Chapter 44 - Page 2

you what is absolutely necessary. Just at this
time the famous massacres took place in the south of France.
Three brigands, called Trestaillon, Truphemy, and Graffan,
publicly assassinated everybody whom they suspected of
Bonapartism. You have doubtless heard of these massacres,
your excellency?"

"Vaguely; I was far from France at that period. Go on."

"As I entered Nimes, I literally waded in blood; at every
step you encountered dead bodies and bands of murderers, who
killed, plundered, and burned. At the sight of this
slaughter and devastation I became terrified, not for myself
-- for I, a simple Corsican fisherman, had nothing to fear;
on the contrary, that time was most favorable for us
smugglers -- but for my brother, a soldier of the empire,
returning from the army of the Loire, with his uniform and
his epaulets, there was everything to apprehend. I hastened
to the inn-keeper. My misgivings had been but too true. My
brother had arrived the previous evening at Nimes, and, at
the very door of the house where he was about to demand
hospitality, he had been assassinated. I did all in my power
to discover the murderers, but no one durst tell me their
names, so much were they dreaded. I then thought of that
French justice of which I had heard so much, and which
feared nothing, and I went to the king's attorney."

"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