"What is Ursula doing ?" he said.
"She is undressed; she has just curled her hair; she is kneeling on her prie-Dieu, before an ivory crucifix fastened to a red velvet background." "What is she saying ?" "Her evening prayers; she is commending herself to God; she implores him to save her soul from evil thoughts; she examines her conscience and recalls what she has done during the day; that she may know if she has failed to obey his commands and those of the church--poor dear little soul, she lays bare her breast!" Tears were in the sleeper's eyes.
"She has done no sin, but she blames herself for thinking too much of Savinien.

She stops to wonder what he is doing in Paris; she prays to God to make him happy.

She speaks of you; she is praying aloud." "Tell me her words." Minoret took his pencil and wrote, as the sleeper uttered it, the following prayer, evidently composed by the Abbe Chaperon.
"My God, if thou art content with thine handmaid, who worships thee and prays to thee with a love that is equal to her devotion, who strives not to wander from thy sacred paths, who would gladly die as thy Son died to glorify thy name, who desires to live in the shadow of thy will--O God, who knoweth the heart, open the eyes of my godfather, lead him in the way of salvation, grant him thy Divine grace, that he may live for thee in his last days; save him from evil, and let me suffer in his stead.

Kind Saint Ursula, dear protectress, and you, Mother of God, queen of heaven, archangels, and saints in Paradise, hear me! join your intercessions to mine and have mercy upon us." The sleeper imitated so perfectly the artless gestures and the inspired manner of his child that Doctor Minoret's eyes were filled with tears.
"Does she say more ?" he asked.
"Yes." "Repeat it." "'My dear godfather; I wonder who plays backgammon with him in Paris.' She has blown out the light--her head is on the pillow--she turns to sleep! Ah! she is off! How pretty she looks in her little night-cap." Minoret bowed to the great Unknown, wrung Bouvard by the hand, ran downstairs and hastened to a cab-stand which at that time was near the gates of a house since pulled down to make room for the Rue d'Alger.
There he found a coachman who was willing to start immediately for Fontainebleau.

The moment the price was agreed on, the old man, who seemed to have renewed his youth, jumped into the carriage and started.
According to agreement, he stopped to rest the horse at Essonne, but arrived at Fontainebleau in time for the diligence to Nemours, on which he secured a seat, and dismissed his coachman.