cret shall forever remain buried amongst ourselves!" The
two men drew back.

"I entreat you."--continued Villefort.

"But," said Morrel, "the culprit--the murderer--the assassin."

"Do not alarm yourself, sir; justice will be done," said Villefort. "My
father has revealed the culprit's name; my father thirsts for revenge as
much as you do, yet even he conjures you as I do to keep this secret. Do
you not, father?"

"Yes," resolutely replied Noirtier. Morrel suffered an exclamation of
horror and surprise to escape him. "Oh, sir," said Villefort, arresting
Maximilian by the arm, "if my father, the inflexible man, makes this
request, it is because he knows, be assured, that Valentine will be
terribly revenged. Is it not so, father?" The old man made a sign in the
affirmative. Villefort continued: "He knows me, and I have pledged my
word to him. Rest assured, gentlemen, that within three days, in a less
time than justice would demand, the revenge I shall have taken for the
murder of my child will be such as to make the boldest heart tremble;"
and as he spoke these words he ground his teeth, and grasped the old
man's senseless hand.

"Will this promise be fulfilled, M. Noirtier?" asked Morrel, while
d'Avrigny looked inquiringly.

"Yes," replied Noirtier with an expression of sinister joy.

"Swear, then," said Villefort, joining the hands of Morrel and
d'Avrigny, "swear that you will spare the honor of my house, and leave
me to avenge my child." D'Avrigny turned round and uttered a very feeble
"Yes," but Morrel, disengaging his hand, rushed to the bed, and after
having pressed the cold lips of Valentine with his own, hurriedly left,
uttering a long, deep groan of despair and anguish. We have before
stated that all the servants had fled. M. de Villefort was therefore
obliged to request M. d'Avrigny to superintend all the arrangements
consequent upon a death in a large city, more especially a death under
such suspicious circumstances.

It was something terrible to witness the silent agony, the mute despair
of Noirtier, whose tears silently rolled down his cheeks. Villefort
retired to his study, and d'Avrigny left to summon the doctor of the
mayoralty, whose office it is to examine bodies after decease, and who
is expressly named "the doctor of the dead." M. Noirtier could not be
persuaded to quit his grandchild. At the end of a quarter of an hour M.
d'Avrigny returned with his associate; they found the outer gate closed