Ursula

that has been done; I repent of it. If you were to kill me, in a duel or otherwise, what good would my blood do you? can you drink it? At this moment it would poison you."
    The cold reasoning of the man, together with a feeling of eager curiosity, calmed Savinien's anger. He fixed his eyes on Goupil with a look which made that moral deformity writhe.
    "Who set you at this work?" said the young man.
    "Will you swear?"
    "What,—to do you no harm?"
    "I wish that you and Mademoiselle Mirouet should not forgive me."
    "She will forgive you,—I, never!"
    "But at least you will forget?"
    What terrible power the reason has when it is used to further self-interest. Here were two men, longing to tear one another in pieces, standing in that courtyard within two inches of each other, compelled to talk together and united by a single sentiment.
    "I will forgive you, but I shall not forget."
    "The agreement is off," said Goupil coldly. Savinien lost patience. He applied a blow upon the man's face which echoed through the courtyard and nearly knocked him down, making Savinien himself stagger.
    "It is only what I deserve," said Goupil, "for committing such a folly. I thought you more noble than you are. You have abused the advantage I gave you. You are in my power now," he added with a look of hatred.
    "You are a murderer!" said Savinien.
    "No more than a dagger is a murderer."
    "I beg your pardon," said Savinien.
    "Are you revenged enough?" said Goupil, with ferocious irony; "will you stop here?"
    "Reciprocal pardon and forgetfulness," replied Savinien.
    "Give me your hand," said the clerk, holding out his own.
    "It is yours," said Savinien, swallowing the shame for Ursula's sake. "Now speak; who made you do this thing?"
    Goupil looked into the scales as it were; on one side was Savinien's blow, on the other his hatred against Minoret. For a second he was undecided; then a voice said to him: "You will be notary!" and he answered:—
    "Pardon and forgetfulness? Yes, on both sides, monsieur—"
    "Who is persecuting Ursula?" persisted Savinien.
    "Minoret. He would have liked to see her buried. Why? I can't tell you that; but we might find out the reason. Don't mix me up in all this; I could do nothing to help you if the others distrusted me. Instead of annoying Ursula I will defend her; instead of serving Minoret I will try to defeat his schemes. I live only to ruin him, to destroy him—I'll crush him under foot, I'll dance on his carcass, I'll make his bones into dominoes! To-morrow, every wall in Nemours and Fontainebleau and Rouvre shall blaze with the letters, 'Minoret is a thief!' Yes, I'll burst him like a gun—There! we're allies now by the imprudence of that outbreak! If you choose I'll beg Mademoiselle Mirouet's pardon and tell her I curse the madness which impelled me to injure her. It may do her good; the abbe and the justice are both there; but Monsieur Bongrand must promise on his honor not to injure my career. I have a career now."
    "Wait a minute;" said Savinien, bewildered by the revelation.
    "Ursula, my child," he said, returning to the salon, "the author of all your troubles is ashamed of his work; he repents and wishes to ask your pardon in presence of these gentlemen, on condition that all be forgotten."
    "What! Goupil?" cried the abbe, the justice, and the doctor, all together.
    "Keep his secret," said Ursula, putting a finger on her lips.
    Goupil heard the words, saw the gesture, and was touched.
    "Mademoiselle," he said in a troubled voice, "I wish that all Nemours could hear me tell you that a fatal passion has bewildered my brain and led me to commit a crime punishable by the blame of honest men. What I say now I would be willing to say everywhere, deploring the harm done by such miserable tricks—which may have hastened your happiness," he added, rather maliciously, "for I see that Madame de Portenduere is with you."
    "That is all very well, Goupil," said the abbe, "Mademoiselle forgives you; but you must not forget that you came near being her murderer."
    "Monsieur Bongrand," said Goupil, addressing the justice of peace. "I shall negotiate to-night for Lecoeur's practice; I hope the reparation I have now made will not injure me with you, and that you will back my petition to the bar and the ministry."
    Bongrand made a thoughtful inclination of his head; and Goupil left the house to negotiate on the best terms he could for the sheriff's practice. The others remained with Ursula and did their best to