unable to pierce the obscurity of the thick
shrubberies, in which a man could conceal himself without any fear of
discovery. I hid myself in the one nearest to the path Villefort must
take, and scarcely was I there when, amidst the gusts of wind, I
fancied I heard groans; but you know, or rather you do not know, your
excellency, that he who is about to commit an assassination fancies that
he hears low cries perpetually ringing in his ears. Two hours passed
thus, during which I imagined I heard moans repeatedly. Midnight struck.
As the last stroke died away, I saw a faint light shine through the
windows of the private staircase by which we have just descended. The
door opened, and the man in the mantle reappeared. The terrible moment
had come, but I had so long been prepared for it that my heart did not
fail in the least. I drew my knife from my pocket again, opened it, and
made ready to strike. The man in the mantle advanced towards me, but as
he drew near I saw that he had a weapon in his hand. I was afraid, not
of a struggle, but of a failure. When he was only a few paces from me,
I saw that what I had taken for a weapon was only a spade. I was still
unable to divine for what reason M. de Villefort had this spade in his
hands, when he stopped close to the thicket where I was, glanced round,
and began to dig a hole in the earth. I then perceived that he was
hiding something under his mantle, which he laid on the grass in order
to dig more freely. Then, I confess, curiosity mingled with hatred;
I wished to see what Villefort was going to do there, and I remained
motionless, holding my breath. Then an idea crossed my mind, which was
confirmed when I saw the procureur lift from under his mantle a box, two
feet long, and six or eight inches deep. I let him place the box in the
hole he had made, then, while he stamped with his feet to remove all
traces of his occupation, I rushed on him and plunged my knife into
his breast, exclaiming,--'I am Giovanni Bertuccio; thy death for my
brother's; thy treasure for his widow; thou seest that my vengeance is
more complete than I had hoped.' I know not if he heard these words; I
think he did not, for he fell without a cry. I felt his blood gush
over my face, but I was intoxicated, I was delirious, and the blood
refreshed, instead of burning me. In a second I had disinterred the box;
then, that it might not be known I had done so, I filled up the hole,
threw the spade over the wall, and