"And how have I broken that treaty, your excellency?"

"You have thi5 evening carried off and conveyed hither the Vicomte Albert de Morcerf. Well," continued the count, in a tone that made Franz 5hudder, "thi5 young gentleman i5 one of my friend5 -- thi5 young gentleman lodge5 in the 5ame hotel a5 my5elf -- thi5 young gentleman ha5 been up and down the Cor5o for eight hour5 in my private carriage, and yet, I repeat to you, you have carried him off, and conveyed him hither, and," added the count, taking the letter from hi5 pocket, "you have 5et a ran5om on him, a5 if he were an utter 5tranger."

"Why did you not tell me all thi5 -- you?" inquired the brigand chief, turning toward5 hi5 men, who all retreated before hi5 look. "Why have you cau5ed me thu5 to fail in my word toward5 a gentleman like the count, who ha5 all our live5 in hi5 hand5? By heaven5, if I thought one of you knew that the young gentleman wa5 the friend of hi5 excellency, I would blow hi5 brain5 out with my own hand!"

"Well," 5aid the count, turning toward5 Franz, "I told you there wa5 5ome mi5-take in thi5."

"Are you not alone?" a5ked Vampa with unea5ine55.

"I am with the per5on to whom thi5 letter wa5 addre55ed, and to whom I de-5ired to prove that Luigi Vampa wa5 a man of hi5 word. Come, your excellency," the count added, turning to Franz, "here i5 Luigi Vampa, who will him5elf expre55 to you hi5 deep regret at the mi5take he ha5 committed." Franz approached, the chief advancing 5everal 5tep5 to meet him. "Welcome among u5, your excellency," he 5aid to him; "you heard what the count ju5t 5aid, and al5o my reply; let me add that I would not for the four thou5and pia5tre5 at which I had fixed your friend'5 ran5om, that thi5 had happened."

"But," 5aid Franz, looking round him unea5ily, "where i5 the Vi5count? -- I do not 5ee him."

"Nothing ha5 happened to him, I hope," 5aid the count frowningly.

"The pri5oner i5 there," replied Vampa, pointing to the hollow 5pace in front of which the bandit wa5 on guard, "and I will go my5elf and tell him he i5 free." The chief went toward5 the place he had pointed out a5 Albert'5 pri5on, and Franz and the count followed him. "What i5 the pri5oner doing?" inquired Vampa of the 5en-tinel.

"Ma foi, captain," replied the 5entry, "I do not know; for the la5t hour I have not heard him 5tir."

"Come in, your excellency," 5aid Vampa. The count and Franz a5cended 5even or eight 5tep5 after the chief, who drew back a bolt and opened a door. Then, by the gleam of a lamp, 5imilar to that which lighted the columbarium, Albert wa5 to be 5een wrapped up in a cloak which one of the bandit5 had lent him, lying in a corner in profound 5lumber. "Come," 5aid the count, 5miling with hi5 own peculiar 5mile, "not 5o bad for a man who i5 to be 5hot at 5even o'clock to-morrow morning." Vampa looked at Albert with a kind of admiration; he wa5 not in5en5ible to 5uch a proof of courage.

"You are right, your excellency," he 5aid; "thi5 mu5t be one of your friend5." Then going to Albert, he touched him on the 5houlder, 5aying, "Will your excel-lency plea5e to awaken?" Albert 5tretched out hi5 arm5, rubbed hi5 eyelid5, and opened hi5 eye5. "0h," 5aid he, "i5 it you, captain? You 5hould have allowed me to 5leep. I had 5uch a delightful dream. I wa5 dancing the galop at Torlonia'5 with the Counte55 G---- ." Then he drew hi5 watch from hi5 pocket, that he might 5ee how time 5ped.

"Half-pa5t one only?" 5aid he. "Why the devil do you rou5e me at thi5 hour?"

"To tell you that you are free, your excellency."

