“Theyareallsly，“thoughtZelie，——“everyoneofthem！Theywanttodeceiveus。ThatoldpriestandtheoldjusticeandthatyoungscampSavinienhavegotsomeplanintheirheads。Dreams！nomoredreamsthantherearehairsonthepalmofmyhand。“
　　Withtwostiff，curtbowsshelefttheroom。
　　“IknowwhySavinienwenttoFontainebleau，“saidUrsulatotheabbe，tellinghimabouttheduelandbegginghimtousehisinfluencetopreventit。
　　“DidMadameMinoretofferyouherson’shand？“askedtheabbe。
　　“Yes。“
　　“Minorethasnodoubtconfessedhiscrimetoher，“addedthepriest。
　　MonsieurBongrand，whocameinatthismoment，wastoldofthesteptakenbyZelie，whosehatredtoUrsulawaswellknowntohim。Helookedattheabbeasiftosay:“Comeout，IwanttospeaktoyouofUrsulawithoutherhearingme。“
　　“SavinienmustbetoldthatyourefusedeightythousandfrancsayearandthedandyofNemours，“hesaidaloud。
　　“Isit，then，asacrifice？“sheanswered，laughing。“Aretheresacrificeswhenonetrulyloves？Isitanymerittorefusethesonofamanwealldespise？Othersmaymakevirtuesoftheirdislikes，butthatoughtnottobethemoralityofagirlbroughtupbyadeJordy，andtheabbe，andmydeargodfather，“shesaid，lookingupathisportrait。
　　BongrandtookUrsula’shandandkissedit。
　　“DoyouknowwhatMadameMinoretcameabout？“saidthejusticeassoonastheywereinthestreet。
　　“What？“askedthepriest，lookingatBongrandwithanairthatseemedmerelycurious。
　　“Shehadsomeplanforrestitution。“
　　“Thenyouthink——“begantheabbe。
　　“Idon’tthink，Iknow；Ihavethecertainty——andseethere！“
　　Sosaying，BongrandpointedtoMinoret，whowascomingtowardsthemonhiswayhome。
　　“WhenIwasalawyerinthecriminalcourts，“continuedBongrand，“I
　　naturallyhadmanyopportunitiestostudyremorse；butIhaveneverseenanytoequalthatofthisman。Whatgiveshimthatflaccidity，thatpallorofthecheekswheretheskinwasonceastightasadrumandburstingwiththegoodsoundhealthofamanwithoutacare？Whathasputthoseblackcirclesroundhiseyesanddulledtheirrusticvivacity？Didyoueverexpecttoseelinesofcareonthatforehead？
　　Whowouldhavesupposedthatthebrainofthatcolossuscouldbeexcited？Themanhasfelthisheart！Iamajudgeofremorse，justasyouareajudgeofrepentance，mydearabbe。ThatwhichIhavehithertoobservedhasdevelopedinmenwhowereawaitingpunishment，orenduringittogetquitswiththeworld；theywereeitherresigned，orbreathingvengeance；buthereisremorsewithoutexpiation，remorsepureandsimple，fasteningonitspreyandrendinghim。“
　　ThejudgestoppedMinoretandsaid:“DoyouknowthatMademoiselleMirouethasrefusedyourson’shand？“
　　“But，“interposedtheabbe，“donotbeuneasy；shewillpreventtheduel。“
　　“Ah，thenmywifesucceeded？“saidMinoret。“Iamveryglad，foritnearlykilledme。“
　　“Youare，indeed，sochangedthatyouarenolongerlikeyourself，“
　　remarkedBongrand。
　　Minoretlookedalternatelyatthetwomentoseeifthepriesthadbetrayedthedreams；buttheabbe’sfacewasunmoved，expressingonlyacalmsadnesswhichreassuredtheguiltyman。
　　“Anditisthemoresurprising，“wentonMonsieurBongrand，“becauseyououghttobefilledwithsatisfaction。YouarelordofRouvreandallthosefarmsandmillsandmeadowsand——withyourinvestmentsintheFunds，youhaveanincomeofonehundredthousandfrancs——“
　　“Ihaven’tanythingintheFunds，“criedMinoret，hastily。
　　“Pooh，“saidBongrand；“thisisjustasitwasaboutyourson’sloveforUrsula，——firsthedeniedit，andnowheasksherinmarriage。
　　AftertryingtokillUrsulawithsorrowyounowwantherforadaughter-in-law。Mygoodfriend，youhavegotsomesecretinyourpouch。“
　　Minorettriedtoanswer；hesearchedforwordsandcouldfindnothingbetterthan:——
　　“You’reveryqueer，monsieur。Good-day，gentlemen“；andheturnedwithaslowstepintotheRuedesBourgeois。
　　“HehasstolenthefortuneofourpoorUrsula，“saidBongrand，“buthowcanweeverfindtheproof？“
　　“Godmay——“
　　“Godhasputintousthesentimentthatisnowappealingtothatman；
　　butallthatismerelywhatiscalled’presumptive，’andhumanjusticerequiressomethingmore。“
