, the greater number of a man's errors
come before him disguised under the specious form of necessity; then,
after error has been committed in a moment of excitement, of delirium,
or of fear, we see that we might have avoided and escaped it. The means
we might have used, which we in our blindness could not see, then seem
simple and easy, and we say, 'Why did I not do this, instead of that?'
Women, on the contrary, are rarely tormented with remorse; for the
decision does not come from you,--your misfortunes are generally imposed
upon you, and your faults the results of others' crimes."

"In any case, sir, you will allow," replied Madame Danglars, "that, even
if the fault were alone mine, I last night received a severe punishment
for it."

"Poor thing," said Villefort, pressing her hand, "it was too severe for
your strength, for you were twice overwhelmed, and yet"--

"Well?"

"Well, I must tell you. Collect all your courage, for you have not yet
heard all."

"Ah," exclaimed Madame Danglars, alarmed, "what is there more to hear?"

"You only look back to the past, and it is, indeed, bad enough. Well,
picture to yourself a future more gloomy still--certainly frightful,
perhaps sanguinary." The baroness knew how calm Villefort naturally was,
and his present excitement frightened her so much that she opened
her mouth to scream, but the sound died in her throat. "How has this
terrible past been recalled?" cried Villefort; "how is it that it has
escaped from the depths of the tomb and the recesses of our hearts,
where it was buried, to visit us now, like a phantom, whitening our
cheeks and flushing our brows with shame?"

"Alas," said Hermine, "doubtless it is chance."

"Chance?" replied Villefort; "No, no, madame, there is no such thing as
chance."

"Oh, yes; has not a fatal chance revealed all this? Was it not by chance
the Count of Monte Cristo bought that house? Was it not by chance he
caused the earth to be dug up? Is it not by chance that the unfortunate
child was disinterred under the trees?--that poor innocent offspring of
mine, which I never even kissed, but for whom I wept many, many tears.
Ah, my heart clung to the count when he mentioned the dear spoil found
beneath the flowers."

"Well, no, madame,--this is the terrible news I have to tell you," said
Villefort in a hollow voice--"no, nothing was found beneath the flowers;
there was no child disinterred--no. You must not weep, no, you must not
groan, yo