Asifhehadpulledthestringofapuppet-show，startingthelittlepeopleinjerksbymeansofmachinery，Dionisbeheldalleyesturnedonhimandallfacesrigidinoneandthesamepose。
　　“BUTnolawpreventsyourunclefromadoptingormarryingUrsula，“hecontinued。“Asforadoption，thatcouldbecontested，andyouwould，I
　　think，haveequityonyourside。Theroyalcourtswouldnevertriflewithquestionsofadoptions；youwouldgetahearingthere。ItistruethedoctorisanofficeroftheLegionofhonor，andwasformerlysurgeontotheex-emperor；but，nevertheless，hewouldgettheworstofit。Moreover，youwouldhaveduewarningincaseofadoption——buthowaboutmarriage？OldMinoretisshrewdenoughtogotoParisandmarryherafterayear’sdomicile，andgiveheramillionbythemarriagecontract。Theonlything，therefore，thatreallyputsyourpropertyindangerisyouruncle’smarriagewiththegirl。“
　　Herethenotarypaused。
　　“There’sanotherdanger，“saidGoupil，withaknowingair，——“thatofawillmadeinfavorofathirdperson，oldBongrandforinstance，whowillholdthepropertyintrustforMademoiselleUrsula——“
　　“Ifyouteaseyouruncle，“continuedDionis，cuttingshorthishead-
　　clerk，“ifyouarenotallofyouverypolitetoUrsula，youwilldrivehimintoeitheramarriageorintomakingthatprivatetrustwhichGoupilspeaksof，——thoughIdon’tthinkhimcapableofthat；itisadangerousthing。Asformarriage，thatiseasytoprevent。Desiretherehasonlygottoholdoutafingertothegirl；she’ssuretopreferahandsomeyoungman，cockofthewalkinNemours，toanoldone。“
　　“Mother，“saidDesiretoZelie’sear，asmuchalluredbythemillionsasbyUrsula’sbeauty，“IfImarriedherweshouldgetthewholeproperty。“
　　“Areyoucrazy？——you，who’llsomedayhavefiftythousandfrancsayearandbemadeadeputy！AslongasIliveyounevershallcutyourthroatbyafoolishmarriage。Sevenhundredthousandfrancs，indeed！
　　Why，themayor’sonlydaughterwillhavefiftythousandayear，andtheyhavealreadyproposedhertome——“
　　Thisreply，thefirstroughspeechhismotherhadevermadetohim，extinguishedinDesire’sbreastalldesireforamarriagewiththebeautifulUrsula；forhisfatherandhenevergotthebetterofanydecisiononcewrittenintheterribleblueeyesofZelieMinoret。
　　“Yes，butseehere，MonsieurDionis，“criedCremiere，whosewifehadbeennudginghim，“ifthegoodmantookthethingseriouslyandmarriedhisgoddaughtertoDesire，givingherthereversionofalltheproperty，good-bytoourshareinit；ifhelivesfiveyearslongerunclemaybeworthamillion。“
　　“Never！“criedZelie，“neverinmylifeshallDesiremarrythedaughterofabastard，agirlpickedupinthestreetsoutofcharity。
　　MysonwillrepresenttheMinoretsafterthedeathofhisuncle，andtheMinoretshavefivehundredyearsofgoodbourgeoisiebehindthem。
　　That’sequaltothenobility。Don’tbeuneasy，anyofyou；DesirewillmarrywhenwefindachancetoputhimintheChamberofdeputies。“
　　ThisloftydeclarationwasbackedbyGoupil，whosaid:——
　　“Desire，withanallowanceoftwenty-fourthousandfrancsayear，willbepresidentofaroyalcourtorsolicitor-general；eitherofficeleadstothepeerage。Afoolishmarriagewouldruinhim。“
　　Theheirswerenowalltalkingatonce；buttheysuddenlyheldtheirtongueswhenMinoretrappedonthetablewithhisfisttokeepsilenceforthenotary。
　　“Youruncleisaworthyman，“continuedDionis。“Hebelieveshe’simmortal；and，likemostclevermen，he’llletdeathovertakehimbeforehehasmadeawill。Myadvicethereforeistoinducehimtoinvesthiscapitalinawaythatwillmakeitdifficultforhimtodisinherityou，andIknowofanopportunity，madetohand。ThatlittlePortenduereisinSaint-Pelagie，locked-upforonehundredandsomeoddthousandfrancs’worthofdebt。Hisoldmotherknowsheisinprison；sheiscryinglikeaMagdalen。Theabbeistodinewithher；
　　nodoubtshewantstotalktohimabouthertroubles。Well，I’llgoandseeyouruncleto-nightandpersuadehimtosellhisfivepercentconsols，whicharenowat118，andlendMadamedePortenduere，onthesecurityofherfarmatBordieresandherhousehere，enoughtopaythedebtsoftheprodigalson。IhavearightasnotarytospeaktohiminbehalfofyoungPortenduere；anditisquitenaturalthatI
