Page:Novels of Honoré de Balzac Volume 23.djvu/105

 exist a creator of the world, the organizer of the infinite pays any attention to this foolery!”

He laughed and continued his walk on the heights that overlook the road to Gâtinais, where the full pealing of the bells spread afar the joy of families.

The sound of backgammon is unbearable to people who do not know this game, one of the most difficult that exist. To avoid worrying his ward, whose delicacy of organs and nerves prevented her from listening with impunity to these movements and to this apparently senseless chatter, the curé, old Jordy, when he was alive, and the doctor, would always wait until their child had gone to bed or for a walk. It often happened that the game was still going on when Ursule came in; she would then resign herself with infinite grace and seat herself near the window to work. She disliked this game, the beginning of which is in fact dull and difficult to many minds, and which is so difficult to master, that, if one does not get into the habit of playing this game during youth, it is almost impossible to learn it later. Now, the night of her first communion, when Ursule returned to her guardian, who was alone that evening, she placed the backgammon in front of the old man.

“Now then! whose turn is it to play?” she said.

“Ursule,” replied the doctor, “is it not a sin to mock your godfather on the day of your first communion?”

“I am not mocking you at all,” she said, sitting down, “I belong to your pleasures, you who take