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is Morrel?โ€

โ€œMa foi, I have called three times without once seeing him. Still, his sister did not seem uneasy, and told me that though she had not seen him for two or three days, she was sure he was well.โ€

โ€œAh, now I think of it, the Count of Monte Cristo cannot appear in the hall,โ€ said Beauchamp.

โ€œWhy not?โ€

โ€œBecause he is an actor in the drama.โ€

โ€œHas he assassinated anyone, then?โ€

โ€œNo, on the contrary, they wished to assassinate him. You know that it was in leaving his house that M. de Caderousse was murdered by his friend Benedetto. You know that the famous waistcoat was found in his house, containing the letter which stopped the signature of the marriage-contract. Do you see the waistcoat? There it is, all bloodstained, on the desk, as a testimony of the crime.โ€

โ€œAh, very good.โ€

โ€œHush, gentlemen, here is the court; let us go back to our places.โ€

A noise was heard in the hall; the sergeant called his two patrons with an energetic โ€œhem!โ€ and the doorkeeper appearing, called out with that shrill voice peculiar to his order, ever since the days of Beaumarchais:

โ€œThe court, gentlemen!โ€

CX The Indictment

The judges took their places in the midst of the most profound silence; the jury took their seats; M. de Villefort, the object of unusual attention, and we had almost said of general admiration, sat in the armchair and cast a tranquil glance around him. Everyone looked with astonishment on that grave and severe face, whose calm expression personal griefs had been unable to disturb, and the aspect of a man who was a stranger to all human emotions excited something very like terror.

โ€œGendarmes,โ€ said the president, โ€œlead in the accused.โ€

At these words the public attention became more intense, and all eyes were turned towards the door through which Benedetto was to enter. The door soon opened and the accused appeared.

The same impression was experienced by all present, and no one was deceived by the expression of his countenance. His features bore no sign of that deep emotion which stops the beating of the heart and blanches the cheek. His hands, gracefully placed, one upon his hat, the other in the opening of his white waistcoat, were not at all tremulous; his eye was calm and even brilliant. Scarcely had he entered the hall when he glanced at the whole body of magistrates and assistants; his eye rested longer on the president, and still more so on the kingโ€™s attorney.

By the side of Andrea was stationed the lawyer who was to conduct his defence, and who had been appointed by the court, for Andrea disdained to pay any attention to those details, to which he appeared to attach no importance. The lawyer was a young man with light hair whose face expressed a hundred times more emotion than that which characterized the prisoner.

The president called for the indictment, revised as we know, by the clever and implacable pen of Villefort. During the reading of this, which was long, the public attention was continually drawn towards Andrea, who bore the inspection with Spartan unconcern. Villefort had never been so concise and eloquent. The crime was depicted in the most vivid colors; the former life of the prisoner, his transformation, a review of his life from the earliest period, were set forth with all the talent that a knowledge of human life could furnish to a mind like that of the procureur. Benedetto was thus forever condemned in public opinion before the sentence of the law could be pronounced.

Andrea paid no attention to the successive charges which were brought against him. M. de Villefort, who examined him attentively, and who no doubt practiced upon him all the psychological studies he was accustomed to use, in vain endeavored to make him lower his eyes, notwithstanding the depth and profundity of his gaze. At length the reading of the indictment was ended.

โ€œAccused,โ€ said the president, โ€œyour name and surname?โ€

Andrea arose.

โ€œExcuse me, Mr. President,โ€ he said, in a clear voice, โ€œbut I see you are going to adopt a course of questions through which I cannot follow you. I have an idea, which I will explain by and by, of making an exception to the usual form of accusation. Allow me, then, if you please, to answer in different order, or I will not do so at all.โ€

The astonished president looked at the jury, who in turn looked at Villefort. The whole assembly manifested great surprise, but Andrea appeared quite unmoved.

โ€œYour age?โ€ said the president; โ€œwill you answer that question?โ€

โ€œI will answer that question, as well as the rest, Mr. President, but in its turn.โ€

โ€œYour age?โ€ repeated the president.

โ€œI am twenty-one years old, or rather I shall be in a few days, as I was born the night of the 27th of September, 1817.โ€

M. de Villefort, who was busy taking down some notes, raised his head at the mention of this date.

โ€œWhere were you born?โ€ continued the president.

โ€œAt Auteuil, near Paris.โ€

M. de Villefort a second time raised his head, looked at Benedetto as if he had been gazing at the head of Medusa, and became livid. As for Benedetto, he gracefully wiped his lips with a fine cambric pocket-handkerchief.

โ€œYour profession?โ€

โ€œFirst I was a forger,โ€ answered Andrea, as calmly as possible; โ€œthen I became a thief, and lately have become an assassin.โ€

A murmur, or rather storm, of indignation burst from all parts of the assembly. The judges themselves appeared to be stupefied, and the jury manifested tokens of disgust for a cynicism so unexpected in a man of fashion. M. de Villefort pressed his hand upon his brow, which, at first pale, had become red and burning; then he suddenly arose and looked around as though he had lost his sensesโ โ€”he wanted air.

โ€œAre you looking for anything, Mr. Procureur?โ€ asked Benedetto, with his most ingratiating smile.

M. de Villefort answered nothing, but sat, or rather threw himself down again upon his chair.

โ€œAnd now, prisoner, will you consent to tell your name?โ€ said the president. โ€œThe

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