Page:The Count of Monte-Cristo (1887 Volume 2).djvu/124

106 "'Ah! ah!' said he 'good, good! you are attired; it is now my turn to dress myself.'

"Teresa was clothed from head to foot in the garb of the Count di San-Felice's daughter. Vampa took Cucumetto's body in his arms and conveyed it to the grotto, whilst in her turn Teresa remained outside.

"If a second traveler had passed, he would have seen a strange thing, a shepherdess watching her flock, clad in a cachemire gown, with ear-rings and necklace of pearls, diamond pins, and buttons of sapphires, emeralds, and rubies.

"He would, no doubt, have believed that he had returned to the times of Florian, and would have declared, on returning to Paris, that he had met The Shepherdess of the Alps seated at the foot of the Sabine Hill.

"At the end of a quarter of an hour Vampa quitted the grotto; his costume was no less elegant than that of Teresa. He wore a vest of garnet-colored velvet, with buttons of cut gold; a silk waistcoat covered with embroidery; a Roman scarf tied round his neck; a cartouche-box worked with gold, and red and green silk; sky-blue velvet breeches, fastened above the knee with diamond buckles; gaiters of deer-skin, worked with a thousand arabesques, and a hat whereon hung ribbons of all colors; two watches hung from his girdle, and a splendid poniard was in his belt.

"Teresa uttered a cry of admiration. Vampa in this attire resembled a painting by Leopold Robert or Schnetz. He had assumed the entire costume of Cucumetto.

"The young man saw the effect produced on his betrothed, and a smile of pride passed over his lips.

"'Now,' he said to Teresa, 'are you ready to share my fortune, what ever it may be?'

"'Oh, yes!' exclaimed the young girl enthusiastically.

"'And follow me wherever I go?'

"'To the world's end.'

"'Then take my arm, and let us on; we have no time to lose.'

"The young girl did so, without questioning her lover as to where he was conducting her, for he appeared to her at this moment as hand some, proud, and powerful as a god. They went toward the forest, and in a few minutes entered it.

"We need scarcely say that all the paths of the mountain were known to Vampa; he therefore went forward without a moment's hesitation, although there was no beaten track; but he knew his path by looking at the trees and bushes; and thus they kept on advancing for nearly an hour and a half. At the end of this time they had reached the thickest part of the forest. A torrent, whose bed was dry, led into a deep gorge.