French and Oriental Love in a Harem | Page 4

judge, has hindered him from
accomplishing with greater fervour. I trust that the God of the Faithful
will at least give him credit for his efforts.
Having said so much on behalf of a memory which is dear to me, and
having enumerated the chief clauses of the will, I may add in a few
words that, after the payment of my uncle's matrimonial donations, and
the various legacies to his "god-children," with those to his sailors in
addition, there remained for me about thirty-seven million francs.
"But, these children of my uncle's?" said I.
"Oh, sir! everything is in order! The Turkish law not recognising
marriages contracted abroad with unbelievers, excepting in the case of
certain prescribed formalities which your uncle happens to have
neglected to go through, it results that his will expresses his deliberate
intentions. Moreover, he had during his lifetime provided for the future
of all his people."
I listened with admiration.
"So much for the legal dispositions of the will, sir," said the notary,
when he had finished reading it out.

"Now I have a sealed letter to hand to you, which your uncle charged
me to give after his death to you alone. I was instructed in the case of
your death preceding his, to destroy it without acquainting myself with
its purport. You will understand, therefore, that I know nothing of its
contents, which are for you only to read. Have the kindness, please, to
sign this receipt, declaring that you find the seals unbroken, and that I
have left it in your possession."
He presented a paper, which I read and signed.
"Is that all?" I asked.
"Not quite, sir," he replied, as he took another package out of his
pocket. "Here is a document similarly sealed which was addressed to
me. I was only to open it in the case of your uncle's will becoming null
and void through your death preceding his. This document, he told me,
would then give effect to his final wishes. Your presence being duly
established, my formal written instructions are to burn this document,
now rendered useless and purposeless, before your eyes."
Again he made me attest that the seals were untampered with, and
taking up a candle from the writing-table and lighting it, he forthwith
committed to the flames this secret document the provisions of which
we were not to know. He then departed.
When left alone, and still affected by these lively recollections of my
poor uncle, I began to think of the letter which the notary had left with
me. I divined some mystery in it, and had a vague presentiment that it
would contain a decree of my destiny. This last message from him,
coming as it were from the tomb, revived in my heart the grief which
had hardly yet been allayed. At last, trembling all the while, I tore open
the envelope. These were its contents:--
"My Dear Boy,
"When you read this, I shall have done with this world. Please me by
not giving way too much to your grief, and act like a man! You know
my ideas about death: I have never allowed myself to be prejudiced

into regarding it as an evil, convinced as I have been, that it is nothing
but the transition which leads us to a superior state of existence. Adopt
this view, and do not cry over me like a child. I have lived my life; now
it is your turn. My desire is, that this old friend of yours should be
cherished in your memory: you shall join him with you in your
happiness, by believing that he takes part in it.
"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