Litchfield enquirer., 1858-08-05
A FRENCH WILL STORY.

t. A FRENCH WILL STORY.
 Is she dead, then 'Yes, madam,' replied little gentleman in brown coat ard short brooches.
 And her will ? 4,gt
 Is going to be opened here immediately by her solicitor
 Shall we inherit anything P
 It must be supposed so we have claims.' who intrudes herself here P
 'Oh, she,' said the little man, sneering-'she won t have much in the will she is sister to the deceased'
 What, that Anne who welded in 1872 Q man of nothing-an oficer.'
 Precisely so.'
 She must have no small amount of impu- dence to present herself here, before respect able family.
 The more so as Sister Egrie, of noble birth had never forgiven her that mesattsams.'
 Anne moved at this time across the room in which the family of the deceased were assem- bled. She was pale her fine eyes were filled with tears, and her face was furrowed by care with precocious wrinkles
 sWhat do you come here for ? said, with great haughtiness, Madame de Villeboys, the lady who, moment before, had been interro- gating the little man who inherited with her. Madam the poor lady replied with hnmility,I do not come here to claim part of what does not belong to me; come solely to see Mir. Dubois, my poor sisters solicitor, to inquite if she spoke of me at her last hour.'
 What do you think people busy them- selves about you P arrogantly observed Mad anne de Villeboys the disgrace of a great bouse-you, who welded man of nothing, soldier of Bonapart's
 Madam, my husband, although child of the people, was brave soldier, and, what is better, and honest man. observed Anne.
 At this moment a venerable parsonage, the notery Dubois, made his appearance.
 Cease he said, to reproach Anne with union which her sister has forgiven her. An ne loved generous, brave, and good man, who had no other crime to reproach himself with than his poverty and the obscurity of his name. Nevertheless, had he lived, if his fam fly had known him, as I, his old friend, Anne would be at this time happy and respected
 But why is this woman here ?
 Because it is her place to be here,' said the notary, gravely I myself requested her to attend here.'
 M. Dubois then proceed to open the will
 "I, being sound in mind and heart, Egerie de Damfrcming, retired as g boarder in the convent of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, dictate the following wishes as the ex- precision of my formal desire and principal clause of my testament.
 After my decease there will be found two hundred thousand francs in money at my no- tary's besides jewelry, clothes, and furniture, as also chateau worth two hundred thousand francs. { In the convent where have been residing ehere will only be found my book, Henres de Ia Vierge,' holy volume, which remains as it was when took it with me at the time of the emigration. desire that these three objects be divided into three lots.
 The first lot the 200, 900 francs in money
 The second lot, the chateau, furniture and jewels.
 The third lot, my book, 'Heures de Ia Vierge.'
 have pardoned my sister Anne the grief which she has caused to us, and would have 'comforted her in her sorrows if had known sooner of her return to France. I comprise her in my will.
 Madame de Villeboys, my much beloved cousin, shall have the first choice.
 M. Varty, my brother-in-law, shall have the second choice
 Anne will take the remaining lot
 An ah ! said Varty, Sister Egerie was good one that is clever ou her part ?
 Anne will only have the prayer-book ? ex- claimed Madame de Villeboys, laughing aloud. The notary interrupted her jocularity,
 Madame he said, (which lot do you choose ?
 The two hundred thousand frances in mon ey'
 Have you quite made up your mind P
 Perfectly SOL
 The man of law, addressing himself then to the good feeling of the lady, said, Madame, you are rich, and Anne has nothing. Could you not leave her this lot, and take the book ofprayers, which the eccentricity of the deceas- ed has placed on par with the other lots.'
 You must be joking, M. Dubois 2 exclairn- ed Madame de Veboys 'you must really be very dull not to see the intention of Sister Egerie in all this. Our honored cousin fore saw full well that her book of prayers would fall to. the lot of Anne, who had the last choice.
 And what do you conclude from that ? inquired the notary
 I conclude that she meant to intimate to her sister that repentance and prayer were the only help that she had to expect in this world.
 As she finished these words, Madame de Villeboys made definite selection of the ready money for her share Monsieur Vatry, as may be easily imagined, selected the chateau, fcrni- ture and jewels, as his lot.
 Monsieur Vatry,' said M Dubois to that gentleman, even suppose it had been the in- tention of the deceased to punish her sister, it would be noble on your part, millionaire as you are, to give up at least portion of your share to Anne, who wants it so much.'
 Thanks for your kind advice, dear sir re- piled Vatry the mansion is situated on the very confines of my woods, and suits me admi- rably, all the more so that it is ready fur hlshed. As to the jewels of Sister Egerie, they are "reminiscences which one onrht never