t effort she withdrew her hand; and when she brought out a sealed
paper, drops of perspiration rolled from her brow. "I place my will in
your hands--Oh! God! Oh!" and that was all. She clutched a crucifix that
lay on the bed, lifted it hastily to her lips, and died.

"'The expression of her eyes still makes me shudder as I think of it.
She must have suffered much! There was joy in her last glance, and it
remained stamped on her dead eyes.

"'I brought away the will, and when it was opened I found that Madame de
Merret had appointed me her executor. She left the whole of her property
to the hospital at Vendome excepting a few legacies. But these were her
instructions as relating to la Grande Breteche: She ordered me to leave
the place, for fifty years counting from the day of her death, in the
state in which it might be at the time of her death, forbidding any one,
whoever he might be, to enter the apartments, prohibiting any repairs
whatever, and even settling a salary to pay watchmen if it were needful
to secure the absolute fulfilment of her intentions. At the expiration
of that term, if the will of the testatrix has been duly carried out,
the house is to become the property of my heirs, for, as you know, a
notary cannot take a bequest. Otherwise la Grande Breteche reverts to
the heirs-at-law, but on condition of fulfilling certain conditions
set forth in a codicil to the will, which is not to be opened till
the expiration of the said term of fifty years. The will has not been
disputed, so----' And without finishing his sentence, the lanky notary
looked at me with an air of triumph; I made him quite happy by offering
him my congratulations.

"'Monsieur,' I said in conclusion, 'you have so vividly impressed
me that I fancy I see the dying woman whiter than her sheets; her
glittering eyes frighten me; I shall dream of her to-night.--But you
must have formed some idea as to the instructions contained in that
extraordinary will.'

"'Monsieur,' said he, with comical reticence, 'I never allow myself
to criticise the conduct of a person who honors me with the gift of a
diamond.'

"However, I soon loosened the tongue of the discreet notary of Vendome,
who communicated to me, not without long digressions, the opinions of
the deep politicians of both sexes whose judgments are law in Vendome.
But these opinions were so contradictory, so diffuse, that I was
near falling asleep in spite of the interest I felt in this authenti