　　shouldwishtomakehimchangehisinvestments；Igetdeedsandcommissionsoutofthebusiness。IfIbecomehisadviserI’llproposetohimotherlandinvestmentsforhissurpluscapital；Ihavesomeexcellentonesnowinmyoffice。Ifhisfortunewereonceinvestedinlandedestateorinmortgagenotesinthisneighbourhood，itcouldnottakewingstoitselfveryeasily。Itiseasytomakedifficultiesbetweenthewishtorealizeandtherealization。“
　　Theheirs，struckwiththetruthofthisargumentmuchclevererthanthatofMonsieurJosse，murmuredapproval。
　　“Youmustbecareful，“saidthenotaryinconclusion，“tokeepyouruncleinNemours，wherehishabitsareknown，andwhereyoucanwatchhim。Findhimaloverforthegirlandyou’llpreventhismarryingherhimself。“
　　“Supposeshemarriedthelover？“saidGoupil，seizedbyanambitiousdesire。
　　“Thatwouldn’tbeabadthing；thenyoucouldfigureuptheloss；theoldmanwouldhavetosayhowmuchhegivesher，“repliedthenotary。
　　“ButifyousetDesireatherhecouldkeepthegirldanglingontilltheoldmandied。Marriagesaremadeandunmade。“
　　“Theshortestway，“saidGoupil，“ifthedoctorislikelytolivemuchlonger，istomarryhertosomeworthyyoungmanwhowillgetheroutofyourwaybysettlingatSens，orMontargis，orOrleanswithahundredthousandfrancsinhand。“
　　Dionis，Massin，Zelie，andGoupil，theonlyintelligentheadsinthecompany，exchangedfourthoughtfulsmiles。
　　“He’dbeawormatthecore，“whisperedZelietoMassin。
　　“Howdidhegethere？“returnedtheclerk。
　　“Thatwilljustsuityou！“criedDesiretoGoupil。“Butdoyouthinkyoucanbehavedecentlyenoughtosatisfytheoldmanandthegirl？“
　　“Inthesedays，“whisperedZelieagaininMassin’syear，“notarieslookoutfornointerestsbuttheirown。SupposeDioniswentovertoUrsulajusttogettheoldman’sbusiness？“
　　“Iamsureofhim，“saidtheclerkofthecourt，givingheraslylookoutofhisspitefullittleeyes。Hewasjustgoingtoadd，“becauseI
　　holdsomethingoverhim，“buthewithheldthewords。
　　“IamquiteofDionis’sopinion，“hesaidaloud。
　　“SoamI，“criedZelie，whonowsuspectedthenotaryofcollusionwiththeclerk。
　　“Mywifehasvoted！“saidthepostmaster，sippinghisbrandy，thoughhisfacewasalreadypurplefromdigestinghismealandabsorbinganotablequantityofliquids。
　　“Andveryproperly，“remarkedthecollector。
　　“Ishallgoandseethedoctorafterdinner，“saidDionis。
　　“IfMonsieurDionis’sadviceisgood，“saidMadameCremieretoMadameMassin，“wehadbettergoandcallonouruncle，asweusedtodo，everySundayevening，andbehaveexactlyasMonsieurDionishastoldus。“
　　“Yes，andbereceivedashereceivedus！“criedZelie。“MinoretandI
　　havemorethanfortythousandfrancsayear，andyetherefusedourinvitations！Wearequitehisequals。IfIdon’tknowhowtowriteprescriptionsIknowhowtopaddlemyboataswellashe——Icantellhimthat！“
　　“AsIamfarfromhavingfortythousandfrancsayear，“saidMadameMassin，ratherpiqued，“Idon’twanttolosetenthousand。“
　　“Wearehisnieces；weoughttotakecareofhim，andthenbesidesweshallseehowthingsaregoing，“saidMadameCremiere；“you’llthankussomeday，cousin。“
　　“TreatUrsulakindly，“saidthenotary，liftinghisrightforefingertothelevelofhislips；“rememberoldJordyleftherhissavings。“
　　“YouhavemanagedthosefoolsaswellasDesroches，thebestlawyerinParis，couldhavedone，“saidGoupiltohispatronastheyleftthepost-house。
　　“Andnowtheyarequarrelingovermyfee，“repliedthenotary，smilingbitterly。
　　Theheirs，afterpartingwithDionisandhisclerk，metagaininthesquare，withfaceratherflushedfromtheirbreakfast，justasvesperswereover。Asthenotarypredicted，theAbbeChaperonhadMadamedePortenduereonhisarm。
　　“Shedraggedhimtovespers，see！“criedMadameMassintoMadameCremiere，pointingtoUrsulaandthedoctor，whowereleavingthechurch。
　　“Letusgoandspeaktohim，“saidMadameCremiere，approachingtheoldman。
　　Thechangeinthefacesofhisrelativesproducedbytheconference
　　didnotescapeDoctorMinoret。Hetriedtoguessthereasonofthissuddenamiability，andoutofsheercuriosityencouragedUrsulatostopandspeaktothetwowomen，whowereeagertogreetherwithexaggeratedaffectionandforcedsmiles。
　　“Uncle，willyoupermitmetocomeandseeyouto-night？“saidMadameCremiere。“Wefearedsometimeswewereinyourway——butitissuchalongtimesinceourchildrenhavepaidyoutheirrespects；ourgirlsareoldenoughnowtomakedearUrsula’sacquaintance。“
　　“Ursulaisalittlebear，likehername，“repliedthedoctor。