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"You are right, Morrel; God is speaking to your heart, and your heart speaks to you Tell me what it says"

"Count, will you allow me to send Baptistin to inquire after some one you know?"

"I am at your service, and still more my servants"

"Oh, I cannot live if she is not better"

"Shall I ring for Baptistin?"

"No, I will go and speak to him myself" Morrel went out, called Baptistin, and whispered a feords to him The valet ran directly "Well, have you sent?" asked Monte Cristo, seeing Morrel return

"Yes, and now I shall be ," said Monte Cristo, sarden; a clump of trees concealed me; no one suspected I was there Two persons passed near me--allowin an undertone, and yet I was so interested in what they said that I did not lose a single word"

"This is a glooe froloomy, arden belonged One of the persons whose conversation I overheard was the master of the house; the other, the physician The forrief and fear, for it was the second time within a month that death had suddenly and unexpectedly entered that house which was apparently destined to destruction by soer"

"Ah, indeed?" said Monte Cristo, looking earnestly at the younghis chair, so that he reht fell full on Maximilian's face "Yes," continued Morrel, "death had entered that house tithin one month"

"And what did the doctor answer?" asked Monte Cristo

"He replied--he replied, that the death was not a natural one, and must be attributed"-"To what?"

"To poison"

"Indeed?" said Monte Cristo with a slight cough which in uise a blush, or his pallor, or the intense interest hich he listened; "indeed, Maximilian, did you hear that?"

"Yes, my dear count, I heard it; and the doctor added that if another death occurred in a similar way he must appeal to justice" Monte Cristo listened, or appeared to do so, with the greatest calmness "Well," said Maximilian, "death came a third time, and neither the master of the house nor the doctor said a word Death is now, perhaps, striking a fourth blow Count, what a in possession of this secret?"