WithstandingSavinien’sentreaties，sherefusedtotellhim，outofprudence，thesecretofherfears。Thedelightofseeinghimagain，aftershehadthoughthimlosttoher，couldalonehavemadeherrecoverfromthemortalchillofterror。Theexpectationofindefiniteevilistorturetoeveryone；sufferingassumestheproportionsoftheunknown，andtheunknownistheinfiniteofthesoul。ToUrsulathepainwasexquisite。Somethingwithoutherboundedattheslightestnoise；yetshewasafraidofsilence，andsuspectedeventhewallsofcollusion。Evenhersleepwasrestless。Goupil，whoknewnothingofhernature，delicateasthatofaflower，hadfound，withtheinstinctofevil，thepoisonthatcouldwitheranddestroyher。
　　Thenextdaypassedwithoutashock。Ursulasatplayingonherpianotillverylate；andwenttobedeasierinmindandverysleepy。Aboutmidnightshewasawakenedbythemusicofabandcomposedofaclarinet，hautboy，flute，cornetapiston，trombone，bassoon，flageolet，andtriangle。Alltheneighbourswereattheirwindows。Thepoorgirl，alreadyfrightenedatseeingthepeopleinthestreet，receivedadreadfulshockassheheardthecoarse，roughvoiceofamanproclaiminginloudtones:“ForthebeautifulUrsulaMirouet，fromherlover。“
　　Thenextday，Sunday，thewholetownhadheardofit；andasUrsulaenteredandleftthechurchshesawthegroupsofpeoplewhostoodgossipingabouther，andfeltherselftheobjectoftheirterriblecuriosity。Theserenadesetalltongueswagging，andconjectureswererifeonallsides。Ursulareachedhomemoredeadthanalive，determinednottoleavethehouseagain，——theabbehavingadvisedhertosayvespersinherownroom。Assheenteredthehouseshesawlyinginthepassage，whichwasflooredwithbrick，aletterwhichhadevidentlybeenslippedunderthedoor。Shepickeditupandreadit，undertheideathatitwouldobtainanexplanation。Itwasasfollows:——
　　“Resignyourselftobecomingmywife，richandidolized。Iamresolved。Ifyouarenotminelivingyoushallbeminedead。Toyourrefusalyoumayattributenotonlyyourownmisfortunes，butthosewhichwillfallonothers。
　　“Hewholovesyou，andwhosewifeyouwillbe。“
　　Curiouslyenough，attheverymomentthatthegentlevictimofthisplotwasdroopinglikeacutflower，MesdemoisellesMassin，Dionis，andCremierewereenvyingherlot。
　　“Sheisaluckygirl，“theyweresaying；“peopletalkofher，andcourther，andquarrelabouther。Theserenadewascharming；therewasacornet-a-piston。“
　　“What’sapiston？“
　　“Anewmusicalinstrument，asbigasthis，see！“repliedAngeliqueCremieretoPamelaMassin。
　　EarlythatmorningSavinienhadgonetoFontainebleautoendeavortofindoutwhohadengagedthemusiciansoftheregimenttheningarrison。ButasthereweretwomentoeachinstrumentitwasimpossibletofindoutwhichofthemhadgonetoNemours。Thecolonelforbadethemtoplayforanyprivatepersoninfuturewithouthispermission。Savinienhadaninterviewwiththeprocureurduroi，Ursula’slegalguardian，andexplainedtohimtheinjurythesesceneswoulddotoayounggirlnaturallysodelicateandsensitive，begginghimtotakesomeactiontodiscovertheauthorofsuchwrong。
　　Threenightslaterthreeviolins，aflute，aguitar，andahautboybegananotherserenade。ThistimethemusiciansfledtowardsMontargis，wheretherehappenedthentobeacompanyofcomicactors。
