ars while they slept.
The generation who follow us are very precocious."

"Come, Beauchamp," said Chateau-Renaud, "I will bet anything you do not
believe a word of all you have been telling us."

"I do not see the Count of Monte Cristo here."

"He is worn out," said Debray; "besides, he could not well appear in
public, since he has been the dupe of the Cavalcanti, who, it appears,
presented themselves to him with false letters of credit, and cheated
him out of 100,000. francs upon the hypothesis of this principality."

"By the way, M. de Chateau-Renaud," asked Beauchamp, "how is Morrel?"

"Ma foi, I have called three times without once seeing him. Still, his
sister did not seem uneasy, and told me that though she had not seen him
for two or three days, she was sure he was well."

"Ah, now I think of it, the Count of Monte Cristo cannot appear in the
hall," said Beauchamp.

"Why not?"

"Because he is an actor in the drama."

"Has he assassinated any one, then?"

"No, on the contrary, they wished to assassinate him. You know that
it was in leaving his house that M. de Caderousse was murdered by his
friend Benedetto. You know that the famous waistcoat was found in
his house, containing the letter which stopped the signature of
the marriage-contract. Do you see the waistcoat? There it is, all
blood-stained, on the desk, as a testimony of the crime."

"Ah, very good."

"Hush, gentlemen, here is the court; let us go back to our places." A
noise was heard in the hall; the sergeant called his two patrons with
an energetic "hem!" and the door-keeper appearing, called out with that
shrill voice peculiar to his order, ever since the days of Beaumarchais,
"The court, gentlemen!"

Chapter 110. The Indictment.

The judges took their places in the midst of the most profound silence;
the jury took their seats; M. de Villefort, the object of unusual
attention, and we had almost said of general admiration, sat in the
arm-chair and cast a tranquil glance around him. Every one looked
with astonishment on that grave and severe face, whose calm expression
personal griefs had been unable to disturb, and the aspect of a man who
was a stranger to all human emotions excited something very like terror.

"Gendarmes," said the president, "lead in the accused."

At these words the public attention became more intense, and all eyes
were turned towards the door through which Benedetto was to enter.
The door soon opened and the