A shiver ran through the wretch, but the dark eyes remained closed.

"Benedetto," continued Monte-Cristo, sternly, "you have killed your mother. Shame upon you, parricide."

This time Benedetto opened his eyes in terror, and in a faint voice murmured:

"My mother! Yes, yes. Mercy!"

Monte-Cristo rose. His gaze met that of Bertuccio, in which he read a silent question.

"Are you still going to be charitable?" asked Bertuccio's eye. "The wretch has murdered the mother who bore him? Does he deserve mercy?"

Just then a merry sailor-song was heard. The bark of the Ice Bird appeared on the beach to fetch the pa.s.sengers.

"Jacopo," exclaimed Monte-Cristo aloud, "listen!"

Jacopo stood up in the bark, and looked closely at the count, who called out some words in Maltese dialect to him.

Immediately a sailor jumped from the bark into the sea and swam toward the Ice Bird, while Jacopo with the two other sailors jumped on land.

"Bring some provisions from the grotto," ordered the count.

Jacopo and Ali did as they were told, and while the sailors carried the provisions to the bark, the count whispered a few words to the Nubian.

Ali approached the wounded man, and, taking him in his strong arms, he carried him to the bark and placed him on the floor of the same. The count then took the box and threw it near Benedetto; he then took Haydee's arm in his own and went back with her, while Ali plunged into the water up to his waist and laid hold of the bark.

"Benedetto," cried the count aloud, "you have blasphemed G.o.d. You have trodden under foot all human and divine laws. Men cannot punish you; may G.o.d weigh guilt and punishment with each other! Ali, do your duty."

Ali, with a powerful movement, pushed the bark from the sh.o.r.e. The tide seized the light vessel, and in a short while it disappeared from the horizon.

"Oh, count," stammered Bertuccio, beside himself, "you have given him his life."

"If Almighty G.o.d wishes him to be saved, let it be so. He has the right to punish and forgive," replied the count, solemnly.

The yacht was now approaching the sh.o.r.e, in obedience to the command the sailor had brought, and, with Haydee and the seaman, the count got on board, and solemnly said:

"Bertuccio and Ali, do your duty!"

Haydee looked wonderingly at her husband; he took her head in his hands and earnestly said:

"My darling, I bury the past at this hour--the grottoes of Monte-Cristo are no more."

A column of fire rose from the island--a loud report was heard, and the treasure chamber of the Cardinal Spada was annihilated.

Ali and Bertuccio hurried to the yacht, and the Ice Bird flew with all sails toward the open sea.

"Oh, darling," whispered Haydee, blushing deeply, "you have been merciful, and I thank you doubly for it. What you do for your fellow-men G.o.d will return to your child. Yes, I speak the truth. G.o.d has given me the great happiness to become a mother. Kiss me, my beloved."

CHAPTER XXI

WITH THE PANDURS

In the forties, Signora Aurora Vertelli was the owner of a place near the Scala, at Milan, called the Casino. The Casino was the meeting-place of the Austrian officers, for at that time the old Lombardian city was garrisoned by Austrians, under the special command of Marshal Radetzky.

Count Joseph Wenzel Radetzky is a celebrated historical personage, and the words of a contemporary: "Radetzky is a great hunter before the Lord; he drives the people before him like the hunter game," describe him sufficiently. If Radetzky was a tyrant, his officers were a torture to Italy, and it often happened that the Bohemian and Croatian officers whipped women and children on the open streets, or else ran a dagger through the body of some peaceful citizen.

Aurora Vertelli, however, enjoyed the protection of the Austrian police!

What the services were that she rendered the State is not known; but, nevertheless, the "handsome Aurora," as she was called, was in great favor at police headquarters. The eating at the Casino was celebrated, the wines were second to none, and dice and cards were provided for the "spiritual" amus.e.m.e.nt of the guests.

An Italian was seldom seen in the Casino, and those that came were generally those who had taken to the Austrian army.

On the night of the 15th to the 16th of March, 1848, lively scenes were being enacted in the Casino, and neither Aurora Vertelli herself nor old Major Bartolomeo Batto, who was one of the regular customers at the place, could restrain the excited guests.

"What is going on at Vienna, Lieutenant Pasky?" asked a young officer.

"Have the riots there any importance?"

"No, thank G.o.d," replied the lieutenant; "the _canaille_ will soon be brought to their senses."

"H'm, if the emperor would only be strict," said another.

"Ah, bah! the mob has no importance."

"And the cannons generally prove it."

"Comrades," said an elderly officer, approaching the group, "I think the affair is serious."

"How so? What has happened?"

"Well, the emperor has made concessions."

"But that would be a shame."

"They want to repeal the censorship--"

"That's good. The newspapers could then print what they pleased."

"The new press-bill is said to be very liberal."

"A bullet and a rope are the best laws."

"Besides that, the delegates of the German kingdom and the Lombardian-Venetian kingdom are going to be called in--"

A storm of anger rose, and a rough Austrian n.o.bleman, Hermann von Kirchstein, pa.s.sionately exclaimed:

"Comrades, the emperor can do what he wishes, but we shall do what we wish, and if the Italians make a move we shall crush them."