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WhereuponheleftthemabruptlytoreflectwithadmirationonthewaysbywhichProvidencehadbroughttheinnocenttovictory。
“ThefingerofGodisinallthis，“criedtheabbe。
“Willtheypunishhim？“askedUrsula。
“Ah，mademoiselle，“criedLaBougival。“I’dgivetheropetohanghim。“
BongrandwasalreadyatGoupil’s，nowtheappointedsuccessorofDionis，butheenteredtheofficewithacarelessair。“IhavealittlemattertoverifyabouttheMinoretproperty，“hesaidtoGoupil。
“Whatisit？“askedthelatter。
“Thedoctorleftoneormorecertificatesinthethree-per-centFunds？“
“Heleftoneforfifteenthousandfrancsayear，“saidGoupil；“I
recordeditmyself。“
“Thenjustlookontheinventory，“saidBongrand。
Goupiltookdownabox，huntedthroughit，drewoutapaper，foundtheplace，andread:——
“’Item，onecertificate’——Here，readforyourself——underthenumber23，533，letterM。“
“Domethekindnesstoletmehaveacopyofthatclausewithinanhour，“saidBongrand。
“Whatgoodisittoyou？“askedGoupil。
“Doyouwanttobeanotary？“answeredthejusticeofpeace，lookingsternlyatDionis’sproposedsuccessor。
“OfcourseIdo，“criedGoupil。“I’veswallowedtoomanyaffrontsnottosucceednow。Ibegyoutobelieve，monsieur，thatthemiserablecreatureoncecalledGoupilhasnothingincommonwithMaitreJean-
Sebastien-MarieGoupil，notaryofNemoursandhusbandofMademoiselleMassin。Thetwobeingsdonotknoweachother。Theyarenolongerevenalike。Lookatme！“
ThusadjuredMonsieurBongrandtooknoticeofGoupil’sclothes。Thenewnotaryworeawhitecravat，ashirtofdazzlingwhitenessadornedwithrubybuttons，awaistcoatofredvelvet，withtrousersandcoatofhandsomeblackbroad-cloth，madeinParis。Hisbootswereneat；hishair，carefullycombed，wasperfumed——inshorthewasmetamorphosed。
“Thefactisyouareanotherman，“saidBongrand。
“Morallyaswellasphysically。Virtuecomeswithpractice——apractice；besides，moneyisthesourceofcleanliness——“
“Morallyaswellasphysically，“returnedBongrand，settlinghisspectacles。
“Ha！monsieur，isamanworthahundredthousandfrancsayeareverademocrat？Considermeinfutureasanhonestmanwhoknowswhatrefinementis，andwhointendstolovehiswife，“saidGoupil；“andwhat’smore，Ishallpreventmyclientsfromeverdoingdirtyactions。“
“Well，makehaste，“saidBongrand。“Letmehavethatcopyinanhour，andnotaryGoupilwillhaveundonesomeoftheevildeedsofGoupiltheclerk。“
AfteraskingtheNemoursdoctortolendhimhishorseandcabriolet，hewentbacktoUrsula’shouseforthetwoimportantvolumesandforherowncertificateofFunds；then，armedwiththeextractfromtheinventory，hedrovetoFontainebleauandhadaninterviewwiththeprocureurduroi。Bongrandeasilyconvincedthatofficialofthetheftofthethreecertificatesbyoneorotheroftheheirs，——presumablybyMinoret。
“Hisconductisexplained，“saidtheprocureur。
AsameasureofprecautionthemagistrateatoncenotifiedtheTreasurytowithholdtransferofthesaidcertificates，andtoldBongrandtogotoParisandascertainiftheshareshadeverbeensold。HethenwroteapolitenotetoMadameMinoretrequestingherpresence。
Zelie，veryuneasyaboutherson’sduel，dressedherselfatonce，hadthehorsesputtohercarriageandhurriedtoFontainebleau。Theprocureur’splanwassimpleenough。Byseparatingthewifefromthehusband，andbringingtheterrorsofthelawtobearuponher，heexpectedtolearnthetruth。Zeliefoundtheofficialinhisprivateofficeandwasutterlyannihilatedwhenheaddressedherasfollows:——
“Madame，“hesaid；“IdonotbelieveyouareanaccompliceinatheftthathasbeencommittedupontheMinoretproperty，onthetrackofwhichthelawisnowproceeding。Butyoucanspareyourhusbandtheshameofappearingintheprisoner’sdockbymakingafullconfessionofwhatyouknowaboutit。Thepunishmentwhichyourhusbandhasincurredis，moreover，nottheonlythingtobedreaded。Yourson’scareeristobethoughtof；youmustavoiddestroyingthat。Halfanhourhencewillbetoolate。ThepolicearealreadyunderordersforNemours，thewarrantismadeout。“
Zelienearlyfainted；whensherecoveredhersensessheconfessedeverything。Afterprovingtoherthatshewasinpointoffactanaccomplice，themagistratetoldherthatifshedidnotwishtoinjureeithersonorhusbandshemustbehavewiththeutmostprudence。
“Youhavenowtodowithmeasanindividual，notasamagistrate，“hesaid。“Nocomplainthasbeenlodgedbythevictim，norhasanypublicitybeengiventothetheft。Butyourhusbandhascommittedagreatcrime，whichmaybebroughtbeforeajudgelessinclinedthanmyselftobeconsiderate。InthepresentstateoftheaffairIamobligedtomakeyoua
