VILLEFORT ROSE, half ashamed of being surprised in such a paroxysm of grief. The terrible office he had held for twenty-five years had succeeded in making him more or less than man. His glance, at first wandering, fixed¹ itself upon Morrel. "Who are you, sir," he asked, "that forget that this is not the manner to enter a house stricken with death? Go, sir, go!" But Morrel remained motionless; he could not detach his eyes from that disordered bed, and the pale corpse² of the young girl who was lying on it. "Go!--do you hear?" said Villefort, while d'Avrigny advanced to lead Morrel out. Maximilian stared for a moment at the corpse, gazed all around the room, then upon the two men; he opened his mouth to speak, but finding it impossible to give utterance³ to the innumerable ideas that occupied his brain, he went out, thrusting his hands through his hair in such a manner that Villefort and d'Avrigny, for a moment diverted from the engrossing⁴ topic, exchanged glances, which seemed to say,--"He is mad!"

But in less than five minutes the staircase groaned⁶ beneath an extraordinary weight. Morrel was seen carrying, with superhuman strength, the arm-chair containing Noirtier up-stairs. When he reached the landing he placed the arm-chair on the floor and rapidly rolled it into Valentine's room. This could only have been accomplished⁷ by means of unnatural⁸ strength supplied by powerful excitement. But the most fearful spectacle was Noirtier being pushed towards the bed, his face expressing all his meaning, and his eyes supplying the want of every other faculty⁹. That pale face and flaming glance appeared to Villefort like a frightful¹⁰ apparition¹¹. Each time he had been brought into contact with his father, something terrible had happened. "See what they have done!" cried Morrel, with one hand leaning on the back of the chair, and the other extended towards Valentine. "See, my father, see!"

Villefort drew back and looked with astonishment¹² on the young man, who, almost a stranger to him, called Noirtier his father. At this moment the whole soul of the old man seemed centred in his eyes which became bloodshot; the veins¹³ of the throat swelled¹⁴; his cheeks and temples became purple, as though he was struck with epilepsy; nothing was wanting to complete this but the utterance of a cry. And the cry issued from his pores, if we may thus speak--a cry frightful in its silence. D'Avrigny rushed towards the old man and made him inhale¹⁵ a powerful restorative.

"Sir," cried Morrel, seizing the moist hand of the paralytic¹⁶, "they ask me who I am, and what right I have to be here. Oh, you know it, tell them, tell them!" And the young man's voice was choked by sobs¹⁷. As for the old man, his chest heaved with his panting respiration¹⁸. One could have thought that he was undergoing the agonies preceding death. At length, happier than the young man, who sobbed¹⁹ without weeping, tears glistened²⁰ in the eyes of Noirtier. "Tell them," said Morrel in a hoarse²¹ voice, "tell them that I am her betrothed²². Tell them she was my beloved, my noble girl, my only blessing²³ in the world. Tell them--oh, tell them, that corpse belongs to me!"

The young man overwhelmed by the weight of his anguish²⁴, fell heavily on his knees before the bed, which his fingers grasped with convulsive energy. D'Avrigny, unable to bear the sight of this touching²⁵ emotion, turned away; and Villefort, without seeking any further explanation, and attracted towards him by the irresistible²⁶ magnetism²⁷ which draws us towards those who have loved the people for whom we mourn, extended his hand towards the young man. But Morrel saw nothing; he had grasped the hand of Valentine, and unable to weep vented²⁸ his agony in groans²⁹ as he bit the sheets. For some time nothing was heard in that chamber³⁰ but sobs, exclamations³², and prayers. At length Villefort, the most composed of all, spoke³³: "Sir," said he to Maximilian, "you say you loved Valentine, that you were betrothed to her. I knew nothing of this engagement, of this love, yet I, her father, forgive you, for I see that your grief is real and deep; and besides my own sorrow is too great for anger to find a place in my heart. But you see that the angel whom you hoped for has left this earth--she has nothing more to do with the adoration³⁴ of men. Take a last farewell, sir, of her sad remains³⁵; take the hand you expected to possess once more within your own, and then separate yourself from her forever. Valentine now requires only the ministrations of the priest."

