The Count of Monte Cristo
need; and as the ideas presented themselves to her mind, she repeated
them aloud, then,—finding that all her efforts elicited nothing but a
constant _“No,”_—she said, “Come, since this plan does not answer, I
will have recourse to another.”
She then recited all the letters of the alphabet from A down to N. When
she arrived at that letter the paralytic made her understand that she
had spoken the initial letter of the thing he wanted.
“Ah,” said Valentine, “the thing you desire begins with the letter N;
it is with N that we have to do, then. Well, let me see, what can you
want that begins with N? Na—Ne—Ni—No——”
“Yes, yes, yes,” said the old man’s eye.
“Ah, it is No, then?”
“Yes.”
Valentine fetched a dictionary, which she placed on a desk before
Noirtier; she opened it, and, seeing that the old man’s eye was
thoroughly fixed on its pages, she ran her finger quickly up and down
the columns. During the six years which had passed since Noirtier first
fell into this sad state, Valentine’s powers of invention had been too
often put to the test not to render her expert in devising expedients
for gaining a knowledge of his wishes, and the constant practice had so
perfected her in the art that she guessed the old man’s meaning as
quickly as if he himself had been able to seek for what he wanted. At
the word _Notary_, Noirtier made a sign to her to stop.
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“Notary,” said she, “do you want a notary, dear grandpapa?” The old man
again signified that it was a notary he desired.
“You would wish a notary to be sent for then?” said Valentine.
“Yes.”
“Shall my father be informed of your wish?”
“Yes.”
“Do you wish the notary to be sent for immediately?”
“Yes.”
“Then they shall go for him directly, dear grandpapa. Is that all you
want?”
“Yes.” Valentine rang the bell, and ordered the servant to tell
Monsieur or Madame de Villefort that they were requested to come to M.
Noirtier’s room.
“Are you satisfied now?” inquired Valentine.
“Yes.”
“I am sure you are; it is not very difficult to discover that.” And the
young girl smiled on her grandfather, as if he had been a child. M. de
Villefort entered, followed by Barrois.
“What do you want me for, sir?” demanded he of the paralytic.
“Sir,” said Valentine, “my grandfather wishes for a notary.” At this
strange and unexpected demand M. de Villefort and his father exchanged
looks.
“Yes,” motioned the latter, with a firmness which seemed to declare
that with the help of Valentine and his old servant, who both knew what
his wishes were, he was quite prepared to maintain the contest.
“Do you wish for a notary?” asked Villefort.
“Yes.”
“What to do?”
Noirtier made no answer.
“What do you want with a notary?” again repeated Villefort. The
invalid’s eye remained fixed, by which expression he intended to
intimate that his resolution was unalterable.
“Is it to do us some ill turn? Do you think it is worth while?” said
Villefort.
“Still,” said Barrois, with the freedom and fidelity of an old servant,
“if M. Noirtier asks for a notary, I suppose he really wishes for a
notary; therefore I shall go at once and fetch one.” Barrois
acknowledged no master but Noirtier, and never allowed his desires in
any way to be contradicted.
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“Yes, I do want a notary,” motioned the old man, shutting his eyes with
a look of defiance, which seemed to say, “and I should like to see the
person who dares to refuse my request.”
“You shall have a notary, as you absolutely wish for one, sir,” said
Villefort; “but I shall explain to him your state of health, and make
excuses for you, for the scene cannot fail of being a most ridiculous
one.”
“Never mind that,” said Barrois; “I shall go and fetch a notary,
nevertheless.” And the old servant departed triumphantly on his
mission.
Chapter 59. The Will
As soon as Barrois had left the room, Noirtier looked at Valentine with
a malicious expression that said many things. The young girl perfectly
understood the look, and so did Villefort, for his countenance became
clouded, and he knitted his eyebrows angrily. He took a seat, and
quietly awaited the arrival of the notary. Noirtier saw him seat
himself with an appearance of perfect indifference, at the same time
giving a side look at Valentine, which made her understand that she
also was to remain in the room. Three-quarters of an hour after,
Barrois returned, bringing the notary with him.
“Sir,” said Villefort, after the first salutations were over, “you were
sent for by M. Noirtier, whom you see here. All his limbs have become
completely paralysed, he has lost his voice also, and we ourselves find
much trouble in endeavoring to catch some fragments of his meaning.”
Noirtier cast an appealing look on Valentine, which look was at once so
earnest and imperative, that she answered immediately.
“Sir,” said she, “I perfectly understand my grandfather’s meaning at
all times.”
“That is quite true,” said Barrois; “and that is what I told the
gentleman as we walked along.”
“Permit me,” said the notary, turning first to Villefort and then to
Valentine—“permit me to state that the case in question is just one of
those in which a public officer like myself cannot proceed to act
without thereby incurring a dangerous responsibility. The first thing
necessary to render an act valid is, that the notary should be
thoroughly convinced that he has faithfully interpreted the will and
wishes of the person dictating the act. Now I cannot be sure of the
approbation or disapprobation of a client who cannot speak, and as the
object of his desire or his repugnance cannot be clearly proved to me,
on account of his want of speech, my services here would be quite
useless, and cannot be legally exercised.”
