ixed his keen eyes on M. Morrel with a look of suspicion and inquiry.

"One of my dearest friends, M. Maximilian Morrel, Captain in the Army
of France," said Monte-Cristo, in answer to this look. "You can have as
full confidence in him as in me."

Dr. Absalom bowed profoundly to M. Morrel, and without another word led
the way to an inner apartment. It was a vast chamber, closed like the
front of the house, brilliantly illuminated by a huge chandelier
suspended from the ceiling in which burned twenty wax candles of various
hues. The room was provided with all the apparatus and paraphernalia of
a chemist's laboratory of modern days, also containing many strange
instruments and machines such as aided the researches and labors of the
old-time disciples of alchemy.

In the centre of the apartment stood a vast table covered with gigantic
parchment-bound tomes and rolls of yellow manuscript. Behind this table
was a huge, high-backed chair of elaborate antique workmanship
resembling the throne of some Asiatic sovereign of the remote past. In
this chair the physician seated himself after having installed his
visitors each upon a commodious and comfortable Turkish divan.

Maximilian noticed that the floor of the room was covered with soft and
elegant Persian rugs and that the walls were hung with exquisitely
beautiful tapestry. Monte-Cristo had warned him to prepare to be greatly
surprised, but Dr. Absalom's lavish display of wealth, luxury and taste
in the midst of the filthy, dilapidated Ghetto, nevertheless, absolutely
stunned him. The Count had also cautioned him not to speak without his
permission--a useless injunction, for the young Frenchman was too much
amazed to utter a syllable.

After seating himself the Hebrew sage, who seemed to be a man of
business as well as of science, requested the Count to state in what he
could serve him. Thereupon Monte-Cristo succinctly related the history
of the Viscount Massetti, told of his mental malady, his confinement in
the insane asylum and ended by asking the physician if he could and
would cure him.

"I have already heard somewhat of this unfortunate young man," replied
Dr. Absalom, "and the fact of his insanity was also imparted to me, but
before expressing an opinion as to what my science can do in his case, I
must have the particulars."

The Count motioned to M. Morrel, who, having by this time partially
recovered from his bewilderment, at once proceeded to give the aged