, while her husband, affecting not to observe this unconjugal
gesture, turned towards Monte Cristo and said,--"Upon my word, count,
I am quite sorry not to have met you sooner. You are setting up an
establishment, of course?"

"Why, yes," replied the count.

"I should have liked to have made you the offer of these horses. I have
almost given them away, as it is; but, as I before said, I was anxious
to get rid of them upon any terms. They were only fit for a young man."

"I am much obliged by your kind intentions towards me," said Monte
Cristo; "but this morning I purchased a very excellent pair of
carriage-horses, and I do not think they were dear. There they are.
Come, M. Debray, you are a connoisseur, I believe, let me have your
opinion upon them." As Debray walked towards the window, Danglars
approached his wife. "I could not tell you before others," said he in a
low tone, "the reason of my parting with the horses; but a most enormous
price was offered me this morning for them. Some madman or fool, bent
upon ruining himself as fast as he can, actually sent his steward to
me to purchase them at any cost; and the fact is, I have gained 16,000
francs by the sale of them. Come, don't look so angry, and you shall
have 4,000 francs of the money to do what you like with, and Eugenie
shall have 2,000. There, what do you think now of the affair? Wasn't
I right to part with the horses?" Madame Danglars surveyed her husband
with a look of withering contempt.

"Great heavens?" suddenly exclaimed Debray.

"What is it?" asked the baroness.

"I cannot be mistaken; there are your horses! The very animals we were
speaking of, harnessed to the count's carriage!"

"My dappled grays?" demanded the baroness, springing to the window.
"'Tis indeed they!" said she. Danglars looked absolutely stupefied. "How
very singular," cried Monte Cristo with well-feigned astonishment.

"I cannot believe it," murmured the banker. Madame Danglars whispered
a few words in the ear of Debray, who approached Monte Cristo, saying,
"The baroness wishes to know what you paid her husband for the horses."

"I scarcely know," replied the count; "it was a little surprise prepared
for me by my steward, and cost me--well, somewhere about 30,000 francs."
Debray conveyed the count's reply to the baroness. Poor Danglars looked
so crest-fallen and discomfited that Monte Cristo assumed a pitying air
towards him. "See," said the count, "how very ungrateful women a