　　Aloudandringingvoicecalledoutastheyleft:“TothedaughteroftheregimentalbandsmanMirouet。“BythismeansallNemourscametoknowtheprofessionofUrsula’sfather，asecrettheolddoctorhadsedulouslykept。
　　SaviniendidnotgotoMontargis。Hereceivedinthecourseofthedayananonymouslettercontainingaprophecy:——
　　“YouwillnevermarryUrsula。Ifyouwishhertolive，giveherupatoncetoamanwholoveshermorethanyouloveher。Hehasmadehimselfamusicianandanartisttopleaseher，andhewouldratherseeherdeadthanletherbeyourwife。“
　　ThedoctorcametoUrsulathreetimesinthecourseofthatday，forshewasreallyindangerofdeathfromthehorrorofthismysteriouspersecution。Feelingthatsomeinfernalhandhadplungedherintothemire，thepoorgirllaylikeamartyr；shesaidnothing，butliftedhereyestoheaven，andweptnomore；sheseemedawaitingotherblows，andprayedfervently。
　　“IamgladIcannotgodownintothesalon，“shesaidtoMonsieurBongrandandtheabbe，wholeftheraslittleaspossible；“HEwouldcome，andIamnowunworthyofthelookswithwhichHEblessedme。DoyouthinkHEwillsuspectme？“
　　“IfSaviniendoesnotdiscovertheauthoroftheseinfamieshemeanstogettheassistanceoftheParispolice，“saidBongrand。
　　“WhoeveritiswillknowIamdying，“saidUrsula；“andwillceasetotroubleme。“
　　Theabbe，Bongrand，andSavinienwerelostinconjecturesandsuspicions。TogetherwithTiennette，LaBougival，andtwopersonsonwhomtheabbecouldrely，theykepttheclosestwatchandwereontheirguardnightanddayforaweek；butnoindiscretioncouldbetrayGoupil，whosemachinationswereknowntohimselfonly。Therewerenomoreserenadesandnomoreletters，andlittlebylittlethewatchrelaxed。Bongrandthoughttheauthorofthewrongwasfrightened；
　　SavinienbelievedthattheprocureurduroitowhomhehadsentthelettersreceivedbyUrsulaandhimselfandhismother，hadtakenstepstoputanendtothepersecution。
　　Thearmisticewasnotoflongduration，however。WhenthedoctorhadcheckedthenervousfeverfromwhichpoorUrsulawassuffering，andjustasshewasrecoveringhercourage，arope-ladderwasfound，earlyonemorninginJuly，attachedtoherwindow。Thepostilionofthemail-postdeclaredthatashedrovepastthehouseinthemiddleofthenightasmallmanwasintheactofcomingdowntheladder，andthoughhetriedtopullup，hishorses，beingstartled，carriedhimdownthehillsofastthathewasoutofNemoursbeforehestoppedthem。SomeofthepersonswhofrequentedDionis’ssalonattributedthesemanoeuvrestotheMarquisduRouvre，thenmuchhamperedinmeans，forMassinheldhisnotestoalargeamount。ItwassaidthatapromptmarriageofhisdaughtertoSavinienwouldsaveChateauduRouvrefromhiscreditors；andMadamedePortenduere，thegossipsadded，wouldapproveofanythingthatwoulddiscreditanddegradeUrsulaandleadtothismarriageofherson。
　　Sofarfromthisbeingtrue，theoldladywaswell-nighvanquishedbythesufferingsoftheinnocentgirl。Theabbewassopainfullyovercomebythisactofinfernalwickednessthathefellillhimselfandwaskepttothehouseforseveraldays。PoorUrsula，towhomthislastinsulthadcausedarelapse，receivedbypostaletterfromtheabbe，whichwastakeninbyLaBougivalonrecognizingthehandwriting。Itwasasfollows:——
　　Mychild，——LeaveNemours，andthusevadethemaliceofyourenemies。PerhapstheyareseekingtoendangerSavinien’slife。I
　　willtellyoumorewhenIamabletogotoyou。
　　Yourdevotedfriend，Chaperon。
