m yourself, monsieur, we will duly respect your conscience."

At this moment the abbe pressed down his side of the shade and so raised
it on the other, throwing a bright light on the stranger's face, while
his own remained obscured. "Excuse me, abbe," said the envoy of the
prefect of the police, "but the light tries my eyes very much." The abbe
lowered the shade. "Now, sir, I am listening--go on."

"I will come at once to the point. Do you know the Count of Monte
Cristo?"

"You mean Monsieur Zaccone, I presume?"

"Zaccone?--is not his name Monte Cristo?"

"Monte Cristo is the name of an estate, or, rather, of a rock, and not a
family name."

"Well, be it so--let us not dispute about words; and since M. de Monte
Cristo and M. Zaccone are the same"--

"Absolutely the same."

"Let us speak of M. Zaccone."

"Agreed."

"I asked you if you knew him?"

"Extremely well."

"Who is he?"

"The son of a rich shipbuilder in Malta."

"I know that is the report; but, as you are aware, the police does not
content itself with vague reports."

"However," replied the abbe, with an affable smile, "when that report is
in accordance with the truth, everybody must believe it, the police as
well as all the rest."

"Are you sure of what you assert?"

"What do you mean by that question?"

"Understand, sir, I do not in the least suspect your veracity; I ask if
you are certain of it?"

"I knew his father, M. Zaccone."

"Ah, indeed?"

"And when a child I often played with the son in the timber-yards."

"But whence does he derive the title of count?"

"You are aware that may be bought."

"In Italy?"

"Everywhere."

"And his immense riches, whence does he procure them?"

"They may not be so very great."

"How much do you suppose he possesses?"

"From one hundred and fifty to two hundred thousand livres per annum."

"That is reasonable," said the visitor; "I have heard he had three or
four millions."

"Two hundred thousand per annum would make four millions of capital."

"But I was told he had four millions per annum."

"That is not probable."

"Do you know this Island of Monte Cristo?"

"Certainly, every one who has come from Palermo, Naples, or Rome to
France by sea must know it, since he has passed close to it and must
have seen it."

"I am told it is a delightful place?"

"It is a rock."

"And why has the count bought a rock?"

"For the sake of being a count. In Italy one must have territorial