d that would teach her prudence."

"I do not understand," stammered Lucien.

"It is very clear, notwithstanding," replied the young man, with an
artlessness wholly free from affectation; "tell her some fine morning
an unheard-of piece of intelligence--some telegraphic despatch, of
which you alone are in possession; for instance, that Henri IV. was
seen yesterday at Gabrielle's. That would boom the market; she will
buy heavily, and she will certainly lose when Beauchamp announces the
following day, in his gazette, 'The report circulated by some usually
well-informed persons that the king was seen yesterday at Gabrielle's
house, is totally without foundation. We can positively assert that his
majesty did not quit the Pont-Neuf.'" Lucien half smiled. Monte
Cristo, although apparently indifferent, had not lost one word of this
conversation, and his penetrating eye had even read a hidden secret
in the embarrassed manner of the secretary. This embarrassment had
completely escaped Albert, but it caused Lucien to shorten his visit;
he was evidently ill at ease. The count, in taking leave of him, said
something in a low voice, to which he answered, "Willingly, count; I
accept." The count returned to young Morcerf.

"Do you not think, on reflection," said he to him, "that you have done
wrong in thus speaking of your mother-in-law in the presence of M.
Debray?"

"My dear count," said Morcerf, "I beg of you not to apply that title so
prematurely."

"Now, speaking without any exaggeration, is your mother really so very
much averse to this marriage?"

"So much so that the baroness very rarely comes to the house, and my
mother, has not, I think, visited Madame Danglars twice in her whole
life."

"Then," said the count, "I am emboldened to speak openly to you.
M. Danglars is my banker; M. de Villefort has overwhelmed me with
politeness in return for a service which a casual piece of good fortune
enabled me to render him. I predict from all this an avalanche of
dinners and routs. Now, in order not to presume on this, and also to be
beforehand with them, I have, if agreeable to you, thought of
inviting M. and Madame Danglars, and M. and Madame de Villefort, to
my country-house at Auteuil. If I were to invite you and the Count and
Countess of Morcerf to this dinner, I should give it the appearance of
being a matrimonial meeting, or at least Madame de Morcerf would look
upon the affair in that light, especially if Baron Danglars d