"Ursula" by Honoré de Balzac is a novel published in 1841. When aging atheist Dr. Minoret converts to Christianity through supernatural experiences, he plans to leave his fortune to his virtuous goddaughter Ursule. But his greedy blood relatives, aided by a scheming clerk, conspire to seize the entire inheritance. After the doctor's death, a stolen testament and missing bearer bonds leave Ursule penniless. As remorse and ghostly visions haunt the thief, this provincial drama explores virtue, French inheritance law, and the supernatural forces that shape human destiny. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
These books are free to read. Each is in the public domain in the United States; check your own country's rules before you copy or share one.
