Dumas_Edmond_Dantes.txt topic ['13', '324', '378', '393']
do not say that, do not say that! " groaned .
' would life he worth to me without 's love! "
" deserve that love by clearing yourself, by proving
th:it your record will bear the light of day!"
" 1 have sworn to you that am innocent! not that
enough?"
" ," replied . , coldly. " must have proof
to support your oath."
" you believe me guilty in spite of all! is the
worst blow yet "
" is in your power to completely justify yourself; at
least, so you give me to tmdcrstaiid, and yet your refusal
will forever separate you from the woman you love!"
" fill me with despair!" said , in a smothered
voice, sinking upon a sofa. " fain would reveal everything
to you, but an awful oath of silence stands between me and
the revelation."
,
' .
" ! must wait for 's answer, and sliape my
course by that!" said . , firmly.
" answer will destroy both and myself!"
replied the , in a hoarse whisper.
" shall see," returned the , rising and resuming
his cloak; as he stood at the door of the salon with his hat
in his hand, he added; " thought you all a man should be,
, and that you would make happy, but my
convictions have been sadly shaken. came here thinking
that love for woman was al! powerful in the heart of man,
that it would induce you to speak, even in the face of an oalh,
perhaps violently and iniciuitously administered; was wrong;
farewell! "
. turned slowly and took his departure, leaving
on the sofa plunged in grief and dismay.
k
.
. ' let
uneasy and s
day from hor
father and sisi
for the arrival of 's answer to
tcr approached, grew more and more
^rious; he spent the greater portion of every
ic, apparently for the purpose of avoiding his
er; when he returned he was moody, depressed
and silent, and far into the night he could be heard pacing
his chamber as if unable to sleep from excitement and anx-
endeavored to comfort him, but all her efTorts were
fruitless. , poor girl, was herself overwhelmed \vitli
own distress, though she strove to bear up against it.
had neither written to nor attempted to see her
since their separation, a circumstance she could not reconcile
with his protestatinns of ardent love for her, and this served
vastly to augment her sadness and ani^uish, though she still
believed in her soul that the was entirely innocent
of the crime laid to his charge.
.
suUatio
ted hi)
es, who had plun^
iuccsas of the
vith the
ed into politics deeper than eve
volution, was frequently in con
an leaders, and many of thei
and were closeted with him fo
hours at a time; but, though seemingly engrossed in a
fairs, the did not lose sight of his son and daughter
or of the mysterious complication that wi
peeled to make clear. had strict orders to watch boti
and , and to report to his master what
ever they did when at home in his absence, but the fatthfs
found nothing amiss, save that the young peopi
seemed burdened with a sorrow he could not fathom.
length, when the weeks that it would take to hea,
from had expired, . called one mDrning a
the mansion in the du , and having finished hi
business with . was invited by his host to remai
to lunch. repast was served in the salle-a-mangei
and partaking of it with their father s
his illustrious guest. the edibles had been remoi
and the party were taking wine at the djning-table, .
suddenly rememhering that he had an engagement, begg
. to excuse him and remain with his son an
daughter until his return, that would he in half an hour a
the utmost arrangement effected, the arose
from his chair, threw his cloak over his arm and was about
to take his departure, when appeared on the threshold
of the open doorway, bearing in his hand a letter.
divining that this was 's answer, upon which hunj
's fate and his own, leaped to his iet
and fixed his wild and staring eyes on the ominous t
if he would read its contents through its folds.
retained her seat, but lifted her hands in terror and stared ]
the letter with pallid cheeks and blanched lips.
tine turned in his chair and. holding his glass in his fasdi
gazed wonderingly at the and the epistle. .
alone seemed unmoved, and his pale countenance gave |
sign of the emotion struggling in his breast; he stood
an of iron, and extending his hand took the letter witbont '
emor. was enclosed in a curiously-fashioned envelope,
evidently made by the writer himself, and bore ihe
' . 327
^^ostmark; the direction, written in bold, scrawling, but per-
fectly legible characters, read: " . ,
from , . 27 du , , . -
sonal and private." direction was in .
