that, and of his being king's attorney, he is a man like
ourselves, and I fancy not a bad sort of one."

"Perhaps not," replied Danglars; "but I hear that he is
ambitious, and that's rather against him."

"Well, well," returned M. Morrel, "we shall see. But now
hasten on board, I will join you there ere long." So saying,
the worthy shipowner quitted the two allies, and proceeded
in the direction of the Palais de Justice.

"You see," said Danglars, addressing Caderousse, "the turn
things have taken. Do you still feel any desire to stand up
in his defence?"

"Not the slightest, but yet it seems to me a shocking thing
that a mere joke should lead to such consequences."

"But who perpetrated that joke, let me ask? neither you nor
myself, but Fernand; you knew very well that I threw the
paper into a corner of the room -- indeed, I fancied I had
destroyed it."

"Oh, no," replied Caderousse, "that I can answer for, you
did not. I only wish I could see it now as plainly as I saw
it lying all crushed and crumpled in a corner of the arbor."

"Well, then, if you did, depend upon it, Fernand picked it
up, and either copied it or caused it to be copied; perhaps,
even, he did not take the trouble of recopying it. And now I