you look opposite," said the
baroness, as she laughingly pointed to the beautiful Greek.

"No, no!" exclaimed Debray; "that girl is not his wife: he told us
himself she was his slave. Do you not recollect, Morcerf, his telling us
so at your breakfast?"

"Well, then," said the baroness, "if slave she be, she has all the air
and manner of a princess."

"Of the 'Arabian Nights'?"

"If you like; but tell me, my dear Lucien, what it is that constitutes a
princess. Why, diamonds--and she is covered with them."

"To me she seems overloaded," observed Eugenie; "she would look far
better if she wore fewer, and we should then be able to see her finely
formed throat and wrists."

"See how the artist peeps out!" exclaimed Madame Danglars. "My poor
Eugenie, you must conceal your passion for the fine arts."

"I admire all that is beautiful," returned the young lady.

"What do you think of the count?" inquired Debray; "he is not much
amiss, according to my ideas of good looks."

"The count," repeated Eugenie, as though it had not occurred to her to
observe him sooner; "the count?--oh, he is so dreadfully pale."

"I quite agree with you," said Morcerf; "and the secret of that very
pallor is what we want to find out. The Countess G---- insists upon it
that he is a vampire."

"Then the Countess G---- has returned to Paris, has she?" inquired the
baroness.

"Is that she, mamma?" asked Eugenie; "almost opposite to us, with that
profusion of beautiful light hair?"

"Yes," said Madame Danglars, "that is she. Shall I tell you what you
ought to do, Morcerf?"

"Command me, madame."

"Well, then, you should go and bring your Count of Monte Cristo to us."

"What for?" asked Eugenie.

"What for? Why, to converse with him, of course. Have you really no
desire to meet him?"

"None whatever," replied Eugenie.

"Strange child," murmured the baroness.

"He will very probably come of his own accord," said Morcerf. "There; do
you see, madame, he recognizes you, and bows." The baroness returned the
salute in the most smiling and graceful manner.

"Well," said Morcerf, "I may as well be magnanimous, and tear myself
away to forward your wishes. Adieu; I will go and try if there are any
means of speaking to him."

"Go straight to his box; that will be the simplest plan."

"But I have never been presented."

"Presented to whom?"

"To the beautiful Greek."

"You say she is only a slave?"

"While you assert that she is a qu