"What is your name, young patriot?" asked M. Lamartine, his excitement and enthusiasm continuing to hold possession of him.
"Espérance," was the reply.
"Espérance--hope--the name is both appropriate and auspicious; with such heroic young men as you fighting for our cause there is, indeed, hope, and of the brightest and best kind!" cried Lamartine.
"Nay, nay," said M. Dantès, "do not flatter the boy; he has but done his duty."
"Believe me, I do not flatter him," returned Lamartine; "I have simply told him the truth; in time he will rival the devotion and achievements of his noble father!"
"Enough, enough," said the Deputy, modestly; "we deserve only the credit of executing God's will--we are merely instruments in His omnipotent hand!" he added, impressively.
"And such instruments are exactly what we need in the present crisis. God grant us plenty of them!"
The next morning Zuleika encountered Espérance on the stairway; she led him into the salon, and, when they were seated, said: "My brother, I have a question to ask of you."
A shadow crossed the young man's brow, and he quickly asked: "Is it about the Viscount Massetti?"
"Yes."
"Then I must refuse to answer!"
"But the matter concerns my happiness, nay, my very life itself; think of that before you finally refuse to answer my question!"
Espérance hastily and excitedly arose from his chair and stood in front of his sister.
"Zuleika," said he, in an agitated tone, "beware of that man--beware of Giovanni Massetti!"
"Beware of Giovanni, Espérance--and why?"
The young man began to pace the salon with short and nervous steps; his hands twitched convulsively, and his face had suddenly assumed the whiteness of chalk.
"Zuleika, Zuleika," he murmured, "I cannot, I cannot tell you why! It would crash you to the very earth and make you blush with shame that you had ever listened to the seductive tones of that doubly false Italian's voice!"
"But, Espérance," said Zuleika, "papa certainly knows all about Giovanni; if he did not altogether approve of his character and conduct, he would never have consented to admit him as a suitor for my hand!"
"A suitor for your hand, Zuleika! My God! has he then dared----"
"He has done nothing that an upright and honorable man should not do!" interrupted Zuleika, warmly. "He did not even call here until he had written to papa and obtained his full permission to do so."
"Zuleika," said Espérance, approaching his sister and taking her hand, "no doubt Giovanni Massetti has conducted himself in all respects toward you like a perfect gentleman, but, nevertheless, he is not fit to be my sister's husband."