he abbe out of the house.

For the first and only time in his life, Minoret, drunk with anger and
driven to extremities by his wife's reiterated questions, turned
upon her and beat her so violently that he was obliged, when she fell
half-dead on the floor, to take her in his arms and put her to bed
himself, ashamed of his act. He was taken ill and the doctor bled him
twice; when he appeared again in the streets everybody noticed a great
change in him. He walked alone, and often roamed the town as though
uneasy. When any one addressed him he seemed preoccupied in his mind, he
who had never before had two ideas in his head. At last, one evening, he
went up to Monsieur Bongrand in the Grand'Rue, the latter being on his
way to take Ursula to Madame de Portenduere's, where the whist parties
had begun again.

"Monsieur Bongrand, I have something important to say to my cousin," he
said, taking the justice by the arm, "and I am very glad you should be
present, for you can advise her."

They found Ursula studying; she rose, with a cold and dignified air, as
soon as she saw Minoret.

"My child, Monsieur Minoret wants to speak to you on a matter of
business," said Bongrand. "By the bye, don't forget to give me your
certificates; I shall go to Paris in the morning and will draw your
dividend and La Bougival's."

"Cousin," said Minoret, "our uncle accustomed you to more luxury than
you have now."

"We can be very happy with very little money," she replied.

"I thought money might help your happiness," continued Minoret, "and I
have come to offer you some, out of respect for the memory of my uncle."

"You had a natural way of showing respect for him," said Ursula,
sternly; "you could have left his house as it was, and allowed me to
buy it; instead of that you put it at a high price, hoping to find some
hidden treasure in it."

"But," said Minoret, evidently troubled, "if you had twelve thousand
francs a year you would be in a position to marry well."

"I have not got them."

"But suppose I give them to you, on condition of your buying an estate
in Brittany near Madame de Portenduere,--you could then marry her son."

"Monsieur Minoret," said Ursula, "I have no claim to that money, and I
cannot accept it from you. We are scarcely relations, still less are
we friends. I have suffered too much from calumny to give a handle for
evil-speaking. What have I done to deserve that money? What reason have
you to make me such a pre