Volume I Part 33 (1/2)
”And if the worst should coeously, ”I would rather die than hesitate any longer To arms!”
”To arms, then!” repeated the Marquis of Sante-Croce, solemnly, ”and may God be with us!”
”But where is Aslitta? He must lead us,” some cried
La Luciola advanced
”The patriot Aslitta has been i in the citadel”
A cry of rage arose
”Let us rescue him,” came from all sides ”Let us storm the citadel before they murder him”
”Yes, let us rescue hiin to-morrow! To arms in the name of humanity and freedom!”
Suddenly a man arose fro a look at the count, he slowly said:
”We hardly know you What guarantee will you give us that you won't betray us?”
”The ht,” the count replied ”Sante-Croce, here is my own child Take Spero with you Let him vouch for his father with his head!”
Sante-Croce refused to accept the guarantee, but Monte-Cristo was firm
The boy, with proudly uplifted head, strode toward the old man and said:
”I shall accoht me to do my duty”
With enthusiastic cries the patriots crowded about the handsome lad, and Monte-Cristo felt his heart throb with joy as he looked at Spero
”And I, too, will accompany you!” exclaimed La Luciola ”Italy must be freed, and Aslitta rescued”
CHAPTER XXIX
FATHER AND SON
Benedetto, who had been pushed into the open sea in a frail bark by the Count of Monte-Cristo, had been miraculously rescued by some fisherlance fell on the box which stood near his bed The contents were undisturbed, the poor fisher the box which the Count of Monte-Cristo had closed again, and thus the world stood open to the wretch
His viperous instincts had not deserted hi as Benedetto lay faint and weak on the straw, he heard lowrooed to a patriotic league similar to the Carbonari, whose object was to free Italy On this particular evening they were discussing the question of shi+pping arms and ammunition to their countrymen
The next day Benedetto, with tears in his eyes, told them that he had to depart at once, as he was expected at Lucca by a friend of his The honest fisherot so there, and went to Milan, where he represented himself as Count San Pietro His first visit was to Radetzky, to whom he denounced the fishere of the traitor's story, captured the fishermen, had them tried by court-martial, and then shot From that moment San Pietro became a favorite of the marshal
The Major Bartolo house at Lucca Where he got his major's title from, no one knew; even his mistress, the beautiful Aurora Vertelli, was reticent on this point
When Bartolo to fifty thousand francs, into the lap of the handsome Aurora Vertelli, the practical beauty said:
”Bartolo-rooh--let us try to turn over the fifty thousand francs”