“Letustameher，“saidMadameMassin。“Andbesides，uncle，“addedthegoodhousewife，tryingtohideherrealmotiveunderamaskofeconomy，“theytellusthedeargirlhassuchtalentforthefortethatweareveryanxioustohearher。MadameCremiereandIareinclinedtotakehermusic-masterforourchildren。Ifthereweresixoreightscholarsinaclassitwouldbringthepriceofhislessonswithinourmeans。“
　　“Certainly，“saidtheoldman，“anditwillbeallthebetterformebecauseIwanttogiveUrsulaasinging-master。“
　　“Well，to-nightthen，uncle。Wewillbringyourgreat-nephewDesiretoseeyou；heisnowalawyer。“
　　“Yes，to-night，“echoedMinoret，meaningtofathomthemotivesofthesepettysouls。
　　ThetwoniecespressedUrsula’shand，saying，withaffectedeagerness，“Aurevoir。“
　　“Oh，godfather，youhavereadmyheart！“criedUrsula，givinghimagratefullook。
　　“Youaregoingtohaveavoice，“hesaid；“andIshallgiveyoumastersofdrawingandItalianalso。Awoman，“addedthedoctor，lookingatUrsulaasheunfastenedthegateofhishouse，“oughttobeeducatedtotheheightofeverypositioninwhichhermarriagemayplaceher。“
　　Ursulagrewredasacherry；hergodfather’sthoughtsevidentlyturnedinthesamedirectionasherown。FeelingthatshewastoonearconfessingtothedoctortheinvoluntaryattractionwhichledhertothinkaboutSavinienandtocenterallherideasofaffectionuponhim，sheturnedasideandsatdowninfrontofagreatclusterofclimbingplants，onthedarkbackgroundofwhichshelookedatadistancelikeablueandwhiteflower。
　　“Nowyousee，godfather，thatyournieceswereverykindtome；yes，theywereverykind，“sherepeatedasheapproachedher，tochangethethoughtsthatmadehimpensive。
　　“Poorlittlegirl！“criedtheoldman。
　　HelaidUrsula’shanduponhisarm，tappingitgently，andtookhertotheterracesbesidetheriver，wherenoonecouldhearthem。
　　“Whydoyousay，’Poorlittlegirl’？“
　　“Don’tyouseehowtheyfearyou？“
　　“Fearme，——why？“
　　“Mynextofkinareveryuneasyaboutmyconversion。Theynodoubtattributeittoyourinfluenceoverme；theyfancyIdeprivethemoftheirinheritancetoenrichyou。“
　　“Butyouwon’tdothat？“saidUrsulanaively，lookingupathim。
　　“Oh，divineconsolationofmyoldage！“saidthedoctor，takinghisgodchildinhisarmsandkissingheronbothcheeks。“Itwasforherandnotformyself，ohGod！thatIbesoughttheejustnowtoletmeliveuntilthedayIgivehertosomegoodbeingwhoisworthyofher！——
　　Youwillseecomedies，mylittleangel，comedieswhichtheMinoretsandCremieresandMassinswillcomeandplayhere。Youwanttobrightenandprolongmylife；theyarelongingformydeath。“
　　“Godforbidsustohateanyone，butifthatis——Ah！Idespisethem！“
　　exclaimedUrsula。
　　“Dinnerisready！“calledLaBougivalfromtheportico，which，onthegardenside，wasattheendofthecorridor。
　　Ursulaandhergodfatherweresittingatdessertintheprettydining-
　　roomdecoratedwithChinesedesignsinblackandgoldlacquerthefollyofLevrault-Levraultwhenthejusticeofpeacearrived。Thedoctorofferedhimandthiswasagreatmarkofintimacyacupofhiscoffee，amixtureofMochawithBourbonandMartinique，roasted，ground，andmadebyhimselfinasilverapparatuscalledaChaptal。
　　“Well，“saidBongrand，pushinguphisglassesandlookingslylyattheoldman，“thetownisincommotion；yourappearanceinchurchhasputyourrelativesbesidethemselves。Youhaveleftyourfortunetothepriests，tothepoor。Youhaverousedthefamilies，andtheyarebestirringthemselves。Ha！ha！Isawtheirfirstirruptionintothesquare；theywereasbusyasantswhohavelosttheireggs。“
　　“WhatdidItellyou，Ursula？“criedthedoctor。“Attheriskofgrievingyou，mychild，Imustteachyoutoknowtheworldandputyouonyourguardagainstundeservedenmity。“
　　“Ishouldliketosayawordtoyouonthissubject，“saidBongrand，seizingtheoccasiontospeaktohisoldfriendofUrsula’sfuture。
　　Thedoctorputablackvelvetcaponhiswhitehead，thejusticeofpeaceworehishattoprotecthimfromthenightair，andtheywalkedupanddowntheterracediscussingthemeansofsecuringtoUrsulawhathergodfatherintendedtobequeathher。BongrandknewDionis’sopinionastotheinvalidityofawillmadebythedoctorinfavorofUrsula；forNemourswassopreoccupiedwiththeMinoretaffairsthatthematterhadbeenmuchdiscussedamongthelawyersofthelittletown。BongrandconsideredthatUrsulawasnotarelativeofDoctorMinoret，buthefeltthatthewholespiritoflegislationwasagainstthefoistingintofamiliesofillegitimateoff-shoots。ThemakersoftheCodehadforeseenonlytheweaknessoffathersandmothersfortheirnaturalchildren，withoutconsideringthatunclesandauntsmighthavealiketendernessandadesiretoprovideforsuchchildren。Evidentlytherewasagapinthelaw。
