a seat.
Albert looked around him. "You are looking for my daughter?" said the
baroness, smiling.

"I confess it," replied Albert. "Could you have been so cruel as not to
bring her?"

"Calm yourself. She has met Mademoiselle de Villefort, and has taken
her arm; see, they are following us, both in white dresses, one with a
bouquet of camellias, the other with one of myosotis. But tell me"--

"Well, what do you wish to know?"

"Will not the Count of Monte Cristo be here to-night?"

"Seventeen!" replied Albert.

"What do you mean?"

"I only mean that the count seems the rage," replied the viscount,
smiling, "and that you are the seventeenth person that has asked me the
same question. The count is in fashion; I congratulate him upon it."

"And have you replied to every one as you have to me?"

"Ah, to be sure, I have not answered you; be satisfied, we shall have
this 'lion;' we are among the privileged ones."

"Were you at the opera yesterday?"

"No."

"He was there."

"Ah, indeed? And did the eccentric person commit any new originality?"

"Can he be seen without doing so? Elssler was dancing in the 'Diable
Boiteux;' the Greek princess was in ecstasies. After the cachucha he
placed a magnificent ring on the stem of a bouquet, and threw it to
the charming danseuse, who, in the third act, to do honor to the gift,
reappeared with it on her finger. And the Greek princess,--will she be
here?"

"No, you will be deprived of that pleasure; her position in the count's
establishment is not sufficiently understood."

"Wait; leave me here, and go and speak to Madame de Villefort, who is
trying to attract your attention."

Albert bowed to Madame Danglars, and advanced towards Madame de
Villefort, whose lips opened as he approached. "I wager anything," said
Albert, interrupting her, "that I know what you were about to say."

"Well, what is it?"

"If I guess rightly, will you confess it?"

"Yes."

"On your honor?"

"On my honor."

"You were going to ask me if the Count of Monte Cristo had arrived, or
was expected."

"Not at all. It is not of him that I am now thinking. I was going to ask
you if you had received any news of Monsieur Franz."

"Yes,--yesterday."

"What did he tell you?"

"That he was leaving at the same time as his letter."

"Well, now then, the count?"

"The count will come, of that you may be satisfied."

"You know that he has another name besides Monte Cristo?"

"No, I did not k