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As the religious ceremonies had all been performed at the door, and there was no address given, the party all separated; Chateau-Renaud, Albert, and Morrel, went one way, and Debray and Beauchamp the other.
It cannot be Lamartine, for there sits his lovely young English wife at his side; nor can it be old Arago, nor young Le Verrier; and yet some one in that box it surely is." "M. Dantès?" cried Debray. "Impossible! That man seems hardly conscious that there are such beings as women. His whole soul is in affairs of state."
"Mother," he said, turning towards Mercedes, "this is M. Debray, secretary of the minister for the interior, once a friend of mine." "How once?" stammered Debray; "what do you mean?" "I say so, M. Debray, because I have no friends now, and I ought not to have any. I thank you for having recognized me, sir." Debray stepped forward, and cordially pressed the hand of his interlocutor.
"My dear M. Debray," said the banker, "do not kill yourself to-night listening to the follies of Madame Danglars, for you can hear them as well to-morrow; but I claim to-night and will devote it, if you will allow me, to talk over some serious matters with my wife."
He came to renew the thanks of Madame Danglars which had been already conveyed to the count through the medium of a letter, signed "Baronne Danglars, nee Hermine de Servieux." Albert was accompanied by Lucien Debray, who, joining in his friend's conversation, added some passing compliments, the source of which the count's talent for finesse easily enabled him to guess.
"Did you notice that Madame Danglars was struggling with a fainting fit?" asked Chateau-Renaud. "Ah, bah! Benedetto is a handsome youth, and Madame Danglars is not a model of virtue; who knows what relations they have had with each other?" "Perhaps Debray might know more, he " "Hush! the procureur du roi is speaking. I'll wager that his speech will be less shrewd than that of the maniac."
"It was only to fight as an amateur. I cannot bear duelling since two seconds, whom I had chosen to arrange an affair, forced me to break the arm of one of my best friends, one whom you all know poor Franz d'Epinay." "Ah, true," said Debray, "you did fight some time ago; about what?" "The devil take me, if I remember," returned Chateau-Renaud.
"Stop, gentlemen," said Albert; "I have two words to say to the Count of Monte Cristo." "In private?" asked Morrel. "No, sir; before all who are here." Albert's witnesses looked at each other. Franz and Debray exchanged some words in a whisper, and Morrel, rejoiced at this unexpected incident, went to fetch the count, who was walking in a retired path with Emmanuel.
Without opposing their arrangements, he allowed Morrel, Chateau-Renaud, and Debray to leave on horseback, and the ladies in M. de Villefort's carriage. Danglars, more and more delighted with Major Cavalcanti, had offered him a seat in his carriage.
"How dark he's grown!" said Debray. "No more so than all these African heroes for instance, Cavaignac and Lamoricière." "But what a splendid contrast there is between the young Colonel of the Spahis and his lovely bride, if such she be!
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