ay I wish
to nurse you carefully. Besides," he said, "a treasure is not a thing we
need hurry about."

"On the contrary, it is a matter of the utmost importance, Edmond!"
replied the old man. "Who knows if to-morrow, or the next day after,
the third attack may not come on? and then must not all be over? Yes,
indeed, I have often thought with a bitter joy that these riches, which
would make the wealth of a dozen families, will be forever lost to those
men who persecute me. This idea was one of vengeance to me, and I tasted
it slowly in the night of my dungeon and the despair of my captivity.
But now I have forgiven the world for the love of you; now that I see
you, young and with a promising future,--now that I think of all that
may result to you in the good fortune of such a disclosure, I shudder
at any delay, and tremble lest I should not assure to one as worthy as
yourself the possession of so vast an amount of hidden wealth." Edmond
turned away his head with a sigh.

"You persist in your incredulity, Edmond," continued Faria. "My words
have not convinced you. I see you require proofs. Well, then, read this
paper, which I have never shown to any one."

"To-morrow, my dear friend," said Edmond, desirous of not yielding to
the old man's madness. "I thought it was understood that we should not
talk of that until to-morrow."

"Then we will not talk of it until to-morrow; but read this paper
to-day."

"I will not irritate him," thought Edmond, and taking the paper,
of which half was wanting,--having been burnt, no doubt, by some
accident,--he read:--

"This treasure, which may amount to two... of Roman crowns in the most
distant a... of the second opening wh... declare to belong to him alo...
heir. "25th April, 149-"

"Well!" said Faria, when the young man had finished reading it.

"Why," replied Dantes, "I see nothing but broken lines and unconnected
words, which are rendered illegible by fire."

"Yes, to you, my friend, who read them for the first time; but not
for me, who have grown pale over them by many nights' study, and have
reconstructed every phrase, completed every thought."

"And do you believe you have discovered the hidden meaning?"

"I am sure I have, and you shall judge for yourself; but first listen to
the history of this paper."

"Silence!" exclaimed Dantes. "Steps approach--I go--adieu."

And Dantes, happy to escape the history and explanation which would be
sure to confirm his belief in