edetto, with the quickness of thought, hurling him
backward, freed himself and bounding through the open doorway vanished
in the darkness beyond.

The Count uttered a groan of despair as he saw Haydee's self-confessed
murderer escape him, and staggered to his feet; the fierce conflict with
Benedetto had exhausted him, and he stood for an instant panting and
breathless. The shrieks had now grown fainter and the hall was full of
smoke. During all this time neither Ali nor any of the servants under
him had appeared, a circumstance that, to Monte-Cristo, seemed
inexplicable. He, however, did not pause to give it thought, but dashed
up the stairway and strove to reach his wife's apartment; blinding,
stifling clouds of smoke, through which penetrated the glare of the
conflagration, drove him back again and again, but he renewed his
attempts to force a passage with undaunted energy and courage. Finally,
compressing his lips and holding his nostrils with the thumb and
forefinger of his right hand, he gave a headlong plunge, and succeeded
in reaching Haydee's door; it was open, displaying a scene that caused
the Count's heart to sink within him; the whole chamber was one sea of
flame; fiery tongues, like so many writhing and hissing serpents, were
licking and consuming the costly tapestry, the richly carved furniture
and the magnificent objects of art; the curtains of the bed were
blazing, and upon the couch lay the senseless form of the wife of
Monte-Cristo, the pallor of her faultless countenance contrasting
painfully with the ruddy glow of the devouring element. In Haydee's
breast was a gaping wound, from which her life blood was slowly oozing
in ruby drops.

Rendered utterly reckless by the terrible sight, the Count madly rushed
to the couch, tore his beloved Haydee from it, and, clasping her tightly
against his bosom, staggered into the corridor with his precious
burden. There the smoke had increased in volume and density, but,
summoning all his resolution and endurance to his aid, he plunged
through it, and finally was successful in reaching the library.

Then, with the swiftness of a flash of lightning, the husband was
replaced by the father, and Monte-Cristo, for the first time since
Haydee's shrieks had awakened him from his dream, thought of his
children. Where were they and what had happened to them? The Count felt
a cold perspiration break out upon his forehead, and a feeling of
unspeakable dread took entire posse