The Son Of Monte Cristo Part 19 (2/2)

”Throw your cards on the table, Cyprien! What do you want reat service?”

”I ienerosity of ht!” the Marquis replied ”If I succeed, I will h on the social ladder that the greatest names in France will bow before you!”

”Thank you, honored sir When the hour arrives, I will remind you of your words But noe must think of Pierre Labarre Time presses!”

”I aues froney”

”It is now three o'clock,” said the Marquis ”We can surely return here to-night You had best order the horses at once”

When the Marquis was alone, he bowed his face in his hands

”If I could believe him!” he murmured ”But I am afraid!”

A few brief words of explanation are here necessary The Fongereues family re-entered France with the allied ar The old Marquis was elevated to the peerage, and Magdalena felt that her ambitious projects were on the eve of fulfilment The Vicomte de Talizac easily obtained proof of the death of Siere; his wife and children had disappeared, and probably perished The Vicomte, therefore, did not hesitate to claim as sole heir the estate on the death of the Marquis in 1817 But this estate, though considerable, was far less idalena had hoped

The Vicomte was deeply in debt, and his creditors became iant, all theendured, their revenues would have been more than sufficient But these two persons, who had not recoiled from a terrible criereues fortune, were now carried away by a wild thirst for exciteayety The hotel they occupied became the scene of perpetual fetes and the rendezvous of the aristocracy

Magdalena's son, who now bore the title of the Vicoality, developed early the faults of his nature, which were increased by the foolish indulgence of his lance, and cautioned Magdalena, who at the first syllable he uttered silenced him in the dalena, ”that my son is to conduct himself as if he were to earn his bread by the sweat of his brow? I a of your petty economies”

As her husband protested, she lowered her voice and looked him full in the face ”Do you think,” she said, ”that it was to ar of uilty creatures gazed at each other; the Marquis was the first to turn his uneasy eyes away Froan, and the Marquis led athe alliance with Madee was to the Marquis de Fongereues the last plank between himself and destruction Unless this plan was carried to a happy ter about the court of spots on the hitherto untarnished shi+eld of the Marquis de Fongereues People were beginning to desert the hotel as rats fly frohty dalena had conciliated no one

The insolence of Talizac had becoht several duels fro fall of this detested faht It is therefore easy to understand why the Marquis was so eager to find Pierre Labarre

He was interrupted in his reflections by Cyprien, who now returned with the innkeeper

”I am sorry, sir,” said the latter, ”to be the bearer of annoyances You know that we at this season are liable to inundations, and we have just learned that the torrent that crosses the road at Vagney is rising rapidly, and erous to travel”

”But is there no other road?”

”None which is not equally flooded Every where the danger would be just as great”

”I aet on this afternoon”

The innkeeper did everything to place obstacles in the path of the Marquis, who, however, insisted on going

”Well!” said Schwann, to himself, ”I shall not be easy until they return, for I fear that the inundation has only just begun”

CHAPTER XVI