"You are mistaken, sir," exclaimed Morrel, raising himself on one knee, his heart pierced by a more acute pang³⁶ than any he had yet felt--"you are mistaken; Valentine, dying as she has, not only requires a priest, but an avenger³⁸. You, M. de Villefort, send for the priest; I will be the avenger."

"What do you mean, sir?" asked Villefort, trembling at the new idea inspired by the delirium³⁹ of Morrel.

"I tell you, sir, that two persons exist in you; the father has mourned sufficiently⁴⁰, now let the procureur fulfil his office."

The eyes of Noirtier glistened, and d'Avrigny approached.

"Gentlemen," said Morrel, reading all that passed through the minds of the witnesses to the scene, "I know what I am saying, and you know as well as I do what I am about to say--Valentine has been assassinated⁴¹!" Villefort hung his head, d'Avrigny approached nearer, and Noirtier said "Yes" with his eyes. "Now, sir," continued Morrel, "in these days no one can disappear by violent means without some inquiries⁴² being made as to the cause of her disappearance⁴³, even were she not a young, beautiful, and adorable creature like Valentine. Mr. Procureur," said Morrel with increasing vehemence⁴⁴, "no mercy is allowed; I denounce the crime; it is your place to seek the assassin." The young man's implacable eyes interrogated⁴⁵ Villefort, who, on his side, glanced from Noirtier to d'Avrigny. But instead of finding sympathy in the eyes of the doctor and his father, he only saw an expression as inflexible⁴⁶ as that of Maximilian. "Yes," indicated the old man.

"Assuredly," said d'Avrigny.

"Sir," said Villefort, striving to struggle against this triple force and his own emotion,--"sir, you are deceived; no one commits crimes here. I am stricken by fate. It is horrible, indeed, but no one assassinates⁴⁷."

The eyes of Noirtier lighted up with rage, and d'Avrigny prepared to speak. Morrel, however, extended his arm, and commanded silence.

"And I say that murders are committed here," said Morrel, whose voice, though lower in tone, lost none of its terrible distinctness: "I tell you that this is the fourth victim within the last four months. I tell you, Valentine's life was attempted by poison four days ago, though she escaped, owing to the precautions of M. Noirtier. I tell you that the dose has been double, the poison changed, and that this time it has succeeded. I tell you that you know these things as well as I do, since this gentleman has forewarned you, both as a doctor and as a friend."

"Oh, you rave⁴⁸, sir," exclaimed Villefort, in vain endeavoring to escape the net in which he was taken.

"I rave?" said Morrel; "well, then, I appeal to M. d'Avrigny himself. Ask him, sir, if he recollects⁴⁹ the words he uttered in the garden of this house on the night of Madame de Saint-Méran's death. You thought yourselves alone, and talked about that tragical⁵⁰ death, and the fatality⁵¹ you mentioned then is the same which has caused the murder of Valentine." Villefort and d'Avrigny exchanged looks. "Yes, yes," continued Morrel; "recall the scene, for the words you thought were only given to silence and solitude⁵² fell into my ears. Certainly, after witnessing the culpable⁵³ indolence manifested by M. de Villefort towards his own relations, I ought to have denounced him to the authorities; then I should not have been an accomplice⁵⁴ to thy death, as I now am, sweet, beloved Valentine; but the accomplice shall become the avenger. This fourth murder is apparent to all, and if thy father abandon thee, Valentine, it is I, and I swear it, that shall pursue the assassin." And this time, as though nature had at least taken compassion⁵⁵ on the vigorous frame, nearly bursting with its own strength, the words of Morrel were stifled⁵⁶ in his throat; his breast heaved; the tears, so long rebellious⁵⁷, gushed⁵⁸ from his eyes; and he threw himself weeping on his knees by the side of the bed.

Then d'Avrigny spoke. "And I, too," he exclaimed in a low voice, "I unite with M. Morrel in demanding justice for crime; my blood boils at the idea of having encouraged a murderer by my cowardly concession⁵⁹."

