We remember that the Abbe Busoni remained alone withNoirtier in the chamber of death, and that the old man andthe priest were the sole guardians of the young girl's body.Perhaps it was the Christian exhortations of the abbe,perhaps his kind charity, perhaps his persuasive words,which had restored the courage of Noirtier, for ever sincehe had conversed with the priest his violent despair hadyielded to a calm resignation which surprised all who knewhis excessive affection for Valentine. M. de Villefort hadnot seen his father since the morning of the death. Thewhole establishment had been changed; another valet wasengaged for himself, a new servant for Noirtier, two womenhad entered Madame de Villefort's service, - in fact,everywhere, to the concierge and coachmen, new faces werepresented to the different masters of the house, thuswidening the division which had always existed between themembers of the same family.

The assizes, also, were about to begin, and Villefort, shutup in his room, exerted himself with feverish anxiety indrawing up the case against the murderer of Caderousse. Thisaffair, like all those in which the Count of Monte Cristohad interfered, caused a great sensation in Paris. Theproofs were certainly not convincing, since they rested upona few words written by an escaped galley-slave on hisdeath-bed, and who might have been actuated by hatred orrevenge in accusing his companion. But the mind of theprocureur was made up; he felt assured that Benedetto wasguilty, and he hoped by his skill in conducting thisaggravated case to flatter his self-love, which was aboutthe only vulnerable point left in his frozen heart.

The case was therefore prepared owing to the incessant laborof Villefort, who wished it to be the first on the list inthe coming assizes. He had been obliged to seclude himselfmore than ever, to evade the enormous number of applicationspresented to him for the purpose of obtaining tickets ofadmission to the court on the day of trial. And then soshort a time had elapsed since the death of poor Valentine,and the gloom which overshadowed the house was so recent,that no one wondered to see the father so absorbed in hisprofessional duties, which were the only means he had ofdissipating his grief.

Once only had Villefort seen his father; it was the dayafter that upon which Bertuccio had paid his second visit toBenedetto, when the latter was to learn his father's name.The magistrate, harassed and fatigued, had descended to thegarden of his house, and in a gloomy mood, similar to thatin which Tarquin lopped off the tallest poppies, he beganknocking off with his cane the long and dying branches ofthe rose-trees, which, placed along the avenue, seemed likethe spectres of the brilliant flowers which had bloomed inthe past season. More than once he had reached that part ofthe garden where the famous boarded gate stood overlookingthe deserted enclosure, always returning by the same path,to begin his walk again, at the same pace and with the samegesture, when he accidentally turned his eyes towards thehouse, whence he heard the noisy play of his son, who hadreturned from school to spend the Sunday and Monday with hismother. While doing so, he observed M. Noirtier at one ofthe open windows, where the old man had been placed that hemight enjoy the last rays of the sun which yet yielded someheat, and was now shining upon the dying flowers and redleaves of the creeper which twined around the balcony.

The eye of the old man was riveted upon a spot whichVillefort could scarcely distinguish. His glance was so fullof hate, of ferocity, and savage impatience, that Villefortturned out of the path he had been pursuing, to see uponwhat person this dark look was directed. Then he saw beneatha thick clump of linden-trees, which were nearly divested offoliage, Madame de Villefort sitting with a book in herhand, the perusal of which she frequently interrupted tosmile upon her son, or to throw back his elastic ball, whichhe obstinately threw from the drawing-room into the garden.Villefort became pale; he understood the old man's meaning.Noirtier continued to look at the same object, but suddenlyhis glance was transferred from the wife to the husband, andVillefort himself had to submit to the searchinginvestigation of eyes, which, while changing their directionand even their language, had lost none of their menacingexpression. Madame de Villefort, unconscious of the passionsthat exhausted their fire over her head, at that moment heldher son's ball, and was making signs to him to reclaim itwith a kiss. Edward begged for a long while, the maternalkiss probably not offering sufficient recompense for thetrouble he must take to obtain it; however at length hedecided, leaped out of the window into a cluster ofheliotropes and daisies, and ran to his mother, his foreheadstreaming with perspiration. Madame de Villefort wiped hisforehead, pressed her lips upon it, and sent him back withthe ball in one hand and some bonbons in the other.

