t if M. Noirtier disinherits Mademoiselle de Villefort
because she is going to marry a man whose father he detested, he cannot
have the same cause of complaint against this dear Edward."

"True," said Madame de Villefort, with an intonation of voice which it
is impossible to describe; "is it not unjust--shamefully unjust? Poor
Edward is as much M. Noirtier's grandchild as Valentine, and yet, if she
had not been going to marry M. Franz, M. Noirtier would have left
her all his money; and supposing Valentine to be disinherited by her
grandfather, she will still be three times richer than he." The count
listened and said no more. "Count," said Villefort, "we will not
entertain you any longer with our family misfortunes. It is true that my
patrimony will go to endow charitable institutions, and my father will
have deprived me of my lawful inheritance without any reason for doing
so, but I shall have the satisfaction of knowing that I have acted like
a man of sense and feeling. M. d'Epinay, to whom I had promised the
interest of this sum, shall receive it, even if I endure the most cruel
privations."

"However," said Madame de Villefort, returning to the one idea which
incessantly occupied her mind, "perhaps it would be better to explain
this unlucky affair to M. d'Epinay, in order to give him the opportunity
of himself renouncing his claim to the hand of Mademoiselle de
Villefort."

"Ah, that would be a great pity," said Villefort.

"A great pity," said Monte Cristo.

"Undoubtedly," said Villefort, moderating the tones of his voice, "a
marriage once concerted and then broken off, throws a sort of discredit
on a young lady; then again, the old reports, which I was so anxious to
put an end to, will instantly gain ground. No, it will all go well; M.
d'Epinay, if he is an honorable man, will consider himself more than
ever pledged to Mademoiselle de Villefort, unless he were actuated by a
decided feeling of avarice, but that is impossible."

"I agree with M. de Villefort," said Monte Cristo, fixing his eyes on
Madame de Villefort; "and if I were sufficiently intimate with him to
allow of giving my advice, I would persuade him, since I have been told
M. d'Epinay is coming back, to settle this affair at once beyond all
possibility of revocation. I will answer for the success of a project
which will reflect so much honor on M. de Villefort." The procureur
arose, delighted with the proposition, but his wife slightly changed
c