having retired, the calmly broke the seal and
hurriedly ran his eyes over the missive. and -
eagerly and breathlessly watched his countenance while
he read, but it was as impassable as a countenance chiseled
from marble; when he had finished he turned to
and without a word handed him the letter. a moment
the young man trembled so he could not read; cold perspira-
tion stood in licavy beads upon his forehead, and vivid flashes
of red passed befnre his eyes like slieels of lurid lightning.
thoughts, what suspicions, what dread shot through his
tortured mind in that brief moment, making it seem an
eternity of sufferingl last, steadying and controlling bim-
selE by a supreme effort, he read the missive from which
he had feared such terrible consei]uencs. was in ,
md ran as follows:
, ': ask me
your questions, and comply. 's
'daughter, was abducted from her father's peasant-
home by , known as the
who is, no doubt, the person to whom you allude as now in
, for he has disappeared from . are right in
assuming that he had aid. was assisted by a young
r'renehman, and that young was your son, -
ance, suffered the usual fate of abducted peasant
girls, and was deserted by her dastardly abductor in a fast-
ness controlled by my band. the abduction took place,
's brother strove lo rescue her, but was attacked
and killed by . my means the girl was re-
turned to her home, but she was miserable there and fled;
she is now in an asylum for unfortunate women founded at
by the of of , and super-
intended by a lady, a de ,
who, as is said, was formerly called the of -
.* is due to your son lo say that he was entirely mis-
led in regard to the abduction of , and is
^
228 .
altogether innocent of crime or intention to commit it.
whole burden of guilt rests upon the shoulders of the -
count , who, believe, compelled your son at the
pistol's mouth to take a fearful oath of silence.
.
had read this letter that so effectually
cleared him, and was such a fearful arraignment of the
, he restored it to his father and sank into
his chair utterly overcome by the terrible excitement and
mental strain through which he had passed. .
forced him to swallow a glass of wine that partially restored
him; then, turning to . , who had been an as-
tonished spectator of this strange and to him incomprehensi-
ble family scene, he said:
" dear friend, you are amazed, and you have a right
lo be. letter that has caused my son and daughter
so much emotion comes from a brigand chief, no
othei than , whose name is notorious throughout
, will understand its importance when inform
you that it conclusively clears my son of an exceedingly
grave charge."
. arose and took by the hand.
" heartily congratulate you," said he.
" ?" asked , in a trernulous
" is unworthy of my daughter's hand!"
replied . .
" me see that letter," said , her cheek growing
piiler and her heart beating tumultuously.
father gave it to her. took it and read each line
with an intensity that was painful to behold. she had
reached the end, her eyes suddenly lighted up and the color
came rushing back to her pallid cheeks.
" ," she said, facing her brother with an air
of resolution beneath which he quailed " has
not told all! he has kept back, and that something
you know. ( is it? !"
" bus the truth! " replied the young man,
(.
,
. 239
" , but not the whole truth. has he kept back? "
shook his head.
" has told the truth!" he repeated.
' the administer the oath of silence
" did."
" who administered that oath to ?"
young man did not answer.
" is some mystery about this complicated affair yet
unexplained, and until it is explained cannot believe -
vanni guilty! "
" , come, my daughter," said , , soothingly,
"your heart speaks and not your mind."
" heart and mind both speak, papa," replied ,
"and both say that is innocent."
" him prove it then."
' feel certain that he can and will."
" , well, child, go to and take counsel
of her. a woman can heal a young girl's love wounds."
quitted the sal! e- a -manger, her countenance yet
bearing the stamp of an inflexible belii^f and a fixed determi-
nation.
" ," said . , " your honor is unstained
and you are restored to my heart. thank for the bless-
ings of this day! "
" are a true father, , as well as a true patriot,"
said . , "and feel assured that your son will
be worthy of you and of our beloved .''
very day received an unsigned
little note, written in a tiny feminine hand. was phrased
" believe you innocent in spite of all! to m
to the world that you are so."
in this note was 's letter i
.
,
330 .
next morning it became known that the -
setti had disappeared from . assigned a thou-
sand scandalous motives for his sudden flight, but gossip
could form no idea as to whither he had fled. ,* how-
ever, knew that he had returned to to clear his name
and prove himself worthy of her love!