Ursule Mirouet

Name: Ursule Mirouet
Rating: 4 (19 reviews)

by Honoré de Balzac

First published 1841

Amazon

3.5(19)

Ursule Mirouët is an orphan raised in Nemours by the elderly physician Doctor Minoret, whose affection and careful education make her the probable beneficiary of his fortune. Minoret’s relatives fear that Ursule will displace them and watch her growing attachment to the young aristocrat Savinien de Portenduère with hostility. The doctor settles Savinien’s debts and prepares a will intended to protect Ursule after his death.

Minoret-Levrault and his son Désiré steal and destroy the will, leaving Ursule with only a small provision while the family takes the inheritance. Their concealment begins to fail through guilt, dreams and a series of disclosures that expose how the document disappeared. As the fraud is uncovered and its consequences overtake the conspirators, Ursule’s position is restored and her marriage to Savinien becomes possible.