English
Valentinewasalone;twootherclocks,slowerthanthatofSaint–PhilippeduRoule,struckthehourofmidnightfromdifferentdirections,andexceptingtherumblingofafewcarriagesallwassilent.
ThenValentine’sattentionwasengrossedbytheclockinherroom,whichmarkedtheseconds.
Shebegancountingthem,remarkingthattheyweremuchslowerthanthebeatingsofherheart;andstillshedoubted,—theinoffensiveValentinecouldnotimaginethatanyoneshoulddesireherdeath.Whyshouldthey?Towhatend?
Whathadshedonetoexcitethemaliceofanenemy?
Therewasnofearofherfallingasleep.
Oneterribleideapresseduponhermind,—thatsomeoneexistedintheworldwhohadattemptedtoassassinateher,andwhowasabouttoendeavortodosoagain.
Supposingthisperson,weariedattheinefficacyofthepoison,should,asMonteCristointimated,haverecoursetosteel!
—Whatifthecountshouldhavenotimetoruntoherrescue!
—Whatifherlastmomentswereapproaching,andsheshouldneveragainseeMorrel!
Whenthisterriblechainofideaspresenteditself,Valentinewasnearlypersuadedtoringthebell,andcallforhelp.
Butthroughthedoorshefanciedshesawtheluminouseyeofthecount—thateyewhichlivedinhermemory,andtherecollectionoverwhelmedherwithsomuchshamethatsheaskedherselfwhetheranyamountofgratitudecouldeverrepayhisadventurousanddevotedfriendship.
Twentyminutes,twentytediousminutes,passedthus,thentenmore,andatlasttheclockstruckthehalf–hour.
Justthenthesoundoffinger–nailsslightlygratingagainstthedoorofthelibraryinformedValentinethatthecountwasstillwatching,andrecommendedhertodothesame;atthesametime,ontheoppositeside,thatistowardsEdward’sroom,Valentinefanciedthatsheheardthecreakingofthefloor;shelistenedattentively,holdingherbreathtillshewasnearlysuffocated;thelockturned,andthedoorslowlyopened.
Valentinehadraisedherselfuponherelbow,andhadscarcelytimetothrowherselfdownonthebedandshadehereyeswithherarm;then,trembling,agitated,andherheartbeatingwithindescribableterror,sheawaitedtheevent.
Someoneapproachedthebedanddrewbackthecurtains.
Valentinesummonedeveryeffort,andbreathedwiththatregularrespirationwhichannouncestranquilsleep.“Valentine!”saidalowvoice.
Stillsilent:Valentinehadpromisednottoawake.
Theneverythingwasstill,exceptingthatValentineheardthealmostnoiselesssoundofsomeliquidbeingpouredintotheglassshehadjustemptied.
Thensheventuredtoopenhereyelids,andglanceoverherextendedarm.
Shesawawomaninawhitedressing–gownpouringaliquorfromaphialintoherglass.
DuringthisshorttimeValentinemusthaveheldherbreath,ormovedinsomeslightdegree,forthewoman,disturbed,stoppedandleanedoverthebed,inorderthebettertoascertainwhetherValentineslept—itwasMadamedeVillefort.
Onrecognizingherstep–mother,Valentinecouldnotrepressashudder,whichcausedavibrationinthebed.
MadamedeVillefortinstantlysteppedbackclosetothewall,andthere,shadedbythebed–curtains,shesilentlyandattentivelywatchedtheslightestmovementofValentine.
ThelatterrecollectedtheterriblecautionofMonteCristo;shefanciedthatthehandnotholdingthephialclaspedalongsharpknife.
Thencollectingallherremainingstrength,sheforcedherselftoclosehereyes;butthissimpleoperationuponthemostdelicateorgansofourframe,generallysoeasytoaccomplish,becamealmostimpossibleatthismoment,somuchdidcuriositystruggletoretaintheeyelidopenandlearnthetruth.
