It will be recollected that the new, or rather old,acquaintances of the Count of Monte Cristo, residing in theRue Meslay, were no other than Maximilian, Julie, andEmmanuel. The very anticipations of delight to be enjoyed inhis forthcoming visits - the bright, pure gleam of heavenlyhappiness it diffused over the almost deadly warfare inwhich he had voluntarily engaged, illumined his wholecountenance with a look of ineffable joy and calmness, as,immediately after Villefort's departure, his thoughts flewback to the cheering prospect before him, of tasting, atleast, a brief respite from the fierce and stormy passionsof his mind. Even Ali, who had hastened to obey the Count'ssummons, went forth from his master's presence in charmedamazement at the unusual animation and pleasure depicted onfeatures ordinarily so stern and cold; while, as thoughdreading to put to flight the agreeable ideas hovering overhis patron's meditations, whatever they were, the faithfulNubian walked on tiptoe towards the door, holding hisbreath, lest its faintest sound should dissipate hismaster's happy reverie.

It was noon, and Monte Cristo had set apart one hour to bepassed in the apartments of Haidee, as though his oppressedspirit could not all at once admit the feeling of pure andunmixed joy, but required a gradual succession of calm andgentle emotions to prepare his mind to receive full andperfect happiness, in the same manner as ordinary naturesdemand to be inured by degrees to the reception of strong orviolent sensations. The young Greek, as we have alreadysaid, occupied apartments wholly unconnected with those ofthe count. The rooms had been fitted up in strict accordancewith Oriental ideas; the floors were covered with therichest carpets Turkey could produce; the walls hung withbrocaded silk of the most magnificent designs and texture;while around each chamber luxurious divans were placed, withpiles of soft and yielding cushions, that needed only to bearranged at the pleasure or convenience of such as soughtrepose. Haidee and three French maids, and one who was aGreek. The first three remained constantly in a smallwaiting-room, ready to obey the summons of a small goldenbell, or to receive the orders of the Romaic slave, who knewjust enough French to be able to transmit her mistress'swishes to the three other waiting-women; the latter hadreceived most peremptory instructions from Monte Cristo totreat Haidee with all the deference they would observe to aqueen.

The young girl herself generally passed her time in thechamber at the farther end of her apartments. This was asort of boudoir, circular, and lighted only from the roof,which consisted of rose-colored glass. Haidee was recliningupon soft downy cushions, covered with blue satin spottedwith silver; her head, supported by one of her exquisitelymoulded arms, rested on the divan immediately behind her,while the other was employed in adjusting to her lips thecoral tube of a rich narghile, through whose flexible pipeshe drew the smoke fragrant by its passage through perfumedwater. Her attitude, though perfectly natural for an Easternwoman would, in a European, have been deemed too full ofcoquettish straining after effect. Her dress, which was thatof the women of Epirus, consisted of a pair of white satintrousers, embroidered with pink roses, displaying feet soexquisitely formed and so delicately fair, that they mightwell have been taken for Parian marble, had not the eye beenundeceived by their movements as they constantly shifted inand out of a pair of little slippers with upturned toes,beautifully ornamented with gold and pearls. She wore a blueand white-striped vest, with long open sleeves, trimmed withsilver loops and buttons of pearls, and a sort of bodice,which, closing only from the centre to the waist, exhibitedthe whole of the ivory throat and upper part of the bosom;it was fastened with three magnificent diamond clasps. Thejunction of the bodice and drawers was entirely concealed byone of the many-colored scarfs, whose brilliant hues andrich silken fringe have rendered them so precious in theeyes of Parisian belles. Tilted on one side of her head shehad a small cap of gold-colored silk, embroidered withpearls; while on the other a purple rose mingled its glowingcolors with the luxuriant masses of her hair, of which theblackness was so intense that it was tinged with blue. Theextreme beauty of the countenance, that shone forth inloveliness that mocked the vain attempts of dress to augmentit, was peculiarly and purely Grecian; there were the large,dark, melting eyes, the finely formed nose, the coral lips,and pearly teeth, that belonged to her race and country.And, to complete the whole, Haidee was in the veryspringtide and fulness of youthful charms - she had not yetnumbered more than twenty summers.

Monte Cristo summoned the Greek attendant, and bade herinquire whether it would be agreeable to her mistress toreceive his visit. Haidee's only reply was to direct herservant by a sign to withdraw the tapestried curtain thathung before the door of her boudoir, the framework of theopening thus made serving as a sort of border to thegraceful tableau presented by the young girl's picturesqueattitude and appearance. As Monte Cristo approached, sheleaned upon the elbow of the arm that held the narghile, andextending to him her other hand, said, with a smile ofcaptivating sweetness, in the sonorous language spoken bythe women of Athens and Sparta, "Why demand permission ereyou enter? Are you no longer my master, or have I ceased tobe your slave?" Monte Cristo returned her smile. "Haidee,"said he, "you well know."

