ook.

"Monte-Cristo, my husband, where are you?" she said, in a broken voice.

"Here, Haydee," answered the Count, approaching.

He strove to appear calm, but could not control his emotion.

"Nearer, nearer, Edmond," said Haydee, growing weaker and weaker.

The Count sank on his knees beside his dying wife and put his arms about
her neck.

"Oh! Haydee, Haydee," he sobbed; "thrice accursed be the infamous wretch
who has done this!"

"Edmond, my children, farewell," gasped Haydee; "I am going to a better
land!"

The death rattle was in her throat; she raised herself with a mighty
effort, gazed lovingly at her husband and children, and strove to speak
again, but could not; then a flickering shade of violet passed over her
countenance, and she fell back dead.

Esperance and Zuleika stood as if stunned; Monte-Cristo was overwhelmed
with grief and despair.

"The whole palace is in flames! Save yourselves, save yourselves!"
cried a fisherman, rushing into the library, followed by his companions,
Ali and the servants.

Monte-Cristo leaped to his feet, seizing the corpse of Haydee and
raising it in his arms. Ali grasped Esperance and Zuleika, and the
entire party hastened from the burning edifice. They were not an instant
too soon, for as they quitted the library the tempest of fire burst into
it, accompanied by torrents of smoke. The fishermen and servants,
commanded by the Nubian, had made every effort to save the doomed
mansion, but in vain.

Monte-Cristo and his children found refuge in the hut of Alexis, to
which Haydee's body was reverently borne.

The wife of Monte-Cristo was buried on the Island of Salmis, and over
her remains her husband erected a massive monument.

Shortly afterwards the Count, Esperance and Zuleika, attended by the
faithful Ali, quitted the Island and took passage on a vessel bound for
France.

CHAPTER IV.

THE NEWS FROM ALGERIA.

Beauchamp, the journalist, sat at his desk in his editorial sanctum
early one bright morning in the autumn of 1841. He had gone to work long
before his usual hour, for important movements were on foot, the
political atmosphere was agitated and Paris was in a state of feverish
excitement; besides, Beauchamp had that day printed in his journal a
dispatch from Algeria that would be certain to cause a great sensation,
and, with the proper spirit of pride, the journalist desired to be at
his post that he might receive the numerous congratulations hi