This is what he wrote:—­

“This is my Last Will and Testament.

“AT THE CONCIERGERIE, May 15th, 1830.

“I, the undersigned, give and bequeath to the children of my sister, Madame Eve Chardon, wife of David Sechard, formerly a printer at Angouleme, and of Monsieur David Sechard, all the property, real and personal, of which I may be possessed at the time of my decease, due deduction being made for the payments and legacies, which I desire my executor to provide for.

“And I earnestly beg Monsieur de Serizy to undertake the charge of
being the executor of this my will.

“First, to Monsieur l’Abbe Carlos Herrera I direct the payment of the sum of three hundred thousand francs.  Secondly, to Monsieur le Baron de Nucingen the sum of fourteen hundred thousand francs, less seven hundred and fifty thousand if the sum stolen from Mademoiselle Esther should be recovered.

“As universal legatee to Mademoiselle Esther Gobseck, I give and bequeath the sum of seven hundred and sixty thousand francs to the Board of Asylums of Paris for the foundation of a refuge especially dedicated to the use of public prostitutes who may wish to forsake their life of vice and ruin.

“I also bequeath to the Asylums of Paris the sum of money necessary for the purchase of a certificate for dividends to the amount of thirty thousand francs per annum in five per cents, the annual income to be devoted every six months to the release of prisoners for debts not exceeding two thousand francs.  The Board of Asylums to select the most respectable of such persons imprisoned for debt.

“I beg Monsieur de Serizy to devote the sum of forty thousand francs to erecting a monument to Mademoiselle Esther in the Eastern cemetery, and I desire to be buried by her side.  The tomb is to be like an antique tomb—­square, our two effigies lying thereon, in white marble, the heads on pillows, the hands folded and raised to heaven.  There is to be no inscription whatever.

“I beg Monsieur de Serizy to give to Monsieur de Rastignac a gold
toilet-set that is in my room as a remembrance.

“And as a remembrance, I beg my executor to accept my library of
books as a gift from me.

“LUCIEN CHARDON DE RUBEMPRE.”

This Will was enclosed in a letter addressed to Monsieur le Comte de Granville, Public Prosecutor in the Supreme Court at Paris, as follows: 

“MONSIEUR LE COMTE,—­

“I place my Will in your hands.  When you open this letter I shall be no more.  In my desire to be free, I made such cowardly replies to Monsieur Camusot’s insidious questions, that, in spite of my innocence, I may find myself entangled in a disgraceful trial.  Even if I were acquitted, a blameless life would henceforth be impossible to me in view of the opinions of the world.

“I beg you to transmit the enclosed letter to the Abbe Carlos
Herrera without opening it, and deliver to Monsieur Camusot the
formal retraction I also enclose.