WithstandingSavinien’sentreaties，sherefusedtotellhim，outofprudence，thesecretofherfears。Thedelightofseeinghimagain，aftershehadthoughthimlosttoher，couldalonehavemadeherrecoverfromthemortalchillofterror。Theexpectationofindefiniteevilistorturetoeveryone；sufferingassumestheproportionsoftheunknown，andtheunknownistheinfiniteofthesoul。ToUrsulathepainwasexquisite。Somethingwithoutherboundedattheslightestnoise；yetshewasafraidofsilence，andsuspectedeventhewallsofcollusion。Evenhersleepwasrestless。Goupil，whoknewnothingofhernature，delicateasthatofaflower，hadfound，withtheinstinctofevil，thepoisonthatcouldwitheranddestroyher。
Thenextdaypassedwithoutashock。Ursulasatplayingonherpianotillverylate；andwenttobedeasierinmindandverysleepy。Aboutmidnightshewasawakenedbythemusicofabandcomposedofaclarinet，hautboy，flute，cornetapiston，trombone，bassoon，flageolet，andtriangle。Alltheneighbourswereattheirwindows。Thepoorgirl，alreadyfrightenedatseeingthepeopleinthestreet，receivedadreadfulshockassheheardthecoarse，roughvoiceofamanproclaiminginloudtones:“ForthebeautifulUrsulaMirouet，fromherlover。“
Thenextday，Sunday，thewholetownhadheardofit；andasUrsulaenteredandleftthechurchshesawthegroupsofpeoplewhostoodgossipingabouther，andfeltherselftheobjectoftheirterriblecuriosity。Theserenadesetalltongueswagging，andconjectureswererifeonallsides。Ursulareachedhomemoredeadthanalive，determinednottoleavethehouseagain，——theabbehavingadvisedhertosayvespersinherownroom。Assheenteredthehouseshesawlyinginthepassage，whichwasflooredwithbrick，aletterwhichhadevidentlybeenslippedunderthedoor。Shepickeditupandreadit，undertheideathatitwouldobtainanexplanation。Itwasasfollows:——
“Resignyourselftobecomingmywife，richandidolized。Iamresolved。Ifyouarenotminelivingyoushallbeminedead。Toyourrefusalyoumayattributenotonlyyourownmisfortunes，butthosewhichwillfallonothers。
“Hewholovesyou，andwhosewifeyouwillbe。“