“Thechildcan’tbehisdaughter，“saidtheterrifiedheirs；“heisseventy-oneyearsold。“
　　“Whoeversheis，“remarkedMadameMassin，“she’llgiveusplentyoftintouin“awordpeculiartoNemours，meaninguneasiness，anxiety，ormoreliterally，tinglingintheears。
　　Thedoctorreceivedhisgreat-nieceonthemother’ssidesomewhatcoldly；herhusbandhadjustboughttheplaceofclerkofthecourt，andthepairbeganatoncetotellhimoftheirdifficulties。NeitherMassinnorhiswifewererich。Massin’sfather，alocksmithatMontargis，hadbeenobligedtocompromisewithhiscreditors，andwasnow，atsixty-sevenyearsofage，workinglikeayoungman，andhadnothingtoleavebehindhim。MadameMassin’sfather，Levrault-Minoret，hadjustdiedatMontereauafterthebattle，indespairatseeinghisfarmburned，hisfieldsruined，hiscattleslaughtered。
　　“We’llgetnothingoutofyourgreat-uncle，“saidMassintohiswife，nowpregnantwithhersecondchild，aftertheinterview。
　　Thedoctor，however，gavethemprivatelytenthousandfrancs，withwhichMassin，whowasagreatfriendofthenotaryandofthesheriff，beganthebusinessofmoney-lending，andcarriedmatterssobrisklywiththepeasantrythatbythetimeofwhichwearenowwritingGoupilknewhimtoholdatleasteightythousandfrancsontheirproperty。
　　Astohisotherniece，thedoctorobtainedforherhusband，throughhisinfluenceinParis，thecollectorshipofNemours，andbecamehisbondsman。ThoughMinoret-Levraultneedednoassistance，Zelie，hiswife，beingjealousoftheuncle’sliberalitytohistwonieces，tookherten-yearoldsontoseehim，andtalkedoftheexpensehewouldbetothemataschoolinParis，where，shesaid，educationcostssomuch。Thedoctorobtainedahalf-scholarshipforhisgreat-nephewattheschoolofLouis-le-Grand，whereDesirewasputintothefourthclass。
　　Cremiere，Massin，andMinoret-Levrault，extremelycommonpersons，were“ratedwithoutappeal“bythedoctorwithintwomonthsofhisarrivalinNemours，duringwhichtimetheycourted，lesstheirunclethanhisproperty。Personswhoareledbyinstincthaveonegreatdisadvantageagainstotherswithideas。Theyarequicklyfoundout；thesuggestionsofinstinctaretoonatural，tooopentotheeyenottobeseenataglance；whereas，theconceptionsofthemindrequireanequalamountofintellecttodiscoverthem。Afterbuyingthegratitudeofhisheirs，andthus，asitwere，shuttingtheirmouths，thewilydoctormadeapretextofhisoccupations，hishabits，andthecareofthelittleUrsulatoavoidreceivinghisrelativeswithoutexactlyclosinghisdoorstothem。Helikedtodinealone；hewenttobedlateandhegotuplate；hehadreturnedtohisnativeplacefortheverypurposeoffindingrestinsolitude。Thesewhimsofanoldmanseemedtobenatural，andhisrelativescontentedthemselveswithpayinghimweeklyvisitsonSundaysfromonetofouro’clock，towhich，however，hetriedtoputastopbysaying:“Don’tcomeandseemeunlessyouwantsomething。“
　　Thedoctor，whilenotrefusingtobecalledinconsultationoverseriouscases，especiallyifthepatientswereindigent，wouldnotserveasaphysicianinthelittlehospitalofNemours，anddeclaredthathenolongerpracticedhisprofession。
　　“I’vekilledenoughpeople，“hesaid，laughing，totheAbbeChaperon，who，knowinghisbenevolence，wouldoftengethimtoattendthepoor。
　　“He’sanoriginal！“Thesewords，saidofDoctorMinoret，weretheharmlessrevengeofvariouswoundedvanities；foradoctorcollectsabouthimasocietyofpersonswhohavemanyofthecharacteristicsofasetofheirs。Thoseofthebourgeoisiewhothoughtthemselvesentitledtovisitthisdistinguishedphysiciankeptupafermentofjealousyagainstthefewprivilegedfriendswhomhedidadmittohisintimacy，whichhadinthelongrunsomeunfortunateresults。
