tion, thinking that
Monte-Cristo was much too careful and slow.

He was now permitted to see Zuleika almost constantly and their love
tete-a-tetes were of the most delicious and impassioned description.
They passed hours together upon the vast upper balcony of the hotel in
the soft Italian dusk and moonlight evenings, discoursing those sweet
and tender nothings so precious to lovers and so insipid to
matter-of-fact people whose days of romantic attachment are over.
Sometimes, however, their conversation was of a more practical
character; they spoke of their projects for the future--where they
should go on their bridal tour and what they should do before settling
down to the calm, peaceful existence of placid matrimonial joy. They had
decided to take up their permanent residence in Paris; thus they would
always be near Monte-Cristo, Esperance and Mercedes, near Albert de
Morcerf and his wife, near those friends of friends Maximilian and
Valentine Morrel; besides in the gay French capital, the city of cities,
while enjoying themselves to the utmost they could escape all allusions
to Giovanni's past which they could not possibly hope for did they
settle in Rome, where every time the youthful couple appeared in public
the old scandal, the old charge against the Viscount would undoubtedly
be freshly and perhaps venomously commented upon.

Occasionally, when Zuleika was with her father or in company with Mme.
Morrel, young Massetti would take long walks into the country for the
purpose of breathing the free air and increasing his strength by means
of healthful exercise. During these strolls he shunned every person he
met, it being Monte-Cristo's desire that he should studiously avoid
observation.

The news of Massetti's sudden and marvellous cure had spread throughout
Rome, but people shook their heads when they talked of it and agreed
with the opinion expressed by the director of the insane asylum that Dr.
Absalom had made use of some trick, the influence of which could not be
permanent, but would soon be dissipated, when the poor, deluded Viscount
would instantly fall into a worse mental condition than before.

Undoubtedly the Count Massetti heard of his son's restoration to sanity
and bodily health, but he paid no attention whatever to it, continuing
proudly and haughtily to ignore the fact of Giovanni's existence.
Monte-Cristo had not called upon the aged and inflexible nobleman for
two reasons--he feared that his ind