ntervention 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.

"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
were. He left the room to give orders for another notary to be sent, but
Barrois, who had heard all that passed, had guessed his master's wishes,
and had already gone to fetch one. The procureur then told his wife to
come up. In the course of a quarter of an hour every one had assembled
in the chamber of the paralytic; the second notary had also arrived. A
few words sufficed for a mutual understanding between the two officers
of the law. They read to Noirtier the formal copy of a will, in order
to give him an idea of the terms in which such documents are generally
couched; then, in order to test the capacity of the testator, the first
notary said, turning towards him,--"When an individua