　　WhenSavinien，whowasalmostmaddenedbytheseproceedings，carriedthislettertotheabbe，thepoorpriestreaditandre-readit；soamazedandhorror-strickenwashetoseetheperfectionwithwhichhisownhandwritingandsignaturewereimitated。ThedangerousconditionintowhichthislastatrocitythrewpoorUrsulasentSavinienoncemoretotheprocureurduroiwiththeforgedletter。
　　“Amurderisbeingcommittedbymeansthatthelawcannottouch，“hesaid，“uponanorphanwhomtheCodeplacesinyourcareaslegalguardian。Whatistobedone？“
　　“Ifyoucanfindanymeansofrepression，“saidtheofficial，“Iwilladoptthem；butIknowofnone。Thatinfamouswretchgivesthebestadvice。MademoiselleMirouetmustbesenttothesistersoftheAdorationoftheSacredHeart。MeanwhilethecommissaryofpoliceatFontainebleaushallatmyrequestauthorizeyoutocarryarmsinyourowndefence。IhavebeenmyselftoRouvre，andIfoundMonsieurduRouvrejustlyindignantatthesuspicionssomeoftheNemourspeoplehaveputuponhim。Minoret，thefatherofmyassistant，isintreatyforthepurchaseoftheestate。MademoiselleistomarryarichPolishcount；andMonsieurduRouvrehimselflefttheneighbourhoodthedayI
　　sawhim，toavoidarrestfordebt。“
　　DesireMinoret，whenquestionedbyhischief，darednottellhisthought。HerecognizedGoupil。Goupil，hefullybelieved，wastheonlymancapableofcarryingapersecutiontotheveryvergeofthepenalcodewithoutinfringingahair’s-breadthuponit。
　　Impunity，secrecy，andsuccessincreasedGoupil’saudacity。HemadeMassin，whowascompletelyhisdupe，suetheMarquisduRouvreforhisnotes，soastoforcehimtoselltheremainderofhispropertytoMinoret。Thusprepared，heopenednegotiationsforapracticeatSens，andthenresolvedtostrikealastblowtoobtainUrsula。HemeanttoimitatecertainyoungmeninPariswhoowedtheirwivesandtheirfortunestoabduction。HeknewthattheserviceshehadrenderedtoMinoret，toMassin，andtoCremiere，andtheprotectionofDionisandthemayorofNemourswouldenablehimtohushuptheaffair。Heresolvedtothrowoffthemask，believingUrsulatoofeebleintheconditiontowhichhehadreducedhertomakeanyresistance。ButbeforeriskingthislastthrowinthegamehethoughtitbesttohaveanexplanationwithMinoret，andhechosehisopportunityatRouvre，wherehewentwithhispatronforthefirsttimeafterthedeedsweresigned。
　　MinorethadthatmorningreceivedaconfidentialletterfromhissonaskinghimforinformationastowhatwashappeninginconnectionwithUrsula，informationthathedesiredtoobtainbeforegoingtoNemourswiththeprocureurduroitoplaceherundershelterfromtheseatrocitiesintheconventoftheAdoration。Desireexhortedhisfather，incasethispersecutionshouldbetheworkofanyoftheirfriends，togivetowhoeveritmightbewarningandgoodadvice；forevenifthelawcouldnotpunishthiscrimeitwouldcertainlydiscoverthetruthandholditoverthedelinquent’shead。Minorethadnowattainedagreatobject。OwnerofthechateauduRouvre，oneofthefinestestatesintheGatinais，hehadalsoarent-rollofsomefortyoddthousandfrancsayearfromtherichdomainswhichsurroundedthepark。HecouldwellaffordtosnaphisfingersatGoupil。Besides，heintendedtoliveontheestate，wherethesightofUrsulawouldnolongertroublehim。
　　“Myboy，“hesaidtoGoupil，astheywalkedalongtheterrace，“letmyyoungcousinalone，now。“