t, do you not." The old man intimated that such was his meaning.
"Ah, yes, happily I have," replied Valentine. "Without that, what would
become of me?"

It was one o'clock in the morning. Barrois, who wished to go to bed
himself, observed that after such sad events every one stood in need of
rest. Noirtier would not say that the only rest he needed was to see
his child, but wished her good-night, for grief and fatigue had made her
appear quite ill. The next morning she found her grandmother in bed;
the fever had not abated, on the contrary her eyes glistened and she
appeared to be suffering from violent nervous irritability. "Oh, dear
grandmamma, are you worse?" exclaimed Valentine, perceiving all these
signs of agitation.

"No, my child, no," said Madame de Saint-Meran; "but I was impatiently
waiting for your arrival, that I might send for your father."

"My father?" inquired Valentine, uneasily.

"Yes, I wish to speak to him." Valentine durst not oppose her
grandmother's wish, the cause of which she did not know, and an instant
afterwards Villefort entered. "Sir," said Madame de Saint-Meran, without
using any circumlocution, and as if fearing she had no time to lose,
"you wrote to me concerning the marriage of this child?"

"Yes, madame," replied Villefort, "it is not only projected but
arranged."

"Your intended son-in-law is named M. Franz d'Epinay?"

"Yes, madame."

"Is he not the son of General d'Epinay who was on our side, and who was
assassinated some days before the usurper returned from the Island of
Elba?"

"The same."

"Does he not dislike the idea of marrying the granddaughter of a
Jacobin?"

"Our civil dissensions are now happily extinguished, mother," said
Villefort; "M. d'Epinay was quite a child when his father died, he knows
very little of M. Noirtier, and will meet him, if not with pleasure, at
least with indifference."

"Is it a suitable match?"

"In every respect."

"And the young man?"

"Is regarded with universal esteem."

"You approve of him?"

"He is one of the most well-bred young men I know." During the whole
of this conversation Valentine had remained silent. "Well, sir," said
Madame de Saint-Meran, after a few minutes' reflection, "I must hasten
the marriage, for I have but a short time to live."

"You, madame?" "You, dear mamma?" exclaimed M. de Villefort and
Valentine at the same time.

"I know what I am saying," continued the marchioness; "I must hurry you,
so