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London, December two thousand and six. The Count of Monte Cristo by

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Alexandro Dumin, chapter one hundred and
nine. The assizes. The Benedetto affair,

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as it was called it the Palais
and by people in general, had

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produced a tremendous sensation, frequenting the
Cafe de Paris, the Boulevard Dugon,

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and the Bois de Boulogne. During
his brief career of splendor, the false

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Cavalcanti had formed a host of acquaintances. The papers had related his various adventures,

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both as the man of fashion and
the galley slave, and as every

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one who had been personally acquainted with
Prince Andrea Cavalcanti experienced a lively curiosity in

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its fate. They all determined to
spare no trouble in endeavoring to wisitness the

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trial of Monsieur Benedetto for the murder
of his comrade in chains. In the

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eyes of many, Benedetto appeared,
if not a victim too, at least

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an instance of the fallibility of the
law. Monsieur Cavalcanti, his father,

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had been seen in Paris, and
it was expected that he would reappear to

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claim the illustrious outcast. Many also, who were not aware of the circumstances,

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attending his withdrawal from Paris, was
struck with the worthy appearance, the

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gentlemanly bearing, and the knowledge of
the world displayed by the old patrician,

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who certainly played the nobleman very well, so long as he said nothing and

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made no arithmetical calculations. As for
the accused himself, many remembered him as

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being so amiable, so handsome,
and so liberal, that they chose to

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think him the victim of some conspiracy, Since in this world large fortunes were

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pretty quently excite the malevolence and jealousy
of some unknown enemy. Everyone therefore ran

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to the court, some to witness
the sight, others to comment upon it.

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From seven o'clock on the morning a
crowd was stationed at the iron gates,

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and an hour before the trial commenced, the whole was full of the

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privilege before the entrance of the magistrates, and indeed frequently afterwards a court of

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justice on days when some especial trial
is to take place, who is almost

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a drawing room where many persons recognize
each other and converse, if they can

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do so without losing their seats,
or if they are separated by your greater

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number of lawyers, communicate by signs. It was one of the magnificent autumn

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days which make amends for a short
summer. The clouds which Monsieur de Villefort

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perceived at sunrise had all disappeared,
as if by magic, and one of

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the softest and most brilliant days of
September shan forth in all its splendor.

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Beauchamp, one of the kings of
the press and therefore claiming the right of

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a throne everywhere, was eyeing everybody
through his monocle. He perceived Chateau,

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Renaud and Debray, who had just
gained the good graces of a sergeant at

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arms, and who had persuaded the
latter to let them stand before instead of

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behind him, as they ought to
have done. The worthy sergeant had recognized

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the minister's secretary and the millionaire,
and, by way of paying extra attention

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to his noble neighbors, promised to
keep their places while they paid a visit

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to Beauchamp. Well, said Beauchamp, we shall see our friend. Yes,

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indeed, replied Debray, that worthy
prince dus take those Italian princes a

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man too who could boast have done
te for a genealogist, and could reckon

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back to the divine comedy the nobility
of the robe, said chateau renauphlegmatically.

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He will be condemned, will he
not, asked debris of Beauchamp. My

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dear fellow, I think we should
ask you that question. You know such

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news much better than we do.
Did you see the President at the minister's

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last night? Yes? What did
he say something which will surprise you?

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Oh? Make haste and tell me
then it is a long time since that

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has happened. Well, he told
me that Benedetto, who is considered a

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serpent of subtlety and a giant of
cunning, is really but a very commonplace

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silly rascal, are altogether unworthy of
the experiments that will be made on his

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phrenological organs after his death. Bah, said Beauchamp. He played the prince

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very well. Yes, for you
who detest those unhappy princess Beauchamp, and

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are always delighted to find fault with
him. But not for me, who

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discovered gentlemen by instinct, and who
sent out an aristocratic family like a very

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bloodhound of heraldry. Then you never
believed in the principality, Yes, and

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the principality, but not in the
prince. Not so bad, said Beauchamp.

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Still, I assure you he passed
very well with many people. I

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saw him at the minister's houses.
Ah, yes, said chateau Remond.

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The idea of thinking ministers understand anything
about princess Something in what you have just

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said, said Beauchamp, laughing.
But said de Brito Beauchamp, if I

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spoke to the President, you must
have been with the proco. It was

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an impossibility. For the last week, Monsieur de Villefort has secluded himself.

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It is naturally enough, this strange
chain of domestic afflictions followed by the no

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less strange death of his daughter.
Strange. What do you mean, Beauchamp?

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Oh? Yes, Do you pretend
that all this has been unobserved at

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the ministers, said Beauchamp, placing
his eyeglass in his eye where he tried

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to make it remain. My dear
sir, said chateau Remond. Allow me

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to tell you that you do understand
that maneuver with the eyeglass half the wall

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as debris. Give him a lesson, Debris, stay, said Bauchon.

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Surely I am not deceived. What
is it? It is she? Who

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do you mean? They said she
had left Mademoiselle Eugenie, said chateau Renond,

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as she returned. No, but
her mother, Madame Danglars. Nonsense,

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impossible, said chateau Renond, Only
ten days after the flight of her

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daughter and three days from the bankruptcy
of her husband. Debris colleed slightly and

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followed with his eyes the direction of
Beauchamon's glance. Come, he said,

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it is only a veiled lady,
some foreign princess, perhaps some mother of

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Cavalcanti. But you were just speaking
on a very interesting topic, Bouchon.

