Jules Lermina

“ Carmen raised her eyes, which were still full of tears, and tenderly whispered to the young man:
"How good you are! Do you love the Vicomte of Monte-Cristo?" she suddenly asked.
"I love and esteem him. But what makes you speak of the vicomte?"
"Because danger threatens him, and I want you to warn him."
"What is the nature of the danger?" asked Gontram.
"Powerful enemies are united against him, and if we are not more prudent they will crush both him and us."
"Enemies! Who could be an enemy of Spero?"
"One of the enemies is Monsieur de Larsagny!" ”

“ Spero hurried with his burden to the street, and Gontram could hardly keep up with him. Finally he overtook him, and, placing his hand on the vicomte's shoulder, he urgently cried:
"Spero, where are you going with this corpse?"
"She is not dead," replied the vicomte, tremblingly. "She lives; she must live—she dare not die!"
"And who is she?" asked Gontram, as he tried to get a glimpse of the face. Yes, he recognized her now as she lay in Spero's arms.
"Jane! Jane Zild?" stammered the painter, terror-stricken. "O my God!" ”

“ I am to look for a 'suspect' in this house."
"A 'suspect'?" whispered Aube, anxiously.
"Yes; conspirators who threaten the sacred person of the king."
"And you are looking for these people in my house?" asked Aube, apparently overwhelmed at the intelligence.
"Yes, they are said to live here; two acrobats, named Girdel and Fanfaro."
"Inspector, I am inconsolable; but I will not oppose you; do your duty," said Aube, with the mien of a man who gives a kingdom away.
Arthur and the landlord exchanged knowing looks as the inspector strode toward the door. Fanfaro must be in safety by this time. ”

“ The vicomte laid his ear to her bosom, and then said:
"She lives, but to tell whether there is any hope I must examine her more closely. Gontram, go to my study and bring me the cedar box which stands on my writing-desk."
Gontram left the room, and Spero was alone with the unconscious girl. Placing his hand upon her white forehead, he bent over the young girl and tenderly murmured:
"Poor dear child! Why did you wish to die? Oh, Jane, Jane! you must live—live for me, and no power on earth shall tear you from me!" ”

“ But none of those who had a quarter of an hour before overwhelmed him with congratulations condescended to look at the wretch, and with a moan Talizac sank back in a chair.
In the meantime Irene had busied herself with Louison, and now triumphantly exclaimed:
"She lives, she breathes, she can still be saved! Mamma," she said, turning quickly to her mother, "we will take the poor child home with us and nurse her."
The countess assented with tears in her eyes; she was proud of her daughter.
"The poor thing is my sister," said Fanfaro in a low voice to Irene. ”

“ With these words he pulled out a pistol and held it toward Benedetto.
"You wish to commit murder, vicomte!"
"Do not speak of murder, wretch? You robbed me of my freedom, and this poor child, whose innocence ought to be sacred to you, you—"
"The poor innocent child," interrupted the ex-convict. "You told me it was brought here against its will!"
"Scoundrel, you lie!" cried Spero, angrily.
Benedetto laughed coarsely.
"Jane Zild," he then said, drawing back a step, "tell the Vicomte of Monte-Cristo that you are worthy of him. ”

“ A cry of horror followed these words, and, pale and trembling, the guests crowded about the officer, who continued after a short pause:
"Asked about his accomplice, the would-be murderer declared that he was an agent for a secret society whose chief the prisoner Fanfaro is."
"Oh, what a monstrous lie!" exclaimed Fanfaro, beside himself with rage, while Irene de Salves rose upright and with flaming eyes said:
"He a murderer? Impossible!"
"Prudence," whispered Arthur to the young woman, "what I can do for him I will." ”

“ A few miles from Freiburg there stands a lonely hill, named the Emperor's Chair. Dark masses of basalt form the steps of this natural throne; tall evergreens [Pg 4] stretch their branches protectingly over the hill. A fresh mountain air is cast about by the big trees, and the north wind is in eternal battle with this giant, which it bends but can never break.
Pierre Labarre, the solitary horseman, was the confidential servant of the Marquis de Fougereuse, and the darker the road became the more uncomfortable he felt. ”

