, breathless and
motionless, watched steadfastly over Morrel. At length she felt his
heart beat, a faint breath played upon his lips, a slight shudder,
announcing the return of life, passed through the young man's frame. At
length his eyes opened, but they were at first fixed and expressionless;
then sight returned, and with it feeling and grief. "Oh," he cried, in
an accent of despair, "the count has deceived me; I am yet living;" and
extending his hand towards the table, he seized a knife.

"Dearest," exclaimed Valentine, with her adorable smile, "awake, and
look at me!" Morrel uttered a loud exclamation, and frantic, doubtful,
dazzled, as though by a celestial vision, he fell upon his knees.

The next morning at daybreak, Valentine and Morrel were walking
arm-in-arm on the sea-shore, Valentine relating how Monte Cristo had
appeared in her room, explained everything, revealed the crime, and,
finally, how he had saved her life by enabling her to simulate death.
They had found the door of the grotto opened, and gone forth; on the
azure dome of heaven still glittered a few remaining stars. Morrel soon
perceived a man standing among the rocks, apparently awaiting a sign
from them to advance, and pointed him out to Valentine. "Ah, it is
Jacopo," she said, "the captain of the yacht;" and she beckoned him
towards them.

"Do you wish to speak to us?" asked Morrel.

"I have a letter to give you from the count."

"From the count!" murmured the two young people.

"Yes; read it." Morrel opened the letter, and read:--

"My Dear Maximilian,--

"There is a felucca for you at anchor. Jacopo will carry you to Leghorn,
where Monsieur Noirtier awaits his granddaughter, whom he wishes to
bless before you lead her to the altar. All that is in this grotto, my
friend, my house in the Champs Elysees, and my chateau at Treport, are
the marriage gifts bestowed by Edmond Dantes upon the son of his old
master, Morrel. Mademoiselle de Villefort will share them with you; for
I entreat her to give to the poor the immense fortune reverting to her
from her father, now a madman, and her brother who died last September
with his mother. Tell the angel who will watch over your future destiny,
Morrel, to pray sometimes for a man, who like Satan thought himself
for an instant equal to God, but who now acknowledges with Christian
humility that God alone possesses supreme power and infinite wisdom.
Perhaps those prayers may soften the remorse he fee