Alexandre Dumas: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 44: The Vendetta. (continued)

"And this king's attorney was named Villefort?" asked Monte Cristo carelessly.

"Yes, your excellency; he came from Marseilles, where he had been deputy-procureur. His zeal had procured him advancement, and he was said to be one of the first who had informed the government of the departure from the Island of Elba."

"Then," said Monte Cristo "you went to him?"

"`Monsieur,' I said, `my brother was assassinated yesterday in the streets of Nimes, I know not by whom, but it is your duty to find out. You are the representative of justice here, and it is for justice to avenge those she has been unable to protect.' -- `Who was your brother?' asked he. -- `A lieutenant in the Corsican battalion.' -- `A soldier of the usurper, then?' -- `A soldier of the French army.' -- `Well,' replied he, `he has smitten with the sword, and he has perished by the sword.' -- `You are mistaken, monsieur,' I replied; `he has perished by the poniard.' -- `What do you want me to do?' asked the magistrate. -- `I have already told you -- avenge him.' -- `On whom?' -- `On his murderers.' -- `How should I know who they are?' -- `Order them to be sought for.' -- `Why, your brother has been involved in a quarrel, and killed in a duel. All these old soldiers commit excesses which were tolerated in the time of the emperor, but which are not suffered now, for the people here do not like soldiers of such disorderly conduct.' -- `Monsieur,' I replied, `it is not for myself that I entreat your interference -- I should grieve for him or avenge him, but my poor brother had a wife, and were anything to happen to me, the poor creature would perish from want, for my brother's pay alone kept her. Pray, try and obtain a small government pension for her.'

"`Every revolution has its catastrophes,' returned M. de Villefort; `your brother has been the victim of this. It is a misfortune, and government owes nothing to his family. If we are to judge by all the vengeance that the followers of the usurper exercised on the partisans of the king, when, in their turn, they were in power, your brother would be to-day, in all probability, condemned to death. What has happened is quite natural, and in conformity with the law of reprisals.' -- `What,' cried I, `do you, a magistrate, speak thus to me?' -- `All these Corsicans are mad, on my honor,' replied M. de Villefort; `they fancy that their countryman is still emperor. You have mistaken the time, you should have told me this two months ago, it is too late now. Go now, at once, or I shall have you put out.'