The Count of Monte Cristo LIX Summary

Summary

Barrois brings a notary to the paralysed Noirtier de Villefort's chamber to draw up a will. Noirtier cannot speak or move, but his granddaughter Valentine, who has lived with him for six years, understands his eye-signals and offers to interpret. The notary at first doubts the legal validity of any document dictated by a man who cannot vocalize, but Valentine demonstrates the consistent system of signs she and Noirtier use. Convinced, the notary summons a colleague and prepares the formalities necessary for a valid testament, including witnesses and the reading of a model will to test the testator's comprehension.

A formal series of questions establishes that Noirtier controls his mind: he owns 900,000 francs in bank scrip producing about 40,000 livres. When asked whom he wishes to benefit, Noirtier repeatedly signals "no" to in-family candidates: not Valentine, not his grandson Édouard, and not his son Gérard de Villefort. The family interprets his refusal as a desire to punish Valentine for her engagement to Franz d’Épinay; she is disinherited for persisting in the marriage. Ultimately Noirtier decides to devote the whole disposable portion of his fortune to charitable purposes rather than leave it to his son. Villefort accepts the decision outwardly and leaves the room, and the will is executed, sealed, witnessed, and entrusted to M. Deschamps, the family notary.

Key events

1. Barrois brings a notary to Noirtier's room to prepare a will.
2. Valentine proves she can interpret Noirtier's eye-signs and teaches the notary.
3. Notaries test Noirtier's mental capacity and confirm he owns 900,000 francs.
4. Noirtier refuses to leave his fortune to Valentine, Édouard, or Gérard de Villefort.
5. He indicates the fortune should go to charity because Valentine insists on marrying Franz.
6. The will is drawn up, approved, sealed, witnessed, and given to M. Deschamps.

Analysis

This chapter foregrounds questions of agency, communication, and authority. Noirtier's physical helplessness contrasts sharply with his mental acuity: the scene dramatizes how voice, language, and legal formality intersect with power. Valentine functions as both caregiver and linguistic mediator, her skill granting Noirtier a means to assert his will despite social and legal skepticism. The notary's initial reluctance and subsequent eagerness show the legal system's dependence on outward signs of legitimacy—witnesses, precise formulae, and documented assent—which can be manipulated through competent interpretation.

The will itself becomes a vehicle for conflict: Noirtier's refusal to favor his family and his choice to use the disposable portion of his fortune for charity undermine Villefort's patriarchal control and expose familial tensions about marriage, honor, and inheritance. The chapter also advances plot structure by establishing a tangible shift in resources that will affect characters' motives. Symbolically, the closed and winking eyes serve as a motif for hidden intent and the limits of speech; the legalistic performance around the bedside turns an intimate family drama into a public, notarized act, emphasizing how personal vengeance or moral judgment can be codified and made irrevocable through law and ceremony.

Important quotes

“The first thing necessary to render an act valid is, that the notary should be thoroughly convinced that he has faithfully interpreted the will and wishes of the person dictating the act.”

NarratorThe notary explains his legal concern about acting for a client who cannot speak, establishing the need for a reliable interpreter.

“You possess, then, 900,000 francs of capital, which, according to the manner in which you have invested it, ought to bring in an income of about 40,000 livres?”

NotaryA formal interrogation confirms Noirtier's mental capacity and the extent and form of his fortune, necessary details for the will.

Characters in LIX

• Barrois
• Noirtier de Villefort
• Valentine de Villefort
• Gérard de Villefort
• Héloïse de Villefort
• Édouard de Villefort
• Franz d’Épinay
• M. Deschamps
• two notaries