"Now let us have a talk.

"I leave you all my property, desiring to create no business

complications for you: my will is drawn up in proper form, and you will

enter into possession of your inheritance, which, you may rest assured,

is a pretty handsome one. There is, however, one last wish of mine for

the fulfilment of which I rely simply upon your affection, feeling sure

that between us there is no need of more complicated provisions for

ensuring its execution.

"I have a daughter, who has always shared with you my dearest

affections. If I have kept this second paternity a secret from you, I

have done so because circumstances might occur which would render

useless the revelation which I am now approaching. My daughter had a

legal father who had the right to reclaim her when sixteen years of age;

she is free now, her legal father is dead, she will soon be seventeen,

and I entrust her to your charge. Her name is Anna Campbell, she lives

at Paris at the Convent of Les Oiseaux, where she is completing her

education. Her only relation is an aunt, her mother's sister, Madame

Saulnier by name, who lives at No. 20, Rue Barbet de Jony. It will be a

sufficient introduction for you to call on this lady and tell her your

name. She is aware that I have appointed you moral guardian to my

daughter, and that it is you who will take my place. In short, she knows

all my intentions.

"I underline these words, for they sum up my fondest aspirations. I have

brought up Anna with the view of making her your wife, and thus dividing

my fortune between you; and I rely upon you to carry out this

arrangement. If marriage is for a man but a small matter, it is for a

woman the most serious event in life. With you, I am confident that the

dear girl will never be unhappy, and that is the thing of most

importance. If I never return from this last voyage, you will have

plenty of time to enjoy your bachelor's life; but I count upon your

friendship to render me this little service by marrying her when the

right time arrives. At present she is scarcely full-grown, and I think

it will be best for you to wait one or two years. I can assure you her

mother had a fine figure. You will find their portraits in one of the

velvet frames in the drawer of my desk. (Don't make a mistake: it is the

one numbered 9.) "Now that this matter is settled, it only remains for me to give you one

last injunction. If Férandet has followed my instructions, as I suppose,

he will have burnt a paper in your presence. This was a second will, by

which my daughter Anna Campbell would have been appointed my universal

legatee, had you not been living. So long as all happened in the right

order, you surviving me, you will understand I should not have wished to

complicate your affairs, by leaving you confronted with a lot of legal

formalities and intricacies. Such would be the consequence of a female

minor who is a foreigner inheriting jointly with you: this would have

plunged you into a veritable mire of technicalities, restrictions,

registrations, and goodness knows what. Nevertheless, it is necessary to

provide fully for the possibility of an accident arising to you before

your marriage with Anna. Our property would go in that case to

collaterals ... and God only knows from how many quarters of the world

these would not be forthcoming! As I wish my fortune to remain with my

children, it is indispensable that you should not forget to make

testamentary dispositions in favour of your cousin, so that the whole

property may go to her in the event of your death, without any more

dispute than there has been in your own case. I leave this matter in

your hands. You will find at my bankers all the indications of surnames,

Christian names, and descriptions which you will require to enumerate,

on the first page of my private ledger, where the account which was

opened for her commences, and yours also, forming a separate banking

account for you two. Madame Saulnier is accustomed to draw what is

required for her: therefore, until your marriage, it is unnecessary for

you to occupy yourself with this detail--all you have to do is to

confirm her credit.




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