My will is made, and is in the hands of M. Baron, my notary.
There is a small legacy, too, for Madame Gerdy; but I am going to have
the paragraph that relates to that taken out at once."
"Madame Gerdy, M. Tabaret, will soon be beyond all need of worldly
goods."
"How, what do you mean? Has the count--"
"She is dying, and is not likely to live through the day; M. Gerdy told
me so himself."
"Ah! heavens!" cried the old fellow, "what is that you say? Dying? Noel
will be distracted; but no: since she is not his mother, how can it
affect him? Dying! I thought so much of her before this discovery. Poor
humanity! It seems as though all the accomplices are passing away at
the same time; for I forgot to tell you, that, just as I was leaving
the Commarin mansion, I heard a servant tell another that the count had
fallen down in a fit on learning the news of his son's arrest."
"That will be a great misfortune for M. Gerdy."
"For Noel?"
"I had counted upon M. de Commarin's testimony to recover for him all
that he so well deserves. The count dead, Widow Lerouge dead, Madame
Gerdy dying, or in any event insane, who then can tell us whether the
substitution alluded to in the letters was ever carried into execution?"
"True," murmured old Tabaret; "it is true! And I did not think of it.
Pages:
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307