第239章

"He gave no other name," answered Julie, looking earnestly at the count, "than that at the end of his letter -- `Sinbad the Sailor.'""Which is evidently not his real name, but a fictitious one."Then, noticing that Julie was struck with the sound of his voice, --"Tell me," continued he, "was he not about my height, perhaps a little taller, with his chin imprisoned, as it were, in a high cravat; his coat closely buttoned up, and constantly taking out his pencil?""Oh, do you then know him?" cried Julie, whose eyes sparkled with joy.

"No," returned Monte Cristo "I only guessed.I knew a Lord Wilmore, who was constantly doing actions of this kind.""Without revealing himself?"

"He was an eccentric being, and did not believe in the existence of gratitude.""Oh, heaven," exclaimed Julie, clasping her hands, "in what did he believe, then?""He did not credit it at the period which I knew him," said Monte Cristo, touched to the heart by the accents of Julie's voice; "but, perhaps, since then he has had proofs that gratitude does exist.""And do you know this gentleman, monsieur?" inquired Emmanuel.

"Oh, if you do know him," cried Julie, "can you tell us where he is -- where we can find him? Maximilian -- Emmanuel -- if we do but discover him, he must believe in the gratitude of the heart!" Monte Cristo felt tears start into his eyes, and he again walked hastily up and down the room.

"In the name of heaven," said Maximilian, "if you know anything of him, tell us what it is.""Alas," cried Monte Cristo, striving to repress his emotion, "if Lord Wilmore was your unknown benefactor, I fear you will never see him again.I parted from him two years ago at Palermo, and he was then on the point of setting out for the most remote regions; so that I fear he will never return.""Oh, monsieur, this is cruel of you," said Julie, much affected; and the young lady's eyes swam with tears.

"Madame," replied Monte Cristo gravely, and gazing earnestly on the two liquid pearls that trickled down Julie's cheeks, "had Lord Wilmore seen what I now see, he would become attached to life, for the tears you shed would reconcile him to mankind;" and he held out his hand to Julie, who gave him hers, carried away by the look and accent of the count.

"But," continued she, "Lord Wilmore had a family or friends, he must have known some one, can we not -- ""Oh, it is useless to inquire," returned the count;"perhaps, after all, he was not the man you seek for.He was my friend: he had no secrets from me, and if this had been so he would have confided in me.""And he told you nothing?"

"Not a word."

"Nothing that would lead you to suppose?""Nothing."

"And yet you spoke of him at once."

"Ah, in such a case one supposes" --

"Sister, sister," said Maximilian, coming to the count's aid, "monsieur is quite right.Recollect what our excellent father so often told us, `It was no Englishman that thus saved us.'" Monte Cristo started."What did your father tell you, M.Morrel?" said he eagerly.

"My father thought that this action had been miraculously performed -- he believed that a benefactor had arisen from the grave to save us.Oh, it was a touching superstition, monsieur, and although I did not myself believe it, I would not for the world have destroyed my father's faith.How often did he muse over it and pronounce the name of a dear friend -- a friend lost to him forever; and on his death-bed, when the near approach of eternity seemed to have illumined his mind with supernatural light, this thought, which had until then been but a doubt, became a conviction, and his last words were, `Maximilian, it was Edmond Dantes!'" At these words the count's paleness, which had for some time been increasing, became alarming; he could not speak; he looked at his watch like a man who has forgotten the hour, said a few hurried words to Madame Herbault, and pressing the hands of Emmanuel and Maximilian, -- "Madame,"said he, "I trust you will allow me to visit you occasionally; I value your friendship, and feel grateful to you for your welcome, for this is the first time for many years that I have thus yielded to my feelings;" and he hastily quitted the apartment.

"This Count of Monte Cristo is a strange man," said Emmanuel.

"Yes," answered Maximilian, "but I feel sure he has an excellent heart, and that he likes us.""His voice went to my heart," observed Julie; "and two or three times I fancied that I had heard it before."