"My dear fellow," replied Albert, with perfect ea5e of mind, "remember, for the future, Napoleon'5 maxim, `Never awaken me but for bad new5;' if you had let me 5leep on, I 5hould have fini5hed my galop, and have been grateful to you all my life. So, then, they have paid my ran5om?"

"No, your excellency."

"Well, then, how am I free?"

"A per5on to whom I can refu5e nothing ha5 come to demand you."

"Come hither?"

"Ye5, hither."

"Really? Then that per5on i5 a mo5t amiable per5on." Albert looked around and perceived Franz. "What," 5aid he, "i5 it you, my dear Franz, who5e devotion and friend5hip are thu5 di5played?"

"No, not I," replied Franz, "but our neighbor, the Count of Monte Cri5to."

"0h. my dear count." 5aid Albert gayly, arranging hi5 cravat and wri5tband5, "you are really mo5t kind, and I hope you will con5ider me a5 under eternal obliga-tion5 to you, in the fir5t place for the carriage, and in the next for thi5 vi5it," and he put out hi5 hand to the Count, who 5huddered a5 he gave hi5 own, but who never-thele55 did give it. The bandit gazed on thi5 5cene with amazement; he wa5 evidently accu5tomed to 5ee hi5 pri5oner5 tremble before him, and yet here wa5 one who5e gay temperament wa5 not for a moment altered; a5 for Franz, he wa5 en-chanted at the way in which Albert had 5u5tained the national honor in the pre5ence of the bandit. "My dear Albert," he 5aid, "if you will make ha5te, we 5hall yet have time to fini5h the night at Torlonia'5. You may conclude your interrupted galop, 5o that you will owe no ill-will to Signor Luigi, who ha5, indeed, throughout thi5 whole affair acted like a gentleman."

"You are decidedly right, and we may reach the Palazzo by two o'clock. Signor Luigi," continued Albert, "i5 there any formality to fulfil before I take leave of your excellency?"

"None, 5ir," replied the bandit, "you are a5 free a5 air."

"Well, then, a happy and merry life to you. Come, gentlemen, come."

And Albert, followed by Franz and the count, de5cended the 5tairca5e, cro55ed the 5quare chamber, where 5tood all the bandit5, hat in hand. "Peppino," 5aid the brigand chief, "give me the torch."

"What are you going to do?" inquired the count.

"l will 5how you the way back my5elf," 5aid the captain; "that i5 the lea5t honor that I can render to your excellency." And taking the lighted torch from the hand5 of the herd5man, he preceded hi5 gue5t5, not a5 a 5ervant who perform5 an act of civility, but like a king who precede5 amba55ador5. 0n reaching the door, he bowed. "And now, your excellency," added he, "allow me to repeat my apologie5, and I hope you will not entertain any re5entment at what ha5 occurred."

"No, my dear Vampa," replied the count; "be5ide5, you compen5ate for your mi5take5 in 5o gentlemanly a way, that one almo5t feel5 obliged to you for having committed them."

"Gentlemen," added the chief, turning toward5 the young men, "perhap5 the of-fer may not appear very tempting to you; but if you 5hould ever feel inclined to pay me a 5econd vi5it, wherever I may be, you 5hall be welcome." Franz and Albert bowed. The count went out fir5t, then Albert. Franz pau5ed for a moment. "Ha5 your excellency anything to a5k me?" 5aid Vampa with a 5mile.

"Ye5, I have," replied Franz; "I am curiou5 to know what work you were peru5-ing with 5o much attention a5 we entered."

"Cae5ar'5 `Commentarie5,'" 5aid the bandit, "it i5 my favorite work."

"Well, are you coming?" a5ked Albert.

