"She
has no color; such an emotion after dinner might kill her."
He went to her with open arms, and she fell into them almost fainting.
"Adieu, Monsieur," he said to the notary, "please leave us."
He carried his child to an immense Louis XV. sofa which was in his
study, looked for a phial of hartshorn among his remedies, and made
her inhale it.
"Take my place," said the doctor to Bongrand, who was terrified; "I
must be alone with her."
The justice of peace accompanied the notary to the gate, asking him,
but without showing any eagerness, what was the matter with Ursula.
"I don't know," replied Dionis. "She was standing by the pagoda,
listening to us, and just as her uncle (so-called) refused to lend
some money at my request to young de Portenduere who is in prison for
debt,--for he has not had, like Monsieur du Rouvre, a Monsieur
Bongrand to defend him,--she turned pale and staggered. Can she love
him? Is there anything between them?"
"At fifteen years of age? pooh!" replied Bongrand.
"She was born in February, 1813; she'll be sixteen in four months."
"I don't believe she ever saw him," said the judge.
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