Page:Novels of Honoré de Balzac Volume 23.djvu/161

 whilst examining her, “there is a point at which young girls usually take the law and morality upon themselves. Let us try!—The Minoret-Levraults,” he said to Ursule, securing his spectacles, “are likely to ask your hand in marriage for their son.”

The poor little thing turned pale; she was too well brought up, and had too saintly a delicacy to go and listen to what was being said by Dionis and her uncle; but, after some brief inward deliberation, she thought she might show herself, reflecting that if she were not wanted her godfather would let her feel it. The outer blinds of the French window of the doctor’s study in the Chinese pavilion were open. Ursule contrived an excuse for going to shut them up herself. She apologized for leaving the justice of the peace alone in the salon, and he said to her, smiling:

“Do it, do it.”

Ursule gained the flight of steps leading down from the Chinese pavilion to the garden, and stood there several minutes, slowly arranging the blinds and looking at the setting sun. She then heard the following reply made by the doctor, who was coming towards the Chinese pavilion:

“My heirs would be delighted to see me investing in landed property and mortgages; they fancy that my fortune would be much more secure; I can guess all they say to each other, and perhaps you come from them—Know, my dear sir, that my arrangements are irrevocable. My heirs will have the capital of the fortune that I brought here, let them take