“ Without accounting for her feelings, Irene feverishly broke the last letter. Did she suspect from whom it came?
"Countess, you are brave and noble!" wrote Fanfaro, "and therefore I dare to ask you to take care of my sister, whom I barely rescued from death. The hour is near at hand in which my sentence will be pronounced. You have never doubted me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart! I have fought for the rights of humanity, and I hope at some future time to be enrolled among those to whom right is preferable to material things. ”

“ Fanfaro arose, opened his mouth as if he wished to speak, stretched out his arms, turned around in a circle, and then fell heavily to the floor!
Loud cries broke forth.
"He has committed suicide," some cried.
"He has been poisoned," came from others, and all rushed toward the unconscious man.
Irene de Salves had hurried toward Girdel, she wished to ask him a question; but when she finally reached the place where she had seen the athlete he had disappeared. All attempts at recovery remained fruitless, and Fanfaro was carried off. Robeckal, too, was almost dead from fright. ”

“ The sooner we get rid of each other the better it will be for both of us. Why did you hunt me up? You ought to have known long ago that I did not wish to have anything to do with you. You go your way and I will go mine; let neither of us bother the other, and as I am called Melosan, I shall forget that you ever bore any other name than Fagiano."
"You have become proud!" exclaimed the man who called himself Fagiano, laughing mockingly; "upon my word, Anselmo, if I did not know that you were a former galley-slave, I would think you were a prince!" ”

“ Madame Caraman's information that Jane had disappeared paralyzed him. She must be sought for and found at any price, even though the world be torn in pieces for it.
But the world did not tear, not an atom moved on his account; and deep night settled about Spero. One night as the vicomte was sitting in the room Jane had occupied, buried in thought, he saw the drapery move slowly and a part of the wall glide slowly back. ”

“ Madame Caraman and Coucou had not exaggerated when they said that the vicomte's condition after Jane's disappearance was terrible. He rushed about madly, and when he could not find the young girl a deep despair took hold of him.
The young man's love for Jane was very great, and when he saw the young girl lying wounded, almost dying, in his arms the world faded from the sight of his intoxicated eyes. Either he must rescue her or go under himself. ”

“ I hurried to my room and made up my mind to draw you into my confidence."
"I thank you, Carmen," cried Gontram; "Spero is a friend, a brother, and I would gladly offer up my life to save his."
"Of whom could Fagiano have spoken when he said: 'She is in my power?'" asked Carmen.
"I hardly know. God help the scoundrels if they touch a hair of his head!" Gontram had risen. He put his arm about the young girl's waist and gently drew her toward him. ”

“ The person who came from Toulon (recte Benedetto) was just about to put the sum of money in his pocket, when the devil sent a stranger who—"
"Benedetto, if you are a human being and not a devil, keep silent," cried Anselmo, beside himself.
Benedetto shrugged his shoulders.
"You are a fool," he said, contemptuously. "I heard two persons on the stairs. I hid behind the door, with a knife in my right hand. The door opened. The shadow of a form appeared in the door, and I struck. I felt the knife sink deep into a human breast."
"Wretch! It was the breast of your mother!" stammered Anselmo. ”

“ Fanfaro heard through him that Spero had not left the Monte-Cristo palace for three days, and could not imagine what was the cause of it.
Anselmo now began to groan. Fanfaro bent over the invalid, and thought he heard the words:
"My daughter—my poor child—ah, is she dead?"
"Who is dead?" asked Fanfaro.
"Ah, she plunged into the water—she is drowned," groaned Anselmo.
Fanfaro could not believe his ears. Did the sick man imagine that the gray-haired woman was his daughter?
"Have you a daughter?" he asked.
"Yes, my Jane—my darling."
Just then the door opened, and Bobichel entered. ”