MadamedeVillefort,however,reassuredbythesilence,whichwasalonedisturbedbytheregularbreathingofValentine,againextendedherhand,andhalfhiddenbythecurtainssucceededinemptyingthecontentsofthephialintotheglass.
ThensheretiredsogentlythatValentinedidnotknowshehadlefttheroom.
Sheonlywitnessedthewithdrawalofthearm—thefairroundarmofawomanbuttwenty–fiveyearsold,andwhoyetspreaddeatharoundher.
ItisimpossibletodescribethesensationsexperiencedbyValentineduringtheminuteandahalfMadamedeVillefortremainedintheroom.
Thegratingagainstthelibrary–doorarousedtheyounggirlfromthestuporinwhichshewasplunged,andwhichalmostamountedtoinsensibility.Sheraisedherheadwithaneffort.
Thenoiselessdooragainturnedonitshinges,andtheCountofMonteCristoreappeared.“Well,”saidhe,“doyoustilldoubt?”
“Oh,”murmuredtheyounggirl.
“Haveyouseen?”
“Alas!”
“Didyourecognize?”Valentinegroaned.“Oh,yes;”shesaid,“Isaw,butIcannotbelieve!”
“Wouldyouratherdie,then,andcauseMaximilian’sdeath?”
“Oh,”repeatedtheyounggirl,almostbewildered,“canInotleavethehouse?—canInotescape?”
“Valentine,thehandwhichnowthreatensyouwillpursueyoueverywhere;yourservantswillbeseducedwithgold,anddeathwillbeofferedtoyoudisguisedineveryshape.
Youwillfinditinthewateryoudrinkfromthespring,inthefruityoupluckfromthetree.”
“Butdidyounotsaythatmykindgrandfather’sprecautionhadneutralizedthepoison?”
“Yes,butnotagainstastrongdose;thepoisonwillbechanged,andthequantityincreased.”
Hetooktheglassandraisedittohislips.
“Itisalreadydone,”hesaid;“brucineisnolongeremployed,butasimplenarcotic!
Icanrecognizetheflavorofthealcoholinwhichithasbeendissolved.
IfyouhadtakenwhatMadamedeVilleforthaspouredintoyourglass,Valentine—Valentine—youwouldhavebeendoomed!”
“But,”exclaimedtheyounggirl,“whyamIthuspursued?”
“Why?—areyousokind—sogood—sounsuspiciousofill,thatyoucannotunderstand,Valentine?”
“No,Ihaveneverinjuredher.”
“Butyouarerich,Valentine;youhave200,000livresayear,andyoupreventhersonfromenjoyingthese200,000.livres.”
“Howso?Thefortuneisnothergift,butisinheritedfrommyrelations.”
“Certainly;andthatiswhyM.andMadamedeSaint–Meranhavedied;thatiswhyM.Noirtierwassentencedthedayhemadeyouhisheir;thatiswhyyou,inyourturn,aretodie—itisbecauseyourfatherwouldinherityourproperty,andyourbrother,hisonlyson,succeedtohis.”
“Edward?Poorchild!Areallthesecrimescommittedonhisaccount?”
“Ah,thenyouatlengthunderstand?”
“Heavengrantthatthismaynotbevisiteduponhim!”
“Valentine,youareanangel!”
“Butwhyismygrandfatherallowedtolive?”
“Itwasconsidered,thatyoudead,thefortunewouldnaturallyreverttoyourbrother,unlessheweredisinherited;andbesides,thecrimeappearinguseless,itwouldbefollytocommitit.”
“Andisitpossiblethatthisfrightfulcombinationofcrimeshasbeeninventedbyawoman?”
“DoyourecollectinthearboroftheHoteldesPostes,atPerugia,seeingamaninabrowncloak,whomyourstepmotherwasquestioninguponaquatofana?
Well,eversincethen,theinfernalprojecthasbeenripeninginherbrain.”
“Ah,then,indeed,sir,”saidthesweetgirl,bathedintears,“IseethatIamcondemnedtodie!”
