Honoré de Balzac

“ She went back to her room to fetch her prayer-book, and remained all night with the curé, the curate and Savinien, praying and weeping. The nobleman came after his mother had gone to bed, and knelt down without a word beside Ursule, who gave him the saddest smile while thanking him for so faithfully coming to share her sorrows.
“My child,” said Monsieur Bongrand, bringing Ursule a bulky packet, “one of your uncle’s heiresses has taken out of your cupboard all that you will want; for it will be a few days before the seals will be removed, and you will then recover whatever belongs to you. ”

“ But first know that I will not fix seals on her room; she is in her own home, all that is in it is her own property; I shall inform her of her rights, and shall tell her to there collect all that belongs to her—Oh! in your presence!” he added, hearing growls from the heirs.
“Heyday!” said the tax-collector to the postmaster and to the women, who were stupefied at Bongrand’s choleric speech.
“There’s a magistrate!” cried the postmaster.
Seated on a small sofa, half fainting, her head thrown back her plaits undone, was Ursule, sobbing from time to time. ”

“ The heirs are forcing me to put seals—”
“Ah! the heirs can take everything,” cried Ursule standing up in a fit of savage indignation. “All that is most precious I have here,” she said, striking her bosom.
“And what is that?” asked the postmaster, who, with Massin, showed his dreadful face. ”

“ He entered the study, took the packet of papers without stopping to unseal it, re-screwed the lock, restored things in place, and went to sit down in the dining-room, waiting until La Bougival should have taken up the poultice before he left the house. He managed his flight all the more easily, as poor Ursule thought it more important to see the poultice applied than to obey her godfather’s orders.
“The letter! the letter!” cried the old man in dying tones, “obey me, here is the key. ”

“ Before raising the seals and proceeding to the inventory, time was needed for the attorney for the crown, the legal guardian of orphans, to appoint Bongrand as his representative. The Minoret inheritance, which was talked about for ten days, was then examined, and was verified with all the strictness of legal formalities. Dionis got something by it, Goupil liked doing wrong well enough; and, as the speculation was a good one, the sittings multiplied. After the first sitting they nearly always breakfasted. The notary, the clerk, heirs and witnesses used to drink the rarest wines in the cellar. ”

“ Ursule stood on tiptoe to look into the courtyard.
“Yes,” she said, “Monsieur le Curé has shut the gate himself in going out.”
“My beloved child,” said the dying man, “my hours, my minutes even, are numbered. I have not been a physician for nothing; the doctor’s poultices will keep me alive till to-night Do not cry, Ursule,” he said, finding himself interrupted by his goddaughter’s tears, “but listen to me carefully; it is a question of marrying Savinien. As soon as La Bougival comes up with the poultice, go down to the Chinese pavilion, here is the key ”

“ Shall we share? shall we have an auction? or shall we divide by lots? for after all we are all of age.”
A discussion, growing rapidly more and more bitter, arose about the manner of proceedings. At the end of half-an-hour, a noise of confused voices, amongst which Zélie’s shrill voice could be distinguished, resounded in the courtyard and reached the road. ”

“ It is quite possible that there is some plot against our interests.”
The postmaster had already disappeared into the garden, intending to watch his uncle with Ursule, and to have himself admitted into the house as an assistant. He returned stealthily without making the least noise with his boots, for the corridor and stairs were both carpeted. He was then able to reach the door of his uncle’s room unheard. The curé and the doctor had gone, La Bougival was preparing the poultices. ”