ME AMERICAN.
them; and, instead of living divided, they will
combine together. It will be for their own inter
est, and my wishes will thus be accomplished.
When I sent, a few days ago, to those of my
family whom exile has dispersed over Europe, a
medal on which is engraven the date of the con
vocation of my heirs, a century and a half from
this time, IJwas forced to keep secret my true
motive, and only to tell them, that my descend
ants would find it greatly to their interest to
attend this meeting.
I have acted thus, because I know the craft and
perseverance of the society of which I have been
the victim. If they could guess that my descend
ants would hereafter have to divide immense
sums between them, my family would run the
risk of muchjfraud and malice, through the fatal
recommendations handed down from age to age
in the Society of Jesus.
May these precautions be successful! May the
wish, expressed upon these medals, be faithfully
transmitted from generation to generation!
If I fix a day and hour, in which my inherit-
v.ii ; ii n 1- il. f -- .1 O
ance sum. jrrevocauiy law iu inu-e ui my utawuu
ants who shall appear in the Rue Saint-Francois
on the 13th February, 1S32, it is that all delays
must have a term, and that my heirs will have
been sufficiently informed years before of the
great importance of this meeting.
After the reading of ray testament, the person
who shall then be the trustee of the accumulated
funds, shall make known their amount, so that,
with the last stroke of noon, they may be divided
between my heirs then and there present.
The different apartments of the house shall
then be opened to them. They will see in them
divers objects, well worthy of interest, pity, and
respect particularly in the hall of mourning.
My desire is, that the house may not be sold,
but that it may remain furnished as it is, and
serve as a place of meeting for my descendants,
'if, as I hope, they attend to my last wishes.
If, on thejcontrary, they are divided amongst
themselves if, instead of uniting for one of the
most generous enterprises that ever signalized an
onro fVir violil in tVi infliipiiffi nf fiplfish nafisinns
'-J J - .. t -
if they prefer a sterile individmHty to a fruit
ful association if, in this immense fortune, thoy
see only an opportunity for frivolous dissipation,
or sordidjinterest may they be accursed by all
those whom they might have loved, succored,
and disfettered! and then let his house be utter
ly demolished and destroyed, and the papers, of
which Isaac Samuel possesses the inventory, as
well as the two portraits in the red room, be
, burnt by the guardian of the property.
I have spoken.. . My duty is accomplished. In
all this, I havefollowed the counsels of the man
who I revere'and love as the image of God upon
earth.
The faithful friend, who preserved for me the
fifty thousand crowns, the wreck of my fortune,
knows the use I mean to make of them. I could
not refuse'his friendship this mark of confidence.
But I have concealed from him the name Isaac
Samuel for to have mentioned it might have
exposed this latter and his descendants to great
dangers.
i In short time, this friend, who knows not that
my resolution to die is so near its accomplish
ment, will come hither with my notary. Into
their hands, after the usual formalities, I shall
deliver my sealed testament.
Such ismy last will. I leave its execution to
the superintending care ol frovidence. uodwill
protect the cause of love, peace, union and liber-
V
This mystic testament this term is sanctioned
by legal usage having been freely made by me,
and written entirely with my own hand, I intend
3 !11 !i. 1 i 1 . j 1 .
and the letter.
This 13th day of February, 1082, at one o'clock
in the afternoon.
Marius de Rennepont.' "
As the notary had proceeded with the reading
of the testament, Gabriel was successively agitated
by divers painful impressions. At first, as we
have before said, he was struck with the singular
fatality which restored this immense fortune, de
rived from a victim of the Society of Jesus, to the
hands of that very association, by the renewal of
his deed of gift. Then, as his charitable and
jfuiir ouuiiuctisu luuy u tviuuirusuu toe auin lia
ble tendency of the association so earnestly rec
ommended by Marius de Rennepont, he reflected
with bitter-remorse, that, in consequence of his
act of renunciation, and of the absence of any
other heir, this great idea would never be realized,
and a fortune, far more considerable than had
even been expected, would fall to the share of an
ill-omenedjsociety, in whose hands it would be
come terrible means of action. At the same
time, it must b sain the son! of Gabriel trns tnn
pure and noble to feel the slightest personal re
gret, on hearing the great probable value of. the
property he had renounced. He rejoiced rather
in withdrawing his mind, by a touching contrast,
from the thought of the wealth he had aban.
