第206章

"It was an embarrassing load for a man seeking to escape.""I had not for a moment the idea of keeping it, but I knew that at Paris there was an asylum where they receive such creatures.As I passed the city gates I declared that I had found the child on the road, and I inquired where the asylum was; the box confirmed my statement, the linen proved that the infant belonged to wealthy parents, the blood with which I was covered might have proceeded from the child as well as from any one else.No objection was raised, but they pointed out the asylum, which was situated at the upper end of the Rue d'Enfer, and after having taken the precaution of cutting the linen in two pieces, so that one of the two letters which marked it was on the piece wrapped around the child, while the other remained in my possession, I rang the bell, and fled with all speed.A fortnight after I was at Rogliano, and I said to Assunta, -- `Console thyself, sister; Israel is dead, but he is avenged.' She demanded what I meant, and when I had told her all, -- `Giovanni,'

said she, `you should have brought this child with you; we would have replaced the parents it has lost, have called it Benedetto, and then, in consequence of this good action, God would have blessed us.' In reply I gave her the half of the linen I had kept in order to reclaim him if we became rich.""What letters were marked on the linen?" said Monte Cristo.

"An H and an N, surmounted by a baron's coronet.""By heaven, M.Bertuccio, you make use of heraldic terms;where did you study heraldry?"

"In your service, excellency, where everything is learned.""Go on, I am curious to know two things.""What are they, your excellency ?"

"What became of this little boy? for I think you told me it was a boy, M.Bertuccio.""No excellency, I do not recollect telling you that.""I thought you did; I must have been mistaken.""No, you were not, for it was in reality a little boy.But your excellency wished to know two things; what was the second?""The second was the crime of which you were accused when you asked for a confessor, and the Abbe Busoni came to visit you at your request in the prison at Nimes.""The story will be very long, excellency.""What matter? you know I take but little sleep, and I do not suppose you are very much inclined for it either." Bertuccio bowed, and resumed his story.

"Partly to drown the recollections of the past that haunted me, partly to supply the wants of the poor widow, I eagerly returned to my trade of smuggler, which had become more easy since that relaxation of the laws which always follows a revolution.The southern districts were ill-watched in particular, in consequence of the disturbances that were perpetually breaking out in Avignon, Nimes, or Uzes.We profited by this respite on the part of the government to make friends everywhere.Since my brother's assassination in the streets of Nimes, I had never entered the town; the result was that the inn-keeper with whom we were connected, seeing that we would no longer come to him, was forced to come to us, and had established a branch to his inn, on the road from Bellegarde to Beaucaire, at the sign of the Pont du Gard.We had thus, at Aigues-Mortes, Martigues, or Bouc, a dozen places where we left our goods, and where, in case of necessity, we concealed ourselves from the gendarmes and custom-house officers.Smuggling is a profitable trade, when a certain degree of vigor and intelligence is employed; as for myself, brought up in the mountains, I had a double motive for fearing the gendarmes and custom-house officers, as my appearance before the judges would cause an inquiry, and an inquiry always looks back into the past.And in my past life they might find something far more grave than the selling of smuggled cigars, or barrels of brandy without a permit.So, preferring death to capture, I accomplished the most astonishing deeds, and which, more than once, showed me that the too great care we take of our bodies is the only obstacle to the success of those projects which require rapid decision, and vigorous and determined execution.In reality, when you have once devoted your life to your enterprises, you are no longer the equal of other men, or, rather, other men are no longer your equals, and whosoever has taken this resolution, feels his strength and resources doubled.""Philosophy, M.Bertuccio," interrupted the Count; "you have done a little of everything in your life.""Oh, excellency,"

"No, no; but philosophy at half-past ten at night is somewhat late; yet I have no other observation to make, for what you say is correct, which is more than can be said for all philosophy.""My journeys became more and more extensive and more productive.Assunta took care of all, and our little fortune increased.One day as I was setting off on an expedition, `Go,' said she; `at your return I will give you a surprise.'

I questioned her, but in vain; she would tell me nothing, and I departed.Our expedition lasted nearly six weeks; we had been to Lucca to take in oil, to Leghorn for English cottons, and we ran our cargo without opposition, and returned home full of joy.When I entered the house, the first thing I beheld in the middle of Assunta's chamber was a cradle that might be called sumptuous compared with the rest of the furniture, and in it a baby seven or eight months old.I uttered a cry of joy; the only moments of sadness I had known since the assassination of the procureur were caused by the recollection that I had abandoned this child.For the assassination itself I had never felt any remorse.Poor Assunta had guessed all.She had profited by my absence, and furnished with the half of the linen, and having written down the day and hour at which I had deposited the child at the asylum, had set off for Paris, and had reclaimed it.No objection was raised, and the infant was given up to her.Ah, I confess, your excellency, when I saw this poor creature sleeping peacefully in its cradle, I felt my eyes filled with tears.`Ah, Assunta,'