The Count of Monte Cristo

cond marriage feast was being celebrated, almost at the same hour with the nuptial repast given by Dantès. In th

iety,--magistrates who had resigned their office during the usurper's reign; officers who had deserted from the imperial army and joined forces with Condé; and younger m

violent and vindictive passions that then agitated each dweller of the South, where unhappily, for f

ation of five or six thousand souls,--after having been accustomed to hear the "Vive Napoleons" of a hundred and twenty millions of human beings, utte

ile the women commented on the divorce of Josephine. It was not over the downfall of the man, but over the defeat of the Napoleonic id

lling at once the patient exile of Hartwell and the peace-loving King of France, excited universal enthusiasm; glasses were elevated in the air à l'Anglais, a

during the Reign of Terror, would be compelled to own, were they here, that all true devotion was on our side, since we were content to follow the fortunes of a falling monarch, while they, on the contrary, made their fortune by worshipping the rising sun; yes, yes, they

t pray you to excuse me, but--in truth--

toast, "let the young people alone; let me tell you, on one's wedding d

oat in liquid crystal, "'tis all my fault for seizing upon M. de Villefort, so as to prevent his listening to what you said.

ords I but imperfectly caught, I shall be d

other feelings may be withered in a woman's nature, there is always one bright smiling spot in the desert of her heart, and that is the shri

hat was fanaticism. Napoleon is the Mahomet of the West, and is worshipped by his commonplace but a

what would you call Robespierre? Come, come, do not strip the latter of his just r

hat degrades; one brings a king within reach of the guillotine, the other elevates the people to a level with the throne. Observe," said Villefort, smiling, "I do not mean to deny that both these men were revolutionary scoundrels, and that the 9th Thermidor and the 4th of April, in the year 1814, were lucky days for France, worthy of being gratefu

n? But I excuse it, it is impossible to expect the son of a Girondin to be free from a

of those who voted for the king's death; he was an equal sufferer with yourself during the Reign

ts underwent persecution and proscription from diametrically opposite principles; in proof of which I may remark, that while my family remained among the stanchest adheren

y well it was agreed that all these disagreeab

laid aside even the name of my father, and altogether disown his political principles. He was--nay, probably may still be--a Bonapartist, and is called Noirtier; I, on the contrary, am a stanch royalist, and style myself de Villefort. Let what may remain of revolutio

ve hopes of obtaining what I have been for years endeavoring to persuade the m

les. Remember, also, Villefort, that we have pledged ourselves to his majesty for your fealty and strict loyalty, and that at our recommendation the king consented to forget the past, as I do" (and here she extended to him her hand)--"as I now do at y

compels me to be severe. I have already successfully conducted several public prosecutions,

think so?" inquir

artisans. Marseilles is filled with half-pay officers, who are daily, under one frivolous pretext or other, getting up quarrels wi

de Saint-Méran's oldest friends, and chamberlain to the Comte d'A

left Paris," said M. de Saint-Méran; "a

int He

, where is that?"

of the equator, at least two thousand

ch a man between Corsica, where he was born, and Naples, of which his brother-in-law i

the treaties of 1814, and we cannot molest

. de Salvieux. "There wasn't any trouble over treaties wh

to purify Marseilles of his partisans. Tbe king is either a king or no king; if he be acknowledged as sovereign of France, he should be upheld in peace and tranquillity

"the strong arm of the law is not called upon

t to do is to endea

powerless to effect this; all it c

and the cherished friend of Mademoiselle de Saint-Méran, "do try and get up some famous tria

and alarmed, instead of--as is the case when a curtain falls on a tragedy--going home to sup peacefully with his family, and then retiring to rest, that he may recommence his mimic woes on the morrow,--is removed from your sight merely to be reconducted to his prison a

becoming quite pale; "don't you see how yo

six times, against the movers of political conspiracies, and who can say how many daggers m

aid Renée, becoming more and more terr

his commander, to rush fearlessly on the very bayonets of his foe, will scruple more to drive a stiletto into the heart of one he knows to be his personal enemy, than to slaughter his fellow-creatures, merely because bidden to do so by one he is bound to obey? Besides, one requires the excitement of being hateful in the eyes of the accu

uests; "that is what I call

ire at a time like the p

remarked a third; "I mean the trial of the man for murdering his father. Up

atters very little what is done to them; but as regards poor unfortunate creatures

ing is the father of his people, and he who shall plot or contrive aught against the life and saf

"but, M. de Villefort, you have promised me--have y

ed Villefort, with one of his sweetest smiles; "

eddle with what you do not understand. Nowadays the military profession is in abeyance and the m

ae," said Villef

Latin," responde

e other profession than your own--a physician, for instance. Do you

efort, as he gazed with unutterabl

illefort may prove the moral and political physician of t

the recollection of his father's cond

, a firm and zealous friend to religion and order--a better royalist, possibly, than his son; for he has to atone for past dereliction, while I have no other impulse than warm, decided preference

e of reconciling political differences was based upon sound and excellent principles. Then the king, who, without our suspecting it, had overheard our conversation, interrupted us by saying, 'Villefort'--observe that the king did not pronounce the word Noirtier, but, on the contrary, placed considerable emphasis on that of Villefort--'Villefort,' said his majesty, '

ended so far as to express himself so favor

nfess that they perfectly agree with what his majesty said to him, when he went

e," answered

rince! What is there I would not d

see you thus. Now, then, were a conspirator to f

per, and that Providence will only permit petty offenders, poor debtors, and mis

he stings of wasps, or any other slight affection of the epidermis. If you wish to see me the king's attorney, you must d

rose from table and quitted the room upon the plea of urgent business; he soon, however, returned, his whole face beaming with delight. Renée regarded him with fond affection; and certainly his

instead of a lawyer. Well, I at least resemble the disciples of Esculapius in one t

ust now?" asked Mademoiselle de Saint

, which bids fair to make

exclaimed René

sly from all who were near enough t

rrect, a sort of Bonaparte consp

my ears?" cried

containing the accusation, a

en the bearer of a letter from Murat to the usurper, and again taken charge of another letter from the usurper to the Bonapartist club in Paris. Ample corroboration of this statement may be obtained by arresting the above-mentioned Edmond Dantès, wh

all, is but an anonymous scrawl, is not even a

letters; thinking this one of importance, he sent for me, but not finding me, t

is absolutely in custo

cused person. You know we can

e letter is found, he will not be likely to be trusted abroad again,

unfortunate bein

at my h

ot neglect your duty to linger with us. You are the king

d looking towards her lover with piteous earnestne

the table where the fair pleader sat, an

; but if the charges brought against this Bonapartist hero prove correct, why, then

me de Saint-Méran extended her dry bony hand to Villefort, who, while imprinting a son-in-law's respectful salute on

ces to accompany a betrot

s all bounds. I should be glad to know what connection there can possib

!" murmur

inflexibly severe;" then casting an expressive glance at his betrothed, which seemed to say, "Fear not, for your dear sake