Villefort, drawn by an irresistible attraction, like that ofthe bird to the serpent, walked towards the house. As heapproached it, Noirtier's gaze followed him, and his eyesappeared of such a fiery brightness that Villefort felt thempierce to the depths of his heart. In that earnest lookmight be read a deep reproach, as well as a terrible menace.Then Noirtier raised his eyes to heaven, as though to remindhis son of a forgotten oath. "It is well, sir," repliedVillefort from below, - "it is well; have patience but oneday longer; what I have said I will do." Noirtier seemed tobe calmed by these words, and turned his eyes withindifference to the other side. Villefort violentlyunbuttoned his great-coat, which seemed to strangle him, andpassing his livid hand across his forehead, entered hisstudy.

The night was cold and still; the family had all retired torest but Villefort, who alone remained up, and worked tillfive o'clock in the morning, reviewing the lastinterrogatories made the night before by the examiningmagistrates, compiling the depositions of the witnesses, andputting the finishing stroke to the deed of accusation,which was one of the most energetic and best conceived ofany he had yet delivered.

The next day, Monday, was the first sitting of the assizes.The morning dawned dull and gloomy, and Villefort saw thedim gray light shine upon the lines he had traced in redink. The magistrate had slept for a short time while thelamp sent forth its final struggles; its flickerings awokehim, and he found his fingers as damp and purple as thoughthey had been dipped in blood. He opened the window; abright yellow streak crossed the sky, and seemed to dividein half the poplars, which stood out in black relief on thehorizon. In the clover-fields beyond the chestnut-trees, alark was mounting up to heaven, while pouring out her clearmorning song. The damps of the dew bathed the head ofVillefort, and refreshed his memory. "To-day," he said withan effort, - "to-day the man who holds the blade of justicemust strike wherever there is guilt." Involuntarily his eyeswandered towards the window of Noirtier's room, where he hadseen him the preceding night. The curtain was drawn, and yetthe image of his father was so vivid to his mind that headdressed the closed window as though it had been open, andas if through the opening he had beheld the menacing oldman. "Yes," he murmured, - "yes, be satisfied."

His head dropped upon his chest, and in this position hepaced his study; then he threw himself, dressed as he was,upon a sofa, less to sleep than to rest his limbs, crampedwith cold and study. By degrees every one awoke. Villefort,from his study, heard the successive noises which accompanythe life of a house, - the opening and shutting of doors,the ringing of Madame de Villefort's bell, to summon thewaiting-maid, mingled with the first shouts of the child,who rose full of the enjoyment of his age. Villefort alsorang; his new valet brought him the papers, and with them acup of chocolate.

"What are you bringing me?" said he.

"A cup of chocolate."

"I did not ask for it. Who has paid me this attention?"

"My mistress, sir. She said you would have to speak a greatdeal in the murder case, and that you should take somethingto keep up your strength;" and the valet placed the cup onthe table nearest to the sofa, which was, like all the rest,covered with papers. The valet then left the room. Villefortlooked for an instant with a gloomy expression, then,suddenly, taking it up with a nervous motion, he swallowedits contents at one draught. It might have been thought thathe hoped the beverage would be mortal, and that he soughtfor death to deliver him from a duty which he would ratherdie than fulfil. He then rose, and paced his room with asmile it would have been terrible to witness. The chocolatewas inoffensive, for M. de Villefort felt no effects. Thebreakfast-hour arrived, but M. de Villefort was not attable. The valet re-entered.

"Madame de Villefort wishes to remind you, sir," he said,"that eleven o'clock has just struck, and that the trialcommences at twelve."

"Well," said Villefort, "what then?"

"Madame de Villefort is dressed; she is quite ready, andwishes to know if she is to accompany you, sir?"

"Where to?"

"To the Palais."

"What to do?"

"My mistress wishes much to be present at the trial."

"Ah," said Villefort, with a startling accent; "does shewish that?" - The man drew back and said, "If you wish togo alone, sir, I will go and tell my mistress." Villefortremained silent for a moment, and dented his pale cheekswith his nails. "Tell your mistress," he at length answered,"that I wish to speak to her, and I beg she will wait for mein her own room."

"Yes, sir."

"Then come to dress and shave me."