　　“Inallothercountries，“hesaid，endinganexplanationofthelegalpointswhichDionis，Goupil，andDesirehadjustexplainedtotheheirs，“Ursulawouldhavenothingtofear；sheisalegitimatechild，andthedisabilityofherfatheroughtonlytoaffecttheinheritancefromValentineMirouet，hergrandfather。ButinFrancethemagistracyisunfortunatelyoverwiseandveryconsequential；itinquiresintothespiritofthelaw。Somelawyerstalkmorality，andmighttrytoshowthatthishiatusintheCodecamefromthesimple-mindednessofthelegislators，whodidnotforeseethecase，though，nonetheless，theyestablishedaprinciple。Tobringasuitwouldbelongandexpensive。
　　Zeliewouldcarryittothecourtofappeals，andImightnotbealivewhenthecasewastried。“
　　“Thebestofcasesisoftenworthless，“criedthedoctor。“Here’sthequestionthelawyerswillput，’Towhatdegreeofrelationshipoughtthedisabilityofnaturalchildreninmattersofinheritancetoextend？’andthecreditofagoodlawyerwilllieingainingabadcause。“
　　“Faith！“saidBongrand，“Idarenottakeuponmyselftoaffirmthatthejudgeswouldn’tinterpretthemeaningofthelawasincreasingtheprotectiongiventomarriage，theeternalbaseofsociety。“
　　Withoutexplaininghisintentions，thedoctorrejectedtheideaofatrust。WhenBongrandsuggestedtohimamarriagewithUrsulaasthesurestmeansofsecuringhispropertytoher，heexclaimed，“Poorlittlegirl！Imightlivefifteenyears；whatafateforher！“
　　“Well，whatwillyoudo，then？“askedBongrand。
　　“We’llthinkaboutit——I’llsee，“saidtheoldman，evidentlyatalossforareply。
　　JustthenUrsulacametosaythatMonsieurDioniswishedtospeaktothedoctor。
　　“Already！“criedMinoret，lookingatBongrand。“Yes，“hesaidtoUrsula，“sendhimhere。“
　　“I’llbetmyspectaclestoabunchofmatchesthatheistheadvance-
　　guardofyourheirs，“saidBongrand。“Theybreakfastedtogetherattheposthouse，andsomethingisbeingengineered。“
　　Thenotary，conductedbyUrsula，cametothelowerendofthegarden。
　　Aftertheusualgreetingsandafewinsignificantremarks，Dionisaskedforaprivateinterview；UrsulaandBongrandretiredtothesalon。
　　Thedistrustwhichsuperiormenexciteinmenofbusinessisveryremarkable。Thelatterdenythemthe“lesser“powerswhilerecognizingtheirpossessionofthe“higher。“Itis，perhaps，atributetothem。
　　Seeingthemalwaysonthehigherplaneofhumanthings，menofbusinessbelievethemincapableofdescendingtotheinfinitelypettydetailswhichlikethedividendsoffinanceandthemicroscopicfactsofsciencegotoequalizecapitalandtoformtheworlds。Theyaremistaken！Themanofhonorandofgeniusseesall。Bongrand，piquedbythedoctor’ssilence，butimpelledbyasenseofUrsula’sinterestswhichhethoughtendangered，resolvedtodefendheragainsttheheirs。
　　HewaswretchedatnotknowingwhatwastakingplacebetweentheoldmanandDionis。
　　“NomatterhowpureandinnocentUrsulamaybe，“hethoughtashelookedather，“thereisapointonwhichyounggirlsdomaketheirownlawandtheirownmorality。I’lltesthere。TheMinoret-
　　Levraults，“hebegan，settlinghisspectacles，“mightpossiblyaskyouinmarriagefortheirson。“
　　Thepoorchildturnedpale。Shewastoowelltrained，andhadtoomuchdelicacytolistentowhatDioniswassayingtoheruncle；butafteramoment’sinwarddeliberation，shethoughtshemightshowherself，andthen，ifshewasintheway，hergodfatherwouldletherknowit。TheChinesepagodawhichthedoctormadehisstudyhadoutsideblindstotheglassdoors；Ursulainventedtheexcuseofshuttingthem。ShebeggedMonsieurBongrand’spardonforleavinghimaloneinthesalon，buthesmiledatherandsaid，“Go！go！“
　　Ursulawentdownthestepsoftheporticowhichledtothepagodaatthefootofthegarden。Shestoodforsomeminutesslowlyarrangingtheblindsandwatchingthesunset。Thedoctorandnotarywereattheendoftheterrace，butastheyturnedsheheardthedoctormakeananswerwhichreachedthepagodawhereshewas。