eavored also to leave, but Maximilian would have died
rather than relax his hold of the handle of the door, which he closed
upon the count. Julie, Emmanuel, and some of the servants, ran up in
alarm on hearing the cries of Maximilian. Morrel seized their hands,
and opening the door exclaimed in a voice choked with sobs, "On your
knees--on your knees--he is our benefactor--the saviour of our father!
He is"--

He would have added "Edmond Dantes," but the count seized his arm and
prevented him. Julie threw herself into the arms of the count; Emmanuel
embraced him as a guardian angel; Morrel again fell on his knees, and
struck the ground with his forehead. Then the iron-hearted man felt his
heart swell in his breast; a flame seemed to rush from his throat to his
eyes, he bent his head and wept. For a while nothing was heard in the
room but a succession of sobs, while the incense from their grateful
hearts mounted to heaven. Julie had scarcely recovered from her deep
emotion when she rushed out of the room, descended to the next floor,
ran into the drawing-room with childlike joy and raised the crystal
globe which covered the purse given by the unknown of the Allees de
Meillan. Meanwhile, Emmanuel in a broken voice said to the count,
"Oh, count, how could you, hearing us so often speak of our unknown
benefactor, seeing us pay such homage of gratitude and adoration to his
memory,--how could you continue so long without discovering yourself to
us? Oh, it was cruel to us, and--dare I say it?--to you also."

"Listen, my friends," said the count--"I may call you so since we have
really been friends for the last eleven years--the discovery of this
secret has been occasioned by a great event which you must never know.
I wished to bury it during my whole life in my own bosom, but your brother
Maximilian wrested it from me by a violence he repents of now, I am
sure." Then turning around, and seeing that Morrel, still on his knees,
had thrown himself into an arm-chair, he added in a low voice, pressing
Emmanuel's hand significantly, "Watch over him."

"Why so?" asked the young man, surprised.

"I cannot explain myself; but watch over him." Emmanuel looked around
the room and caught sight of the pistols; his eyes rested on the
weapons, and he pointed to them. Monte Cristo bent his head. Emmanuel
went towards the pistols. "Leave them," said Monte Cristo. Then walking
towards Morrel, he took his hand; the tumultuous agitation of the y