e desired, while praying to God in my behalf,
to raise me actually to his presence."

And for the second time Haidee stopped, overcome by such violent emotion
that the perspiration stood upon her pale brow, and her stifled voice
seemed hardly able to find utterance, so parched and dry were her throat
and lips. Monte Cristo poured a little iced water into a glass, and
presented it to her, saying with a mildness in which was also a shade of
command,--"Courage."

Haidee dried her eyes, and continued: "By this time our eyes, habituated
to the darkness, had recognized the messenger of the pasha,--it was
a friend. Selim had also recognized him, but the brave young man only
acknowledged one duty, which was to obey. 'In whose name do you come?'
said he to him. 'I come in the name of our master, Ali Tepelini.'--'If
you come from Ali himself,' said Selim, 'you know what you were charged
to remit to me?'--'Yes,' said the messenger, 'and I bring you his ring.'
At these words he raised his hand above his head, to show the token;
but it was too far off, and there was not light enough to enable Selim,
where he was standing, to distinguish and recognize the object presented
to his view. 'I do not see what you have in your hand,' said Selim.
'Approach then,' said the messenger, 'or I will come nearer to you, if
you prefer it.'--'I will agree to neither one nor the other,' replied
the young soldier; 'place the object which I desire to see in the ray of
light which shines there, and retire while I examine it.'--'Be it so,'
said the envoy; and he retired, after having first deposited the token
agreed on in the place pointed out to him by Selim.

"Oh, how our hearts palpitated; for it did, indeed, seem to be a ring
which was placed there. But was it my father's ring? that was the
question. Selim, still holding in his hand the lighted match, walked
towards the opening in the cavern, and, aided by the faint light which
streamed in through the mouth of the cave, picked up the token.

"'It is well,' said he, kissing it; 'it is my master's ring!' And
throwing the match on the ground, he trampled on it and extinguished it.
The messenger uttered a cry of joy and clapped his hands. At this signal
four soldiers of the Serasker Koorshid suddenly appeared, and Selim
fell, pierced by five blows. Each man had stabbed him separately, and,
intoxicated by their crime, though still pale with fear, they sought all
over the cavern to discover if there was