　　Theabbemaintainedthesilenceofapriest。Asoftenhappensinsimilarcircumstances，hethoughtmuchoftenerthanhewishedtothinkoftherobbery，nowalmostadmittedbyMinoret，andofSavinien’shappiness，delayedonlybyUrsula’slossoffortune——fortheoldladyhadprivatelyownedtohimthatsheknewshehaddonewronginnotconsentingtothemarriageinthedoctor’slifetime。
　　Thefollowingday，astheabbewasleavingthealtaraftersayingmass，athoughtstruckhimwithsuchforcethatitseemedtohimtheutteranceofavoice。HemadeasigntoUrsulatowaitforhim，andaccompaniedherhomewithouthavingbreakfasted。
　　“Mychild，“hesaid，“Iwanttoseethetwovolumesyourgodfathershowedyouinyourdreams——wherehesaidthatheplacedthosecertificatesandbanknotes。“
　　UrsulaandtheabbewentuptothelibraryandtookdownthethirdvolumeofthePandects。Whentheoldmanopenedithenoticed，notwithoutsurprise，amarkleftbysomeenclosureuponthepages，whichstillkepttheoutlineofthecertificate。Intheothervolumehefoundasortofhollowmadebythelong-continuedpresenceofapackage，whichhadleftitstracesonthetwopagesnexttoit。
　　“Yes，goup，MonsieurBongrand，“LaBougivalwasheardtosay，andthejusticeofthepeacecameintothelibraryjustastheabbewasputtingonhisspectaclestoreadthreenumbersinDoctorMinoret’shand-writingonthefly-leafofcoloredpaperwithwhichthebinderhadlinedthecoverofthevolume，——figureswhichUrsulahadjustdiscovered。
　　“What’sthemeaningofthosefigures？“saidtheabbe；“ourdeardoctorwastoomuchofabibliophiletospoilthefly-leafofavaluablevolume。HerearethreenumberswrittenbetweenafirstnumberprecededbytheletterMandalastnumberprecededbyaU。“
　　“Whatareyoutalkingof？“saidBongrand。“Letmeseethat。GoodGod！“
　　hecried，afteramoment’sexamination；“itwouldopentheeyesofanatheistasanactualdemonstrationofProvidence！Humanjusticeis，I
　　believe，thedevelopmentofthedivinethoughtwhichhoversovertheworlds。“HeseizedUrsulaandkissedherforehead。“Oh！mychild，youwillberichandhappy，andallthroughme！“
　　“Whatisit？“exclaimedtheabbe。
　　“Oh，monsieur，“criedLaBougival，catchingBongrand’sblueovercoat，“letmekissyouforwhatyou’vejustsaid。“
　　“Explain，explain！don’tgiveusfalsehopes，“saidtheabbe。
　　“IfIbringtroubleonothersbybecomingrich，“saidUrsula，forseeingacriminaltrial，“I——“
　　“Remember，“saidthejustice，interruptingher，“thehappinessyouwillgivetoSavinien。“
　　“Areyoumad？“saidtheabbe。
　　“No，mydearfriend，“saidBongrand。“Listen；thecertificatesintheFundsareissuedinseries，——asmanyseriesastherearelettersinthealphabet；andeachnumberbearstheletterofitsseries。Butthecertificateswhicharemadeout’tobearer’cannothavealetter；theyarenotinanyperson’sname。WhatyouseethereshowsthatthedaythedoctorplacedhismoneyintheFunds，henoteddown，first，thenumberofhisowncertificateforfifteenthousandfrancsinterestwhichbearshisinitialM；next，thenumbersofthreeinscriptionstobearer；thesearewithoutaletter；andthirdly，thecertificateofUrsula’sshareintheFunds，thenumberofwhichis23，534，andwhichfollows，asyousee，thatofthefifteen-thousand-franccertificatewithlettering。Thisgoesfartoprovethatthosenumbersarethoseoffivecertificatesofinvestmentsmadeonthesamedayandnoteddownbythedoctorincaseofloss。IadvisedhimtotakecertificatestobearerforUrsula’sfortune，andhemusthavemadehisowninvestmentandthatofUrsula’slittlepropertythesameday。I’llgotoDionis’sofficeandlookattheinventory。Ifthenumberofthecertificateforhisowninvestmentis23，533，letterM，wemaybesurethatheinvested，throughthesamebrokeronthesameday，firsthisownpropertyonasinglecertificate；secondlyhissavingsinthreecertificatestobearernumbered，butwithouttheseriesletter；
　　thirdly，Ursula’sownproperty；thetransferbookswillshow，ofcourse，undeniableproofsofthis。Ha！Minoret，youdeceiver，Ihaveyou——Motus，mychildren！“