"Oh, merciful heavens!" murmured Villefort. Morrel raised his head, and reading the eyes of the old man, which gleamed with unnatural lustre,--"Stay," he said, "M. Noirtier wishes to speak."

"Yes," indicated Noirtier, with an expression the more terrible, from all his faculties⁶⁰ being centred in his glance.

"Do you know the assassin?" asked Morrel.

"Yes," replied Noirtier.

"And will you direct us?" exclaimed the young man. "Listen, M. d'Avrigny, listen!" Noirtier looked upon Morrel with one of those melancholy⁶¹ smiles which had so often made Valentine happy, and thus fixed his attention. Then, having riveted⁶² the eyes of his interlocutor on his own, he glanced towards the door.

"Do you wish me to leave?" said Morrel, sadly.

"Yes," replied Noirtier.

"Alas⁶³, alas, sir, have pity on me!"

The old man's eyes remained fixed on the door.

"May I, at least, return?" asked Morrel.

"Yes."

"Must I leave alone?"

"No."

"Whom am I to take with me? The procureur?"

"No."

"The doctor?"

"Yes."

"You wish to remain alone with M. de Villefort?"

"Yes."

"But can he understand you?"

"Yes."

"Oh," said Villefort, inexpressibly delighted to think that the inquiries were to be made by him alone,--"oh, be satisfied, I can understand my father." D'Avrigny took the young man's arm, and led him out of the room. A more than deathlike silence then reigned⁶⁴ in the house. At the end of a quarter of an hour a faltering⁶⁵ footstep was heard, and Villefort appeared at the door of the apartment where d'Avrigny and Morrel had been staying, one absorbed in meditation⁶⁶, the other in grief. "You can come," he said, and led them back to Noirtier. Morrel looked attentively⁶⁷ on Villefort. His face was livid, large drops rolled down his face, and in his fingers he held the fragments of a quill⁶⁸ pen which he had torn to atoms.

"Gentlemen," he said in a hoarse voice, "give me your word of honor that this horrible secret shall forever remain buried amongst ourselves!" The two men drew back.

"I entreat⁶⁹ you."--continued Villefort. "But," said Morrel, "the culprit--the murderer--the assassin."

"Do not alarm yourself, sir; justice will be done," said Villefort. "My father has revealed the culprit's name; my father thirsts for revenge as much as you do, yet even he conjures⁷⁰ you as I do to keep this secret. Do you not, father?"

"Yes," resolutely⁷¹ replied Noirtier. Morrel suffered an exclamation³¹ of horror and surprise to escape him. "Oh, sir," said Villefort, arresting Maximilian by the arm, "if my father, the inflexible man, makes this request, it is because he knows, be assured, that Valentine will be terribly revenged. Is it not so, father?" The old man made a sign in the affirmative. Villefort continued: "He knows me, and I have pledged my word to him. Rest assured, gentlemen, that within three days, in a less time than justice would demand, the revenge I shall have taken for the murder of my child will be such as to make the boldest heart tremble;" and as he spoke these words he ground his teeth, and grasped the old man's senseless hand.

"Will this promise be fulfilled, M. Noirtier?" asked Morrel, while d'Avrigny looked inquiringly.

"Yes," replied Noirtier with an expression of sinister⁷² joy.

"Swear, then," said Villefort, joining the hands of Morrel and d'Avrigny, "swear that you will spare the honor of my house, and leave me to avenge³⁷ my child." D'Avrigny turned round and uttered a very feeble "Yes," but Morrel, disengaging his hand, rushed to the bed, and after having pressed the cold lips of Valentine with his own, hurriedly left, uttering a long, deep groan⁵ of despair and anguish. We have before stated that all the servants had fled. M. de Villefort was therefore obliged to request M. d'Avrigny to superintend all the arrangements consequent upon a death in a large city, more especially a death under such suspicious circumstances.