doned, to the humble parsonage, where he hojK'd
to pass the remainder of his life, in the practice
of the most evangelical virtue. ,
These ideas passed confusedly through his
brain. The sight of that woman's portrait, the
dark revelations contained in the testament, the
grandeur of the views exhibited iu this last will
of M. de Rennepont, all these extraordinary in
cidents had thrown Gabriel into a sort of stupor,
in which he was still plunged, when Samuel
offered the key of the register to the notary, say
ing: " You will find, sir, in this register, the
exact statement of the sums in ray possession,
derived from the investment and accumu'ation
of the one hundred and fifty thousand francs,
entrusted to my grandfather by M. Marius de
Rennepont."
" Your grandfather!" cried Father d'Aigrigny,
with the utmost surprise; "it is then your family
that has always had the management of this
property."
Yes, sir; and, in a few minutes, my wife will
bring hither the casket which contains the
vouchers."
"And to what sam does this property amount?"
asked Rodin, with an air of the most complete
indifference.
"As M. Notary may convince himself by this
statement, replied Samuel, with perfect frankness,
and as if he were only taking of the original one
hundred and fifty thousand francs, "I have in
my possession various current securities to the
amount of two hundred and twelve millions, one
hundred and seventy "
" You say, sir?" cried Father d'Aigrigny, with
out giving Samuel time to finish, for the odd
money did not at all interest his reverence.
"Yes the sum!" added Rodin, in an agitated
voice, and, for the first time, perhaps, in his life,
losing his presence of mind; "the sum the sum
the sum!"
" I say, sir," resumed the old man "that I hold
securities for two hundred and twelve milllions,
one hundred and seventy-five thousand francs,
payable to self or bearer as you may soon con
vince yourself, M. Notary, for here is my wife
with the casket."
Indeed at this moment, Bathsheba entered,
holding in her arms the cedar wood chest, which
contained the securities in question: she placed
it upon the table, and withdrew, after exchang
ing an affectionate glance with Samuel. When
the latter declared the enormous amount of the
sum in hand, his words were received with silent
stupor." All the actors in this scene, except him
self, believed that they were the sport of some
delusion. Father d'Aigrigny and Rodin had
counted upon forty millions. This sum, in itself
enormous, was more than quintupled. Gabriel,
when he heard the notary read those passages in
the testament, which spoke of a princely fortune,
being quite ignorant of the prodigious effects of
eligible investments, had valued the property at
some three or four millions. He was, therefore,
struck dumb with amazement at the exorbitant
amount named. Notwithstanding his admirable
disinterestedness and scrupulous honor, he felt
dazzled and giddy at the thought, that all these
immense riches might have belonged to him
alone. The notary, almost as much amazed as
Gabriel, examined the statement, and could
hardly believe his eyes. The Jew also remained
mute, and seemed painfully absorbed in thoughtf
that no other heir made his appearance.
In the depth of this profound silence, the clock
in the next room began slowly to strike twelve
Samuel started, and heaved a d ep sigh. A few
seconds more, and the fatal term would be at an
end. Rodin, Father d'Aigrigny, Gabriel and the
notary, were all under the influence of such com
plete surprise, that not one of them even re
marked how strange it was to hear the sound of
this clock.
"Noon !" cried Rodin, as, by an involuntary
movement, he hastily placed his two hands upon
the casket, as if to take possession of it.
"At last !" cried Father d'Aigrigny, with an
expression of joy, triumph, transport, which it
is impossible to describe. Then he added, as he
thew himself into Gabriel's arms, whom he em
braced warmly. "Oh, my dear son! how the
poor will bless you! You will be a second Vin
cent de Paul. You will be cannonised, I promise
you."
" Let us first thank Providence," said Rodin
in a grave and solemn tone, as he fell upon his
knees, " let us thank Providence, that He has
permitted so much wealth to be employed for
His glory! "
Father d'Aigrigny, having again embraced
Gabriel, took him by the hand, and said: "Rodin
is right. Let us kneel, my dear son, and render
thanks to Providence! "
So saying, Father d'Aigrigny knelt down, drag
ging Gabriel with him, and the latter, confused
and giddy with so many precipitate 'events
(Continued on page 8.)
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