ls in his heart. As
for you, Morrel, this is the secret of my conduct towards you. There is
neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison
of one state with another, nothing more. He who has felt the deepest
grief is best able to experience supreme happiness. We must have felt
what it is to die, Morrel, that we may appreciate the enjoyments of
living.

"Live, then, and be happy, beloved children of my heart, and never
forget that until the day when God shall deign to reveal the future
to man, all human wisdom is summed up in these two words,--'_Wait and
hope_.'--Your friend,

"Edmond Dantes, Count of Monte Cristo."

During the perusal of this letter, which informed Valentine for the
first time of the madness of her father and the death of her brother,
she became pale, a heavy sigh escaped from her bosom, and tears, not
the less painful because they were silent, ran down her cheeks; her
happiness cost her very dear. Morrel looked around uneasily. "But," he
said, "the count's generosity is too overwhelming; Valentine will be
satisfied with my humble fortune. Where is the count, friend? Lead me
to him." Jacopo pointed towards the horizon. "What do you mean?" asked
Valentine. "Where is the count?--where is Haidee?"

"Look!" said Jacopo.

The eyes of both were fixed upon the spot indicated by the sailor, and
on the blue line separating the sky from the Mediterranean Sea, they
perceived a large white sail. "Gone," said Morrel; "gone!--adieu, my
friend--adieu, my father!"

"Gone," murmured Valentine; "adieu, my sweet Haidee--adieu, my sister!"

"Who can say whether we shall ever see them again?" said Morrel with
tearful eyes.

"Darling," replied Valentine, "has not the count just told us that all
human wisdom is summed up in two words?--'_Wait and hope_.'"

End of Project Gutenberg's The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas, Pere

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO ***

***** This file should be named 1184.txt or 1184.zip *****
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
http://www.gutenberg.org/1/1/8/1184/

Produced by Anonymous Project Gutenberg Volunteers

Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
will be renamed.

Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
(and you!) can copy and distribute it