The Son Of Monte Cristo Part 93 (2/2)

she murmured

Sanselme saw and heard it all It see and Benedetto retreating, the two reached the other end of the wreck; their feet slipped, there was a dull sound as they fell, and the water opened to receive the, and heard not another sound

In the unwale, with eyes open One sailor said to another:

”A drunken man the less in the world!”

That was the only funeral sermon preached over Sanselme

CHAPTER LXVIII

MONTE-CRISTO, THE MARTYR

In the Hotel de Monte-Cristo all is sad and silent The very walls and the furniture had a funereal air In the large chamber lie the bodies of Jane and Esperance, the son of Monte-Cristo How much beauty, youth and tenderness were to be sed up in Mother Earth! Jane, vailed in lace, had a tender smile upon her lips Esperance, in his serene repose, was the ie of Monte-Cristo in his early days

Near the bed were two --Fanfar, the faithful friend of the Count, who had saved hila; Goutran, the co soul The two sat in silence, and hardly dared look at each other They were both oppressed with re a senti to leave his son in entire liberty to develop in such direction as his nature demanded But when he went he said to these men, ”I confide to you the one treasure that I have in the world--watch over him”

And they had made answer that they would protect hi and Esperance was dead They heard in their ears like the tolling of a funeral bell, the words, ”Too late!

Too late!” If they had arrived in time they would certainly have prevented the catastrophe, but this was the result--this motionless form with hands crossed on his breast

Coucon and Mada

Fanfar and Goutran were silent, as we have said, for the same question was upon the lips of both men, and both knew that there was no answer

Had not the Count said, ”If any peril demands my presence summon me, and within three days I will be with you” And it would be precisely three days at ht since Fanfar sent the summons

Would he come? The clock struck half-past eleven, and no Monte-Cristo

Must they then lay in the grave the mortal remains of the son of Monte-Cristo without a farewell kiss on the pale brow fro of which they would be guilty toward this unhappy father

Fanfar was buried in thought He saw Esperance, when almost a child he defied the Arabs He saw him borne in his father's arht of the last words that the Vicoive one's self entirely, in life and in death!”

The lamps burned dimly The clock struck twelve The two men started, for the door opened noiselessly and a man of tall stature entered It was the Count of Monte-Cristo His eyes were dim, his shoulders bowed, and his steps awakened no echo He was dressed in black

The two men did not move nor speak They seemed to feel that no human voice should break this awful stillness

Monte-Cristo walked to the side of the bed and looked at his son, long and steadily What thoughts were hidden in that active brain?

And now Fanfar beheld a terrible, unheard-of thing When Monte-Cristo entered, his hair was black as night, and as he stood there his hair began to whiten What terrible torture that e, which had anization of iron, suddenly took possession of it First, his teht snoas thrown upon it, and then by degrees the whole head becaet it

Monte-Crisobnt low over the bier on which Esperance lay He took his son in his ar the body Monte-Cristo left the roo off the torpor which had held them motionless, Fanfar and Goutran started in pursuit But in vain did they search the hotel, Monte-Cristo had vanished with the body of his son