As I entered Nimes

　　"As I entered Nimes, I literally waded in blood; at everystep you encountered dead bodies and bands of murderers, whokilled, plundered, and burned. At the sight of thisslaughter and devastation I became terrified, not for myself-- for I, a simple Corsican fisherman, had nothing to fear;on the contrary, that time was most favorable for ussmugglers -- but for my brother, a soldier of the empire,returning from the army of the Loire, with his uniform andhis epaulets, there was everything to apprehend. I hastenedto the inn-keeper. My misgivings had been but too true. Mybrother had arrived the previous evening at Nimes, and, atthe very door of the house where he was about to demandhospitality, he had been assassinated. I did all in my powerto discover the murderers, but no one durst tell me theirnames, so much were they dreaded. I then thought of thatFrench justice of which I had heard so much, and whichfeared nothing, and I went to the king's attorney."

　　"And this king's attorney was named Villefort?" asked MonteCristo carelessly.

　　"Yes, your excellency; he came from Marseilles, where he hadbeen deputy-procureur. His zeal had procured himadvancement, and he was said to be one of the first who hadinformed the government of the departure from the Island ofElba."

　　"Then," said Monte Cristo "you went to him?"

　　"`Monsieur,' I said, `my brother was assassinated yesterdayin the streets of Nimes, I know not by whom, but it is yourduty to find out. You are the representative of justicehere, and it is for justice to avenge those she has beenunable to protect.' -- `Who was your brother?' asked he. --`A lieutenant in the Corsican battalion.' -- `A soldier ofthe usurper, then?' -- `A soldier of the French army.' --`Well,' replied he, `he has smitten with the sword, and hehas perished by the sword.' -- `You are mistaken, monsieur,'I replied; `he has perished by the poniard.' -- `What do youwant me to do?' asked the magistrate. -- `I have alreadytold you -- avenge him.' -- `On whom?' -- `On hismurderers.' -- `How should I know who they are?' -- `Orderthem to be sought for.' -- `Why, your brother has beeninvolved in a quarrel, and killed in a duel. All these oldsoldiers commit excesses which were tolerated in the time ofthe emperor, but which are not suffered now, for the peoplehere do not like soldiers of such disorderly conduct.' --`Monsieur,' I replied, `it is not for myself that I entreatyour interference -- I should grieve for him or avenge him,but my poor brother had a wife, and were anything to happento me, the poor creature would perish from want, for mybrother's pay alone kept her. Pray, try and obtain a smallgovernment pension for her.'

　　"`Every revolution has its catastrophes,' returned M. deVillefort; `your brother has been the victim of this. It isa misfortune, and government owes nothing to his family. Ifwe are to judge by all the vengeance that the followers ofthe usurper exercised on the partisans of the king, when, intheir turn, they were in power, your brother would beto-day, in all probability, condemned to death. What hashappened is quite natural, and in conformity with the law ofreprisals.' -- `What,' cried I, `do you, a magistrate, speakthus to me?' -- `All these Corsicans are mad, on my honor,'replied M. de Villefort; `they fancy that their countrymanis still emperor. You have mistaken the time, you shouldhave told me this two months ago, it is too late now. Gonow, at once, or I shall have you put out.'