Page:Novels of Honoré de Balzac Volume 23.djvu/127

 has this from someone, for her father and mother have suffered much!”

This last remark upset the doctor, who was less staggered than surprised. It may be as well to note here that ten or fifteen minutes elapsed between each of the woman’s sentences, during which her attention became more and more concentrated. They could see her looking! Her forehead presented an extraordinary appearance; the inward efforts were depicted there, it cleared or contracted through some power the effects of which Minoret had only remarked in dying persons at those moments in which they are gifted with the power of prophecy. Several times she made gestures which were like Ursule’s.

“Oh! question her,” resumed the mysterious person addressing Minoret, “she will tell you secrets that you alone can know.”

“Does Ursule love me?” continued Minoret.

“Almost as much as she does God,” she said with a smile, “she is also very unhappy about your unbelief. You do not believe in God, as if you could prevent Him from being! His word fills the world! In this you are the only cause of anxiety to this poor child—Ah! she is playing scales; she wishes she were an even better musician than she is, she frets about it. This is what she is thinking: ‘If I could sing well, if I had a beautiful voice, when he comes to his mother’s my voice would reach his ears.’”

Doctor Minoret took out his pocket-book and noted down the exact time.