Volume II Part 11 (1/2)
”Monsieur le Vicomte, what do you wish of me?”
”I will tell you,” said the leam of hope strayed over his pale face; ”I know that o to his eldest son, ave it to you--”
”Go on,” said Pierre, as the marquis paused
”The will contains many clauses,” continued the nobleman ”My father hid a portion of his wealth, and in his last will na that it should be given to his eldest son or his descendants! Pierre, Jules is dead, his children have disappeared, and therefore nothing hinders you fro up this wealth It ive ereuse from shame and exposure?”
Theto a side wall, grasped thecloth and shoved it aside
The noblely observed the old man, who now took a lamp and solemnly said:
”Vicomte, look here!”
The ht of the lan, upon which a few letters could be seen The sign had evidently been burned
”Monsieur le Vicoly
”No,” replied the marquis
”Then I will tell you, vicon once read, 'To the Welfare of France' Do you still wish ive you the will and the fortune?”
”I do not understand you,” sta voice
”Really, vicomte, you have a short memory, but I, the old servant of your father, a over the door of the tavern at Leigoutte; your brother, the rightful heir of Fougereuse, was the landlord and the bravest ere, as he called himself, fell The world said Cossacks had h, vicomte, I cry it aloud in your ear--his murderer was--you!”
”Silence, ed, ”you lie!”
”No, Cain, the miserable lackey does not lie,” replied Pierre, calmly; ”he even knows ereuse died; in his last hours his son, the Vico on his knees beside the bedside of the dying man, implored his father to h to breathe, but his eyes looked threateningly at the scoundrel who dared to iasp he hurled at the kneeling man these words: 'May you be eternally damned, miserable fratricide!'
”The vicoave one asp and then passed away, and I, as behind the curtains, a witness of this terrible scene--I shall so far forget myself as to deliver to the man who did not spare his father the inheritance of his brother? No, vicomte, Pierre Labarre knows his duty, and if to-ereuse should be trampled in the dust and the present bearer of the naer and swindler, then I will stand up and say:
”'He is not a Fougereuse, he is only a Talizac He murdered the heir, and let no honest man ever touch his blood-stained hand!' Get out of here, Vicomte Talizac, my house has no roo knees, the ainst the wall
When Pierre was silent he hissed in a low voice:
”Then you refuse to help me?”
”Yes, a thousand ti the fortune of the Fougereuse for Jules's son, who has been dead a long ti”