It was something terrible to witness the silent agony, the mute despair of Noirtier, whose tears silently rolled down his cheeks. Villefort retired⁷³ to his study, and d'Avrigny left to summon the doctor of the mayoralty, whose office it is to examine bodies after decease, and who is expressly named "the doctor of the dead." M. Noirtier could not be persuaded to quit his grandchild. At the end of a quarter of an hour M. d'Avrigny returned with his associate; they found the outer gate closed, and not a servant remaining in the house; Villefort himself was obliged to open to them. But he stopped on the landing; he had not the courage to again visit the death chamber. The two doctors, therefore, entered the room alone. Noirtier was near the bed, pale, motionless, and silent as the corpse. The district doctor approached with the indifference⁷⁴ of a man accustomed to spend half his time amongst the dead; he then lifted the sheet which was placed over the face, and just unclosed the lips.

"Alas," said d'Avrigny, "she is indeed dead, poor child!"

"Yes," answered the doctor laconically⁷⁵, dropping the sheet he had raised. Noirtier uttered a kind of hoarse, rattling⁷⁶ sound; the old man's eyes sparkled, and the good doctor understood that he wished to behold⁷⁷ his child. He therefore approached the bed, and while his companion was dipping the fingers with which he had touched the lips of the corpse in chloride of lime, he uncovered the calm and pale face, which looked like that of a sleeping angel. A tear, which appeared in the old man's eye, expressed his thanks to the doctor. The doctor of the dead then laid his permit on the corner of the table, and having fulfilled his duty, was conducted out by d'Avrigny. Villefort met them at the door of his study; having in a few words thanked the district doctor, he turned to d'Avrigny, and said,--"And now the priest."

"Is there any particular priest you wish to pray with Valentine?" asked d'Avrigny.

"No." said Villefort; "fetch the nearest."

"The nearest," said the district doctor, "is a good Italian abbé, who lives next door to you. Shall I call on him as I pass?"

"D'Avrigny," said Villefort, "be so kind, I beseech⁷⁸ you, as to accompany this gentleman. Here is the key of the door, so that you can go in and out as you please; you will bring the priest with you, and will oblige me by introducing him into my child's room."

"Do you wish to see him?"

"I only wish to be alone. You will excuse me, will you not? A priest can understand a father's grief." And M. de Villefort, giving the key to d'Avrigny, again bade farewell to the strange doctor, and retired to his study, where he began to work. For some temperaments⁷⁹ work is a remedy for all afflictions. As the doctors entered the street, they saw a man in a cassock standing⁸⁰ on the threshold of the next door. "This is the abbé of whom I spoke," said the doctor to d'Avrigny. D'Avrigny accosted⁸¹ the priest. "Sir," he said, "are you disposed to confer a great obligation on an unhappy father who has just lost his daughter? I mean M. de Villefort, the king's attorney."

"Ah," said the priest, in a marked Italian accent; "yes, I have heard that death is in that house."

"Then I need not tell you what kind of service he requires of you."

"I was about to offer myself, sir," said the priest; "it is our mission to forestall⁸² our duties."

"It is a young girl."

"I know it, sir; the servants who fled from the house informed me. I also know that her name is Valentine, and I have already prayed for her."

"Thank you, sir," said d'Avrigny; "since you have commenced your sacred office, deign⁸³ to continue it. Come and watch by the dead, and all the wretched family will be grateful to you."

"I am going, sir; and I do not hesitate to say that no prayers will be more fervent⁸⁴ than mine." D'Avrigny took the priest's hand, and without meeting Villefort, who was engaged in his study, they reached Valentine's room, which on the following night was to be occupied by the undertakers. On entering the room, Noirtier's eyes met those of the abbé, and no doubt he read some particular expression in them, for he remained in the room. D'Avrigny recommended the attention of the priest to the living as well as to the dead, and the abbé promised to devote his prayers to Valentine and his attentions to Noirtier. In order, doubtless, that he might not be disturbed while fulfilling his sacred mission, the priest rose as soon as d'Avrigny departed, and not only bolted the door through which the doctor had just left, but also that leading to Madame de Villefort's room.

