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164 respect due to humanity. You appear to consider this a point of honor, and it may be for this reason you have delayed acknowledging your name. You wished it to be preceded by all these titles."

"It is quite wonderful, M. le Président, how entirely you have read my thoughts," said Benedetto, in his softest voice and most polite manner. "This is, indeed, the reason why I begged you to alter the order of the questions."

The public astonishment had reached its height. There was no longer any deceit or bravado in the manner of the accused. The audience seemed like some thunder-cloud about to burst over the gloomy scene.

"Well!" said the president; "your name?"

"I cannot tell you my name, since I do not know it; but I know my father's, and will pronounce it."

A painful flash of dread blinded Villefort's eyes. Drops of perspiration poured from his cheeks on the papers which he grasped with a convulsive hand.

"Repeat your father's name," said the president.

Not a whisper, not a breath was heard in that vast assembly; every one waited anxiously.

"My father is procureur du roi," replied Andrea calmly.

"Procureur du roi?" said the president, stupefied, and without noticing the agitation which spread over the face of M. de Villefort—"procureur du roi?"

"Yes; and if you wish to know his name, I will tell it,—he is named Villefort,"

The explosion, which had been so long restrained from a feeling of respect to the court of justice, now burst forth like thunder from the breasts of all present; the court itself did not seek to restrain the movement of the multitude. The exclamations, the insults addressed to Benedetto, who remained perfectly unconcerned, the energetic gestures, the movement of the gendarmes, the sneers of the scum of the crowd—always sure to rise to the surface in case of any disturbance—all this lasted five minutes, before the door-keepers and magistrates were able to restore silence. In the midst of this tumult the voice of the president was heard to exclaim:

"Are you playing with justice, accused, and do you dare set your fellow-citizens an example of disorder which even in these times has never been equaled."

Several persons hurried up to M. de Villefort, who was nearly buried in his chair, offering him consolation, encouragement, and protestations of zeal and sympathy. Order was reestablished in the hall, with the