s of Fort Saint Nicolas, then turning
round, he perceived Fernand, who had fallen, pale and trembling, into
his chair, while Caderousse stammered out the words of a drinking-song.

"Well, my dear sir," said Danglars to Fernand, "here is a marriage which
does not appear to make everybody happy."

"It drives me to despair," said Fernand.

"Do you, then, love Mercedes?"

"I adore her!"

"For long?"

"As long as I have known her--always."

"And you sit there, tearing your hair, instead of seeking to remedy your
condition; I did not think that was the way of your people."

"What would you have me do?" said Fernand.

"How do I know? Is it my affair? I am not in love with Mademoiselle
Mercedes; but for you--in the words of the gospel, seek, and you shall
find."

"I have found already."

"What?"

"I would stab the man, but the woman told me that if any misfortune
happened to her betrothed, she would kill herself."

"Pooh! Women say those things, but never do them."

"You do not know Mercedes; what she threatens she will do."

"Idiot!" muttered Danglars; "whether she kill herself or not, what
matter, provided Dantes is not captain?"

"Before Mercedes should die," replied Fernand, with the accents of
unshaken resolution, "I would die myself!"

"That's what I call love!" said Caderousse with a voice more tipsy than
ever. "That's love, or I don't know what love is."

"Come," said Danglars, "you appear to me a good sort of fellow, and hang
me, I should like to help you, but"--

"Yes," said Caderousse, "but how?"

"My dear fellow," replied Danglars, "you are three parts drunk; finish
the bottle, and you will be completely so. Drink then, and do not meddle
with what we are discussing, for that requires all one's wit and cool
judgment."

"I--drunk!" said Caderousse; "well that's a good one! I could drink
four more such bottles; they are no bigger than cologne flasks. Pere
Pamphile, more wine!" and Caderousse rattled his glass upon the table.

"You were saying, sir"--said Fernand, awaiting with great anxiety the
end of this interrupted remark.

"What was I saying? I forget. This drunken Caderousse has made me lose
the thread of my sentence."

"Drunk, if you like; so much the worse for those who fear wine, for it
is because they have bad thoughts which they are afraid the liquor will
extract from their hearts;" and Caderousse began to sing the two last
lines of a song very popular at the time,--

'Tous l