维尔福站起身来，被人撞见他这样痛哭流涕，他感到有点难为情。二十五年的法官生涯已使他丧失了一部分人性。他的眼光最恍惚不定，最后盯在莫雷尔身上。“你是谁，阁下，”

他问道，“你不知道一座受死神打击的房子，外人是不能这样随便进来的吗？出去，阁下，出去吧！”

但莫雷尔依旧一动都不动；他的眼光离不开那张零乱的床和躺在床上的那个年轻姑娘惨白的面孔。

“出去！你没听见吗？”维尔福说，阿夫里尼则走过来领莫雷尔出去。马西米兰疑惑地把那个尸体看了一会儿，然后用眼光慢慢地向房间四周扫射了一遍，最后把眼光落在那两个男人身上；他张开嘴巴想说话，虽然他的脑子里有许多排遣不开的念头，却一句话也说不出来，便双手揪住自己的头发走了出去了，他神志昏迷，使维尔福和阿夫里尼暂时记忆当前最关切的那件事情，互相交换了一个眼光，象是在说：“他疯了！”

可是不到五分钟时间，楼梯在一种特别的重压下呻吟起来。他们看见莫雷尔以超人的力量抱住那只坐着诺瓦梯埃的圈椅，把老人抬上楼来。上楼以后，他把圈椅放到地板上，迅速地把它推进瓦朗蒂娜的房间。这一切都是在几乎疯狂的亢奋状态下完成的，那青年的气力这时好象比平时大了十倍。但最让人感到吃惊的还是诺瓦梯埃，莫雷尔推近床前，从他的脸上可以看出他心里所想的一切，他的眼睛弥补了其他各种器官的不足。他苍白的脸和那因激动而发红的眼睛在维尔福看来象是一个可怕的幽灵。每一次他与父亲接触的时候，便总要发生一件可怕的事情。

“看他们干了些什么事！”莫雷尔一手扶着椅背，一手指着瓦朗蒂娜喊道。

维尔福往后退了一步，惊讶地望着这个青年人，他认不出他是谁，可是他却叫诺瓦梯埃爷爷。这时，那老人的整个思想似乎都从他的眼睛里反映出来；他眼睛里充满了血丝；脖子上的血管涨了起来；他的脸和太阳穴变成了青紫色，象是他患了癔症似的。他内心极度激动，只差一声惊叫，而那声惊叫声是从他的毛孔里发出的——因此才比无声更可怕。阿夫里尼迅速向老人冲过去，给他喝了一种强烈的兴奋剂。

“阁下！”莫雷尔抓住瘫痪老人那只潮湿的手大声道，“他们问我是谁，说我没有权利到这儿来！噢，您是知道的，请告诉他们，告诉他们吧！”那青年已经泣不成声了。

“请告诉他们，”莫雷尔用嘶哑的声音说，——“告诉他们我是她的未婚夫。告诉他们她是我心爱的人，是这个世界上我唯一的爱人。告诉他们呀——噢！告诉他们那具尸体是属于我的！”

那年轻人手指痉挛着，忽然力不能支似地跪倒在床前，阿夫里尼不忍再看这令人悲痛的情景，转过身去；维尔福也不忍心再要求他解释，他好象被一股不可抗拒的力量吸引着，走到年轻人身边向他伸出一只手，因为凡是爱我们所哀悼的人，总是有这股磁力的。但莫雷尔没有看见这一切；他抓住瓦朗蒂娜那只冰冷的手，他欲哭无泪，呻吟着用牙齿咬着床单。此时，只能听到房间里的啜泣声、叹息声和祈祷声。夹杂在这些声音中的是诺瓦梯埃那呼噜呼噜的喘息声，每一声喘息似乎都可能随时会使老人的生命戛然中止。最后，这几个人之中最能自持的维尔福说话了。“阁下，”他对马西米兰说，“你说你爱瓦朗蒂娜，你和她订有婚约。我作为她的父亲却不知道这一切，我看出你对她的心是真挚的，所以我宽恕你，但是你所爱的人已离开了这个世界；她与人世间已最后的告别了，阁下，把那只你希望得到的手再在你自己的手里握一次，然后永远与她分别了吧。瓦朗蒂娜现在只需要神父来为她祝福了。”

“你错了，阁下，”莫雷尔站起身来大声道，他的心里感到他从未经历过的剧痛，——“你错了，瓦朗蒂娜虽然已经死了，她不但要一位神父，更需要一个为她报仇的人。维尔福先生，请你派人去请神父，我来为瓦朗蒂娜报仇。”