"Directly, sir." The valet re-appeared almost instantly,and, having shaved his master, assisted him to dressentirely in black. When he had finished, he said, -

"My mistress said she should expect you, sir, as soon as youhad finished dressing."

"I am going to her." And Villefort, with his papers underhis arm and hat in hand, directed his steps toward theapartment of his wife. At the door he paused for a moment towipe his damp, pale brow. He then entered the room. Madamede Villefort was sitting on an ottoman and impatientlyturning over the leaves of some newspapers and pamphletswhich young Edward, by way of amusing himself, was tearingto pieces before his mother could finish reading them. Shewas dressed to go out, her bonnet was placed beside her on achair, and her gloves were on her hands.

"Ah, here you are, monsieur," she said in her naturally calmvoice; "but how pale you are! Have you been working allnight? Why did you not come down to breakfast? Well, willyou take me, or shall I take Edward?" Madame de Villeforthad multiplied her questions in order to gain one answer,but to all her inquiries M. de Villefort remained mute andcold as a statue. "Edward," said Villefort, fixing animperious glance on the child, "go and play in thedrawing-room, my dear; I wish to speak to your mamma."Madame de Villefort shuddered at the sight of that coldcountenance, that resolute tone, and the awfully strangepreliminaries. Edward raised his head, looked at his mother,and then, finding that she did not confirm the order, begancutting off the heads of his leaden soldiers.

"Edward," cried M. de Villefort, so harshly that the childstarted up from the floor, "do you hear me? - Go!" Thechild, unaccustomed to such treatment, arose, pale andtrembling; it would be difficult to say whether his emotionwere caused by fear or passion. His father went up to him,took him in his arms, and kissed his forehead. "Go," hesaid: "go, my child." Edward ran out. M. de Villefort wentto the door, which he closed behind the child, and bolted."Dear me!" said the young woman, endeavoring to read herhusband's inmost thoughts, while a smile passed over hercountenance which froze the impassibility of Villefort;"what is the matter?"

"Madame, where do you keep the poison you generally use?"said the magistrate, without any introduction, placinghimself between his wife and the door.

Madame de Villefort must have experienced something of thesensation of a bird which, looking up, sees the murderoustrap closing over its head. A hoarse, broken tone, which wasneither a cry nor a sigh, escaped from her, while she becamedeadly pale. "Monsieur," she said, "I - I do not understandyou." And, in her first paroxysm of terror, she had raisedherself from the sofa, in the next, stronger very likelythan the other, she fell down again on the cushions. "Iasked you," continued Villefort, in a perfectly calm tone,"where you conceal the poison by the aid of which you havekilled my father-in-law, M. de Saint-Meran, mymother-in-law, Madame de Saint-Meran, Barrois, and mydaughter Valentine."

"Ah, sir," exclaimed Madame de Villefort, clasping herhands, "what do you say?"

"It is not for you to interrogate, but to answer."

"Is it to the judge or to the husband?" stammered Madame deVillefort. "To the judge - to the judge, madame!" It wasterrible to behold the frightful pallor of that woman, theanguish of her look, the trembling of her whole frame. "Ah,sir," she muttered, "ah, sir," and this was all.

"You do not answer, madame!" exclaimed the terribleinterrogator. Then he added, with a smile yet more terriblethan his anger, "It is true, then; you do not deny it!" Shemoved forward. "And you cannot deny it!" added Villefort,extending his hand toward her, as though to seize her in thename of justice. "You have accomplished these differentcrimes with impudent address, but which could only deceivethose whose affections for you blinded them. Since the deathof Madame de Saint-Meran, I have known that a poisoner livedin my house. M. d'Avrigny warned me of it. After the deathof Barrois my suspicions were directed towards an angel, - those suspicions which, even when there is no crime, arealways alive in my heart; but after the death of Valentine,there has been no doubt in my mind, madame, and not only inmine, but in those of others; thus your crime, known by twopersons, suspected by many, will soon become public, and, asI told you just now, you no longer speak to the husband, butto the judge."

The young woman hid her face in her hands. "Oh, sir," shestammered, "I beseech you, do not believe appearances."

"Are you, then, a coward?" cried Villefort, in acontemptuous voice. "But I have always observed thatpoisoners were cowards. Can you be a coward, - you who havehad the courage to witness the death of two old men and ayoung girl murdered by you?"

