“Ah！hisheirsmaytakeeverythingiftheychoose，“criedUrsula，sittinguprightunderanimpulseofsavageindignation。“Ihavesomethinghere，“sheadded，strikingherbreast，“whichisfarmoreprecious——“
“Whatisit？“saidthepostmaster，whowithMassinathisheelsnowshowedhisbrutalface。
“Theremembrancesofhisvirtues，ofhislife，ofhiswords——animageofhiscelestialsoul，“shesaid，hereyesandfaceglowingassheraisedherhandwithagloriousgesture。
“Andakey！“criedMassin，creepinguptoherlikeacatandseizingakeywhichfellfromthebosomofherdressinhersuddenmovement。
“Yes，“shesaid，blushing，“thatisthekeyofhisstudy；hesentmethereatthemomenthewasdying。“
Thetwomenglancedateachotherwithhorridsmiles，andthenatMonsieurBongrand，withameaninglookofdegradingsuspicion。Ursulawhointerceptedit，rosetoherfeet，paleasifthebloodhadleftherbody。Hereyessentforththelightningsthatperhapscanissueonlyatsomecostoflife，asshesaidinachokingvoice:——
“MonsieurBongrand，everythinginthisroomisminethroughthekindnessofmygodfather；theymayhaveitall；IhavenothingonmebuttheclothesIwear。Ishallleavethehouseandneverreturntoit。“
Shewenttohergodfather’sroom，andnoentreatiescouldmakeherleaveit，——theheirs，whonowbegantobeslightlyashamedoftheirconduct，endeavoringtopersuadeher。SherequestedMonsieurBongrandtoengagetworoomsforheratthe“VieillePoste“innuntilshecouldfindsomelodgingintownwhereshecouldlivewithLaBougival。Shereturnedtoherownroomforherprayer-book，andspentthenight，withtheabbe，hisassistant，andSavinien，inweepingandprayingbesideheruncle’sbody。Saviniencame，afterhismotherhadgonetobed，andknelt，withoutaword，besidehisUrsula。Shesmiledathimsadly，andthankedhimforcomingfaithfullytosharehertroubles。
“Mychild，“saidMonsieurBongrand，bringheralargepackage，“oneofyouruncle’sheirshastakenthesenecessaryarticlesfromyourdrawers，forthesealscannotbeopenedforseveraldays；afterthatyouwillrecovereverythingthatbelongstoyou。Ihave，foryourownsake，placedthesealsonyourroom。“
“Thankyou，“shereplied，pressinghishand。“Lookathimagain，——heseemstosleep，doeshenot？“
Theoldman’sfaceworethatfloweroffleetingbeautywhichrestsuponthefeaturesofthedeadwhodieapainlessdeath；lightappearedtoradiatefromit。
“Didhegiveyouanythingsecretlybeforehedied？“whisperedM。
Bongrand。
“Nothing，“shesaid；“hespokeonlyofaletter。“
“Good！itwillcertainlybefound，“saidBongrand。“Howfortunateforyouthattheheirsdemandedthesealing。“
AtdaybreakUrsulabadeadieutothehousewhereherhappyyouthwaspassed；moreparticularly，tothemodestchamberinwhichherlovebegan。Sodeartoherwasitthateveninthishourofdarkestgrieftearsofregretrolleddownherfaceforthedearandpeacefulhaven。
WithonelastglanceatSavinien’swindowsshelefttheroomandthehouse，andwenttotheinnaccompaniedbyLaBougival，whocarriedthepackage，byMonsieurBongrand，whogaveherhisarm，andbySavinien，hertrueprotector。
Thusithappenedthatinspiteofallhiseffortsandcautionstheworstfearsofthejusticeofpeacewererealized；hewasnowtoseeUrsulawithoutmeansandatthemercyofherbenefactor’sheirs。
Thenextafternoonthewholetownattendedthedoctor’sfuneral。Whentheconductoftheheirstohisadopteddaughterwaspubliclyknown，avastmajorityofthepeoplethoughtitnaturalandnecessary。Aninheritancewasinvolved；thegoodmanwasknowntohavehoarded；
Ursulamightthinkshehadrights；theheirswereonlydefendingtheirproperty；shehadhumbledthemenoughduringtheiruncle’slifetime，forhehadtreatedthemlikedogsandsentthemabouttheirbusiness。
DesireMinoret，whowasnotgoingtodowondersinlife(sosaidthosewhoenviedhisfather)，camedownforthefuneral。Ursulawasunabletobepresent，forshewasinbedwithanervousfever，causedpartlybytheinsultsoftheheirsandpartlybyherheavyaffliction。
“Lookatthathypocriteweeping，“saidsomeoftheheirs，pointingtoSavinien，whowasdeeplyaffectedbythedoctor’sdeath。
