honor redounds to the physician."
At this moment, and as though the utterance of Villefort's wish
had sufficed to effect its accomplishment, a servant entered the
room, and whispered a few words in his ear. Villefort immediately
rose from table and quitted the room upon the plea of urgent
business; he soon, however, returned, his whole face beaming with
delight. Renee regarded him with fond affection; and certainly his
handsome features, lit up as they then were with more than usual
fire and animation, seemed formed to excite the innocent admiration
with which she gazed on her graceful and intelligent lover.
"You were wishing just now," said Villefort, addressing her,
"that I were a doctor instead of a lawyer. Well, I at least
resemble the disciples of Esculapius in one thing — that of not
being able to call a day my own, not even that of my
betrothal."
"And wherefore were you called away just now?" asked
Mademoiselle de Saint-Meran, with an air of deep interest.
"For a very serious matter, which bids fair to make work for the
executioner."
"How dreadful!" exclaimed Renee, turning pale.
"Is it possible?" burst simultaneously from all who were near
enough to the magistrate to hear his words.
"Why, if my information prove correct, a sort of Bonaparte
conspiracy has just been discovered."
"Can I believe my ears?" cried the marquise.
"I will read you the letter containing the accusation, at
least," said Villefort: —
"`The king's attorney is informed by a friend to the throne and
the religions institutions of his country, that one named Edmond
Dantes, mate of the ship Pharaon, this day arrived from Smyrna,
after having touched at Naples and Porto-Ferrajo, has been 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 Dantes, who either carries the
letter for Paris about with him, or has it at his father's abode.letter for Paris about with him, or has it at his father's abode.
Should it not be found in the possession of father or son, then it
will assuredly be discovered in the cabin belonging to the said
Dantes on board the Pharaon.'"
"But," said Renee, "this letter, which, after all, is but an
anonymous scrawl, is not even addressed to you, but to the king's
attorney."
"True; but that gentleman being absent, his secretary, by his
orders, opened his letters; thinking this one of importance, he
sent for me, but not finding me, took upon himself to give the
necessary orders for arresting the accused party."
"Then the guilty person is absolutely in custody?" said the
marquise.
"Nay, dear mother, say the accused person. You know we cannot
yet pronounce him guilty."
"He is in safe custody," answered Villefort; "and rely upon it,
if the letter is found, he will not be likely to be trusted abroad
again, unless he goes forth under the especial protection of the
headsman."
"And where is the unfortunate being?" asked Renee.
"He is at my house."
"Come, come, my friend," interrupted the marquise, "do not
neglect your duty to linger with us. You are the king's servant,
and must go wherever that service calls you."
"O Villefort!" cried Renee, clasping her hands, and looking
towards her lover with piteous earnestness, "be merciful on this
the day of our betrothal."
The young man passed round to the side of the table where the
fair pleader sat, and leaning over her chair said tenderly, —
"To give you pleasure, my sweet Renee, I promise to show all the
lenity in my power; but if the charges brought against this
Bonapartist hero prove correct, why, then, you really must give me
leave to order his head to be cut off." Renee shuddered.
"Never mind that foolish girl, Villefort," said the marquise.
"She will soon get over these things." So saying, Madame de
Saint-Meran extended her dry bony hand to Villefort, who, while
imprinting a son-in-law's respectful salute on it, looked at Renee,imprinting a son-in-law's respectful salute on it, looked at Renee,
as much as to say, "I must try and fancy 'tis your dear hand I
kiss, as it should have been."
"These are mournful auspices to accompany a betrothal," sighed
poor Renee.
"Upon my word, child!" exclaimed the angry marquise, "your folly
exceeds all bounds. I should be glad to know what connection there
can possibly be between your sickly sentimentality and the affairs
of the state!"
"O mother!" murmured Renee.
"Nay, madame, I pray you pardon this little traitor. I promise
you that to make up for her want of loyalty, I will be most
inflexibly severe;" then casting an expressive glance at his
betrothed, which seemed to say, "Fear not, for your dear sake my
justice shall be tempered with mercy," and receiving a sweet and
approving smile in return, Villefort quitted the room.Dantes passed through all the stages of torture natural to
prisoners in suspense. He was sustained at first by that pride of
conscious innocence which is the sequence to hope; then he began to
doubt his own innocence, which justified in some measure the
governor's belief in his mental alienation; and then, relaxing his
sentiment of pride, he addressed his supplications, not to God, but
to man. God is always the last resource. Unfortunates, who ought to
begin with God, do not have any hope in him till they have
exhausted all other means of deliverance.
Dantes asked to be removed from his present dungeon into
another; for a change, however disadvantageous, was still a change,
and would afford him some amusement. He entreated to be allowed to
walk about, to have fresh air, books, and writing materials. His
requests were not granted, but he went on asking all the same. He
accustomed himself to speaking to the new jailer, although the
latter was, if possible, more taciturn than the old one; but still,
to speak to a man, even though mute, was something. Dantes spoke
for the sake of hearing his own voice; he had tried to speak when
alone, but the sound of his voice terrified him. Often, before his
captivity, Dantes' mind had revolted at the idea of assemblages of
prisoners, made up of thieves, vagabonds, and murderers. He now
wished to be amongst them, in order to see some other face besides
that of his jailer; he sighed for the galleys, with the infamous
costume, the chain, and the brand on the shoulder. The
galley-slaves breathed the fresh air of heaven, and saw each other.
They were very happy. He besought the jailer one day to let him
have a companion, were it even the mad abbe.
The jailer, though rough and hardened by the constant sight of
so much suffering, was yet a man. At the bottom of his heart he had
often had a feeling of pity for this unhappy young man who suffered
so; and he laid the request of number 34 before the governor; but
the latter sapiently imagined that Dantes wished to conspire or