He would have
written--or"--

At this instant some one knocked at the door. "Come in," said Franz. A
servant, wearing a livery of considerable style and richness, appeared
at the threshold, and, placing two cards in the landlord's hands, who
forthwith presented them to the two young men, he said, "Please to
deliver these, from the Count of Monte Cristo to Viscomte Albert de
Morcerf and M. Franz d'Epinay. The Count of Monte Cristo," continued the
servant, "begs these gentlemen's permission to wait upon them as their
neighbor, and he will be honored by an intimation of what time they will
please to receive him."

"Faith, Franz," whispered Albert, "there is not much to find fault with
here."

"Tell the count," replied Franz, "that we will do ourselves the pleasure
of calling on him." The servant bowed and retired.

"That is what I call an elegant mode of attack," said Albert, "You were
quite correct in what you said, Signor Pastrini. The Count of Monte
Cristo is unquestionably a man of first-rate breeding and knowledge of
the world."

"Then you accept his offer?" said the host.

"Of course we do," replied Albert. "Still, I must own I am sorry to
be obliged to give up the cart and the group of reapers--it would have
produced such an effect! And were it not for the windows at the Palazzo
Rospoli, by way of recompense for the loss of our beautiful scheme, I
don't know but what I should have held on by my original plan. What say
you, Franz?"

"Oh, I agree with you; the windows in the Palazzo Rospoli alone decided
me." The truth was, that the mention of two places in the Palazzo
Rospoli had recalled to Franz the conversation he had overheard the
preceding evening in the ruins of the Colosseum between the mysterious
unknown and the Transteverin, in which the stranger in the cloak had
undertaken to obtain the freedom of a condemned criminal; and if this
muffled-up individual proved (as Franz felt sure he would) the same as
the person he had just seen in the Teatro Argentino, then he should be
able to establish his identity, and also to prosecute his researches
respecting him with perfect facility and freedom. Franz passed the night
in confused dreams respecting the two meetings he had already had with
his mysterious tormentor, and in waking speculations as to what the
morrow would produce. The next day must clear up every doubt; and
unless his near neighbor and would-be friend, the Count of Monte Cristo,
possessed the r