Volume I Part 10 (1/2)
”Then let me unravel these riddles to you Valentine de Villefort lives”
The old physician swayed froround had not Morrel caught hiny's cheeks, and sobbing he asked:
”Is it no dream? Does Valentine live?”
”She lives, and yearns to shake her old friend's hand,” replied Morrel
He then narrated to the astonished physician the extraordinary circuers Monte-Cristo had undergone for her; how he had oblet of Madame de Villefort harmless, and how he had rescued him, too, from a suicide's death
”And who is this Count of Monte-Cristo?” asked D'Avigny when Maximilian had ended
”Doctor,” said Morrel solemnly, ”here my story ends Who and what the Count of Monte-Cristo is I am not at liberty to tell He has a mission to fulfil, rewards here and punishes there, and I myself have been at times moved to believe hi him, which he alone can clear up; but this I know, he is a noble ny after a short pause
”Since the fall of the house of Villefort, Valentine has lived with her grandfather, Monsieur Noirtier, on his estate near Marseilles”
”That is the reason, then, why Monsieur Noirtier disappeared so suddenly frony
”Yes, the Count of Monte-Cristo informed the old man that Valentine lived, and was in need of his protection Monsieur Noirtier io they were both living quietly at Oliolles, near Marseilles”
”And since then?” asked the physician, uneasily
”About five days ago Valentine received this note Please read it and tellletter to the doctor:
”MADEMOISELLE VALENTINE--In Paris, in the house of Dr D'Avigny, a dying man awaits your consolation If you wish to see your father alive, hurry to him
”M C”
”The Count of Monte-Cristo ny
”The initials M C prove it”
”We thought so, too,” said Maximilian
”Do you knohere the count is now?”
”No”
”Where could he have found out that Monsieur de Villefort is dying? I ny, meditatively
”Oh, the count sometimes appears to be endoith miraculous powers!”
exclaimed Morrel, enthusiastically ”Valentine immediately travelled here under my protection I--”