task assigned me, it must, nevertheless, be fulfilled. Who
among the persons here assembled answers to the name of
Edmond Dantes?" Every eye was turned towards the young man
who, spite of the agitation he could not but feel, advanced
with dignity, and said, in a firm voice, "I am he; what is
your pleasure with me?"

"Edmond Dantes," replied the magistrate, "I arrest you in
the name of the law!"

"Me!" repeated Edmond, slightly changing color, "and
wherefore, I pray?"

"I cannot inform you, but you will be duly acquainted with
the reasons that have rendered such a step necessary at the
preliminary examination."

M. Morrel felt that further resistance or remonstrance was
useless. He saw before him an officer delegated to enforce
the law, and perfectly well knew that it would be as
unavailing to seek pity from a magistrate decked with his
official scarf, as to address a petition to some cold marble
effigy. Old Dantes, however, sprang forward. There are
situations which the heart of a father or a mother cannot be
made to understand. He prayed and supplicated in terms so
moving, that even the officer was touched, and, although
firm in his duty, he kindly said, "My worthy friend, let me
beg of you to calm your apprehensions. Your son has probably
neglected some prescribed form or attention in registering
his cargo, and it is more than probable he will be set at
liberty directly he has given the information required,
whether touching the health of his crew, or the value of his
freight."

"What is the meaning of all this?" inquired Caderousse,
frowningly, of Danglars, who had assumed an air of utter
surprise.

"How can I tell you?" replied he; "I am, like yourself,
utterly bewildered at all that is going on, and cannot in
the least make out what it is about." Caderousse then looked
around for Fernand, but he had disappeared.

The scene of the previous night now came back to his mind
with startling clearness. The painful catastrophe he had
just witnessed appeared effectually to have rent away the
veil which the intoxication of the evening before had raised
between himself and his memory.

"So, so," said he, in a hoarse and choking voice, to
Danglars, "this, then, I suppose, is a part of the trick you
were concerting yesterday? All I can say is, that if it be
so, 'tis an ill turn, and well deserves to bring double evil
on those who have projected it."

"Nonsense," returned Danglars, "I tell you again I have
nothing whatever to do with it; besides, you know very well
that I tore the paper to pieces."

"No, you did not!" answered Caderousse, "you merely threw it
by -- I saw it lying in a corner."

"Hold your tongue, you fool! -- what should you know about
it? -- why, you were drunk!"

"Where is Fernand?" inquired Caderousse.

"How do I know?" replied Danglars; "gone, as every prudent
man ought to be, to look after his own affairs, most likely.
Never mind where he is, let you and I go and see what is to
be done for our poor friends."

During this conversation, Dantes, after having exchanged a
cheerful shake of the hand with all his sympathizing
friends, had surrendered himself to the officer sent to
arrest him, merely saying, "Make yourselves quite easy, my
good fellows, there is some little mistake to clear up,
that's all, depend upon it; and very likely I may not have
to go so far as the prison to effect that."

"Oh, to be sure!" responded Danglars, who had now approached
the group, "nothing more than a mistake, I feel quite
certain."

Dantes descended the staircase, preceded by the magistrate,
and followed by the soldiers. A carriage awaited him at the
door; he got in, followed by two soldiers and the
magistrate, and the vehicle drove off towards Marseilles.

"Adieu, adieu, dearest Edmond!" cried Mercedes, stretching
out her arms to him from the balcony.

The prisoner heard the cry, which sounded like the sob of a
broken heart, and leaning from the coach he called out,
"Good-by, Mercedes -- we shall soon meet again!" Then the
vehicle disappeared round one of the turnings of Fort Saint
Nicholas.

"Wait for me here, all of you!" cried M. Morrel; "I will
take the first conveyance I find, and hurry to Marseilles,


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