"Oliva Corsinari, was it not?"

"Oliva Corsinari."

"A marchioness?"

"A marchioness."

"And you married her at last, notwithstanding the opposition of her
family?"

"Yes, that was the way it ended."

"And you have doubtless brought all your papers with you?" said Monte
Cristo.

"What papers?"

"The certificate of your marriage with Oliva Corsinari, and the register
of your child's birth."

"The register of my child's birth?"

"The register of the birth of Andrea Cavalcanti--of your son; is not his
name Andrea?"

"I believe so," said the major.

"What? You believe so?"

"I dare not positively assert it, as he has been lost for so long a
time."

"Well, then," said Monte Cristo "you have all the documents with you?"

"Your excellency, I regret to say that, not knowing it was necessary to
come provided with these papers, I neglected to bring them."

"That is unfortunate," returned Monte Cristo.

"Were they, then, so necessary?"

"They were indispensable."

The major passed his hand across his brow. "Ah, per Bacco,
indispensable, were they?"

"Certainly they were; supposing there were to be doubts raised as to the
validity of your marriage or the legitimacy of your child?"

"True," said the major, "there might be doubts raised."

"In that case your son would be very unpleasantly situated."

"It would be fatal to his interests."

"It might cause him to fail in some desirable matrimonial alliance."

"O peccato!"

"You must know that in France they are very particular on these points;
it is not sufficient, as in Italy, to go to the priest and say, 'We love
each other, and want you to marry us.' Marriage is a civil affair in
France, and in order to marry in an orthodox manner you must have papers
which undeniably establish your identity."

"That is the misfortune! You see I have not these necessary papers."

"Fortunately, I have them, though," said Monte Cristo.

"You?"

"Yes."

"You have them?"

"I have them."

"Ah, indeed?" said the major, who, seeing the object of his journey
frustrated by the absence of the papers, feared also that his
forgetfulness might give rise to some difficulty concerning the 48,000
francs--"ah, indeed, that is a fortunate circumstance; yes, that really
is lucky, for it never occurred to me to bring them."

"I do not at all wonder at it--one cannot think of everything; but,
happily, the Abbe Busoni thought for you."

"He is an excellent person."