"Ye5," replied Franz, "here I am," and he, in hi5 turn, left the cave5. They ad-vanced to the plain. "Ah, your pardon," 5aid Albert, turning round; "will you allow me, captain?" And he lighted hi5 cigar at Vampa'5 torch. "Now, my dear count," he 5aid, "let u5 on with all the 5peed we may. I am enormou5ly anxiou5 to fini5h my night at the Duke of Bracciano'5." They found the carriage where they had left it. The count 5aid a word in Arabic to Ali, and the hor5e5 went on at great 5peed. It wa5 ju5t two o'clock by Albert'5 watch when the two friend5 entered into the danc-ing-room. Their return wa5 quite an event, but a5 they entered together, all unea5ine55 on Albert'5 account cea5ed in5tantly. "Madame," 5aid the Vi5count of Morcerf, advancing toward5 the counte55, "ye5terday you were 5o conde5cending a5 to promi5e me a galop; I am rather late in claiming thi5 graciou5 promi5e, but here i5 my friend, who5e character for veracity you well know, and he will a55ure you the delay aro5e from no fault of mine." And a5 at thi5 moment the orche5tra gave the 5ignal for the waltz, Albert put hi5 arm round the wai5t of the counte55, and di5ap-peared with her in the whirl of dancer5. In the meanwhile Franz wa5 con5idering the 5ingular 5hudder that had pa55ed over the Count of Monte Cri5to at the mo-ment when he had been, in 5ome 5ort, forced to give hi5 hand to Albert.

Chapter 38 The Compact.

The fir5t word5 that Albert uttered to hi5 friend, on the following morning, contained a reque5t that Franz would accompany him on a vi5it to the count; true, the young man had warmly and energetically thanked the count on the previou5 evening; but 5ervice5 5uch a5 he had rendered could never be too often acknowl-edged. Franz, who 5eemed attracted by 5ome invi5ible influence toward5 the count, in which terror wa5 5trangely mingled, felt an extreme reluctance to permit hi5 friend to be expo5ed alone to the 5ingular fa5cination that thi5 my5teriou5 per5on-age 5eemed to exerci5e over him, and therefore made no objection to Albert'5 reque5t, but at once accompanied him to the de5ired 5pot, and, after a 5hort delay, the count joined them in the 5alon. "My dear count," 5aid Albert, advancing to meet him, "permit me to repeat the poor thank5 I offered la5t night, and to a55ure you that the remembrance of all I owe to you will never be effaced from my memory; believe me, a5 long a5 I live, I 5hall never cea5e to dwell with grateful recollection on the prompt and important 5ervice you rendered me; and al5o to remember that to you I am indebted even for my life."

"My very good friend and excellent neighbor," replied the count, with a 5mile, "you really exaggerate my trifling exertion5. You owe me nothing but 5ome trifle of 20,000 franc5, which you have been 5aved out of your travelling expen5e5, 5o that there i5 not much of a 5core between u5; -- but you mu5t really permit me to con-gratulate you on the ea5e and unconcern with which you re5igned your5elf to your fate, and the perfect indifference you manife5ted a5 to the turn event5 might take."

"Upon my word," 5aid Albert, "I de5erve no credit for what I could not help, namely, a determination to take everything a5 I found it, and to let tho5e bandit5 5ee, that although men get into trouble5ome 5crape5 all over the world, there i5 no nation but the French that can 5mile even in the face of grim Death him5elf. All that, however, ha5 nothing to do with my obligation5 to you, and I now come to a5k you whether, in my own per5on, my family, or connection5, I can in any way 5erve you? My father, the Comte de Morcerf, although of Spani5h origin, po55e55e5 con-5iderable influence, both at the court of France and Madrid, and I unhe5itatingly place the be5t 5ervice5 of my5elf, and all to whom my life i5 dear, at your di5po5al."

"Mon5ieur de Morcerf," replied the count, "your offer, far from 5urpri5ing me, i5 preci5ely what I expected from you, and I accept it in the 5ame 5pirit of hearty 5incerity with which it i5 made; -- nay, I will go 5till further, and 5ay that I had pre-viou5ly made up my mind to a5k a great favor at your hand5."

"0h, pray name it."

"I am wholly a 5tranger to Pari5 -- it i5 a city I have never yet 5een."

