One evening

　　"I looked at him an instant to see if there was anything tohope from further entreaty. But he was a man of stone. Iapproached him, and said in a low voice, `Well, since youknow the Corsicans so well, you know that they always keeptheir word. You think that it was a good deed to kill mybrother, who was a Bonapartist, because you are a royalist.Well, I, who am a Bonapartist also, declare one thing toyou, which is, that I will kill you. From this moment Ideclare the vendetta against you, so protect yourself aswell as you can, for the next time we meet your last hourhas come.' And before he had recovered from his surprise, Iopened the door and left the room."

　　"Well, well," said Monte Cristo, "such an innocent lookingperson as you are to do those things, M. Bertuccio, and to aking's attorney at that! But did he know what was meant bythe terrible word `vendetta'?"

　　"He knew so well, that from that moment he shut himself inhis house, and never went out unattended, seeking me highand low. Fortunately, I was so well concealed that he couldnot find me. Then he became alarmed, and dared not stay anylonger at Nimes, so he solicited a change of residence, and,as he was in reality very influential, he was nominated toVersailles. But, as you know, a Corsican who has sworn toavenge himself cares not for distance, so his carriage, fastas it went, was never above half a day's journey before me,who followed him on foot. The most important thing was, notto kill him only -- for I had an opportunity of doing so ahundred times -- but to kill him without being discovered --at least, without being arrested. I no longer belonged tomyself, for I had my sister-in-law to protect and providefor. For three months I watched M. de Villefort, for threemonths he took not a step out-of-doors without my followinghim. At length I discovered that he went mysteriously toAuteuil. I followed him thither, and I saw him enter thehouse where we now are, only, instead of entering by thegreat door that looks into the street, he came on horseback,or in his carriage, left the one or the other at the littleinn, and entered by the gate you see there." Monte Cristomade a sign with his head to show that he could discern inthe darkness the door to which Bertuccio alluded. "As I hadnothing more to do at Versailles, I went to Auteuil, andgained all the information I could. If I wished to surprisehim, it was evident this was the spot to lie in wait forhim. The house belonged, as the concierge informed yourexcellency, to M. de Saint-Meran, Villefort's father-in-law.M. de Saint-Meran lived at Marseilles, so that this countryhouse was useless to him, and it was reported to be let to ayoung widow, known only by the name of `the baroness.'

　　"One evening, as I was looking over the wall, I saw a youngand handsome woman who was walking alone in that garden,which was not overlooked by any windows, and I guessed thatshe was awaiting M. de Villefort. When she was sufficientlynear for me to distinguish her features, I saw she was fromeighteen to nineteen, tall and very fair. As she had a loosemuslin dress on and as nothing concealed her figure, I sawshe would ere long become a mother. A few moments after, thelittle door was opened and a man entered. The young womanhastened to meet him. They threw themselves into eachother's arms, embraced tenderly, and returned together tothe house. The man was M. de Villefort; I fully believedthat when he went out in the night he would be forced totraverse the whole of the garden alone."

　　"And," asked the count, "did you ever know the name of thiswoman?"

　　"No, excellency," returned Bertuccio; "you will see that Ihad no time to learn it."

　　"Go on."