ves 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 odd 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. "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