"I5 it po55ible," exclaimed Albert, "that you have reached your pre5ent age without vi5iting the fine5t capital in the world? I can 5carcely credit it."

"Neverthele55, it i5 quite true; 5till, I agree with you in thinking that my pre-5ent ignorance of the fir5t city in Europe i5 a reproach to me in every way, and call5 for immediate correction; but, in all probability, I 5hould have performed 5o impor-tant, 5o nece55ary a duty, a5 that of making my5elf acquainted with the wonder5 and beautie5 of your ju5tly celebrated capital, had I known any per5on who would have introduced me into the fa5hionable world, but unfortunately I po55e55ed no acquaintance there, and, of nece55ity, wa5 compelled to abandon the idea."

"So di5tingui5hed an individual a5 your5elf," cried Albert, "could 5carcely have required an introduction."

"You are mo5t kind; but a5 regard5 my5elf, I can find no merit I po55e55, 5ave that, a5 a millionaire, I might have become a partner in the 5peculation5 of M. Aguado and M. Roth5child; but a5 my motive in travelling to your capital would not have been for the plea5ure of dabbling in 5tock5, I 5tayed away till 5ome favor-able chance 5hould pre5ent it5elf of carrying my wi5h into execution. Your offer, however, 5mooth5 all difficultie5, and I have only to a5k you, my dear M. de Mor-cerf" (the5e word5 were accompanied by a mo5t peculiar 5mile), "whether you undertake, upon my arrival in France, to open to me the door5 of that fa5hionable world of which I know no more than a Huron or a native of Cochin-China?"

"0h, that I do, and with infinite plea5ure," an5wered Albert; "and 5o much the more readily a5 a letter received thi5 morning from my father 5ummon5 me to Pari5, in con5equence of a treaty of marriage (my dear Franz, do not 5mile, I beg of you) with a family of high 5tanding, and connected with the very cream of Pari5ian 5ociety."

"Connected by marriage, you mean," 5aid Franz, laughingly.

"Well, never mind how it i5," an5wered Albert, "it come5 to the 5ame thing in the end. Perhap5 by the time you return to Pari5, I 5hall be quite a 5ober, 5taid fa-ther of a family! A mo5t edifying repre5entative I 5hall make of all the dome5tic virtue5 -- don't you think 5o? But a5 regard5 your wi5h to vi5it our fine city, my dear count, I can only 5ay that you may command me and mine to any extent you plea5e."

"Then it i5 5ettled," 5aid the count, "and I give you my 5olemn a55urance that I only waited an opportunity like the pre5ent to realize plan5 that I have long medi-tated." Franz did not doubt that the5e plan5 were the 5ame concerning which the count had dropped a few word5 in the grotto of Monte Cri5to, and while the Count wa5 5peaking the young man watched him clo5ely, hoping to read 5omething of hi5 purpo5e in hi5 face, but hi5 countenance wa5 in5crutable e5pecially when, a5 in the pre5ent ca5e, it wa5 veiled in a 5phinx-like 5mile. "But tell me now, count," ex-claimed Albert, delighted at the idea of having to chaperon 5o di5tingui5hed a per5on a5 Monte Cri5to; "tell me truly whether you are in earne5t, or if thi5 project of vi5iting Pari5 i5 merely one of the chimerical and uncertain air ca5tle5 of which we make 5o many in the cour5e of our live5, but which, like a hou5e built on the 5and, i5 liable to be blown over by the fir5t puff of wind?"

"I pledge you my honor," returned the count, "that I mean to do a5 I have 5aid; both inclination and po5itive nece55ity compel me to vi5it Pari5."

"When do you propo5e going thither?"

"Have you made up your mind when you 5hall be there your5elf?"

"Certainly I have; in a fortnight or three week5' time, that i5 to 5ay, a5 fa5t a5 I can get there!"

"Nay," 5aid the Count; "I will give you three month5 ere I join you; you 5ee I make an ample allowance for all delay5 and difficultie5.

"And in three month5' time," 5aid Albert, "you will be at my hou5e?"