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"Ah," said Villefort, "this seems to me the truth If you have been culpable, it was imprudence, and this imprudence was in obedience to the orders of your captain Give up this letter you have brought from Elba, and pass your word you will appear should you be required, and go and rejoin your friends

"I aive me this letter"

"You have it already, for it was taken from me with some others which I see in that packet"

"Stop a loves "To whom is it addressed?"

"To Monsieur Noirtier, Rue Coq-Heron, Paris" Had a thunderbolt fallen into the room, Villefort could not have beenover the packet, drew forth the fatal letter, at which he glanced with an expression of terror

"M Noirtier, Rue Coq-Heron, No 13,"still paler

"Yes," said Dantes; "do you know him?"

"No," replied Villefort; "a faithful servant of the king does not know conspirators"

"It is a conspiracy, then?" asked Dantes, who after believing hian to feel a tenfold alarnorant of the contents of the letter"

"Yes; but you knew the name of the person to whom it was addressed," said Villefort

"I was forced to read the address to knohoive it"

"Have you shown this letter to any one?" asked Villefort, beco still norant that you are the bearer of a letter from the Island of Elba, and addressed to M Noirtier?"

"Everybody, except the person who gave it to me"

"And that was too much, far too much," murmured Villefort Villefort's brow darkened more and more, his white lips and clinched teeth filled Dantes with apprehension After reading the letter, Villefort covered his face with his hands

"Oh," said Dantes timidly, "what is the matter?" Villefort made no answer, but raised his head at the expiration of a few seconds, and again perused the letter

"And you say that you are ignorant of the contents of this letter?"

"I give you my word of honor, sir," said Dantes; "but what is thefor assistance?--shall I call?"

"No," said Villefort, rising hastily; "stay where you are It is for ive orders here, and not you"

"Monsieur," replied Dantes proudly, "it was only to summon assistance for you"

"I want none; it was a temporary indisposition Attend to yourself; answera question, but in vain Villefort fell back on his chair, passed his hand over his brow, moist with perspiration, and, for the third time, read the letter