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"Extraordinary, did you say?"

"Yes"

"You have known hiht or ten days"

"And do you call a ht or ten days? Ah, Maxiher value on the title of friend"

"Your logic is most powerful, Valentine, but say what you will, I can never renounce the sentiment which has instinctively taken possession of my mind I feel as if it were ordained that this ood which the future may have in store for me, and sometimes it really seems as if his eye was able to see as to co events according to his oill"

"He

"Indeed," said Maximilian, "I have often been alift of prophecy; at all events, he has a wonderful power of foretelling any future good"

"Ah," said Valentine in a mournful tone, "do let me see this man, Maximilian; he may tell me whether I shall ever be loved sufficiently to irl, you know him already"

"I know him?"

"Yes; it was he who saved the life of your step-mother and her son"

"The Count of Monte Cristo?"

"The same"

"Ah," cried Valentine, "he is too much the friend of Madame de Villefort ever to be mine"

"The friend of Madame de Villefort! It cannot be; surely, Valentine, you are mistaken?"

"No, indeed, I am not; for I assure you, his power over our household is alards him as the epitome of human wisdom; admired by my father, who says he has never before heard such sublime ideas so eloquently expressed; idolized by Edward, who, notwithstanding his fear of the count's large black eyes, runs to meet him the moment he arrives, and opens his hand, in which he is sure to find sohtful present,--M de Monte Cristo appears to exert a mysterious and almost uncontrollable influence over all the members of our family"

"If such be the case, my dear Valentine, you must yourself have felt, or at all events will soon feel, the effects of his presence He meets Albert de Morcerf in Italy--it is to rescue him from the hands of the banditti; he introduces hiive her a royal present; your step-mother and her son pass before his door--it is that his Nubian may save them from destruction Thisevents, both as regards reater nificence His set it ever can be bitter to others Ah, Valentine, tell me, if he ever looked on you with one of those sweet smiles? if so, depend on it, you will be happy"