my lord and master." This was said in excellent Tuscan, and
with that soft Roman accent which makes the language of
Dante as sonorous as that of Homer. Then, turning to Ali,
she directed him to bring coffee and pipes, and when he had
left the room to execute the orders of his young mistress
she beckoned Albert to approach nearer to her. Monte Cristo
and Morcerf drew their seats towards a small table, on which
were arranged music, drawings, and vases of flowers. Ali
then entered bringing coffee and chibouques; as to M.
Baptistin, this portion of the building was interdicted to
him. Albert refused the pipe which the Nubian offered him.
"Oh, take it -- take it," said the count; "Haidee is almost
as civilized as a Parisian; the smell of an Havana is
disagreeable to her, but the tobacco of the East is a most
delicious perfume, you know."

Ali left the room. The cups of coffee were all prepared,
with the addition of sugar, which had been brought for
Albert. Monte Cristo and Haidee took the beverage in the
original Arabian manner, that is to say, without sugar.
Haidee took the porcelain cup in her little slender fingers
and conveyed it to her mouth with all the innocent
artlessness of a child when eating or drinking something
which it likes. At this moment two women entered, bringing
salvers filled with ices and sherbet, which they placed on
two small tables appropriated to that purpose. "My dear
host, and you, signora," said Albert, in Italian, "excuse my
apparent stupidity. I am quite bewildered, and it is natural
that it should be so. Here I am in the heart of Paris; but a
moment ago I heard the rumbling of the omnibuses and the
tinkling of the bells of the lemonade-sellers, and now I
feel as if I were suddenly transported to the East; not such
as I have seen it, but such as my dreams have painted it.
Oh, signora, if I could but speak Greek, your conversation,
added to the fairy-scene which surrounds me, would furnish
an evening of such delight as it would be impossible for me
ever to forget."

"I speak sufficient Italian to enable me to converse with
you, sir," said Haidee quietly; "and if you like what is
Eastern, I will do my best to secure the gratification of
your tastes while you are here."

"On what subject shall I converse with her?" said Albert, in
a low tone to Monte Cristo.

"Just what you please; you may speak of her country and of
her youthful reminiscences, or if you like it better you can
talk of Rome, Naples, or Florence."

"Oh," said Albert, "it is of no use to be in the company of
a Greek if one converses just in the same style as with a
Parisian; let me speak to her of the East."

"Do so then, for of all themes which you could choose that
will be the most agreeable to her taste." Albert turned
towards Haidee. "At what age did you leave Greece, signora?"
asked he.

"I left it when I was but five years old," replied Haidee.

"And have you any recollection of your country?"

"When I shut my eyes and think, I seem to see it all again.
The mind can see as well as the body. The body forgets
sometimes -- but the mind never forgets."

"And how far back into the past do your recollections
extend?"

"I could scarcely walk when my mother, who was called
Vasiliki, which means royal," said the young girl, tossing
her head proudly, "took me by the hand, and after putting in
our purse all the money we possessed, we went out, both
covered with veils, to solicit alms for the prisoners,
saying, `He who giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord.'
Then when our purse was full we returned to the palace, and
without saying a word to my father, we sent it to the
convent, where it was divided amongst the prisoners."

"And how old were you at that time?"

"I was three years old," said Haidee.

"Then you remember everything that went on about you from
the time when you were three years old?" said Albert.

"Everything."

"Count," said Albert, in a low tone to Monte Cristo, "do
allow the signora to tell me something of her history. You
prohibited my mentioning my father's name to her, but
perhaps she will allude to him of her own accord in the
course of the recital, and you have no idea how delighted I
should be to hear our name pronounced by such beautiful
lips." Monte Cristo turned to Haidee, and with an expression
of countenance which commanded her to pay the most implicit
attention to his words, he said in Greek, -- "Tell us the
fate of your father; but neither the name of the traitor nor
the treason." Haidee sighed deeply, and a shade of sadness


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