Would it not have been
easier to suppose that the deceased had placed the money somewhere
else, and that it will yet be found?"
The clerk had been even less disturbed than the magistrate. He
also was blase, having witnessed too many of those frightful and
shameless dramas which are enacted at a dead man's bedside, to be
surprised at anything. If he had deigned to glance at the
escritoire, it was only because he was curious to see how small a
space would suffice to contain two millions; and then he had begun
to calculate how many years he would be obliged to remain a clerk
before he could succeed in amassing such a fabulous sum. However,
hearing his superior express the intention of continuing the
search for the will, and the missing treasure, he abruptly
abandoned his calculation, and exclaimed, "Then, I suppose, I can
commence my report, monsieur?"
"Yes," replied the magistrate, "write as follows:" And in a
monotonous voice he began to dictate the prescribed formula, an
unnecessary proceeding, for the clerk was quite as familiar with
it as the magistrate himself:--"On the 16th of October, 186-, at
nine o'clock in the morning, in compliance with the request of the
servants of the deceased Louis-Henri-Raymond de Durtal, Count de
Chalusse, and in the interest of his presumptive heirs, and all
others connected with him, and in accordance with the requirements
of clauses 819 (Code Napoleon) and 909 (Code of Procedure), we,
justice of the peace, accompanied by our clerk, visited the
residence of the deceased aforesaid, in the Rue de Courcelles,
where, having entered a bedroom opening on to the courtyard, and
lighted by two windows looking toward the south, we found the body
of the deceased aforesaid, lying on his bed, and covered with a
sheet.
Pages:
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194