Assoonastheformoftheinventorywasdrawnup，Massin，advisedbyGoupilwhoturnedtohimundertheinfluenceofhissecrethatredtothepostmaster，summonedMonsieurandMadamedePortendueretopayoffthemortgagewhichhadnowelapsed，togetherwiththeinterestaccruingthereon。Theoldladywasbewilderedatasummonstopayonehundredandtwenty-ninethousandfivehundredandseventeenfrancswithintwenty-fourhoursunderpainofexecutiononherhouse。Itwasimpossibleforhertoborrowthemoney。SavinienwenttoFontainebleautoconsultalawyer。
“Youaredealingwithabadsetofpeoplewhowillnotcompromise，“
wasthelawyer’sopinion。“TheyintendtosueinthematterandgetyourfarmatBordieres。Thebestwayforyouwouldbetomakeavoluntarysaleofitandsoescapecosts。“
Thisdreadfulnewsbrokedowntheoldlady。HersonverygentlypointedouttoherthathadsheconsentedtohismarriageinMinoret’slife-time，thedoctorwouldhavelefthispropertytoUrsula’shusbandandtheywouldto-dayhavebeenopulentinsteadofbeing，astheynowwere，inthedepthsofpoverty。Thoughsaidwithoutreproach，thisargumentannihilatedthepoorwomanevenmorethanthethoughtofhercomingejectment。WhenUrsulaheardofthiscatastropheshewasstupefiedwithgrief，havingscarcelyrecoveredfromherfever，andtheblowwhichtheheirshadalreadydealther。Toloveandbeunabletosuccorthemansheloves，——thatisoneofthemostdreadfulofallsufferingstothesoulofanobleandsensitivewoman。
“Iwishedtobuymyuncle’shouse，“shesaid，“nowIwillbuyyourmother’s。“