“你是什么意思，阁下？”维尔福不安地问。莫雷尔的话使他感到不寒而栗。

“我是说，阁下，你有双重身份，做为父亲你已经伤心够了，作为检察官请你开始履行责任吧。”

诺瓦梯埃的眼睛亮了一下，阿夫里尼先生走到老人身边来。

“诸位，”莫雷尔说，所有在场的人的表情都没逃过他的眼睛，“我明白我所说的话，你们也同样明白，——瓦朗蒂娜是被人害死的！”

维尔福垂下头去，诺瓦梯埃用目光表示同意阿夫里尼的意见。

莫雷尔继续说，“我们所处的这个时代，一个人，即使一个普通的人忽然离开这个世界，我们也一定会调查她离开这个世界的原因，更不用说瓦朗蒂娜这样一个年轻、美丽、可爱的姑娘。检察官阁下，”莫雷尔愈说愈激动，“不能手软。找向你揭发了罪行，你去寻找凶手吧！”

那年轻人用仇深似海的眼睛看着维尔福，维尔福则把求助的眼光从诺瓦梯埃转到阿夫里尼。看到医生和他父亲的眼睛里都没有同情，又转象马西米兰那样坚决的表情。老人用目光表示说：“是的！”阿夫里尼说：“一定的！”

“阁下，”维尔福说，那三个人的决定和他自己的情感纠缠在一起，——“阁下，想必是你弄错了，这儿不会有人犯罪。命运在打击我，上帝在磨炼我。这些事情的发生的确可怕，但并不是有人在杀人。”

诺瓦梯埃的眼睛里象要冒出火来，阿夫里尼刚要说话，莫雷尔伸出手臂，阻止了他。“我告诉这儿仍然有人在杀人！”莫雷尔说，他的声音低沉悲愤。“我告诉你，这是最近四个月来第四个惨遭毒手的牺牲者了。我告诉你，那凶手在四天以前就想用毒药害死瓦朗蒂娜，只是由于诺瓦梯埃先生早有防备，凶手才没有得逞。我告诉你，凶手换了一种毒药，也许是加大了药量，这一次，让它得呈了。提醒你，这些事情你比我更清楚，因为这位先生作为医生和朋友曾事先警告过你。”

“噢，你胡说八道，阁下！”维尔福大声嚷道，竭力想从他已经陷入的被动局面逃脱出来。

“我胡说？”莫雷尔说，“嗯，那么，我请阿夫里尼先生主持公道。问问他，阁下，问他是否记得，在圣·梅朗夫人去世的那天晚上，在这座房子的花园里，他说了一些什么话。你以为花园里当时只有你们两个人，你把圣·梅朗夫人的惨死，象刚才那样归纠于命运，归罪于上帝，你由于推脱责任造成了瓦朗蒂娜的被杀。”维尔福和阿夫里尼交换了一下眼光。

“是的，是的，”莫雷尔继续说，你一定还记得，你自以为没有旁人听见你们的谈话但那些话被我听到了。当然，维尔福先生漠视他亲戚的被害以后，我应该向当局去告发他，如果那样，可爱的瓦朗蒂娜就不会死！现在我要为你报仇。谁都看得明白。如果你的父亲再不理会，瓦朗蒂娜，那么我——我向你发誓——我就要去寻杀害你的凶手。”莫雷尔那强壮的身体几乎要爆炸了，这一次，好象连上帝也同情那个可怜的年轻人了，莫雷尔如骨梗在喉，继而嚎啕大哭；不听话的眼泪从他的眼睛里涌了出来；他大哭着扑倒在瓦朗蒂娜的床边。

这时，阿夫里尼用一种低沉的声音说道，“我同意莫雷尔先生的意见，要求公正地处罚罪犯，一想到我懦怯的怂恿一个凶手，我心里非常难过。”

“噢，仁慈的上帝呀！”维尔福沮丧地说道。他被他们悲愤而又坚决的态度征服了。

莫雷尔抬起头来，发现老人的眼睛闪着不自然的光辉，便说：“等一等，诺瓦梯埃先生想说话。”

