he Rhone. At last, however, we succeeded, and worked up to Arles. I
left the boat between Bellegarde and Beaucaire, and took the road to
Nimes."

"We are getting to the story now?"

"Yes, your excellency; excuse me, but, as you will see, I only tell you
what is absolutely necessary. Just at this time the famous massacres
took place in the south of France. Three brigands, called Trestaillon,
Truphemy, and Graffan, publicly assassinated everybody whom they
suspected of Bonapartism. You have doubtless heard of these massacres,
your excellency?"

"Vaguely; I was far from France at that period. Go on."

"As I entered Nimes, I literally waded in blood; at every step you
encountered dead bodies and bands of murderers, who killed, plundered,
and burned. At the sight of this slaughter and devastation I became
terrified, not for myself--for I, a simple Corsican fisherman, had
nothing to fear; on the contrary, that time was most favorable for us
smugglers--but for my brother, a soldier of the empire, returning from
the army of the Loire, with his uniform and his epaulets, there was
everything to apprehend. I hastened to the inn-keeper. My misgivings had
been but too true. My brother had arrived the previous evening at
Nimes, and, at the very door of the house where he was about to demand
hospitality, he had been assassinated. I did all in my power to discover
the murderers, but no one durst tell me their names, so much were they
dreaded. I then thought of that French justice of which I had heard so
much, and which feared nothing, and I went to the king's attorney."

"And this king's attorney was named Villefort?" asked Monte Cristo
carelessly.

"Yes, your excellency; he came from Marseilles, where he had been
deputy-procureur. His zeal had procured him advancement, and he was said
to be one of the first who had informed the government of the departure
from the Island of Elba."

"Then," said Monte Cristo "you went to him?"

"'Monsieur,' I said, 'my brother was assassinated yesterday in the
streets of Nimes, I know not by whom, but it is your duty to find out.
You are the representative of justice here, and it is for justice to
avenge those she has been unable to protect.'--'Who was your brother?'
asked he.--'A lieutenant in the Corsican battalion.'--'A soldier of the
usurper, then?'--'A soldier of the French army.'--'Well,' replied he,
'he has smitten with the sword, and he has perished by the sword.'--'You
are mistaken,