"He is."
"And what effect does he produce?"
"Why," said Albert, "certainly, during the first week of his arrival here, he was the great lion of the day; then the coronation of the Queen of England took place, followed almost immediately afterward by the robbery of Mademoiselle Mars' diamonds; and two such events turned attention to other channels."
"My good fellow," said Chateau-Renaud, "the count is your friend, and you treat him as such. Do not believe what Albert is telling you, Madame la Comtesse; the sensation excited by the appearance of the Count of Monte-Cristo is as strong as ever. His first act was to present a pair of horses, worth thirty-two thousand francs, to Madame Danglars; his second, the preservation of Madame de Villefort's life; now it seems that he has carried off the prize awarded by the Jockey Club! I therefore maintain, in despite of whatever Morcerf may advance, that not only is the count the object of universal remark at this present moment, but also that he will continue to be so while he pleases to exhibit an eccentricity of conduct which, after all, may be his ordinary mode of life."
"Perhaps you are right," said Morcerf; "but, meanwhile, who is the occupant of the Russian Ambassador's box?"
"Which box do you mean?"
"The one between the pillars on the first tier, it seems to have been fitted up entirely afresh."
"Did you observe any one during the first act?"
"Where?"
"In that box?"
"No!" replied the countess; "it was certainly empty during the first act; "then, resuming the subject of their previous conversation, she said, "And so you believe it was your Count of Monte-Cristo that gained the prize?"
"I am sure of it."
"And who sent the cup to me?"
"Undoubtedly!"
"But I do not know him," said the countess; "I have a strong inclination to return it?"
"Do no such thing, I beg of you; it would only produce a second goblet, formed of a magnificent sapphire, or hollowed out of a gigantic ruby. It is his manner of acting, and you must take him as you find him."
At this moment the bell rang to announce the drawing up of the curtain for the second act. Albert rose to return to his place.