“是的。”诺瓦梯埃用眼睛示意说，因为他所有的功能集中到了眼睛上。所以他的样子看上去很可怕。

“您知道那个凶手吗？”莫雷尔问他。

“是的。”诺瓦梯埃表示说。

“而您要告诉我们吗？”那年轻人喊道，“听着，阿夫里尼先生！听着！”

诺瓦梯埃带着一种抑郁的微笑看着那不幸的莫雷尔，——眼睛里这种慈祥的微笑曾给瓦朗蒂娜带来多少欢乐啊！使莫雷尔的注意力随着他自己的眼光转向门口。

“您要我离开吗？”莫雷尔伤心地问。

“是的。”诺瓦梯埃表示。

“唉，唉，阁下，可怜可怜我吧！”

老人的眼睛还是看着门口。

“我还可以回来是吧？”莫雷尔问。

“是的。”

“就我一个人出去吗？”

“不。”

“我该把谁带走呢，——检察官先生吗？

“不。”

“医生？”

“是的。”

“您要和维尔福先生谈话？”

“是的。”

“他能懂得您的意思吗？”

“是的。”

“噢！”维尔福说，调查工作可以在私下进行了，——

“噢，放心吧，我能够懂得家父的意思的。”

阿夫里尼扶住那年轻人的胳膊，领他走出房间。这时，整幢房子被死一般的寂静笼罩着。一刻钟以后，他们听见踉跄的脚步声，维尔福出现在阿夫里尼和莫雷尔痛苦等待着的房间门口。他们一个在沉思，一个因为痛苦几乎透不过气来，“你们可以来了。”他说，他们回到诺瓦梯埃那儿。莫雷尔注意到维尔福脸色青白；大滴汗珠从他的脸颊上滚下；他的手里的一支笔已经捏碎了。“二位，”他用一种嘶哑的声音说，“你们用人格向我提保：决不把这个可怕的秘密泄露出去，两个人下意识地退了一步。“我恳求你们——”维尔福继续说。

“但是，”莫雷尔说，“那个罪犯——那个杀人犯——那个凶手呢？”

“请放心，阁下，正义会得到伸张的，”维尔福说。“家父已经告诉了我那个杀人犯是谁，家父也象你一样渴望报仇，但他也象我一样请求你们保守这个秘密。是吗，父亲？”

“是的。”诺瓦梯埃坚决地表示。莫雷尔不禁发出一声恐怖和怀疑的叫声。

“噢，阁下！”维尔福抓住马西米兰的手臂说，“家父是个很坚强的人，他提出了这个要求，那是因为他知道，而且确信瓦朗蒂娜的仇一定能报。是这样吗，父亲？”老人作了一个肯定的表示。维尔福继续说，“父亲是了解我的，我已向他发过誓。放心吧，二位，在三天之内，司法机关所需的时间更短，我要向谋杀我孩子的人报仇。我报仇的手段会让最最勇敢的人看了也会发抖。”当他说这几句话的时候，他咬牙切齿，紧握住老人那只没有感觉的手。

“这个诺言会履行吗，诺瓦梯埃先生？”莫雷尔问，阿夫里尼也用询问的眼光望着他。

“是的。”诺瓦梯埃带着一种凶狠的惬意表情回答。

“那么请发誓吧，”维尔福把莫雷尔和阿夫里尼的手拉在一起说，“你们发誓要保全我家的名誉，让我来为我的孩子报仇。”