　　Curiouslyenough，thoughitexplainstheoldproverbthat“extremesmeet，“thematerialisticdoctorandthecureofNemoursweresoonfriends。Theoldmanlovedbackgammon，afavoritegameofthepriesthood，andtheAbbeChaperonplayeditwithaboutasmuchskillashehimself。Thegamewasthefirsttiebetweenthem。ThenMinoretwascharitable，andtheabbewastheFenelonoftheGatinais。Bothhadhadawideandvariededucation；themanofGodwastheonlypersoninallNemourswhowasfullycapableofunderstandingtheatheist。Tobeabletoargue，menmustfirstunderstandeachother。Whatpleasureisthereinsayingsharpwordstoonewhocan’tfeelthem？Thedoctorandthepriesthadfartoomuchtasteandhadseentoomuchofgoodsocietynottopracticeitsprecepts；theywerethuswell-fittedforthelittlewarfaresoessentialtoconversation。Theyhatedeachother’sopinions，buttheyvaluedeachother’scharacter。Ifsuchconflictsandsuchsympathiesarenottrueelementsofintimacywemustsurelydespairofsociety，which，especiallyinFrance，requiressomeformofantagonism。Itisfromtheshockofcharacters，andnotfromthestruggleofopinions，thatantipathiesaregenerated。
　　TheAbbeChaperonbecame，therefore，thedoctor’schieffriend。Thisexcellentecclesiastic，thensixtyyearsofage，hadbeencurateofNemourseversincethere-establishmentofCatholicworship。Outofattachmenttohisflockhehadrefusedthevicariatofthediocese。Ifthosewhowereindifferenttoreligionthoughtwellofhimforsodoing，thefaithfullovedhimthemoreforit。So，reveredbyhissheep，respectedbytheinhabitantsatlarge，theabbedidgoodwithoutinquiringintothereligiousopinionsofthosehebenefited。
　　Hisparsonage，withscarcelyfurnitureenoughforthecommonneedsoflife，wascoldandshabby，likethelodgingofamiser。Charityandavaricemanifestthemselvesinthesameway；charitylaysupatreasureinheavenwhichavaricelaysuponearth。TheAbbeChaperonarguedwithhisservantoverexpensesevenmoresharplythanGobseckwithhis——ifindeedthatfamousJewkeptaservantatall。Thegoodpriestoftensoldthebucklesoffhisshoesandhisbreechestogivetheirvaluetosomepoorpersonwhoappealedtohimatamomentwhenhehadnotapenny。Whenhewasseencomingoutofchurchwiththestrapsofhisbreechestiedintothebutton-holes，devoutwomenwouldredeemthebucklesfromtheclock-makerandjewelerofthetownandreturnthemtotheirpastorwithalecture。Heneverboughthimselfanyclothesorlinen，andworehisgarmentstilltheyscarcelyheldtogether。Hislinen，thickwithdarns，rubbedhisskinlikeahairshirt。MadamedePortenduere，andothergoodsouls，hadanagreementwithhishousekeepertoreplacetheoldclotheswithnewonesafterhewenttosleep，andtheabbedidnotalwaysfindoutthedifference。Heatehisfoodoffpewterwithironforksandspoons。Whenhereceivedhisassistantsandsub-curatesondaysofhighsolemnityanexpenseobligatoryontheheadsofparishesheborrowedlinenandsilverfromhisfriendtheatheist。
　　“Mysilverishissalvation，“thedoctorwouldsay。
　　Thesenobledeeds，alwaysaccompaniedbyspiritualencouragement，weredonewithabeautifulnaivete。Suchalifewasallthemoremeritoriousbecausetheabbewaspossessedofaneruditionthatwasvastandvaried，andofgreatandpreciousfaculties。Delicacyandgrace，theinseparableaccompanimentsofsimplicity，lentcharmtoanelocutionthatwasworthyofaprelate。Hismanners，hischaracter，andhishabitsgavetohisintercoursewithothersthemostexquisitesavorofallthatismostspiritual，mostsincereinthehumanmind。A