“Thequestionis，“saidGoupil，“hasheanygoodgroundsforweeping。
Don’tlaughtoosoon，myfriends；thesealsarenotyetremoved。“
“Pooh！“saidMinoret，whohadgoodreasontoknowthetruth，“youarealwaysfrighteningusaboutnothing。“
Asthefuneralprocessionleftthechurchtoproceedtothecemetery，abittermortificationwasinflictedonGoupil；hetriedtotakeDesire’sarm，butthelatterwithdrewitandturnedawayfromhisformercomradeinpresenceofallNemours。
“Iwon’tbeangry，orIcouldn’tgetrevenge，“thoughtthenotary’sclerk，whosedryheartswelledinhisbosomlikeasponge。
Beforebreakingthesealsandmakingtheinventory，ittooksometimefortheprocureurduroi，whoisthelegalguardianoforphans，tocommissionMonsieurBongrandtoactinhisplace。AfterthatwasdonethesettlementoftheMinoretinheritance(nothingelsebeingtalkedofinthetownfortendays)beganwithallthelegalformalities。
Dionishadhispickings；Goupilenjoyedsomemischief-making；andasthebusinesswasprofitablethesessionsweremany。Afterthefirstofthesesessionsallpartiesbreakfastedtogether；notary，clerk，heirs，andwitnessesdrankthebestwinesinthedoctor’scellar。
Intheprovinces，andespeciallyinlittletownswhereeveryonelivesinhisownhouse，itissometimesverydifficulttofindalodging。
Whenamanbuysabusinessofanykindthedwelling-houseisalmostalwaysincludedinthepurchase。MonsieurBongrandsawnootherwayofremovingUrsulafromthevillageinnthantobuyasmallhouseontheGrand’RueatthecornerofthebridgeovertheLoing。Thelittlebuildinghadafrontdooropeningonacorridor，andoneroomontheground-floorwithtwowindowsonthestreet；behindthiscamethekitchen，withaglassdooropeningtoaninnercourtyardaboutthirtyfeetsquare。Asmallstaircase，lightedonthesidetowardstheriverbysmallwindows，ledtothefirstfloorwheretherewerethreechambers，andabovetheseweretwoatticrooms。MonsieurBongrandborrowedtwothousandfrancsfromLaBougival’ssavingstopaythefirstinstalmentoftheprice，——sixthousandfrancs，——andobtainedgoodtermsforpaymentoftherest。AsUrsulawishedtobuyheruncle’sbooks，Bongrandknockeddownthepartitionbetweentworoomsonthebedroomfloor，findingthattheirunitedlengthwasthesameasthatofthedoctor’slibrary，andgaveroomforhisbookshelves。
SavinienandBongrandurgedontheworkmenwhowerecleaning，painting，andotherwiserenewingthetinyplace，sothatbeforetheendofMarchUrsulawasabletoleavetheinnandtakeupherabodeintheuglyhouse；where，however，shefoundabedroomexactlyliketheoneshehadleft；foritwasfilledwithallherfurniture，claimedbythejusticeofpeacewhenthesealswereremoved。LaBougival，sleepingintheattic，couldbesummonedbyabellplacedneartheheadoftheyounggirl’sbed。Theroomintendedforthebooks，thesalonontheground-floorandthekitchen，thoughstillunfurnished，hadbeenhungwithfreshpapersandrepainted，andonlyawaitedthepurchaseswhichtheyounggirlhopedtomakewhenhergodfather’seffectsweresold。
ThoughthestrengthofUrsula’scharacterwaswellknowntotheabbeandMonsieurBongrand，theybothfearedthesuddenchangefromthecomfortandeleganciestowhichherunclehadaccustomedhertothisbarrenanddenudedlife。AsforSavinienheweptoverit。Hedid，infact，makeprivatepaymentstotheworkmanandtotheupholsterer，sothatUrsulashouldperceivenodifferencebetweenthenewchamberandtheoldone。Buttheyounggirlherself，whosehappinessnowlayinSavinien’sowneyes，showedthegentlestresignation，whichendearedhermoreandmoretohertwooldfriends，andprovedtothemforthehundredthtimethatnotroublesbutthoseoftheheartcouldmakehersuffer。Thegriefshefeltforthelossofhergodfatherwasfartoodeeptoletherevenfeelthebitternessofherchangeoffortune，thoughitaddedfreshobstaclestohermarriage。Savinien’sdistressinseeingherthusreduceddidhersomuchharmthatshewhisperedtohim，astheycamefrommassonthemorningonthedaywhenshefirstwenttoliveinhernewhouse:
“Lovecouldnotexistwithoutpatience；letuswait。“