阿夫里尼把头撇转在一边，极不情愿地说“是”；但莫雷尔挣脱他的手，冲到床前，在瓦朗蒂娜那冰冷的嘴唇上吻了一下，就发出一声绝望的呻吟，急匆匆地离开了。

前面已经说过，所有的仆人都跑光了。所以维尔福先生不得不要求阿夫里尼先生主持丧事的一切事宜，在一个大城市里办丧事是件麻烦事，尤其是在这种暧昧的情况下死了人。

不管别人怎么安慰劝说，诺瓦梯埃先生还是不肯离开他的孙女儿，他的眼泪默默地顺着脸颊滚落下来，这种无言的痛苦和沉默的绝望。让人目不忍睹。维尔福回到书房里，阿夫里尼去找市政府专门负责验尸医生，那位医生因其负责验尸，所以被人称为“死医生”。一刻钟以后，阿夫里尼先生带着“死医生”回来了。发现大门是关着的，由于门房和仆人们已经逃走，维尔福只能亲自出来开门。但他走到楼梯顶上就停下了，他没有勇气再进那个房间。所以两位医生走进瓦朗蒂娜的房间。诺瓦梯埃仍坐在床前，象死者一样的苍白、沉默寂然无声。“死医生”漠不动情地走到床前，揭开盖在死者身上的床单，稍微掰了掰姑娘的嘴唇。

“唉，”阿夫里尼说，“她真的死啦，可怜的孩子！你可以走了。”

“是的”医生简洁地回答，放手把床单又盖在姑娘身上。

诺瓦梯埃发出一种呼噜呼噜喘息声，老人的眼睛闪闪发光，阿夫里尼明白他希望再看一看他的孩子。他走到床前，趁“死医生”把他那接触过死人的嘴唇的手浸在漂白液里的时候，他揭开床单，他揭开床单’看到那个宁静而苍白，象一个睡着的天使那样的面孔。老人眼睛里滚下眼泪，表示了他对医生的感谢。“死医生”那时已把他的验尸报告放在桌子角上；他的任务完成后，阿夫里尼便陪他出去。维尔福在他的书斋门口遇见他们。他对医生说了几句感谢的话，然后转向阿夫里尼说：“现在请个神父吧？”

“您想特地去指定一位神父来为瓦朗蒂娜祈祷吗？”阿夫里尼问。

“不，”维尔福说，“就近找一位好了。”

“近处有一位善良的意大利长老，”“死医生”说，“他就在您的隔壁。我顺便请他过来好吗？”

“阿夫里尼，”维尔福说，那就麻烦您陪这位先生一起去。

把大门钥匙带上这样您进出就方便。您带那位神父来，我领他到瓦朗蒂娜的房间里去。”

“您希望见见他吗？”

“我只希望独自呆一会儿，请原谅我，一位神父是懂得这种悲伤的，尤其一位父亲失去女儿的悲伤。”维尔福先生把钥匙交交给阿夫里尼，向那位“死医生”道了别，就回到他的书房里，开始工作了。”对于某些人来说，工作是医治悲伤的良药。

当两位医生走到街上的时候，他们注意到一个穿法衣的人站在隔壁的房门口。“这就是我所说的那位长老。”医生对阿夫里尼说。

阿夫里尼上前去同那位神父打招呼。“阁下，”他说，“您愿意为一个刚失去女儿的不幸的父亲尽一次伟大的义务吗？他就是维尔福先生，那位检察官。”

“啊！”神父的意大利口音很重，“是的，我听说那座房子里死了人。”

“我正要去自荐，阁下，”那神父说，“克尽职守原是我们的职责。”

“死者是一个年轻的姑娘。”

“我知道的，阁下，从那座房子里逃出来的仆人告诉我了，我知道她叫瓦朗蒂娜，我已经为她祈祷过了。”

“谢谢您，阁下，”阿夫里尼说，“既然您已开始您那神圣的职责就请继续下去吧。请去坐在死者的身边，他们全家人都会感激您的。”

“我这就去，阁下，谁的祈祷也不会比我的更虔诚。”

阿夫里尼搀住那神父的手，没有去见维尔福，径自走到瓦朗蒂娜的房间里，那个房间没有任何变动，殡仪馆的人要到傍晚才来收尸。当长老进去的时候，诺瓦梯埃异样的眼光望着他的眼睛；认为他已从神父的眼睛里看到了一种特殊的表示，他要继续留在房间里。阿夫里尼请神父照顾那死者和老人，长老答应尽力为瓦朗蒂娜祈祷并照看诺瓦梯埃。为了他在履行这种神圣的使命时不受人打扰，阿夫里尼离去，神父就闩房门，而且把通向维尔福夫人房间的房门也闩了。

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