“Oh, it is impossible to doubt it,” cried he, suddenly.
“In heaven’s name!” cried the unhappy young man, “if you doubt me, question me; I will answer you.” Villefort made a violent effort, and in a tone he strove to render firm:
“Sir,” said he, “I am no longer able, as I had hoped, to restore you immediately to liberty; before doing so, I must consult the trial justice; what my own feeling is you already know.”
“Oh, monsieur,” cried Dantès, “you have been rather a friend than a judge.”
“Well, I must detain you some time longer, but I will strive to make it as short as possible. The principal charge against you is this letter, and you see——” Villefort approached the fire, cast it in, and waited until it was entirely consumed.
“You see, I destroy it?”
“Oh,” exclaimed Dantès, “you are goodness itself.”
“Listen,” continued Villefort; “you can now have confidence in me after what I have done.”
“Oh, command, and I will obey.”
“Listen; this is not a command, but advice I give you.”
“Speak, and I will follow your advice.”
“I shall detain you until this evening in the Palais de Justice. Should anyone else interrogate you, say to him what you have said to me, but do not breathe a word of this letter.”
“I promise.” It was Villefort who seemed to entreat, and the prisoner who reassured him.
“You see,” continued he, glancing toward the grate, where fragments of burnt paper fluttered in the flames, “the letter is destroyed; you and I alone know of its existence; should you, therefore, be questioned, deny all knowledge of it—deny it boldly, and you are saved.”