THE READING OF THE WILL.
When the mourners reached the palace, Francisco led the way to an
apartment where Nisida was awaiting their coming.
Francisco kissed her affectionately upon the forehead; and then took his
seat at the head of the table, his sister placing herself on his right
hand.
Dressed in deep mourning, and with her countenance unusually pale,
Nisida's appearance inspired a feeling of profound interest in the minds
of those who did not perceive that, beneath her calm and mournful
demeanor, feelings of painful intensity agitated within her breast. But
Dr. Duras, who knew her well--better, far better than even her own
brother--noticed an occasional wild flashing of the eye, a nervous
motion of the lips, and a degree of forced tranquillity of mien, which
proved how acute was the suspense she in reality endured.
On Francisco's left hand the notary-general, who had acted as one of the
chief mourners, took a seat. He was a short, thin, middle-aged man, with
a pale complexion, twinkling gray eyes, and a sharp expression of
countenance. Before him lay a sealed packet, on which the eyes of Nisida
darted, at short intervals, looks, the burning impatience of which were
comprehended by Dr. Duras alone; for next to Signor Vivaldi, the
notary-general--and consequently opposite to Nisida--sat the physician.
The remainder of the company consisted of Father Marco and those most
intimate friends of the family who had been invited to the funeral; but
whom it is unnecessary to describe more particularly.
Father Marco having recited a short prayer, in obedience to the custom
of the age, and the occasion, the notary-general proceeded to break the
seals of the large packet which lay before him: then, in a precise and
methodical manner, he drew forth a sheet of parchment, closely written
on.
Nisida leaned her right arm upon the table, and half-buried her
countenance in the snowy cambric handkerchief which she held.
The notary-general commenced the reading of the will.
After bestowing a few legacies, one of which was in favor of Dr. Duras,
and another in that of Signor Vivaldi himself, the testamentary document
ordained that the estates of the late Andrea, Count of Riverola, should
be held in trust by the notary-general and the physician, for the
benefit of Francisco, who was merely to enjoy the revenues produced by
the same until the age of thirty, at which period the guardianship was
to cease, and Francisco was then to enter into full and uncontrolled
possession of those immense estates.
But to this clause there was an important condition attached; for the
testamentary document ordained that should the Lady Nisida--either by
medical skill, or the interposition of Heaven--recover the faculties of
hearing and speaking at any time during the interval which was to elapse
ere Francisco would attain the age of thirty, then the whole of the
estates, with the exception of a very small one in the northern part of
Tuscany, were to be immediately made over to her; but without the power
of alienation on her part.
It must be observed that, in the middle ages many titles of nobility
depended only on the feudal possession of a particular property. This
was the case with the Riverola estates; and the title of Count of
Riverola was conferred simply by the fact of the ownership of the landed
property. Thus, supposing that Nisida became possessed of the estates,
she would have enjoyed the title of countess, while her brother
Francisco would have lost that of count.
We may also remind our readers that Francisco was now nineteen; and
eleven years must consequently elapse ere he could become the lord and
master of the vast territorial possessions of Riverola.
Great was the astonishment experienced by all who heard the provisions
of this strange will--with the exception of the notary-general and
Father Marco, the former of whom had drawn it up, and the latter of whom
was privy to its contents (though under a vow of secrecy) in his
capacity of father-confessor to the late count.
Francisco was himself surprised, and, in one sense, hurt; because the
nature of the testamentary document seemed to imply that the property
would have been inevitably left to his sister, with but a very small
provision for himself, had she not been so sorely afflicted as she was;
and this fact forced upon him the painful conviction that even when
contemplating his departure to another world, his father had not
softened toward his son!
But, on the other hand, Francisco was pleased that such consideration
had been shown toward a sister whom he so devotedly loved; and he
hastened, as soon as he could conquer his first emotions, to request the
notary-general to permit Nisida to peruse the will, adding, in a
mournful tone, "For all that your excellency has read has been, alas!
unavailing in respect to her."
Signor Vivaldi handed the document to the young count, who gently
touched his sister's shoulder and placed the parchment before her.
Nisida started as if convulsively, and raised from her handkerchief a
countenance so pale, so deadly pale, that Francisco shrank back in
alarm.
But instantly reflecting that the process of reading aloud a paper had
been as it were a kind of mockery in respect to his afflicted sister, he
pressed her hand tenderly, and made a sign for her to peruse the
document.
She mechanically addressed herself to the task; but ere her eyes--now of
burning, unearthly brilliancy--fell upon the parchment, they darted one
rapid, electric glance of ineffable anguish toward Dr. Duras, adown
whose cheeks large tears were trickling.
In a few minutes Nisida appeared to be absorbed in the perusal of the
will; and the most solemn silence prevailed throughout the apartment!
At length she started violently, tossed the paper indignantly to the
notary-general, and hastily wrote on a slip of paper these words:
"Should medical skill or the mercy of Heaven restore my speech and
faculty of hearing, I will abandon all claim to the estates and title of
Riverola to my dear brother Francisco."
She then handed the slip of paper to the notary-general, who read the
contents aloud.
Francisco darted upon his sister a look of ineffable gratitude and love,
but shook his head, as much as to imply that he could not accept the
boon even if circumstances enabled her to confer it!
She returned the look with another, expressive of impatience at his
refusal: and her eyes seemed to say, as eyes never yet spoke, "Oh, that
I had the power to give verbal utterance to my feelings!"
Meantime the notary-general had written a few words beneath those penned
by Nisida, to whom he had handed back the slip; and she hastened to read
them, thus: "Your ladyship has no power to alienate the estates, should
they come into your possession."
Nisida burst into an agony of tears and rushed from the room.
Her brother immediately followed to console her; and the company
retired, each individual to his own abode.
But of all that company who had been present at the reading of the will,
none experienced such painful emotions as Dr. Duras.