old something over him," but he withheld the words.

"I am quite of Dionis's opinion," he said aloud.

"So am I," cried Zelie, who now suspected the notary of collusion with
the clerk.

"My wife has voted!" said the post master, sipping his brandy, though
his face was already purple from digesting his meal and absorbing a
notable quantity of liquids.

"And very properly," remarked the collector.

"I shall go and see the doctor after dinner," said Dionis.

"If Monsieur Dionis's advice is good," said Madame Cremiere to Madame
Massin, "we had better go and call on our uncle, as we used to do, every
Sunday evening, and behave exactly as Monsieur Dionis has told us."

"Yes, and be received as he received us!" cried Zelie. "Minoret and
I have more than forty thousand francs a year, and yet he refused our
invitations! We are quite his equals. If I don't know how to write
prescriptions I know how to paddle my boat as well as he--I can tell him
that!"

"As I am far from having forty thousand francs a year," said Madame
Massin, rather piqued, "I don't want to lose ten thousand."

"We are his nieces; we ought to take care of him, and then besides we
shall see how things are going," said Madame Cremiere; "you'll thank us
some day, cousin."

"Treat Ursula kindly," said the notary, lifting his right forefinger to
the level of his lips; "remember old Jordy left her his savings."

"You have managed those fools as well as Desroches, the best lawyer
in Paris, could have done," said Goupil to his patron as they left the
post-house.

"And now they are quarreling over my fee," replied the notary, smiling
bitterly.

The heirs, after parting with Dionis and his clerk, met again in the
square, with face rather flushed from their breakfast, just as vespers
were over. As the notary predicted, the Abbe Chaperon had Madame de
Portenduere on his arm.

"She dragged him to vespers, see!" cried Madame Massin to Madame
Cremiere, pointing to Ursula and the doctor, who were leaving the
church.

"Let us go and speak to him," said Madame Cremiere, approaching the old
man.

The change in the faces of his relatives (produced by the conference)
did not escape Doctor Minoret. He tried to guess the reason of this
sudden amiability, and out of sheer curiosity encouraged Ursula to stop
and speak to the two women, who were eager to greet her with exaggerated
affection and forced smiles.

"Uncle, will you permit me to come and see you to-nigh