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Having accomplished these three social duties, Monte Cristo stopped, looking around him with that expression peculiar to a certain class, which seems to say, "I have done my duty, now let others do theirs" Andrea, as in an adjoining room, had shared in the sensation caused by the arrival of Monte Cristo, and now came forward to pay his respects to the count He found hier to speak to him, as is always the case with those whose words are few and weighty The solicitors arrived at this ed their scrawled papers on the velvet cloth eold which covered the table prepared for the signature; it was a gilt table supported on lions' claws One of the notaries sat down, the other re of the contract, which half Paris assen All took their places, or rather the ladies forentlemen (more indifferent to the restraints of what Boileau calls the "energetic style") colars' riveted attention, Eugenie's cohtly manner in which the baroness treated this i a profound silence But as soon as it was finished, the buzz was redoubled through all the drawing-roopeople, and which crowned the display of the wedding presents and the young lady's diamonds, which had been made in a room entirely appropriated for that purpose, had exercised to the full their delusions over the envious assehtened in the opinion of the young men, and for the moment seemed to outvie the sun in splendor As for the ladies, it is needless to say that while they coveted the ht they did not need theh without them Andrea, surrounded by his friends, co to believe in the reality of his dream, was almost bewildered The notary solemnly took the pen, flourished it above his head, and said, "Gentlen the contract"

The baron was to sign first, then the representative of M Cavalcanti, senior, then the baroness, afterwards the "future couple," as they are styled in the aboal docuned, then the representative The baroness approached, leaning on Madame de Villefort's arm "My dear," said she, as she took the pen, "is it not vexatious? An unexpected incident, in the affair of murder and theft at the Count of Monte Cristo's, in which he nearly fell a victi M de Villefort"