Alexandre Dumas: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 33: Roman Bandits. (continued)

"`Teresa, what were you thinking of as you danced opposite the young Countess of San-Felice?' -- `I thought,' replied the young girl, with all the frankness of her nature, `that I would give half my life for a costume such as she wore.'

"`And what said your cavalier to you?' -- `He said it only depended on myself to have it, and I had only one word to say.'

"`He was right,' said Luigi. `Do you desire it as ardently as you say?' -- `Yes.' -- `Well, then, you shall have it!'

"The young girl, much astonished, raised her head to look at him, but his face was so gloomy and terrible that her words froze to her lips. As Luigi spoke thus, he left her. Teresa followed him with her eyes into the darkness as long as she could, and when he had quite disappeared, she went into the house with a sigh.

"That night a memorable event occurred, due, no doubt, to the imprudence of some servant who had neglected to extinguish the lights. The Villa of San-Felice took fire in the rooms adjoining the very apartment of the lovely Carmela. Awakened in the night by the light of the flames, she sprang out of bed, wrapped herself in a dressing-gown, and attempted to escape by the door, but the corridor by which she hoped to fly was already a prey to the flames. She then returned to her room, calling for help as loudly as she could, when suddenly her window, which was twenty feet from the ground, was opened, a young peasant jumped into the chamber, seized her in his arms, and with superhuman skill and strength conveyed her to the turf of the grass-plot, where she fainted. When she recovered, her father was by her side. All the servants surrounded her, offering her assistance. An entire wing of the villa was burnt down; but what of that, as long as Carmela was safe and uninjured? Her preserver was everywhere sought for, but he did not appear; he was inquired after, but no one had seen him. Carmela was greatly troubled that she had not recognized him. As the count was immensely rich, excepting the danger Carmela had run, -- and the marvellous manner in which she had escaped, made that appear to him rather a favor of providence than a real misfortune, -- the loss occasioned by the conflagration was to him but a trifle.