Chapter 78We hear From Yanina.

　　"No," replied Haidee, "he did not dare to keep us, so wewere sold to some slave-merchants who were going toConstantinople. We traversed Greece, and arrived half deadat the imperial gates. They were surrounded by a crowd ofpeople, who opened a way for us to pass, when suddenly mymother, having looked closely at an object which wasattracting their attention, uttered a piercing cry and fellto the ground, pointing as she did so to a head which wasplaced over the gates, and beneath which were inscribedthese words:

　　"`This is the head of Ali Tepelini Pasha of Yanina.' I criedbitterly, and tried to raise my mother from the earth, butshe was dead! I was taken to the slave-market, and waspurchased by a rich Armenian. He caused me to be instructed,gave me masters, and when I was thirteen years of age hesold me to the Sultan Mahmood."

　　"Of whom I bought her," said Monte Cristo, "as I told you,Albert, with the emerald which formed a match to the one Ihad made into a box for the purpose of holding my hashishpills."

　　"Oh, you are good, you are great, my lord!" said Haidee,kissing the count's hand, "and I am very fortunate inbelonging to such a master!" Albert remained quitebewildered with all that he had seen and heard. "Come,finish your cup of coffee," said Monte Cristo; "the historyis ended."

　　Chapter 78We hear From Yanina.

　　If Valentine could have seen the trembling step and agitatedcountenance of Franz when he quitted the chamber of M.Noirtier, even she would have been constrained to pity him.Villefort had only just given utterance to a few incoherentsentences, and then retired to his study, where he receivedabout two hours afterwards the following letter: --

　　"After all the disclosures which were made this morning, M.Noirtier de Villefort must see the utter impossibility ofany alliance being formed between his family and that of M.Franz d'Epinay. M. d'Epinay must say that he is shocked andastonished that M. de Villefort, who appeared to be aware ofall the circumstances detailed this morning, should not haveanticipated him in this announcement."

　　No one who had seen the magistrate at this moment, sothoroughly unnerved by the recent inauspicious combinationof circumstances, would have supposed for an instant that hehad anticipated the annoyance; although it certainly neverhad occurred to him that his father would carry candor, orrather rudeness, so far as to relate such a history. And injustice to Villefort, it must be understood that M.Noirtier, who never cared for the opinion of his son on anysubject, had always omitted to explain the affair toVillefort, so that he had all his life entertained thebelief that General de Quesnel, or the Baron d'Epinay, as hewas alternately styled, according as the speaker wished toidentify him by his own family name, or by the title whichhad been conferred on him, fell the victim of assassination,and not that he was killed fairly in a duel. This harshletter, coming as it did from a man generally so polite andrespectful, struck a mortal blow at the pride of Villefort.Hardly had he read the letter, when his wife entered. Thesudden departure of Franz, after being summoned by M.Noirtier, had so much astonished every one, that theposition of Madame de Villefort, left alone with the notaryand the witnesses, became every moment more embarrassing.Determined to bear it no longer, she arose and left theroom; saying she would go and make some inquiries into thecause of his sudden disappearance.