheheirsalreadyfingeringtheirgoldwasmademanifestinsmiles，shrugs，andgesturesroundthetable，andpreventedallnoticeofGoupil’sdissent。Thiselation，however，wassucceededbydeepsilenceanduneasinesswhenthenotaryutteredhisnextword，aterrible“But！“