The Son of Monte-Cristo, Volume I | Page 8

a great pity!"
The judge beckoned to the actuary and ordered him to read the
indictment. It was short and compact; it recited the murder of
Caderousse, the robbery in the Count of Monte-Cristo's house, the
revelations made by the prisoner with regard to M. de Villefort, the
latter's confession, his insanity, and finally the suicide of his wife.
"Prisoner, stand up!" said the judge, in a soft voice, "and tell me your
name."
"Benedetto," replied the former bandit in a modest, almost frightened
voice.
"Are you guilty of the murder of Caderousse?"
"Judge," stammered Benedetto, "I must acknowledge my guilt." And
burying his face in his hands, he tried to suppress his sobs.
"What kind of a comedy is the rascal playing?" grumbled Beauchamp.
"Hush!" replied Chateau-Renaud, "the proceedings are becoming
interesting."
Benedetto answered all questions put to him without hesitation.
"I know," he said, "I am a great sinner, and bow to the justice of the

people, as I do to the justice of God."
The duty of the jury was thus rendered easy, the murder was
acknowledged, the antecedents of the prisoner were very bad, and the
counterfeiter and murderer was as good as convicted at this stage of the
proceedings.
"Call the witnesses," said the judge.
"Count of Monte-Cristo," cried the clerk.
No one answered.
"It is singular," said the judge, "that Monsieur de Monte-Cristo" (he
purposely left out the title of count), "who is interested in this trial, has
refused to obey the order of the court. Has he received a subpoena?"
The assistant district-attorney looked over his papers.
"The gentleman named," he said, with a malicious twirl of his lips, "has
sold his property in France and has disappeared, no one knows where."
"Call the other witnesses," said the judge; "we shall attend to Monsieur
de Monte-Cristo's case later on."
The other witnesses, mainly people who had come to Caderousse's
assistance when he had called for help, were not slow in coming
forward. Their testimony was short and precise. They confirmed the
fact of Caderousse's being found with a knife in his heart.
"Have you anything to say, prisoner?" asked the judge.
"No, sir, these honest people unfortunately tell the truth," said
Benedetto, meekly.
A murmur of applause ran round the room. When all was calm again
the clerk exclaimed:
"Monsieur Noirtier de Villefort!"

"What!" exclaimed Beauchamp, springing up, as if electrified, "are they
going to be so cruel as to make this unfortunate man testify again?"
"Gentlemen of the jury," said the judge, as if in answer to Beauchamp's
question, "we have thought it necessary to call Monsieur de Villefort,
although in the present state of his health there is little chance of his
being able to clear up those points which are still obscure."
Deep silence reigned--the door was opened, and Monsieur de Villefort
appeared on the threshold.
CHAPTER VII
A MIRACLE
The Count of Monte-Cristo had indeed left Paris shortly after the first
sitting of the Benedetto case had been so strangely interrupted. In his
company was the young officer, Maximilian Morrel, who was so
shocked at the death of his beloved Valentine as not to be any longer
recognizable as the gay young officer who, with Chateau-Renaud,
Beauchamp and Debray formed the leading cavaliers of the capital. A
sympathy, which he could not account for himself, brought Morrel into
a bond of friendship with the Count of Monte-Cristo, and he told him
of his love for Valentine de Villefort and his grief at the sudden death
of his idol.
But even Monte-Cristo's consolations brought no relief to the young
man, and he resolved to put an end to his life, so as to be joined at least
in death with his cherished darling.
He had already written the letter, the weapon lay on his table, when he
was disturbed by an unwelcome visit from the Count of Monte-Cristo.
"What were you going to do, Maximilian?" asked Monte-Cristo,
sternly.
"The one thing which is left to an unfortunate who has been robbed of
the one most dear to him on earth," the young man replied, in a tone of

resignation.
"I understand you; he who has known Valentine as I have could readily
excuse the abominable step you were about to take."
"And do you not approve of it?" asked the young man, in a tone of
astonishment.
"That depends on circumstances; these circumstances are, however, not
yet here, much as you may wonder. I make you the following
proposition: If, at the end of a month, you do not declare that you
regard this suicide as a crime against yourself and all those dear to you,
then I will give you a powder which will put an end to your life without
leaving such ugly traces as that pistol on your desk."
"If