“No,Valentine,forIhaveforeseenalltheirplots;no,yourenemyisconqueredsinceweknowher,andyouwilllive,Valentine—livetobehappyyourself,andtoconferhappinessuponanobleheart;buttoinsurethisyoumustrelyonme.”
“Commandme,sir—whatamItodo?”
“YoumustblindlytakewhatIgiveyou.”
“Alas,wereitonlyformyownsake,Ishouldprefertodie!”
“Youmustnotconfideinanyone—noteveninyourfather.”
“Myfatherisnotengagedinthisfearfulplot,ishe,sir?”askedValentine,claspingherhands.
“No;andyetyourfather,amanaccustomedtojudicialaccusations,oughttohaveknownthatallthesedeathshavenothappenednaturally;itishewhoshouldhavewatchedoveryou—heshouldhaveoccupiedmyplace—heshouldhaveemptiedthatglass—heshouldhaverisenagainsttheassassin.Spectreagainstspectre!”
hemurmuredinalowvoice,asheconcludedhissentence.
“Sir,”saidValentine,“IwilldoallIcantolive,fortherearetwobeingswhoseexistencedependsuponmine—mygrandfatherandMaximilian.”
“IwillwatchoverthemasIhaveoveryou.”
“Well,sir,doasyouwillwithme;”andthensheadded,inalowvoice,“oh,heavens,whatwillbefallme?”
“Whatevermayhappen,Valentine,donotbealarmed;thoughyousuffer;thoughyoulosesight,hearing,consciousness,fearnothing;thoughyoushouldawakeandbeignorantwhereyouare,stilldonotfear;eventhoughyoushouldfindyourselfinasepulchralvaultorcoffin.
Reassureyourself,then,andsaytoyourself:‘Atthismoment,afriend,afather,wholivesformyhappinessandthatofMaximilian,watchesoverme!’”
“Alas,alas,whatafearfulextremity!”
“Valentine,wouldyouratherdenounceyourstepmother?”
“Iwouldratherdieahundredtimes—oh,yes,die!”
“No,youwillnotdie;butwillyoupromiseme,whateverhappens,thatyouwillnotcomplain,buthope?”
“IwillthinkofMaximilian!”
“Youaremyowndarlingchild,Valentine!Ialonecansaveyou,andIwill.”
Valentineintheextremityofherterrorjoinedherhands,—forshefeltthatthemomenthadarrivedtoaskforcourage,—andbegantopray,andwhileutteringlittlemorethanincoherentwords,sheforgotthatherwhiteshouldershadnoothercoveringthanherlonghair,andthatthepulsationsofherheartcouldbeseenthroughthelaceofhernightdress.
MonteCristogentlylaidhishandontheyounggirl’sarm,drewthevelvetcoverletclosetoherthroat,andsaidwithapaternalsmile,—”Mychild,believeinmydevotiontoyouasyoubelieveinthegoodnessofprovidenceandtheloveofMaximilian.”
Thenhedrewfromhiswaistcoat–pocketthelittleemeraldbox,raisedthegoldenlid,andtookfromitapastilleaboutthesizeofapea,whichheplacedinherhand.
Shetookit,andlookedattentivelyonthecount;therewasanexpressiononthefaceofherintrepidprotectorwhichcommandedherveneration.
Sheevidentlyinterrogatedhimbyherlook.“Yes,”saidhe.
Valentinecarriedthepastilletohermouth,andswallowedit.
“Andnow,mydearchild,adieuforthepresent.
Iwilltryandgainalittlesleep,foryouaresaved.”
“Go,”saidValentine,“whateverhappens,Ipromiseyounottofear.”
MonteCristoforsometimekepthiseyesfixedontheyounggirl,whograduallyfellasleep,yieldingtotheeffectsofthenarcoticthecounthadgivenher.
Thenhetooktheglass,emptiedthreepartsofthecontentsinthefireplace,thatitmightbesupposedValentinehadtakenit,andreplaceditonthetable;thenhedisappeared,afterthrowingafarewellglanceonValentine,whosleptwiththeconfidenceandinnocenceofanangel.
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