Chapter 24

The opening of my uncle’s will, my sacrifices to avoid a trial

My uncle’s family hoped to gain access to his fortune through the courthouse. While my uncle was alive, his family brought a lawsuit against him to have him declared insane, incapable of managing his affairs.

The case went to the court of appeals. I pleaded the cause of my respectable uncle myself, quoting the case of the Imperial Prosecutor and the Former President during the delivery of the original judgment. My uncle’s will was clear, precise, and legal, but nothing could make his family reconsider. But it was his fortune they wanted, it was clear that greed was their only goal and they did not hide it. 

They appealed the judgment of the trial court. I watched their lawsuit, though I didn’t think they would have any sort of success. But I had lost interest in this affair and wanted to see the end of it. I asked them to propose some sort of compromise, and their lawyers thanked me for my generosity. Some of the family accepted the terms, some refused them. Tired of the obstinance and at this point tired of the people I’d employed to see me through this, I made a plan with Madame Berbiguier to make more concessions to reach the end of the whole thing, and buy us some peace. We were of an accord with this, and went to notarize the agreement. 

Lost in thought, I wandered through my uncle’s apartment, looking for traces of him, but I no longer saw him, no longer heard his wise advice. When I returned home, I stayed in bed for four days, my strength abandoned me. I had not recovered yet when we were to go to the notary, and I dragged myself along. It took me three hours to walk from Rue Mazarine to the notary, near the royal palace. The notary  was surprised to see me, and more surprised by the agreement I wanted to make official. He pointed out that my lawyer thought these sacrifices were too dear. But I had always disdained fortune. Though I appreciated his advice, I looked forward to the peace that I would gain by the loss of these riches. The wealth would be distributed to the family and the widow. I asked the Notary to inform the affected parties and the lawyers of the absent parties, perhaps to bring them together. They consented to the arrangement, but the absent parties did not feel they were sufficiently represented, leading to yet more tiring legalities for me. Despite the difficulties which followed one from another, the whole painful affair was resolved in the last days of December 1815. 

My lawyer was disappointed by the financial loss and frustrated by my sacrifice, but he had not experienced the pain this trial had caused me. If he had, he would have wanted to see it end as quickly as I did. I urged him to make the relatives pay what was owed after the transaction. The effect of the transaction on them was peculiar. They were surprised at my disinterest, but understood I preferred peace to financial interests.  And I did gain some peace in this sphere, but none from my enemies. The ferocious Vandeval kept me in her sights, day and night, using the powers given to her by infernal spirits to make me suffer. The confessor at Notre-Dame was shocked. He continued listening to my situation, to the details of the torments I had received from my enemies in Carpentras and Avignon. He could not understand the tenacity of these foul monsters. Perhaps the cause, he thought, was in a turmoil of moods. He directed me to Dr. Pinel, the head doctor of the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital. [1]