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I yes, you were telling us
about the extraordinary death of Volunteine. Ah.

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Yes, so I was. But
how is it that Madame de Villefort's

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not here, Poor dear woman,
said Debray. She is no doubt occupied

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and distilling balm for the hospitals.
On making cosmetics for herself or friends.

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Do you know she spends two or
three thousand crowns a year in this amusement.

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But I wonder she is not here. I should have been pleased to

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see her, for I like her
very much, and I hate her,

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said chateau Renaud. Why I do
not know? Way do be love?

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Where do we hate? I detest
her from antipathy, or rather by instinct,

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perhaps so. But you return to
what you are saying, Beauchamp,

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Well, do you know why they
die so multitudinously at Monsieur de Villefort's.

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Multitudinously is good, said chateau Renaud. My good fellow, you'll find the

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word at Saint Cyment. But the
thing itself, said Monsieur de Villefort's.

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But let's get back to the subject. Targing of that, said Debray.

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Madame Mooise making inquiries about that house, which for the last three months has

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been hung with black Who is madame, asked chateau Renaud. The minister's wife,

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Pardieu, Oh, your pardon,
I'll have a visit Minister's I'll leave

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that to the princess. Really,
you were only before sparkling, but now

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you are brilliant, take compassion on
us, or like Jupiter, you will

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whither us up. I will not
speak again, said Chateau Renaud. Pray

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have compassion upon me. I do
not take up every word I say.

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Come, let us endeavor to get
to the end of a story. Beauchamp,

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I told you that yesterday Madame made
inquiries of me upon the subject.

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Enlighten me. Now will then communicate
my information to her. Well, gentlemen,

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the reason people die so multitudinously are
like the word at Monsieur de Beouforre's

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is that there is an assassin in
the house. The two young men shuddered,

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for the same idea had more than
once occurred to them. And who

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is the assassin? They asked together, Young Edward. A burst of laughter

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from the auditors did not in the
least disconcert and speaker, who continued,

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Yes, gentleman Edward, the infant
phenomenon, who is quite an adept in

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the art of killing, you are
jesting not at all. I yesterday engaged

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the servant who had just left Monsieur
de Villefort. I intend sending him away

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to morrow, for he eats so
enormously to make up for the fast impost

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upon him by his terror in that
house. Well, now listen, we

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are listening. It appears the child
has obtained possession of a bottle containing some

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drug, which he every now and
then uses against those who have displeased him.

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First, Monsieur Madame de Saint Meran
incurred his displeasure, so he poured

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out three drops off as elixir.
Three drops were sufficient. Then followed Bauois,

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the old servant of Monsieur Noirtier,
who sometimes rebuffed this little wretch.

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He therefore received the same quantity of
the elixir. The same happened to volunt

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Tina, of whom he was jealous. He gave her the same dose as

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the others, and all was over
for her, as well as the rest.

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Why what nonsense are you telling us, said chateau Renaud. Yes,

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it is an extraordinary story, said
Beauchamp. Is it not that is absurd?

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Said debray. Ah, said Beauchamp, you doubt me, well,

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you can ask my servant, or
rather him who will no longer be my

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servant to morrow. It was the
talk of the house, and this elixir,

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where is it? What is it? The child conceals it, But

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where did he find it in his
mother's laboratory. Does his mother then keep

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poisons in her laboratory? How can
I tell? You are questioning me like

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a king's attane. I only repeat
what I have been told. Unlike my

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informant, I can do no more. The poor devil would eat nothing from

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fear. It is incredible. No, my dear fellow, it is not

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at all incredible. You saw the
child pass through the ruigh Louis last year

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who amused himself with killing his brothers
and sisters for sticking pins in their ears

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while they have slept. The generation
of followers are very precautious. Come Beauchamp,

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said chateau Renaud. I will bet
anything you do not believe a word

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of all you have been telling us. I do not see the Count of

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Monte Cristo here. He's worn out, said DeBras. Besides, he could

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not well appear in public since he
has been the dupe of the Cavalcanti,

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who it appears presented themselves to him
with false letters of credit, and she

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did him out of a hundred thousand
francs. Upon the hypothesis of this principality,

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by the way, Monsieur de Chateaur
Renond, asked Beauchamp, house morel

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mavoi. I have called three times
without one seeing him. Still, his

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sister did not seem uneasy and told
me that though she had not seen him

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for two or three days, she
was sure he was well. Ah,

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now I think of it. The
Count of de Cristo cannot appear in the

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hall, said Beauchamp. Why not
because he is an actor in the drama.

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Has he assassinated anyone then? Nor, on the contrary, they wished

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to assassinate him. You know that
it was in leaving his house that Monsieur

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de Cardus was murdered by his friend
Benedetto. You know that the famous waistcoat

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was found in his house containing the
letter which stopped the signature of the marriage

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contract. Do you see the waistcoat
there? It is all blood stained on

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the desk, as a testimony of
the crime. Ah, very good,

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Hush, gentleman, here's the court. Let us go back to her places.

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A noise was heard in the hall. The sergeant called his two patrons

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with an energetic ham, and the
doorkeeper, appearing, called out with that

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shrill voice peculiar to his order.
Ever since the days of Beaumarchais, the

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court Gentleman, end of Chapter one
hundred and nine,