Alexandre Dumas: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 77: Haidee. (continued)

* Greek militiamen in the war for independence. -- Ed.

"`Silence, child! Hush, we are flying!' I did not understand. Why should my father fly? -- he, the all-powerful -- he, before whom others were accustomed to fly -- he, who had taken for his device, `They hate me; then they fear me!' It was, indeed, a flight which my father was trying to effect. I have been told since that the garrison of the castle of Yanina, fatigued with long service" --

Here Haidee cast a significant glance at Monte Cristo, whose eyes had been riveted on her countenance during the whole course of her narrative. The young girl then continued, speaking slowly, like a person who is either inventing or suppressing some feature of the history which he is relating. "You were saying, signora," said Albert, who was paying the most implicit attention to the recital, "that the garrison of Yanina, fatigued with long service" --

"Had treated with the Serasker* Koorshid, who had been sent by the sultan to gain possession of the person of my father; it was then that Ali Tepelini -- after having sent to the sultan a French officer in whom he reposed great confidence -- resolved to retire to the asylum which he had long before prepared for himself, and which he called kataphygion, or the refuge."

* A Turkish pasha in command of the troops of a province. -- Ed.

"And this officer," asked Albert, "do you remember his name, signora?" Monte Cristo exchanged a rapid glance with the young girl, which was quite unperceived by Albert. "No," said she, "I do not remember it just at this moment; but if it should occur to me presently, I will tell you." Albert was on the point of pronouncing his father's name, when Monte Cristo gently held up his finger in token of reproach; the young man recollected his promise, and was silent.

"It was towards this kiosk that we were rowing. A ground-floor, ornamented with arabesques, bathing its terraces in the water, and another floor, looking on the lake, was all which was visible to the eye. But beneath the ground-floor, stretching out into the island, was a large subterranean cavern, to which my mother, myself, and the women were conducted. In this place were together 60,000 pouches and 200 barrels; the pouches contained 25,000,000 of money in gold, and the barrels were filled with 30,000 pounds of gunpowder.