Page:The Count of Monte-Cristo (1887 Volume 3).djvu/295

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THE COUNT OF MONTE-CRISTO.
275

"And what was the result of those duels?"

"The first time, he broke my arm; the second, he wounded me in the breast; and the third time, made this large wound." The Englishman turned down his shirt-collar and showed a scar, whose redness proved it to be a recent one. "So that, you see, there is a deadly feud between us."

"But," said the envoy, "you do not go the way to kill him, if I understand aright."

"Well!" said the Englishman, "I practice shooting every day, and every day Grisier comes to my house."

This was all the visitor wished to ascertain, or, rather, all the Englishman appeared to know. The agent rose, and having bowed to Lord Wilmore, who returned his salutation with the stiff politeness of the English, he retired. Lord Wilmore, having hear the door close after him, returned to his bedroom, where with one hand he pulled off his light hair, his red whiskers, his false jaw, and his wound, to resume his own black hair, the dark complexion, and the pearly teeth of the Count of Monte-Cristo.^

It was Villefort, and not the messenger of the prefect, who returned to the house of Villefort. The procureur du roi felt more at ease after these two visits, although he had learned nothing really satisfactory, yet had learned nothing disquieting. Hence, for the first time since the dinner-party at Auteuil, he slept the following night with some degree of tranquillity.