The notary then prepared to retire. An imperceptible smile of triumph
was expressed on the lips of the procureur. Noirtier looked at
Valentine with an expression so full of grief, that she arrested the
departure of the notary.
“Sir,” said she, “the language which I speak with my grandfather may be
easily learnt, and I can teach you in a few minutes, to understand it
almost as well as I can myself. Will you tell me what you require, in
order to set your conscience quite at ease on the subject?”
“In order to render an act valid, I must be certain of the approbation
or disapprobation of my client. Illness of body would not affect the
validity of the deed, but sanity of mind is absolutely requisite.”
“Well, sir, by the help of two signs, with which I will acquaint you
presently, you may ascertain with perfect certainty that my grandfather
is still in the full possession of all his mental faculties. M.
Noirtier, being deprived of voice and motion, is accustomed to convey
his meaning by closing his eyes when he wishes to signify ‘yes,’ and to
wink when he means ‘no.’ You now know quite enough to enable you to
converse with M. Noirtier;—try.”
Noirtier gave Valentine such a look of tenderness and gratitude that it
was comprehended even by the notary himself.
“You have heard and understood what your granddaughter has been saying,
sir, have you?” asked the notary. Noirtier closed his eyes.
“And you approve of what she said—that is to say, you declare that the
signs which she mentioned are really those by means of which you are
accustomed to convey your thoughts?”
“Yes.”
“It was you who sent for me?”
“Yes.”
“To make your will?”
“Yes.”
“And you do not wish me to go away without fulfilling your original
intentions?” The old man winked violently.
“Well, sir,” said the young girl, “do you understand now, and is your
conscience perfectly at rest on the subject?”
But before the notary could answer, Villefort had drawn him aside.
“Sir,” said he, “do you suppose for a moment that a man can sustain a
physical shock, such as M. Noirtier has received, without any detriment
to his mental faculties?”
“It is not exactly that, sir,” said the notary, “which makes me uneasy,
but the difficulty will be in wording his thoughts and intentions, so
as to be able to get his answers.”
“You must see that to be an utter impossibility,” said Villefort.
Valentine and the old man heard this conversation, and Noirtier fixed
his eye so earnestly on Valentine that she felt bound to answer to the
look.
“Sir,” said she, “that need not make you uneasy, however difficult it
may at first sight appear to be. I can discover and explain to you my
grandfather’s thoughts, so as to put an end to all your doubts and
fears on the subject. I have now been six years with M. Noirtier, and
let him tell you if ever once, during that time, he has entertained a
thought which he was unable to make me understand.”
“No,” signed the old man.
“Let us try what we can do, then,” said the notary. “You accept this
young lady as your interpreter, M. Noirtier?”
“Yes.”
“Well, sir, what do you require of me, and what document is it that you
wish to be drawn up?”
Valentine named all the letters of the alphabet until she came to W. At
this letter the eloquent eye of Noirtier gave her notice that she was
to stop.
“It is very evident that it is the letter W which M. Noirtier wants,”
said the notary.
“Wait,” said Valentine; and, turning to her grandfather, she repeated,
“Wa—We—Wi——” The old man stopped her at the last syllable. Valentine
then took the dictionary, and the notary watched her while she turned
over the pages.
She passed her finger slowly down the columns, and when she came to the
word “Will,” M. Noirtier’s eye bade her stop.
“Will,” said the notary; “it is very evident that M. Noirtier is
desirous of making his will.”
“Yes, yes, yes,” motioned the invalid.
“Really, sir, you must allow that this is most extraordinary,” said the
astonished notary, turning to M. de Villefort.
“Yes,” said the procureur, “and I think the will promises to be yet
more extraordinary, for I cannot see how it is to be drawn up without
the intervention of Valentine, and she may, perhaps, be considered as
too much interested in its contents to allow of her being a suitable
interpreter of the obscure and ill-defined wishes of her grandfather.”
“No, no, no,” replied the eye of the paralytic.
“What?” said Villefort, “do you mean to say that Valentine is not
interested in your will?”
“No.”
“Sir,” said the notary, whose interest had been greatly excited, and
who had resolved on publishing far and wide the account of this
extraordinary and picturesque scene, “what appeared so impossible to me
an hour ago, has now become quite easy and practicable, and this may be
a perfectly valid will, provided it be read in the presence of seven
witnesses, approved by the testator, and sealed by the notary in the
presence of the witnesses. As to the time, it will not require very
much more than the generality of wills. There are certain forms
necessary to be gone through, and which are always the same. As to the
details, the greater part will be furnished afterwards by the state in
which we find the affairs of the testator, and by yourself, who, having
had the management of them, can doubtless give full information on the
subject. But besides all this, in order that the instrument may not be
contested, I am anxious to give it the greatest possible authenticity,
therefore, one of my colleagues will help me, and, contrary to custom,
will assist in the dictation of the testament. Are you satisfied, sir?”
continued the notary, addressing the old man.
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“Yes,” looked the invalid, his eye beaming with delight at the ready
interpretation of his meaning.
“What is he going to do?” thought Villefort, whose position demanded
much reserve, but who was longing to know what his father’s intentions