"Sir! sir!"

"Can you be a coward?" continued Villefort, with increasingexcitement, "you, who could count, one by one, the minutesof four death agonies? You, who have arranged your infernalplans, and removed the beverages with a talent and precisionalmost miraculous? Have you, then, who have calculatedeverything with such nicety, have you forgotten to calculateone thing - I mean where the revelation of your crimes willlead you to? Oh, it is impossible - you must have savedsome surer, more subtle and deadly poison than any other,that you might escape the punishment that you deserve. Youhave done this - I hope so, at least." Madame de Villefortstretched out her hands, and fell on her knees.

"I understand," he said, "you confess; but a confession madeto the judges, a confession made at the last moment,extorted when the crime cannot be denied, diminishes not thepunishment inflicted on the guilty!"

"The punishment?" exclaimed Madame de Villefort, "thepunishment, monsieur? Twice you have pronounced that word!"

"Certainly. Did you hope to escape it because you were fourtimes guilty? Did you think the punishment would be withheldbecause you are the wife of him who pronounces it? - No,madame, no; the scaffold awaits the poisoner, whoever shemay be, unless, as I just said, the poisoner has taken theprecaution of keeping for herself a few drops of herdeadliest potion." Madame de Villefort uttered a wild cry,and a hideous and uncontrollable terror spread over herdistorted features. "Oh, do not fear the scaffold, madame,"said the magistrate; "I will not dishonor you, since thatwould be dishonor to myself; no, if you have heard medistinctly, you will understand that you are not to die onthe scaffold."

"No, I do not understand; what do you mean?" stammered theunhappy woman, completely overwhelmed. "I mean that the wifeof the first magistrate in the capital shall not, by herinfamy, soil an unblemished name; that she shall not, withone blow, dishonor her husband and her child."

"No, no - oh, no!"

"Well, madame, it will be a laudable action on your part,and I will thank you for it!"

"You will thank me - for what?"

"For what you have just said."

"What did I say? Oh, my brain whirls; I no longer understandanything. Oh, my God, my God!" And she rose, with her hairdishevelled, and her lips foaming.

"Have you answered the question I put to you on entering theroom? - where do you keep the poison you generally use,madame?" Madame de Villefort raised her arms to heaven, andconvulsively struck one hand against the other. "No, no,"she vociferated, "no, you cannot wish that!"

"What I do not wish, madame, is that you should perish onthe scaffold. Do you understand?" asked Villefort.

"Oh, mercy, mercy, monsieur!"

"What I require is, that justice be done. I am on the earthto punish, madame," he added, with a flaming glance; "anyother woman, were it the queen herself, I would send to theexecutioner; but to you I shall be merciful. To you I willsay, `Have you not, madame, put aside some of the surest,deadliest, most speedy poison?'"

"Oh, pardon me, sir; let me live!"

"She is cowardly," said Villefort.

"Reflect that I am your wife!"

"You are a poisoner."

"In the name of heaven!"

"No!"

"In the name of the love you once bore me!"

"No, no!"

"In the name of our child! Ah, for the sake of our child,let me live!"

"No, no, no, I tell you; one day, if I allow you to live,you will perhaps kill him, as you have the others!"

"I? - I kill my boy?" cried the distracted mother, rushingtoward Villefort; "I kill my son? Ha, ha, ha!" and afrightful, demoniac laugh finished the sentence, which waslost in a hoarse rattle. Madame de Villefort fell at herhusband's feet. He approached her. "Think of it, madame," hesaid; "if, on my return, justice his not been satisfied, Iwill denounce you with my own mouth, and arrest you with myown hands!" She listened, panting, overwhelmed, crushed; hereye alone lived, and glared horribly. "Do you understandme?" he said. "I am going down there to pronounce thesentence of death against a murderer. If I find you alive onmy return, you shall sleep to-night in the conciergerie."Madame de Villefort sighed; her nerves gave way, and shesunk on the carpet. The king's attorney seemed to experiencea sensation of pity; he looked upon her less severely, and,bowing to her, said slowly, "Farewell, madame, farewell!"That farewell struck Madame de Villefort like theexecutioner's knife. She fainted. The procureur went out,after having double-locked the door.