im once, did you not?" she asked.

"Perhaps I did, perhaps I did not!" replied Annunziata. "I do not know!
Certainly my heart spoke for him, but that may have been only friendly
esteem! However, after the abduction and the horrible and disgraceful
events that followed it, I grew to hate him with the bitterest
description of hate! I have told you that I have forgiven him and it was
the truth. I have forgiven and am endeavoring to forget him!"

There was a suspicious glitter in the girl's eyes as she spoke,
something that hinted of the presence of tears, but the glitter passed
away and, turning to Mme. de Rancogne, she said:

"Are your guests through with questioning me, Madame the Superior?"

Mme. de Rancogne glanced inquiringly at Monte-Cristo, who nodded his
head affirmatively.

"The interview is concluded," replied Helena, "and now, if you so
desire, you can return to your apartment."

Annunziata, more affected and agitated by what she had just passed
through than she cared to admit, bowed to the visitors and the Superior
and hastily quitted the salon.

"Poor girl! she remains perfectly unconvinced!" said Monte-Cristo, after
her departure.

"And she is right!" rejoined Mme. de Rancogne, warmly. "I have heard all
the details of her story and the chain of evidence against the Viscount
Giovanni Massetti is altogether complete. To doubt his guilt would be
sheer idiocy!"

After a sojourn of a few hours longer at the Refuge, Monte-Cristo and
his party returned to Rome to go actively to work in Massetti's cause.

CHAPTER XXVI.

VAMPA AND MONTE-CRISTO.

After his fearful and exhausting duel with old Pasquale Solara in which
he had been so nearly vanquished and so signally favored by Fate, the
Viscount Massetti dragged himself rather than ran through the chestnut
grove by the roadside, pausing now and then to glance back through the
trees and note what was taking place among Vampa's bandits. His wounded
antagonist was evidently unconscious, for the brigands were bending over
him, some of them seeming to be engaged in endeavors to restore him to
his senses. Another circumstance tending to confirm this supposition was
the absence of pursuit, for had the shepherd been able to give even the
most fragmentary information relative to the encounter, Vampa's men
would have immediately devoted their attention to a search for his
successful assailant, and in Giovanni's present condition of exhaustion
his capture co