"Why do you address me so coldly - so distantly?" asked theyoung Greek. "Have I by any means displeased you? Oh, if so,punish me as you will; but do not - do not speak to me intones and manner so formal and constrained."

"Haidee," replied the count, "you know that you are now inFrance, and are free."

"Free to do what?" asked the young girl.

"Free to leave me."

"Leave you? Why should I leave you?"

"That is not for me to say; but we are now about to mix insociety - to visit and be visited."

"I don't wish to see anybody but you."

"And should you see one whom you could prefer, I would notbe so unjust" -

"I have never seen any one I preferred to you, and I havenever loved any one but you and my father."

"My poor child," replied Monte Cristo, "that is merelybecause your father and myself are the only men who haveever talked to you."

"I don't want anybody else to talk to me. My father said Iwas his `joy' - you style me your `love,' - and both ofyou have called me `my child.'"

"Do you remember your father, Haidee?" The young Greeksmiled. "He is here, and here," said she, touching her eyesand her heart. "And where am I?" inquired Monte Cristolaughingly.

"You?" cried she, with tones of thrilling tenderness, "youare everywhere!" Monte Cristo took the delicate hand of theyoung girl in his, and was about to raise it to his lips,when the simple child of nature hastily withdrew it, andpresented her cheek. "You now understand, Haidee," said thecount, "that from this moment you are absolutely free; thathere you exercise unlimited sway, and are at liberty to layaside or continue the costume of your country, as it maysuit your inclination. Within this mansion you are absolutemistress of your actions, and may go abroad or remain inyour apartments as may seem most agreeable to you. Acarriage waits your orders, and Ali and Myrtho willaccompany you whithersoever you desire to go. There is butone favor I would entreat of you."

"Speak."

"Guard carefully the secret of your birth. Make no allusionto the past; nor upon any occasion be induced to pronouncethe names of your illustrious father or ill-fated mother."

"I have already told you, my lord, that I shall see no one."

"It is possible, Haidee, that so perfect a seclusion, thoughconformable with the habits and customs of the East, may notbe practicable in Paris. Endeavor, then, to accustomyourself to our manner of living in these northern climes asyou did to those of Rome, Florence, Milan, and Madrid; itmay be useful to you one of these days, whether you remainhere or return to the East." The young girl raised hertearful eyes towards Monte Cristo as she said with touchingearnestness, "Whether we return to the East, you mean tosay, my lord, do you not?"

"My child," returned Monte Cristo "you know full well thatwhenever we part, it will be no fault or wish of mine; thetree forsakes not the flower - the flower falls from thetree."

"My lord," replied Haidee, "I never will leave you, for I amsure I could not exist without you."

"My poor girl, in ten years I shall be old, and you will bestill young."

"My father had a long white beard, but I loved him; he wassixty years old, but to me he was handsomer than all thefine youths I saw."

"Then tell me, Haidee, do you believe you shall be able toaccustom yourself to our present mode of life?"

"Shall I see you?"

"Every day."

"Then what do you fear, my lord?"

"You might find it dull."

"No, my lord. In the morning, I shall rejoice in theprospect of your coming, and in the evening dwell withdelight on the happiness I have enjoyed in your presence;then too, when alone, I can call forth mighty pictures ofthe past, see vast horizons bounded only by the toweringmountains of Pindus and Olympus. Oh, believe me, that whenthree great passions, such as sorrow, love, and gratitudefill the heart, ennui can find no place."

"You are a worthy daughter of Epirus, Haidee, and yourcharming and poetical ideas prove well your descent fromthat race of goddesses who claim your country as theirbirthplace. Depend on my care to see that your youth is notblighted, or suffered to pass away in ungenial solitude; andof this be well assured, that if you love me as a father, Ilove you as a child."

"You are wrong, my lord. The love I have for you is verydifferent from the love I had for my father. My father died,but I did not die. If you were to die, I should die too."The Count, with a smile of profound tenderness, extended hishand, and she carried it to her lips. Monte Cristo, thusattuned to the interview he proposed to hold with Morrel andhis family, departed, murmuring as he went these lines ofPindar, "Youth is a flower of which love is the fruit; happyis he who, after having watched its silent growth, ispermitted to gather and call it his own." The carriage wasprepared according to orders, and stepping lightly into it,the count drove off at his usual rapid pace.