written with the left hand; and
I have noticed that"--

"What?"

"That while the writing of different persons done with the right hand
varies, that performed with the left hand is invariably uniform."

"You have evidently seen and observed everything."

"Let us proceed."

"Oh, yes, yes!"

"Now as regards the second question."

"I am listening."

"Was there any person whose interest it was to prevent your marriage
with Mercedes?"

"Yes; a young man who loved her."

"And his name was"--

"Fernand."

"That is a Spanish name, I think?"

"He was a Catalan."

"You imagine him capable of writing the letter?"

"Oh, no; he would more likely have got rid of me by sticking a knife
into me."

"That is in strict accordance with the Spanish character; an
assassination they will unhesitatingly commit, but an act of cowardice,
never."

"Besides," said Dantes, "the various circumstances mentioned in the
letter were wholly unknown to him."

"You had never spoken of them yourself to any one?"

"To no one."

"Not even to your mistress?"

"No, not even to my betrothed."

"Then it is Danglars."

"I feel quite sure of it now."

"Wait a little. Pray, was Danglars acquainted with Fernand?"

"No--yes, he was. Now I recollect"--

"What?"

"To have seen them both sitting at table together under an arbor at Pere
Pamphile's the evening before the day fixed for my wedding. They were in
earnest conversation. Danglars was joking in a friendly way, but Fernand
looked pale and agitated."

"Were they alone?"

"There was a third person with them whom I knew perfectly well, and who
had, in all probability made their acquaintance; he was a tailor named
Caderousse, but he was very drunk. Stay!--stay!--How strange that it
should not have occurred to me before! Now I remember quite well, that
on the table round which they were sitting were pens, ink, and paper.
Oh, the heartless, treacherous scoundrels!" exclaimed Dantes, pressing
his hand to his throbbing brows.

"Is there anything else I can assist you in discovering, besides the
villany of your friends?" inquired the abbe with a laugh.

"Yes, yes," replied Dantes eagerly; "I would beg of you, who see so
completely to the depths of things, and to whom the greatest mystery
seems but an easy riddle, to explain to me how it was that I underwent
no second examination, was never brought to trial, and, above all, was
condemned without ever having had sentence passed on