seignorial rights and duties, franc aleu noble, &c., do give and bequeath unto NICHOLAS JEAN ANDERSON, the son of MARIE VERCHE, deceased, formerly a nun of the Convent of St. Clare, in Quebec, and condemned by her superior to perpetual penance and imprisonment for having broken her vow of celibacy. Which NICHOLAS JEAN ANDERSON was first the reputed son of PAUL LEVI, and JOAN, his wife, who died, leaving him destitute of any provision in his infancy; whereupon he was taken into the cottage of a poor. woman on my estate, named BAPTISTA CERCY, from whom I took him, and adopted him, making him my lawful heir, and the inheritor of my title and effects. The same NICHOLAS JEAN ANDERSON left me of his own will and accord when in his twenty-fifth year; and, as I have been certainly informed, has twice served as a common sailor, and afterwards as a second and first mate, in an emigrant vessel between the Canadas and the British Islands. To that same NICHOLAS JEAN ANDERSON, or, in case of his death, to his eldest son, if such he have, I hereby give and bequeath the whole of my Estates and other property, including money in banker's hands, and rents due to me-all I am possessed of whatsoever or where-"

We may imagine Clinton was not slow in finding the second fragment, which read on thus:

"soever, excepting only the following annuities." Here appeared the names of every servant in the Marquis' household, with liberal sums allotted to each; the names of his executors, and the money they were to

receive. Then the important document concluded thus:

"And to HENRIQUE DETROIT, formerly the tutor of NICHOLAS JEAN ANDERSON, in my house at Rougemont, I give and bequeath all the books which are in my principal library, but not in my private library, together with one thousand dollars, and one of the farms on my estate, whichever he chooses to select, subject only to the lawful fines and dues which he shall pay to NICHOLAS JEAN ANDERSON, as my successor in the seigniory, or to, &c. And I do require that NICHOLAS JEAN ANDERSON, or his eldest son, if such he have, take possession of my estates in the names and titles only of LOUIS JEAN LAWRENCE, Le Sieur MARQUIS de ROUGEMONT. And if in seven years from the period of my demise, NICHOLAS JEAN ANDERSON, or his eldest son, are not to be found, then all my estates shall go to that male person who can prove himself nearest of kin to me, on condition that he adopt my names and titles as aforesaid."

The will was not witnessed, and Clinton suspected that it was merely the rough draft of an instrument intended to be made more complete, and that to put that instrument in hand had been the Marquis' errand to the lawyer on the day when he lost his life.

The document Clinton held in his hand appeared to be in the Marquis' own handwriting, and on the back was a very accurate description of the Pirate's face and figure, which it was likely the deceased nobleman had intended should be incorporated in the will.

It was with a kind of delirium that Clinton climbed the rocks and regained the road above, where he rode off to fina, if he could, that lawyer whose name he luckily remembered hearing the horsemen mention.

He found him near, and opened to him his business in a state of intense excitement. The professor of litigation was a man very superior to his brethren in general. He entered into the subject with much interest. discarding every useless formality of manner. He regretted the Marquis' death much, and undertook to swear, whenever he should be called upon to do so, that the torn paper Clinton had had the good fortune to pick up, was in the Marquis' own handwriting, and was the latest document of the kind existing. The Marquis had shown him (the lawyer) that paper three days ago, and his clerk had copied it, the copy being now in his desk. He was to have visited the Marquis at the villa of his friend on that day week on which he had seen him, in order to witness a proper legal instrument, and to see it signed and sealed. The friend of the Marquis, and Henrique Detroit, the former tutor of the appointed inheritor, were also to have been witnesses to the will.

Having received this information, Clinton asked the legal gentleman if he would undertake the cause of Nicholas Jean Anderson, his father. The lawyer replied he would willingly do so, and had no doubt at all of a speedily successful issue, provided he was furnished with sufficient proofs that the alleged Nicholas Anderson really was the individual described by the Marquis.

Thus furnished, Clinton returned to the ruined fort, and amazed his father and sister with the surprising intelligence. Not a moment was lost; the Pirate ven

tured, at the earnest request of his children, to visit the lawyer, who, after closely cross-questioning him for an hour, taking notes of all his answers, assured him that he himself was perfectly satisfied he was the individual named by the Marquis, and that he should particularly exert himself to make good his rightful claim. He was secretly persuaded that Henrique Detroit was in some way concerned in the attempt to destroy the Marquis' will. But it would be best to remain perfectly quiet on the transaction until after the funeral.

The lawyer's advice was implicitly followed, and the conduct of the whole affair left to him. He did not disappoint his anxious clients. The body of the Marquis was removed in a shell to his own estate at Rougemont, Lower Canada, from which he had come, for the first time in fifty years, solely to take his last leave of the proprietor of a villa (who was also aged, and a wealthy widower, without family), and to prepare his

will.

The lawyer followed to the disputed seignorie, and lodged the Pirate near at hand, in a private place, whence he might be able to produce him at a fitting time.

After the funeral, as he had anticipated, Henrique Detroit brought forward a will, dated ten years back, in which he was appointed the possessor of the Marquis' wealth. There was at first but one dissentient voice-it was that of the proprietor of the villa, who stated that his friend had showed him, on his late visit, a will written with his own hands, appointing one Nicholas Jean Anderson his heir; and that will he was ready to swear, he was to have signed and witnessed, with the

lawyer and Henrique Detroit, only ten days previous to their present meeting. He appealed to the honour and honesty of Detroit if this was not true.

The advocate of Detroit made the reply. "The question was not what the Marquis might have intended to do, or what he began to do, but what he had done. Here was an undoubted will-could any proved document be brought to supersede it ?"

The lawyer now arose, and silently laid upon the table the paper which the servant had torn, together with a copy of the same, dated the day of the Marquis' death. At the first sight of these Detroit turned excessively pale, and a motion was heard in the back of the room, as if some one were hastily passing out.

"Detain him! let him not pass!" exclaimed the lawyer; "I command that he be detained!"

The guilty servant was brought back, trembling and shrinking, with the most intense fear painted on every quivering feature.

"I was forced to do it-I was forced to do it," he stammered.

The lawyer explained the scene to all present, while the alarmed tool of a villain stood by, quaking in the grasp of two of his fellow domestics.

4

"Who forced you to do it? Speak the truth, and. you may escape a severe punishment," said the lawyer. The fellow pointed to Detroit, who, springing up in a exclaimed

violent rage,

"He is a consummate liar!" and would have gone away, but was prevented.

"Detroit promised me money if I would get hold of the paper and burn it," stammered the servant; "and