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"I have suffered deeply, madame," answered Monte Cristo

"But now you are happy?"

"Doubtless," replied the count, "since no one hears me complain"

"And your present happiness, has it softened your heart?"

"My present happiness equals my past misery," said the count

"Are you not married?" asked the countess "I, ; "who could have told you so?"

"No one told me you were, but you have frequently been seen at the opera with a young and lovely woht at Constantinople, hter of a prince I have adopted her asno one else to love in the world"

"You live alone, then?"

"I do"

"You have no sister--no son--no father?"

"I have no one"

"How can you exist thus without any one to attach you to life?"

"It is not irl, was on the point of ht she loved h to wait for me, and even to remain faithful to my memory When I returned she was married This is the history of e Perhaps my heart eaker than the hearts of most men, and I suffered more than they would have done in my place; that is all" The countess stopped for afor breath "Yes," she said, "and you have still preserved this love in your heart--one can only love once--and did you ever see her again?"