I will keep my word.

　　"No, monsieur, and yet I recollect all things as clearly asif they had happened but then. I had a brother, an elderbrother, who was in the service of the emperor; he hadbecome lieutenant in a regiment composed entirely ofCorsicans. This brother was my only friend; we becameorphans -- I at five, he at eighteen. He brought me up as ifI had been his son, and in 1814 he married. When the emperorreturned from the Island of Elba, my brother instantlyjoined the army, was slightly wounded at Waterloo, andretired with the army beyond the Loire."

　　"But that is the history of the Hundred Days, M. Bertuccio,"said the count; "unless I am mistaken, it has been alreadywritten."

　　"Excuse me, excellency, but these details are necessary, andyou promised to be patient."

　　"Go on; I will keep my word."

　　"One day we received a letter. I should tell you that welived in the little village of Rogliano, at the extremity ofCape Corso. This letter was from my brother. He told us thatthe army was disbanded, and that he should return byChateauroux, Clermont-Ferrand, Le Puy, and Nimes; and, if Ihad any money, he prayed me to leave it for him at Nimes,with an inn-keeper with whom I had dealings."

　　"In the smuggling line?" said Monte Cristo.

　　"Eh, your excellency? Every one must live."

　　"Certainly; go on."

　　"I loved my brother tenderly, as I told your excellency, andI resolved not to send the money, but to take it to himmyself. I possessed a thousand francs. I left five hundredwith Assunta, my sister-in-law, and with the other fivehundred I set off for Nimes. It was easy to do so, and as Ihad my boat and a lading to take in at sea, everythingfavored my project. But, after we had taken in our cargo,the wind became contrary, so that we were four or five dayswithout being able to enter the Rhone. At last, however, wesucceeded, and worked up to Arles. I left the boat betweenBellegarde and Beaucaire, and took the road to Nimes."

　　"We are getting to the story now?"

　　"Yes, your excellency; excuse me, but, as you will see, Ionly tell you what is absolutely necessary. Just at thistime the famous massacres took place in the south of France.Three brigands, called Trestaillon, Truphemy, and Graffan,publicly assassinated everybody whom they suspected ofBonapartism. You have doubtless heard of these massacres,your excellency?"

　　"Vaguely; I was far from France at that period. Go on."