　　loverofgayety，hewasneverpriestinasalon。UntilDoctorMinoret’sarrival，thegoodmankepthislightunderabushelwithoutregret。OwningaratherfinelibraryandanincomeoftwothousandfrancswhenhecametoNemours，henowpossessed，in1829，nothingatall，excepthisstipendasparishpriest，nearlythewholeofwhichhegaveawayduringtheyear。Thegiverofexcellentcounselindelicatemattersoringreatmisfortunes，manypersonswhoneverwenttochurchtoobtainconsolationwenttotheparsonagetogetadvice。Onelittleanecdotewillsufficetocompletehisportrait。Sometimesthepeasants，——rarely，itistrue，butoccasionally，——unprincipledmen，wouldtellhimtheyweresuedfordebt，orwouldgetthemselvesthreatenedfictitiouslytostimulatetheabbe’sbenevolence。Theywouldevendeceivetheirwives，who，believingtheirchattelswerethreatenedwithanexecutionandtheircowsseized，deceivedintheirturnthepoorpriestwiththeirinnocenttears。Hewouldthenmanagewithgreatdifficultytoprovidethesevenoreighthundredfrancsdemandedofhim——withwhichthepeasantboughthimselfamorselofland。Whenpiouspersonsandvestrymendenouncedthefraud，beggingtheabbetoconsulttheminfuturebeforelendinghimselftosuchcupidity，hewouldsay:——
　　“Butsupposetheyhaddonesomethingwrongtoobtaintheirbitofland？Isn’titdoinggoodwhenwepreventevil？“
　　Somepersonsmaywishforasketchofthisfigure，remarkableforthefactthatscienceandliteraturehadfilledtheheartandpassedthroughthestrongheadwithoutcorruptingeither。Atsixtyyearsofagetheabbe’shairwaswhiteassnow，sokeenlydidhefeelthesorrowsofothers，andsoheavilyhadtheeventsoftheRevolutionweigheduponhim。Twiceincarceratedforrefusingtotaketheoathhehadtwice，asheusedtosay，utteredin“Inmanus。“Hewasofmediumheight，neitherstoutnorthin。Hisface，muchwrinkledandhollowedandquitecolorless，attractedimmediateattentionbytheabsolutetranquillityexpressedinitsshape，andbythepurityofitsoutline，whichseemedtobeedgedwithlight。Thefaceofachastemanhasanunspeakableradiance。Browneyeswithlivelypupilsbrightenedtheirregularfeatures，whichweresurmountedbyabroadforehead。Hisglancewieldedapowerwhichcameofagentlenessthatwasnotdevoidofstrength。Thearchesofhisbrowformedcavernsshadedbyhugegrayeyebrowswhichalarmednoone。Asmostofhisteethweregonehismouthhadlostitsshapeandhischeekshadfallenin；butthisphysicaldestructionwasnotwithoutcharm；eventhewrinkles，fullofpleasantness，seemedtosmileonothers。Withoutbeinggoutyhisfeetweretender；andhewalkedwithsomuchdifficultythatheworeshoesmadeofcalf’sskinalltheyearround。Hethoughtthefashionoftrousersunsuitableforpriests，andhealwaysappearedinstockingsofcoarseblackyarn，knitbyhishousekeeper，andclothbreeches。Heneverwentoutinhiscassock，butworeabrownovercoat，andstillretainedthethree-corneredhathehadwornsocourageouslyintimesofdanger。Thisnobleandbeautifuloldman，whosefacewasglorifiedbytheserenityofasoulabovereproach，willbefoundtohavesogreataninfluenceuponthemenandthingsofthishistory，thatitwaspropertoshowthesourcesofhisauthorityandpower。
　　Minorettookthreenewspapers，——oneliberal，oneministerial，oneultra，——afewperiodicals，andcertainscientificjournals，theaccumulationofwhichswelledhislibrary。Thenewspapers，encyclopaedias，andbookswereanattractiontoaretiredcaptainoftheRoyal-Swedishregiment，namedMonsieurdeJordy，aVoltaireannoblemanandanoldbachelor，wholivedonsixteenhundredfrancsofpensionandannuitycombined。Havingreadthegazettesforseveraldays，byfavoroftheabbe，MonsieurdeJordythoughtitpropertocallandthankthedoctorinperson。Atthisfirstvisittheoldcaptain，formerlyaprofessorattheMilitaryAcademy，wonthedoctor’sheart，whoreturnedthecallwithalacrity。MonsieurdeJordy，asparelittlemanmuchtroubledbyhisblood，thoughhisfacewasverypale，attractedattentionbytheresemblanceofhishandsomebrowtothatof