"Was he young or old?"

"About six or seven and twenty years of age, I should say."

"So," answered the abbe. "Old enough to be ambitions, but
too young to be corrupt. And how did he treat you?"

"With more of mildness than severity."

"Did you tell him your whole story?"

"I did."

"And did his conduct change at all in the course of your
examination?"

"He did appear much disturbed when he read the letter that
had brought me into this scrape. He seemed quite overcome by
my misfortune."

"By your misfortune?"

"Yes."

"Then you feel quite sure that it was your misfortune he
deplored?"

"He gave me one great proof of his sympathy, at any rate."

"And that?"

"He burnt the sole evidence that could at all have
criminated me."

"What? the accusation?"

"No; the letter."

"Are you sure?"

"I saw it done."

"That alters the case. This man might, after all, be a
greater scoundrel than you have thought possible."

"Upon my word," said Dantes, "you make me shudder. Is the
world filled with tigers and crocodiles?"

"Yes; and remember that two-legged tigers and crocodiles are
more dangerous than the others."

"Never mind; let us go on."

"With all my heart! You tell me he burned the letter?"

"He did; saying at the same time, `You see I thus destroy
the only proof existing against you.'"

"This action is somewhat too sublime to be natural."

"You think so?"

"I am sure of it. To whom was this letter addressed?"

"To M. Noirtier, No. 13 Coq-Heron, Paris."

"Now can you conceive of any interest that your heroic
deputy could possibly have had in the destruction of that
letter?"

"Why, it is not altogether impossible he might have had, for
he made me promise several times never to speak of that
letter to any one, assuring me he so advised me for my own
interest; and, more than this, he insisted on my taking a
solemn oath never to utter the name mentioned in the
address."

"Noirtier!" repeated the abbe; "Noirtier! -- I knew a person
of that name at the court of the Queen of Etruria, -- a
Noirtier, who had been a Girondin during the Revolution!
What was your deputy called?"

"De Villefort!" The abbe burst into a fit of laughter, while
Dantes gazed on him in utter astonishment.

"What ails you?" said he at length.

"Do you see that ray of sunlight?"

"I do."

"Well, the whole thing is more clear to me than that sunbeam
is to you. Poor fellow! poor young man! And you tell me this
magistrate expressed great sympathy and commiseration for
you?"

"He did."

"And the worthy man destroyed your compromising letter?"


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