revenue."

"I," said Danglars, "have always intended giving my daughter 500,000
francs as her dowry; she is, besides, my sole heiress."

"All would then be easily arranged if the baroness and her daughter
are willing. We should command an annuity of 175,000 livres. Supposing,
also, I should persuade the marquis to give me my capital, which is
not likely, but still is possible, we would place these two or three
millions in your hands, whose talent might make it realize ten per
cent."

"I never give more than four per cent, and generally only three and a
half; but to my son-in-law I would give five, and we would share the
profit."

"Very good, father-in-law," said Cavalcanti, yielding to his low-born
nature, which would escape sometimes through the aristocratic gloss with
which he sought to conceal it. Correcting himself immediately, he said,
"Excuse me, sir; hope alone makes me almost mad,--what will not reality
do?"

"But," said Danglars,--who, on his part, did not perceive how soon
the conversation, which was at first disinterested, was turning to a
business transaction,--"there is, doubtless, a part of your fortune your
father could not refuse you?"

"Which?" asked the young man.

"That you inherit from your mother."

"Truly, from my mother, Leonora Corsinari."

"How much may it amount to?"

"Indeed, sir," said Andrea, "I assure you I have never given the subject
a thought, but I suppose it must have been at least two millions."
Danglars felt as much overcome with joy as the miser who finds a lost
treasure, or as the shipwrecked mariner who feels himself on solid
ground instead of in the abyss which he expected would swallow him up.

"Well, sir," said Andrea, bowing to the banker respectfully, "may I
hope?"

"You may not only hope," said Danglars, "but consider it a settled
thing, if no obstacle arises on your part."

"I am, indeed, rejoiced," said Andrea.

"But," said Danglars thoughtfully, "how is it that your patron, M.
de Monte Cristo, did not make his proposal for you?" Andrea blushed
imperceptibly. "I have just left the count, sir," said he; "he is,
doubtless, a delightful man but inconceivably peculiar in his ideas. He
esteems me highly. He even told me he had not the slightest doubt
that my father would give me the capital instead of the interest of my
property. He has promised to use his influence to obtain it for me; but
he also declared that he never had taken on himself the responsibilit