sked Villefort, rushing from his room. "Doctor, do you
hear them call for help?"

"Yes, yes; let us hasten up; it was in Valentine's room." But before the
doctor and the father could reach the room, the servants who were on the
same floor had entered, and seeing Valentine pale and motionless on her
bed, they lifted up their hands towards heaven and stood transfixed, as
though struck by lightening. "Call Madame de Villefort!--Wake Madame
de Villefort!" cried the procureur from the door of his chamber, which
apparently he scarcely dared to leave. But instead of obeying him, the
servants stood watching M. d'Avrigny, who ran to Valentine, and raised
her in his arms. "What?--this one, too?" he exclaimed. "Oh, where will
be the end?" Villefort rushed into the room. "What are you saying,
doctor?" he exclaimed, raising his hands to heaven.

"I say that Valentine is dead!" replied d'Avrigny, in a voice terrible
in its solemn calm.

M. de Villefort staggered and buried his head in the bed. On the
exclamation of the doctor and the cry of the father, the servants all
fled with muttered imprecations; they were heard running down the stairs
and through the long passages, then there was a rush in the court,
afterwards all was still; they had, one and all, deserted the accursed
house. Just then, Madame de Villefort, in the act of slipping on
her dressing-gown, threw aside the drapery and for a moment stood
motionless, as though interrogating the occupants of the room, while she
endeavored to call up some rebellious tears. On a sudden she stepped,
or rather bounded, with outstretched arms, towards the table. She saw
d'Avrigny curiously examining the glass, which she felt certain of
having emptied during the night. It was now a third full, just as it
was when she threw the contents into the ashes. The spectre of Valentine
rising before the poisoner would have alarmed her less. It was, indeed,
the same color as the draught she had poured into the glass, and which
Valentine had drunk}; it was indeed the poison, which could not deceive
M. d'Avrigny, which he now examined so closely; it was doubtless a
miracle from heaven, that, notwithstanding her precautions, there should
be some trace, some proof remaining to reveal the crime. While Madame
de Villefort remained rooted to the spot like a statue of terror, and
Villefort, with his head hidden in the bedclothes, saw nothing around
him, d'Avrigny approached the window, that he might the bett