“ Let us go to sleep now, it must be very late," said Girdel; and looking at his watch, he added: "Really it is two o'clock."
"Bobichel's eyes knew that long ago," laughed Fanfaro. "Go to bed, old friend, you are tired."
"Oh, I am not tired," said the clown, yawning in spite of himself. "I will not go to bed after I have found you again."
"You must do so, Bobichel," said Fanfaro, earnestly. "You are still weak and must husband your strength. Go calmly to bed. Girdel and I have still a great deal to consider, and we are both glad that we need not camp in the street." ”

“ Impossible!" cried the landlord, looking at Arthur in amazement. "Who are the men?"
A crowd of guests had gathered about Arthur and the landlord, and while a barber tried to stanch the still bleeding wound, Montferrand bitterly said:
"One of the scoundrels bears a noble old name. Shame over the nobility of France that it tolerates a Talizac and Fougereuse in its ranks."
"Who speaks of Talizac and Fougereuse?" cried a fresh voice, and a very handsome man approached Monsieur Aube.
"Ah, Monsieur Fanfaro," said the landlord vivaciously, "Heaven sends you at the right time. ”

“ A pyramid, formed of all the members of the troupe, at the top of which Caillette shone with a rose in her hand, stood at the bottom of the bills in red colors, and was gazed upon by the peasants in open-mouthed wonder. The hammering which went on in the interior of the booth sounded to them like music, and they could hardly await the night, which was to bring them so many magnificent things. ”

“ The waiter threw an angry look at Arthur, who had dared to call the Golden Calf a hole.
"My dear Arthur," said the vicomte, coldly, "have patience yet a while. It is not my fashion to speak about my affairs in the presence of servants."
Jean hastily drew back, and only the thought of losing his tip prevailed upon him to serve his customers.
"Now we are alone," said Arthur, "and we'll finally find out all about it—"
"I must beg your pardon once more," interrupted the vicomte, "but before dessert I never bother about serious affairs."
"Ah, it is serious then," remarked Arthur. ”

“ Madame Ursula, who sat next to her pupil, moved up and down uneasily in her chair. Irene did not possess the least savoir vivre. How could she think of addressing the young acrobat? and now—no, it surpassed everything—he bent over her and whispered a few words in her ear. The governess saw Irene blush, then let her head fall and nod. What could he have said to her?
Caillette, too, had noticed the young lady address Fanfaro, and she became violently jealous.
What business had the rich heiress with the young man, whom she was accustomed to look upon as her own property? ”

“ Anselmo then related all he knew, and only kept silent with regard to the fact of his being Jane's father.
Fanfaro listened attentively to his words, and then said:
"I shall inform the Count of Monte-Cristo of this. In three days he will be here. You, Anselmo," he added, turning to the ex-convict, "are too weak and sick to take part in our work, but we shall keep you informed if anything important turns up, and—"
"For Heaven's sake," interrupted Anselmo, "do not leave me behind. Let us go at once, every minute is precious! O God, if she lives no more!" ”

“ Bobichel had become Caillette's husband; and though the handsome wife did not conceal the fact from him that not he, but Fanfaro, had been her first love, the supremely happy clown was satisfied. He knew Caillette was good to him and that he had no ground any more to be jealous of Irene's husband.
The life which the colonists led in Africa was full of dangers, but had also its pleasures and joys, and through Louison and her husband they remained in connection with their fatherland, whose children they remained in spite of everything. ”

“ Jules Fougeres, your only brother, died the death of a hero, and if the wife and children of the victim did not get burned to death, as was intended, it was not the fault of the instigator of the bloody drama."
This time the nobleman did not reply mockingly; pale and trembling he gazed at Pierre Labarre, and cold drops of perspiration stood on his forehead.
"My information is at an end," said the old man now, as he advanced a step nearer to the nobleman. "Fanfaro and Jacques Fougeres are identical with the Vicomte de Talizac's son." ”